Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Areas 22 ,23 and just south of Gillette for antelope.

I live in Buffalo and am working in Wright Wyoming now and have noticed there has been a large battalion of seismologist working in the areas above mentioned on the BLM and Federal lands. My preliminary scouting trips for antelope have indicated that the areas they have been working are pretty much devoid of antelope.... I think the activity and low flying helicopters have moved them to less BUSY areas...... Unfortunately the seismologist are followed by oil and gas drill rigs, so next year will probably be a bust as well. Just letting people know what I am seeing before they travel.

I've seen the same thing. Animal have moved. I went out looking for deer last weekend. Pretty scares.

Wow, thanks! I'm planning on buying some left over tags and I had pretty much settled on unit 23. I'd be pretty pissed if I drove 1000 miles and discovered what you are seeing. Back to the drawing board I guess.

The public land in 23 gets kinda crowded anyways, how the sell 3000 tags for there is beyond me...... 1250 any and 1750 doe/fawn is too many in my thoughts...... Good Luck Sambo.

I don't know the area number but around the uranium mine North of Douglas I've seen a number of good lopes.
If I recall it was possible to get access but I never asked about it.
There is a large sheep ranch there I would sure like to hunt.

Tracks,

That is probably in area 26. Smith Sheep Company used to own a bunch of the land around the mines. They may still I haven't hunted down in that area for years.

Goats don't go very far. They'll be around, just a little jumpy. Big deer on the other hand, tend to find a hole to hide in. Their territory is quiet a bit bigger.

I know for sure the goats haven't went far, they are in around all the houses in the areas and in Area 22 they moved to the same ranches they usually do during hunting season. The problem is they got moved 2 months before hunting season and won't go back before or during the season. So effectively they got pressured off way early and even rutting behavior does not seem to be making them less skittish. I have heard that the seismologist will be out in the areas til Late November/December, So they will cover this season by far.

Any update on the activity in 22 and 23? I haven't bought my buck tag yet, kind of waiting to see what the weather is going to do Oct 12-16. I'm leaning towards 22 at this point. I will have the land ownership gps chip and I have the land owner list for 22 and 23.

If you wait on weather here you won't hunt it can change in 5 minutes

Yep I have seen snow on the ground at daylight and 70 degrees by lunchtime. Might not hurt to contact a few of those landowners and make sure they have openings available before committing to a tag.