Virginia to Wyoming

[50bowhunter]

This was my second trip from Virginia to Wyoming. Three of us made the trip with 2 antelope tags and 3 mule deer tags. Unfortunately not one deer tag was filled. Does and forkies were everywhere, but nothing bigger. It’s hard to have a bad time in Wyoming though. Both antelope were killed the same morning. Can’t wait to come back. Except for one particularly grumpy lady at a butcher shop, the locals are always very friendly and helpful.

 

[50bowhunter]

Few more pictures

 

[oxn939]

Nice shooting man. Which deer tags did you have, if you're comfortable sharing? I hunted a second choice general tag in 2020 for five days and saw over 40 does without a single legal buck... then watched a dude kill a massive 4x4 right over the boundary onto private my last night out. Last time I'll be paying WY for a tag like that.

Congrats again- like you said, it's a blast out there no matter how the hunting is.

 

[50bowhunter]

Nice shooting man. Which deer tags did you have, if you're comfortable sharing? I hunted a second choice general tag in 2020 for five days and saw over 40 does without a single legal buck... then watched a dude kill a massive 4x4 right over the boundary onto private my last night out. Last time I'll be paying WY for a tag like that.

Congrats again- like you said, it's a blast out there no matter how the hunting is.

Region W, unit 82. Honestly, I was a little frustrated with the quality of hunting for the amount of tags that are issued for the area. We hunted hard for 6 days, seeing only does and small bucks. All the locals said the older bucks were killed in a winter die off. There was a 3 point antler restriction in the unit, which I'm all for if the numbers are low, but to me, there should have been half the tags issued. I can imagine the success rates in that area will be crazy low. In 6 days we saw 1 deer hanging at a camp, one on the back of a truck, and one group dragging one out. All three were small 1 1/2 old bucks that just happen to have grown a third point. Just my observation as an easterner who has only spent a couple weeks in the state over the last 5 years.

 

[oxn939]

We hunted hard for 6 days, seeing only does and small bucks. In 6 days we saw 1 deer hanging at a camp, one on the back of a truck, and one group dragging one out. All three were small 1 1/2 old bucks that just happen to have grown a third point.

This was exactly my experience in J. I covered a ton of ground and was out before sunrise and after sunset every day with really nothing to show for it, and talked to a bunch of other guys hunting public who said the same. That's awesome you filled your antelope tags, though!

Lessons learned: A) some of these tags are just revenue generators for the state, and your chances of getting it done by yourself on public are extremely low. And B), time spent out there is time well spent even if you don't notch any tags.

Congrats again!

 

[Djfan]

More specific on the location you hunted?

 

[VAspeedgoat]

Way to get it done, very jealous!

 

[wytex]

This was exactly my experience in J. I covered a ton of ground and was out before sunrise and after sunset every day with really nothing to show for it, and talked to a bunch of other guys hunting public who said the same. That's awesome you filled your antelope tags, though!

Lessons learned: A) some of these tags are just revenue generators for the state, and your chances of getting it done by yourself on public are extremely low. And B), time spent out there is time well spent even if you don't notch any tags.

Congrats again!

There are good bucks in J but timing for your hunt can be part of finding them.

 

[wyoelkhunter17]

This was my second trip from Virginia to Wyoming. Three of us made the trip with 2 antelope tags and 3 mule deer tags. Unfortunately not one deer tag was filled. Does and forkies were everywhere, but nothing bigger. It’s hard to have a bad time in Wyoming though. Both antelope were killed the same morning. Can’t wait to come back. Except for one particularly grumpy lady at a butcher shop, the locals are always very friendly and helpful.

That's awesome congrats can I ask what town the butcher was in

 

[50bowhunter]

That's awesome congrats can I ask what town the butcher was in

Rawlings

 

[CPAjeff]

Congrats!

 

[EastTNHunter]

Congrats.

 

[Wyo307]

Looks like a great hunt!

 

[BrookTrout]

Looks like you had a good hunt. That trip from Virginia to Wyoming is a haul and challenging from a logistics standpoint. Any time you come away with meat from the field and no major incidents is a good trip!

 

[tim81212]

Congrats. I made that trip in 2019 from VA and had a great hunt. Can't wait to go back.

 

[wyoelkfan15]

Don't worry, that lady is grumpy to other folks as well! Nice hunt!

 

[Moose 360]

This was my second trip from Virginia to Wyoming. Three of us made the trip with 2 antelope tags and 3 mule deer tags. Unfortunately not one deer tag was filled. Does and forkies were everywhere, but nothing bigger. It’s hard to have a bad time in Wyoming though. Both antelope were killed the same morning. Can’t wait to come back. Except for one particularly grumpy lady at a butcher shop, the locals are always very friendly and helpful.

Nice buck!

 

[thusby]

Don't worry, that lady is grumpy to other folks as well! Nice hunt!

Had that same experience with a lady that worked at the processor in Green River. Maybe she works both places.

 

[bullbugle307]

Reminds me of the lady that runs the gas station in Ten Sleep. A lot of the locals would drive to Worland rather than give her money.

It always amazes me when businesses here are very reliant on non locals and then treat said non locals like absolute garbage.