Wyoming Unit 16 HELP!!!!!

[WVbiggamehunter]

Hello all

This is my first western hunt and my best friend and I have drawn unit 16 in Wyoming for antelope. Wondering if anyone had any info that could help us out. It would be much appreciated.

 

[jt13]

Welcome to HT

Download the OnX App for property boundaries, unit looks to have plenty of BLM. Accessibility looks to be a minor issue so make sure you arent trespassing.

Use the Wyoming Hunt Planner for antelope.

Do a search on this forum and others to find older threads about specific units.

Dont shoot the first one you see, or your hunt will be over before you know it.

Walk away from the roads or take the BLM roads that are less traveled to get away from the crowds to find unpressured animals.

Use some of the tools available through the Wyoming Public hunting section of their website to see if any private land owners allow public access for Pronghorn.

Dont be afraid to call a biologist to ask about landowners that may be having crop damage problems.

Bring good glass, good boots, and a decent backpack.

Practice shooting from 100-400 yards. 400 yards out west feels like 200 yards back east.

Use a rangefinder, objects are further away than they appear.

Have fun!!

 

[NEWHunter]

Unit 16 has a short season. Show up a couple days before the opener and scout. Be prepared to walk ALOT and pack one out. Have fun and good luck.

 

[bts09]

Welcome to HT.

Access looks fine if you're willing to hike. Access is usually the biggest issue--so I second NEWHunter's advice--get there a day or so before the opener. Have a plan in place about what areas you want to scout (and how you'll get to them), then try to get your boots on the ground before opener--check out as many areas as you can so you have backup options. If it's easy to get to, you should expect that you will not be the only person hunting, especially opening day. So if you zero in on a couple of areas, and one is further from the road/a harder hike, that might be a good place to focus your efforts on day one to avoid the road hunters.

Also, google maps has come a long way. Spend some time with the satellite images. Look for watering holes and basins, flatter ground, etc. Pick some specific spots to check out during your scouting time.

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

Are you yelling at us?
It's Wyoming - there's antelope and wind everywhere. Grab OnX, decent binos, and a box of bullets and you'll be fine.
Oh, and stay off the dirt roads if it rains, make sure you wear some orange, buy your conservation stamp and some beer.

 

[magnum44270]

16 has decent access. lots of land if you are willing to get off the road and hike in. Also Johnson walk in area #3.... OnX maps and get at it!

 

[JohnCushman]

Welcome to HT

 

[Bluffgruff]

16 is a madhouse.
The public land in the SE holds some antelope, but it is extremely broken and more like deer country. If you can hike off the roads, down to a creek, then up and over the next ridge, you should find some in an 8-12 mile round trip. Most antelope live in private areas with flatter terrain and less pressure. I will never hunt there again if I dont have to, so I can give you some spots if you want to message me.

 

[Onxhntr]

Welcome to HT. I hunted there last year and echo what everyone else is saying. You will have a great time but let me know if you have specific questions.

 

[Bigjay73]

Not to be a d!(k, but how do you not figure this stuff out before applying for a tag?

 

[WapitiBob]

There are people cruising the open roads in the walk-in every 30 minutes. The guy who owns the ranch at the end of the Northern county roads drives it every 30 minutes also. The guy who owns a ranch on the southern end patrols the road from the cell tower every 60 minutes. Every well head off the paved river road on the east side will have at least 2 camps and the guy that owns a small parcel next to the river road sits in his toyota and herds the antelope away from the state section adjoining his piece.

Hike in 2+ miles and you'll find Antelope, but it's not flat country. And some of those campers at the well heads can be dicks, thinking they own the only access....

 

[Khunter]

Not to be a d!(k, but how do you not figure this stuff out before applying for a tag?

you are kinda being one. Tons of guys, me included, draw tags based on a general idea of a hunt and then start figuring it out. It is not a shortcoming or a flaw. A lot of us put in for 30-40 tags per year in 3,5 or even 7 states. Which requires applying for tags that will have to be researched more adequately after being drawn.

The OP is headed on his FIRST western hunt, how about a little kindness and a gracious welcome to the fraternity! Good luck WVbiggamehunter. Good luck and hope enjoy the experience no matter the outcome.

 

[Bigjay73]

I've been called worse

 

[Toadslayer]

Lot of hunters pull off I90 and camp right inside the right of way fence. If it was me I would bowhunt it or wait til the last week.

 

[Walkathon]

I've hunted it in the past and shot a buck that was probably 2.5 yrs old (12"). I had to hike in a couple of miles to get away from the crowds. This was a few years ago, and it might be worse now. The terrain is fairly rough for antelope country, but if you work hard you should be able to find antelope on public. There were also several camps at access points, making it difficult to find a starting point to hike in- same thing WapitiBob experienced.

 

[magnum44270]

There are people cruising the open roads in the walk-in every 30 minutes. The guy who owns the ranch at the end of the Northern county roads drives it every 30 minutes also. The guy who owns a ranch on the southern end patrols the road from the cell tower every 60 minutes. Every well head off the paved river road on the east side will have at least 2 camps and the guy that owns a small parcel next to the river road sits in his toyota and herds the antelope away from the state section adjoining his piece.

Hike in 2+ miles and you'll find Antelope, but it's not flat country. And some of those campers at the well heads can be dicks, thinking they own the only access....

Thats why I go in early, hunt the property line and shoot one at first light. Have Game Warden on speed dial and dont be afraid to call in property owners for hunter harassment. Remember public land is OUR LAND.

 

[antelopedundee]

Thats why I go in early, hunt the property line and shoot one at first light. Have Game Warden on speed dial and dont be afrain to call in property owners for hunter harassment. Remember public land in OUR LAND.

How do you get a warden's cell number?

 

[bts09]

There's a published list.

Wyoming Game and Fish Department - Warden contact info

wgfd.wyo.gov

 

[antelopedundee]

There's a published list.

Wyoming Game and Fish Department - Warden contact info

wgfd.wyo.gov

I was aware of those, but are those cell numbers or landline numbers? I called the Douglas guy more than once and it rang and rang with no answer or answering machine. Finally left a voice message with the Gillette biologist. Got a call back from the Glenrock warden and it showed on my phone as restricted. The 358 exchange for Douglas suggests it's a landline number.

 

[magnum44270]

Call the local numbers listed and ask for the region wardens cell #....keep it handy. Also call in landowners for rounding up antelope with 4wheelers, drones or vehicles and get it on video.