DIY Antelope Hunting in Wyoming
Sam Seeton
03/09/2023
If you are reading this, odds are you are not a resident of the Cowboy State, and just as likely, not from a place where the elusive antelope lives. The scarcity of antelope is largely what makes them such a draw for people across the US, and even the World. And when people think of hunting antelope, they think of Wyoming. Sure, there are antelope across most western states, but Wyoming’s herd not only dwarfs other states, it exceeds human population in many counties. In this article, we will discuss the basics of what you need to know to apply, how to be successful in the draw, and how to capitalize on your own do-it-yourself antelope hunt.
While the state of Wyoming refers to them as antelope, they are not actually related to antelope that dominate the African landscape. In fact, they are the only surviving animal of their kind (and the only horned animal that sheds their sheaths; in case you ever find yourself on a game show). This is not only a fun fact but also important to know when you are navigating the Wyoming Game and Fish website and doing your application since, unlike many states, they refer to them as antelope. So don’t look up Pronghorn, Prairie Lobster, Speed Goat or any other street name, you’ll be out of luck.
The first topic to discuss is how does one acquire a tag to legally hunt an antelope in Wyoming? Wyoming, like most western states, breaks down the state into different areas. Each area has a designated number of tags and allocations based on the availability of access, herd population, doe/ buck ratios, herd population objectives, and many other factors. Tag demand (at least for non-residents) is managed through a preference point system. If this is a new term to you, think of a “point” as a credit to your account in exchange for an unsuccessful draw year that didn’t result in the issuance of a license for the desired species. The more “points” you earn, the better chance you have of drawing a tag in a “better” unit. Some units are considered better, or trophy units, and thus have more people applying for them- in turn requiring more preference points to draw those units. Tags are allocated from top down based on the highest point holders and then a small pool of random draw tags to give everyone some chance.
If the preference point talk has you discouraged, don’t fret, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you will have to wait years to hunt. Some units take 0 or 1 points to draw and can still provide solid opportunity! Another way to draw with less points is to apply for the “special draw”. The Special Draw is essentially a higher priced tag and separate license pool. It is basic economics, this application is more expensive, thus decreasing the demand by hunters and increasing the available quantity. The Special Draw is somewhat controversial since some people think of it as a money grab by the state or just catering to the wealthy, especially with the new law, House Bill 200, that will take effect in 2024 and cause a non-resident antelope license to go from a few hundred bucks to nearly $900.
We aren’t ones to pick sides, so we will simply provide a few viewpoints and may help in deciding when to apply for your Wyoming hunts. If you are more price sensitive, this may be the year to burn your points or apply for a Special Draw tag and snag a better unit while you still can. The other view to take is that there will be even less demand in the Special Draw in future years so there may be a great chance to pick up better tags in the future with years less of wait. Now, if you are planning a once in a lifetime hunt, price may not be as much of an issue as your timing. For example, if you want to take your elderly father on a dream hunt but 3 more years of waiting may keep him from hunting the area you always dreamed of, then this change could really benefit that individual. While this (and many other tags) are taking a huge hike in the special draw, the regular prices license will stay relatively static.
Now that you understand the most basic principles of preference points and the types of applications, how do you make sure you are successful in those areas for a DIY hunt? As a basic rule of thumb, if it is easy to draw a tag, expect to see a LOT of people on any public sections. Not only will there be more people, but the animals will likely be less mature and more educated, making them harder to hunt.
Again, don’t be discouraged, there are many ways to still be successful. Let’s first assume that you will be hunting a lower point unit (0-5 points). The first bit of advice for any hunt is to get out of your truck. Yes, you can see plenty from the car, and can sometimes get lucky on a quick off-road shot, but in most situations, this just isn’t the case. At best, you scare the antelope and make a long shot after you already bumped it… and this is the surest way to ruin the meat. Antelope meat it fantastic, IF you kill it clean, cool the meat down fast, and don’t let lactic acid and adrenaline into it’s system by bumping them. If you see them from the truck, keep driving and don’t stop until you are well past where they are. The second that engine stops or you the truck stops, they are gone.
The next tip is to go where other hunters aren’t. Seems obvious right? Well, you give humans too much credit. Look for areas you can hike to, even if it’s short, that exposes new country that isn’t visible to the road hunters. Or better yet, hike way back and get into a whole new area and you may even dig up a big buck that learned to stay well away from roads years ago. The other option is to get private access so that the hunting pressure is less, or none. This can be done by platforms like Infinite Outdoors where landowners list trespass fee access to their ranches. This is also a way to get a higher quality animal without the years of waiting for a different unit. Private land allows the landowner (or Infinite’s Biologists) to decrease the harvest rate and manage for mature bucks.
The other option is the good old-fashioned way- help buck some hay bales or knock on a door with a bottle of whiskey. I say this genuinely, and as a ranch owner myself, be careful with the door knocking. Lots of ranchers live where they do because they aren’t real fans of people. At least not their kind of people. Rolling up in a Subaru and $1000 camo outfit is just as likely to get a F@ck Y*u, or even a flash of a .44 mag on their hip, as it is to get you access. This happened to me personally north of Douglas Wyoming when I rolled up in a truck but made the mistake of having Colorado plates at the time. I had the “I’m a rancher too” card to pull and deescalate the situation but many do not. To not beat a dead horse, get out of your truck, hike, and/ or find a way to get on private to help beat pressure.
Another great strategy is to hunt water. It can be the best way to have success in archery season since the antelope need water to live and temperatures are typically still high during the early season. This is what you should focus on when e-scouting. Get on the Infinite Outdoors app or any mapping program and look over your hopeful hunt area hard. The hotter it is, the less distance from water they will travel.Find areas where cattle are close as this means water is close (pro tip: antelope don’t usually hang directly with cattle herds though). Look for drainages, stock ponds, creeks, and find areas to do several short hikes to. Do that enough, and you will dig up a nice goat eventually and maximize your miles.
The final tip for a new antelope hunter is to use the antelope’s curiosity against them. While they can smell well, they will nearly never spook unless they see something that scares them. Even if they smell you, they will try to get eyes on the threat first. Since they want to know what they are seeing, do not underestimate their ability to make bad decisions if you confuse their eyes. For example, I was crawling in on a herd of antelope 400+ yards away in archery season and kept getting stickers in my hands as I was crawling… it got so bad I took my camo layers off and wrapped them around my hands, leaving only my white t-shirt shining in the afternoon light. The big buck quickly noticed a strange white object crawling through the sage and got very alert. While most other animals would have darted, he locked eyes and sprinted on a rope to 45 yards, snorting and wheezing at me the whole time. From my knees, I drew my bow slowly, rotated the string vertical, picked the right pin, and filled the freezer. All I can speculate is he saw the white and pegged me for another antelope. Either way, this pattern of curiosity has happened time and time again and is largely how I have killed 8 of my last ten goats, of which 6 have been with a bow.
Hopefully this article has got some wheels turning and helped unpack some of the questions around how to do an out-of-state antelope hunt in Wyoming. Please use this baseline to do your own research on the game and fish website to connect the rest of the dots or feel free to contact a member of Infinite Outdoors and, if you plan on hunting and Infinite Outdoors property or not, they will be happy to assist with any question you may have. Good luck this fall!