Applied for and got tags - again! - for area 9 lopes. Planned last year for first time trip from PA with my Dad (age 73) and daughter (age 15). Late Aug. last year on the very same day my Dad fell down his porch steps and broke his wrist / cracked 3 ribs and my daughter blew out her knee requiring surgery. Needless to say, our trip went on hold. We're back at it again with tags in hand. We're happy to chase critters on open ground and have done some homework but I'd also be happy to pay a reasonable trespass fee to get my Dad in particular some easier access in that his mobility is pretty limited. We each have a buck and two doe/fawn tags and would be happy to shoot some does. Definately not trophy hunting, just a fun 3 generations hunt while my Dad still can. Respectful hunters who you can count on treating anywhere we have permission to hunt on as if it were our own. We'll be staying in Lusk and hunting the first week of the season. Any assistance or contacts we might pursue would be appreciated. Thanks in advance - Chuck.

I wish I could help out but never been in that unit or that far east. Hopefully someone will chime in with some help.
Good luck to you & I hope you have a fun & successful hunt!

Thanks. I'm sure we'll figure it out and have fun. I'd just feel better knowing I had some access with less rather than more walking for my Dad.

Call the game warden at Lusk. He can give you some pointers.

I'll do that - Thanks.

Grab up appropriate BLM maps & order a walk-in "Block Management" flier from F&G. In addition to the warden, call and talk w/ the biologist.

Chambers of commerce can be helpful in getting a landowner list for those willing to let you hunt for a fee. Ask warden about that, too.

Thanks for the suggestions. I got a list from the chamber of commerce last year and made some calls. Had a few potential spots that I need to follow up with for this year. Like I said, I'm sure we'll do OK just thought maybe someone here would be local and have a lead particularly in regard to drivability for access. I'm all over the walk ins - the farther the better - but my Dad can't do that.

What's the possibility of putting him in a blind somewhere and doing some walking myself with the intent of putting critters by him. Never hunted there or this type of country before so I'm not sure what to expect we can do. We're PA deer hunters that are accustomed to thick cover and short sight distances.

Slim to none. You might be able to find a water hole that he could set up nearby, but if you're hunting the walkin areas there'll be a ton of other hunters there as well, especially if you're hunting the first week of the season. If you can access some private land setting up a blind may be a little more productive.
Antelope aren't really creatures of habit, and during the hunting season the rut is on so they get just a little dingier than they normally are, plus all the pressure they get keeps them bouncing around quite a bit.

Ranch - thanks for the reply on blind idea. My thought was that critters would be bumped around and having him sit tight somewhere could eventually put something past him. Beats sitting in the truck if he's done walking for the day was what I was thinking. Having never seen or hunted this type of country before I'm sure my "thoughts" and reality are somewhat differing.

ckr, this is wide open country. Antelope go when, where and why they dang well feel like, so unless a person finds a pass between to basins or the like that they frequently travel it's unlikely sitting in one spot that's not near a water hole, will ever get you a shot. Plus the little buggers have about the equivilant of 7x35 binos for eyeballs, they're going to pick up on a blind all of a sudden being someplace there's never been one for the last 150 years.
I had a fella from backeast came here archery hunting once. He set his blind near a place they crossed the fence coming from the fields to the water in a pasture. He sat in that blind for 5 days and never knocked an arrow, or even got a goat close enough he could of got it with a rifle...

Thanks a bunch. Think we'll scrap that idea unless we're forunate enough to stumble into some private property with one of those water holes. I do appreciate the experienced advise.

Good luck on your hunt. I had occasion to travel thru that area today, and they've had good moisture and the grass is looking strong and the antelope look pretty fat.
You should have a pretty good hunt, there's a lot of walk in, state and federal land in that area.

ckr -

Was up there (#9) looking last weekend as Daughter #1 and I will be picking up leftover doe tags.

Talked to a couple ranchers and will have access to their land, no trespass fees for does.

Good luck on your hunt.

I'm hoping we can find something like that. Pretty tough to do any actual scouting from across the country but my plan is to work on some contacts and land in town a day early so we can get our bearings and maybe knock on a door or two.

Good luck to you and your Daughter. I'll be travelling with Daughter #2. #1 will unfortunately be plugging away at college and is a little perturbed that she's not going as well.

Getting closer. Just thought I'd bump it to the top one last time.

Bump this up. Anyone have any reports from Area #9 so far. Heading that way next week and curious what to expect.

Expect a lot of mud, we could get as much as 18 inches of snow thru tomorrow night.

That doesn't sound ideal.

Well we spent 36 hours in the camper. We dug out this morning and had 24" on the level. Luckily my friend used his tractor to open up the road. Some areas blown clean some 6 feet deep. Roads were all closed this morning. Most seem to be open now. Heavy wet snow and lots of wind. First blizzard in October since 10/14/84. Lots of surprised hunters My trailer is still out there....getting the truck out was bad enough.

I had a great time at camp, but I'm glad I headed home when I did. Started snowing a few hours after I got home. Ended up with 34". Third day without power. Roads still not plowed. No travel allowed yet. Bitch of a storm!!! And I'm missing out on free birthday meals today. Bummer!

Bob

We got to just north of Cheyenne yesterday. I-25 was open border to border when we left the house and we expected 18 from Orin to Lusk to open before we got there. Wrong. I-25 closed again due to an accident and we decided to turn around. 7 hours, $110 in fuel and ~$40 in E470 tolls later we were back at home.

Will try again next weekend.

We were there for the opener and bugged out earlier than anticipated. Left Thurs. about noon. Sounds like that was the right call. Fun time - 3 bucks but no doe. Two small ones for the old guys and a real nice buck for my 16 year old daughter. Made it home Sat. afternoon and after yesterday all of the critters are resting peacefully in neat little packages under a layer of plastic wrap and feezer paper. Glad we were able to save them the torment of fighting for their life in that storm.

You made the right decision ckr. It got real ugly. 3 feet of snow in Lusk. Melting now as it is 70� and will be tomorrow too. It will be a muddy mess the next few days. I hope the hunters respect the ranchers' roads and don't tear them up.

Would of been nice, if folks would of stayed home. The mess they've made on the county roads we'll be fighting the ruts all winter.

Which is why I won't go out when it is muddy. My friends appreciate that. Quickest way I know to get uninvited is tearing up roads