Doodah Bach
Member
Anyone have any ideas/advice for public land pronghorn? We've seen tons, but every one on private ground! Any info would be GREATLY appreciated!
WY Unit 20 Help!
- Thread starter Doodah Bach
- Start date
BlakeA
Well-known member
Knock on some doors with an open checkbook or cash for trespass fees. That unit is listed as having difficult public access on the WYGF website for a reason.
VikingsGuy
Well-known member
Find spots where you can park on the side of a road adjacent to public where you can walk back a mile or so. Few locals will walk for pronghorn, and you would be amazed how seemingly small undulations can hide pronghorn from sight.
406LIFE
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- Aug 18, 2016
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This is good advice. After the pressure for a couple of weeks now, they will be wary. If you're set on public land, use the small running tracts to get to the bigger ones. Don't be afraid to put some miles on, antelope are light. If you are ok with private land, knock on doors. Small trespass fees can be worth it, and often times I have ranchers tell me to just go.
huntinsonovagun
Active member
VikingsGuy
Well-known member
Topgun is always near to mind . . . .As in, the side of an Interstate?
LopeHunter
Well-known member
I did this one time and turns out the private on the other side had access at the point furthest from where I entered the BLM chunk. I went in and out of deep gullies then around a sharp corner to get past a pinch point where two private land chunks almost touched then the walking got easy for the next mile going along that dogleg. Then, I hear a 4-wheeler start up at a ranch house and zoom past me. Was a damn gate for them to use. Horse feathers. Never saw a pronghorn that hike and figure those ranchers zoom around to keep the pronghorn back on private. Nothing natural about pronghorn behavior when they are rounded up in that setup.
Just keep at it we’re at unit 20 now both of us have filled our buck tags and punched doe tags this morning on public land it’s all about being in the right place at the right time or get way back on the TA ranch land there is a lot of places in there for them to get out of sight.
TA Ranch is private.
I counted 17 vehicles parked there a few days ago, plus three tents, a camper, and a horse trailer. Looks as if some have left now. Saw a whole dead antelope laying about 250 yds off the road the other day there too.
It has been completely insane this year. Wife has already thrown in the towel and I am about there. Never have seen so many non-res crowding public.
It has been completely insane this year. Wife has already thrown in the towel and I am about there. Never have seen so many non-res crowding public.
Is what it is-Its not OTC, WYGF allocates a certain number of tags for non-res, people purchase them. I believe there were around 3k less tags this year then last year as well. You wont be successful if you quit. Adapt and overcome.
brownbear932008
Well-known member
I remember when that unit had hundreds of leftover tags not alwful long ago. We would pick tags up on the way back from MT and smoke a lope within the hour normally. Funny how things have changed.
Right there are a ton of units that even two years ago had leftover tags now there isnt a great chance to get a tag with 0 points even in a crappy unit. Will be interesting to see where we are at in five years
Really we never seen nearly that many people at the entrances there. we got one by sitting there and watching hunters come out one evening and they bump some and watch them bed down over a mile off got in there early the next morning was able to get the buck out of that group but our plan was though if we weren’t able to get on these to get way back in the TA hills. there’s a lot of ground in there and they’re in there you just Gotta put the miles in and find them. we also had good luck just hitting every section of public ground running back looking over the hill and going to the next one we hit each section in the truck 3 or 4 times a day and eventually we did find some that had moved back on to some public ground
cahunter805
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+1. I’m sure some of the tag cuts had a small part in this but overall I think WY antelope is one of the most publicized hunts for many people and new hunters to the west. Also with some hunting companies that are supplying draw information and suggestions draw odds for certain units change drastically from year to year.
thusby
Well-known member
After 6 days hard hunting my FIL whiffed a 40 yard shot on a buck in that unit. We went home after that.
sambo3006
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- Sep 10, 2020
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That stinks. At least you had an opportunity.
