Question About WY Antelope Hunting Pressure

[gallagher71]

Have been WY antelope hunting for two years now and have accumulated preference points while doing so. Looking at some new areas but still new to western game hunting. Trying to understand what will be "too much" hunting pressure. Seems like too many people in an antelope zone could be a train wreck as everyone stumbles over one another to chase the same heard.

To determine what might be "to much" for my taste, what I've done is try to score some areas where I have interest based upon what should be density of hunters. Not perfect, but a start. I've been comparing the total tags issued (resident & non-resident) and dividing them by the square miles of public land. As an example, an area with 400 tags and 200 square miles of public land should be 2X more crowded than an area with 100 tags and 100 square miles of public land. (I understand public land not able to be accessed blows this analysis up.)

Always chosen to avoid opening weekend. Haven't really noticed much pressure. Have had some success each of two years. Seems like most areas I'm searching have less pressure, using my scoring, than the area we've been hunting. Maybe that's because we have preference points and thus more premium zones. However, GoHunt area descriptions for some of these areas mention high pressure but GoHunt is silent on any warning of hunting pressure where we've been hunting.

Is there really very few antelope hunting pressure issues after opening weekend in Wyoming? Am I overthinking this? Would appreciate some wise counsel. Thanks in advance.

 

[elkantlers]

I hunted opening day of Wyoming Antelope season one time and I will never do it again. Every other time we have waited at least 10 days to two weeks after the season starts to go hunt and most years we don't see anyone else out hunting.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

Pressure will most likely be far less later in the season. That's when I would go.

 

[88man]

I don't think guys know how to answer or at least I don't. You should have less pressure on non weekends and non opening days. Just hunt. Don't over think it

 

[CRAZYCARL]

I think some people overthink "hunting pressure." I'm not saying it isn't an issue but growing up a good chunk of the grounds we would hunt were what some would call "high pressure areas" where the deer were hunted hard. My father and uncles taught me to use that to our advantage. Very rarely would we eat a tag. In MY opinion hunters who worry about "hunting pressure" are lazy hunters. I agree with 88man, just hunt. Any hunter worth one's salt especially when hunting antelope in Wyoming will have no problem putting one on the ground.

 

[gallagher71]

Thanks. I appreciate everyone's input. Because we won't be hunting opening weekend and majority of hunting days will be weekdays, I'm going to assume issues due to pressure will be negligible. Rule in our family is you get to come hunt when you're 8 and carry a gun when you're 12 and prove responsible with it, so I have have three kiddos who are 10, 9, & 8 in tow this year. Good kids (grateful to my wife) but our group will be "less ambitious" than some others when it comes to longer hikes. Took them on a 5 mile hike the first year at 8 & 9. They weren't ready for it. Bad call on my part.

Antelope hunts have been great first experiences in the field for my now 10 & 9 year old kids for the past two years. They scout and search for game. They see game. Thy stalk game. They see game go down and be harvested. Sure is a privilege to be able to spend the time in the field with them. (Even if sometimes we end up going back to camp an hour earlier so an 8 year old can get some shooting time in with his BB gun and Gatorade bottles.)

Thanks again for your advice.

 

[88man]

Thanks. I appreciate everyone's input. Because we won't be hunting opening weekend and majority of hunting days will be weekdays, I'm going to assume issues due to pressure will be negligible. Rule in our family is you get to come hunt when you're 8 and carry a gun when you're 12 and prove responsible with it, so I have have three kiddos who are 10, 9, & 8 in tow this year. Good kids (grateful to my wife) but our group will be "less ambitious" than some others when it comes to longer hikes. Took them on a 5 mile hike the first year at 8 & 9. They weren't ready for it. Bad call on my part.

Antelope hunts have been great first experiences in the field for my now 10 & 9 year old kids for the past two years. They scout and search for game. They see game. Thy stalk game. They see game go down and be harvested. Sure is a privilege to be able to spend the time in the field with them. (Even if sometimes we end up going back to camp an hour earlier so an 8 year old can get some shooting time in with his BB gun and Gatorade bottles.)

Thanks again for your advice.

OMG yes you gotta keep it fun and lots of action. Totally different hunt with kids and always lots more eating.

 

[Dsnow9]

Opening day in one of, if not the most crowded unit in the state. We were tagged out by noon. If you get out of your truck and walk over a hill you did more than 95 percent of the people out there. Would it be nice to hunt with less people out there, of course.... Getting out there hunting when it fits your schedule, even if it’s opening weekend, is still better than not hunting.

 

[Kepple55]

That's a heck of an opening day!

 

[midwesthunter]

Further into the season pressure will lessen. It really comes down to hunters vs accessible public land.

I hunted opening weekend in 23 back before they added the type 2 tag, that was a circus.

 

[deer_shooter]

Opening day in one of, if not the most crowded unit in the state. We were tagged out by noon. If you get out of your truck and walk over a hill you did more than 95 percent of the people out there. Would it be nice to hunt with less people out there, of course.... Getting out there hunting when it fits your schedule, even if it’s opening weekend, is still better than not hunting.

^^^ I've hunted antelope in Wyoming 7 of the last 8 years and can still count on one hand the number of hunters I've see on foot more than a quarter mile from a road.

 

[Buffs35]

^^^ I've hunted antelope in Wyoming 7 of the last 8 years and can still count on one hand the number of hunters I've see on foot more than a quarter mile from a road.

This should give everyone hope.

 

[LopeHunter]

If the unit has 100s of tags and less than 5% of the unit is public then you may encounter what I did opening week. I was seeing herd after herd of pronghorn being shot at running full speed by 2 or more groups of hunters perpendicular to each other while 300 yards or more from the herd. That left a distaste in my mouth and a fear for my life. I may hunt pronghorn again in WY but there are several units with a 2 in front that are off my list.

 

[sbhooper]

My last hunt in Wyoming was pretty much hunter-free, as I waited a couple weeks to go. The downside was that the antelope were very spooky and most had crossed on to no-access private land. Most of the land in the unit that was open to public hunting, was the walk-in private land. I did score, but it was not an easy hunt by any means. I had to crawl down a wash for several hundred yards to get within 288 yards for a shot and made it count. I was a couple miles from the truck, so she came out in a back pack. I was overall disappointed with the number of antelope in the unit, in relation to tags allotted.

 

[thusby]

Just remember a lot of unit’s public land is not antelope habitat either. There can be 1,000 sq miles of public but only 100 sq miles of it carries antelope. Then they give out 500 tags. Those are the units I avoid.

 

[Hunt&FishCO]

I wouldn’t over think/analyze it. There’s a camaraderie of opening weekend; but if safety or the appearance of pressure is an issue just go during the week or the following weekends. I hunted WY Antelope for the first time this year (bow & rifle), didn’t go opening days for other reasons; but still tagged out by Noon both days.

 

[EdP]

The other factor that blows up your math is that a number of the tags drawn are by hunters that don't hunt the public land. They have access to private land through an outfitter or other means. I think this is especially true in those units without a lot of public land but that still hold a lot of antelope.