Hunting Pronghorn Antelope

[BAPilot2]

Gentlemen,

I know that it's several months away, but I am planning to hunt antelope this October in Wyoming Unit 23, east of Buffalo and west of Gillette, and I'm interested to know what advice y'all have to offer?

Are there any antelope hunters here on the TradGang???

Has anyone here hunted unit 23?

I plan on hunting the BLM land that is available south of Interstate 90.

Other than staking out a waterhole, assuming its still dry enough to do so, what other options should I try?

I will be calling the local biologist in hopes of finding out if the antelope will still be rutting in October.

I look forward to comments, insights, and suggestions, that will help me in and during my antelope hunt.

Thanks,
Andrew

[Whip]

I haven't hunted 23, but antelope are a blast just about anywhere!

Any chance of going earlier?  Isn't rifle season open in October, or even earlier?  I would sure want to be there before the gun hunters get after them.  The rut is typically later September.  It might be pretty much over with by the time you get there.  Water holes are also better earlier when things are still hot and dry.  Less chance of rain ruining the waterhole hunting in early September.

Spot and stalk is another very fun way to hunt, but is very dependant on terrain.  You need the right place with broken terrain and/or cover of some type to pull it off.  Again, if the gun hunters have been after them I would guess the antelope are going to be hanging out in the wide open spaces where they can literally see you coming from a mile away.

Another option would be to set up a blind at a fence crossing.  They do tend to have favorite places to duck under the wire.

Have fun!!

[tracker12]

I hunted the second week of gun season two years ago during the rut and had a blast.  Will never go early again.  Weather is much nicer, goats are very active, decoying is possible and still plentt of Proghorns left.  Guns hunters fill out there tags the frist week anyway and we never saw another hunter in the area and we hunted public land.

[Lechwe]

I really enjoy hunting them later during rifle season as well. However, I think it is suicidal to even consider using a decoy on public land during rifle season even if you don't think anyone else is around. Be careful and have fun.

[Tim Finley]

I went late once and wont do it again. The antelope were way spookier and there was less of them . Waterholes are the best way to hunt them and opening day is the best time....Tim

[huntnmuleys]

Early waterholes is probably best, success rate speaking. Late is of course rut, and decoying. That area, while I've never hunted it, I've been around it some and for sure the terrain is good and broken, there will be stalk opportunities. However, at the rat this year is going, if it keeps up its going to be really dry, and water will be magic. Remember if waterhole hunting, blinds that are totally hidden until the antelope is on top of you have a tendency to spook em for a few days, where blinds seen easily at great distance have a tendency to be a great first day sit. Good luck.

[parshal]

I believe that area gets a lot of hunters.  I've hunted them with a rifle a couple times.  I hunt sage grouse in Wyoming (further south though) each weekend of the season which usually begins the third weekend of September.  One year that coincided with the rifle antelope opener and it was crazy.  There were hunters everywhere.  It doesn't take long for antelope to get it figured out and they will take off on a dead run if you stop your truck.  Spot and stalk is great fun but, as said above, you need to have the right terrain for it.

The rifle hunters are usually there the first weekend and don't go back but it takes a little bit of time for the antelope to calm back down.  I don't think I'd want to be decoying at any time during rifle season, though.  Call the DOW and get their feedback, though.  They are always helpful to me.

[BAK]

I hunted the Thunder Basin area in Converse county north east of Bill.  Hunted a large sheep ranch there about 10 years back.  Water holes worked quite well but have hunted fence crossings and that worked too.  Went in Sept.

[manitou1]

Lots of goats in that area. My wife is from Buffalo... lived South of town in a place called "Crazy Woman Canyon".  What was I thinking marrying a woman with a canyon named after her?!!! LOL. :-)

Like mentioned above, water holes and there are some good fence crossings going to/from the irrigated hay fields.  They are pretty predictable at those crossings where they go under the fences.

[huntnmuleys]

Do NOT use a decoy in rifle season!!

There will be substantially less pressure in bow season, seems to be the way it works out here. Please don't use a decoy in rifle season...

[BAPilot2]

I appreciate all the comments and ideas regarding my upcoming hunt.  I look forward to more ideas that others may have to share.

As for being able to hunt during an archery only timeframe in unit 23 that is not an option for me.  There will be 6 of us hunting and I am the only one who will be using a bow.  The others will be using rifles.  (Decoying might lead one to question my sanity... come to think of it! - LOL.   I guess I'll table that thought.)

The season is scheduled to open on October 1, 2013 (which is a Tuesday), and we are planing on starting our hunt on Monday, October 7.  By doing so we hope to avoid the opening week crowds.

I will be speaking to the local biologist who covers the unit 23 area of the state in order to find out when the rut will be for the antelope.  I'm guessing that the rut will be over, but it never hurts to ask a professional.

I like the idea of hunting a fence line.  But will there be a lot of fence lines upon BLM lands?  The only other time I hunted antelope was in 1998, in unit 61 (the Red Desert area), and I was not into archery then, but I don't remember seeing any fences across the BLM lands in the Red Desert.  Maybe there will be fences in unit 23.

I also like the idea of spot and stalk but they may be too skittish for that.  I guess time will tell.


Andrew

[parshal]

Yes, there are fences all over BLM land.  You can always tell a BLM maintained gate, too, they are nice!  At least where I spend my time on BLM in Wyoming, ranchers lease the lands and there are always cattle.  It amazes me that they leave their cattle out there during antelope season but they do.  I'd guess it costs too much to move them around.  Another thing to remember, if you find cattle there's water nearby somewhere.  They don't venture more than a couple miles from water and are usually much closer.