First antelope hunt

[gcamp54]

I was successful in my first Wyoming draw for area 27. This will be my first Antelope hunt and the first time hunting in Wyoming. I've spent a lot of time in Wyoming in the past shooting High Power competition when I lived in Rapid City so I have been threw the area before. I plan to drive out from Florida and hunt the public land, camping out of my vehicle. My new long range hunting rifle is in the works at Long Shot Rifles in 7WSM. I plan to mount a NF 5x22 scope on it. If that doesn't get here in time I've got a back up accurized .308 I've shot out to 1,000yds plenty of times with a VARI-X III 4.5x14 on it. I've also been accumulating all the necessary equipment I've learned about from reading posts and articles on this site over the last year. Thanks to all the long range hunters on this site for your advise. I feel fairly confident I can pull this off thanks to the expert advise I've gotten, thank you. If anyone has any information concerning hunting antelope in Wyoming, area 27, or anything else that may be beneficial to a first timer, I would greatly appreciate it.

Gordon
Niceville, FL

 

[cinch]

27 Should be good antelope country. Fairly flat with rolling hills. Good luck and please post your results.

 

[ARelk]

Congratulations on your draw. Six of us from NE AR have tags for that zone and I've hunted it four times with 100% success. There is a new motel at Bill where the doctors will be staying. I usually take a small tent and pitch it beside the road were dark finds me. I have always filled my tags within a couple of days. During the first of the season you can find a secluded location, and the road hunters will run the lopes to you. The hunters are pretty thick the first week end so if you are hunting for a 15 incher or better you may want to scout before the season. If you want a good one, I wouldn't take the first buck I saw. I'm a meat hunter so I usually go toward the end of the season, after the crowds have cleared out some. Ive taken walking shots from 150 to 385 yards. I have concluded I can't lead an antelope enough if he is running full out. I was leading a running buck as much as I could and keep him in the scope and filled my doe tag by hitting the doe behind him in the head. Most of the zone is closed to shooting prairie dogs but I found plenty in the next zone to the north toward Newcastle in June of this year
Oh, and watch out for the cactus. I wear all leather boots and put on my leather gloves if I have to crawl.
Good luck
James

 

[yotefever]

I agree with James watch out for the cactus! Some from our group use knee pads to get in close.
This last year we got there after the crowds left in our area and I had the best hunt yet. There were still plenty of nice bucks left.

 

[gcamp54]

Thanks for the tips. I was planning to wear leather gloves and maybe some knee pads. I also plan to camp out of my vehicle. I won't be hunting the opening weekend since I'll be traveling from Florida those days and plan to get there around Monday. I also plan to do some walking to areas farther off the beaten path if there is such a thing in that area. Can't wait to get out there. I should have my new 7WSM rifle from LongShot Rifles by then and I'm looking forward to trying that out. Good luck to you guys.

Gordon

 

[MNbogboy]

Gcamp54,
My youngest son and I hunted & camped A27 2 years ago...We took two nice lopes and a nice 3x3 mulie.....Bring plenty of water if you are camping (for both drinking and washing) most creeks were bone dry when we were there.....You didn't mention deer hunting but there are leftover tags for Deer unit B available now online....

CACTUS...I had leather gloves, knee pads......But nothing extra on my butt...watchout where you sit down...

Good Luck,
Randy

 

[gcamp54]

Thanks. Looks like I will be using knee pads in addition to gloves. I'll think about the mule deer tag. I was trying to keep my expenses down on this trip. I was planning to do a mule deer trip next year along with an OTC Elk trip in Colorado to follow.

Anyone know if I can hunt coyote in that area? James mention that prairie dog hunting is close in most of that area.

Gordon

 

[MNbogboy]

Gcamp54,
That part of Deer B (167) has only a 5 day deer season...Oct 1 thru 5....It was short but we did see several bucks during the first 3 days we left after our coolers were full...The dry ice was expensive....Last year we hunted deer and lopes just south of there in A30....We took a freezer and generator (cheaper than dry ice).....There are places within the area where you can have your meat butchered and frozen....But we always do our own to keep the costs down......
Good luck again,
Randy

 

[ARelk]

I couldn't find anything about coyotes in the regs. I asked a gal in the Forest Service office in Newcastle and she said they shoot them any time they see one. I don't think they have a season (considered a pest like the pdogs) We didn't see any yotes during three days of scouting for lopes and shooting pdogs in June. Two years ago when we were antelope hunting, we saw a lot of snowshoe rabbits. Someone had left a pile of them where they had camped. It would be fun shooting them with a .22 auto loader. There is usually a herd of elk that stays along Antelope creek or the Cheyenne river bottom on the South side of the Zone. If you have time for sight seeing. Here is the weather station located in the Rochelle Hills which is in zone 27. MESOWEST STATION INTERFACE
Maybe I'll see ya in Wyo
james

 

[cinch]

Coyotes are listed as a predator here and have no restrictions. Blaze away...

 

[CliffM]

gcamp54
What is your plan for ranging those critters.
Cliff

 

[gcamp54]

I have a Leica 1200. At this point I'm not planning to aggressively pursue coyotes. I'm just thinking ahead in case the opportunity presents itself. My main goal is to harvest a nice antelope buck. After that do some scouting for Mule deer and maybe Elk for next year. If I see a coyote I just might have to attempt collecting some coyote fur though. Thanks for that info cinch.

Gordon

 

[gcamp54]

James,
Finally got a chance to check out that weather station. Excellent data, thanks. I'll be in an orange Honda Element. I shouldn't be hard to spot. I definitely plan on taking some time to scout for deer and Elk for next year, if I get my antelope early. Thanks again for the info.

Gordon

 

[ARelk]

I hope we see each other. I'll be in a red Toyota Tacoma 4 door. Another guy from here has a big jacked up white super duty Ford. I'll try send you a pm before we leave.