Family hunting in Wyoming - Kids hangout spots ?

[Norcal-Noodler]

Hello everyone,

First post after much stalking over the months - hoping for some help as I have really waited far to long to get any decent leftover tags (I think)

INTRODUCTION --
SO an introduction first - I'm Toby a contractor that works way too hard and then on my days off hunts way to hard (I love it) my passions are bird hunting, backpack hunting, spearfishing, and other forms of strenuous hunts, I do like the odd trip duck hunting and all the shinanigans that occur in the clubhouse at nigh as well ! My fiancé Jorden is a chef and just recently started her own catering business, she hasn't taken any big game but is very eager and loves to hunt birds and shoot her bow and rifle (which she spent all her last tax return on), Jade is her 5yr old who is well only 5 but loves to be outdoors and has a very nice plastic side-by-side with plastic shotshells she loves to take along on our hunting trips, unfortunately she can't make it that far yet on those little legs. And last but not least is our faithful furry hunting sidekick Milo (pronounced in German as Melo) who spends all night and day either hunting squirrels in the back yard or dreaming about chasing some sort of game though the hills and meadows. We are very happy and have the best wednesday night BBQ's in Santa Cruz - everyone is welcome to stop by if they are in town

THE TRIP --
So my fiancé, her daughter, Milo and I have been blessed with the time off to take a 5 week trip from the beginning of Oct. thru the mid of November. We plan a road trip from my home town of Santa Cruz, ca heading up through Idaho, crossing into Wyoming and Yellowstone, heading into the Pierre region of South Dakota for the pheasant opener (that was Jordens hunting wish for the trip), returning back to Wyoming for the end of the month to hopefully chase some antelope and then visiting family trough Colorado on my way to my elk hunt outside of Montrose before heading back towards California.

(add - this section pertains to Wyoming portion of our trip and the antelope units, I didn't make this clear originally)
So at the moment I am seeing units 2,3,10,15,16,19,20, and 22 and I'm not seeing much of these units mentioned much in the forums - I was hoping to hunt public land and I with these tags disappearing so quickly I thoughts I reach out and see if anyone had suggestion for zones and especially places we could camp that would be a good area for exploring with a 5yr old and a dog while the other was out hunting ? We are members of our local Elks lodge and were thinking about stopping by the Sheridan Elks lodge and seeing if any of the member would be willing to trade some farm work for access to hunt/camp out but that is a long shot and could be a dead end street.

If anyone would be willing to help me in the right direction I would really appreciate it - It would make for a great week to our fantastic trip and could be the spot for Jorden to take her first big game animal !!!! I can't to see her face

I will be taking lots of pictures

 

[Norcal-Noodler]

Here is the gang !!!

 

[JohnCushman]

Welcome aboard!

 

[Nameless Range]

Welcome to HuntTalk. Great intro

 

[jryoung]

Welcome from someone just over the hill (I live on Old SC Hwy near Holy City). You're introduction and asking for advice should be made a sticky. Way better than the one liners asking where to kill an elk/deer.

I wish I could help you on CO, but that's once state I need to mentally download all the details.

If you want to talk hunting CA shoot me a PM, always looking for more folk around the Bay Area to talk hunting or hit the range. Tell me about this BBQ

 

[Gr8bawana]

Welcome to the forum. Looking forward to hearing about your 5 week trip sound like fun.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

Welcome, make sure you share some pics of the trip.

 

[pabearhunter]

Welcome aboard.

 

[L. I. Yankee]

Welcome ....

 

[Rocky176]

Welcome and good luck, enjoy the family time together.

I can't help you with Wyoming. I'll be in Fairplay Co. mid November chasing Mr. elk, if your close give a shout out.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

The units you have mentioned have very limited private land. Not saying it can't be done it will be very difficult. If I were you I would try to make some phone calls from the landowner lists and try to find a ranch that would do a trespass hunt. It'll cost you 3-500 bucks but it will give you much better odds and more land to roam. Otherwise you will be setting up on small isolated parcels. Every year guys will religiously stay on one of these parcels and tag one but it would have to be boring to sit all day hoping a buck wanders off of private onto public. If you can find a good ranch filling a tag shouldn't be difficult if your trophy requirement isn't super high.

Also, make sure when you are looking at maps that there is a county or state road through or bordering the public land. If not you will not be able to access it. That is why public land is so tough in these units. Private roads show up on the maps also, so double check with wardens or access specialists to make sure you can hunt on certain places. Also, not all public land has pronghorns. Some of the public land is too steep and rugged and is more deer habitat. Get a blm map and look for flatter areas.

Good luck.

 

[Norcal-Noodler]

Thanks for all your help !

I did contact the local Sheridan office but they no longer give out a landowner list, she referred me to the new list which is available on the F&G website - THERE WAS ONLY ONE LANDOWNER LISTED FOR ANTELOPE -- I left a voicemail and hope to get a call back.

If anyone has an old list of the Sheridan area I would love to try to give a couple more landowners a call - I think all the old numbers must of fallen off with the new "system" that the F&G has initiated

Any other pointers would be fantastic

Thanks

Tobias

 

[VAspeedgoat]

I don't recall which counties are in the units you mentioned but contact their chambers of commerce. They often have lists as well. They are sometimes very old but at least it will give you numbers to try.

 

[maxx]

Good luck.

Pheasant hunting in SD can be fantastic. Be careful with the pooch during the opening weekend. It can be very hot.

I prefer to hunt SD later in the year when it is colder out.

 

[bobbydean]

Great intro.

Trip sounds like alota of fun.

I, too, look forward to stories of the adventure.

New Mexico native and no help with any info.

 

[7mm08mo]

I am hunting unit 20 this fall and the buffalo area chamber of commerce gave me a list of landowners and their respective antelope units and I just started calling them. Through research I found most public ground in those units is landlocked and you will have to pay a trespass fee to get across the ranch to get to it. Good luck in your search. Sounds like a great trip.

 

[Mthuntinfool]

Good luck, sounds like a great trip. I can't help you with Wyo. if you were heading to Montana I could give you some pointers.