Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Trespass Fee or Special Antelope???

So I have a question that came up after reading some other posts regarding hunting antelope in Wyoming.

I went last year and did my first Wyoming antelope hunt in a not great unit with quite a bit of BLM land - but its mostly locked up by private. I had a great time and got a really pretty nice buck that I am happy with - managed it on the little public that I could access.

So, on another post someone said why go to a mostly private unit, then pay a trespass fee of maybe $100-$300 and still have to hunt with maybe 20-30 other hunters depending on the ranch. When you could probably put in for a much better unit with more public access and probably bigger bucks by going the Special tag route and pay about the same amount of money overall.

Anyway, that makes sense to me, I hope to go back this year and had thought about just going back to the same place since I sort of know it a little now, but with no points as a non-res if I put in the Special draw I could draw a tag for maybe unit 68, 90, 92,96 which are probably better units.

Good idea or? Appreciate your thoughts in this.
Thanks
Frank

Personally, I'd rather not hunt if I have to deal with a horde of other guys. If it were me I'd put in for the better areas and have a much better time even if you have to wait a year or two to draw. If you're not picky and don't mind dealing with the antics of the crowds then go back to the place you've gotten to know a bit. Comes down to expectations I guess, decide what's most important to you and go with it.

I'm not sure how the special permit works but if you put in for the special draw as first choice, and use your second and third choices for a new unit and the unit you drew last time, you're almost guaranteed to go antelope hunting or do you not get a second and third choice? An added benefit would be that you don't lose any preference points if you don't draw your first choice. Maybe you could call Cheyenne and and ask. 307-777-4600

Anyone know if there is much public land in antelope unit 109 near sheridan wyoming?
Thanks
Anie

If anyone wants it I have a list of ranchers by unit number who will allow antelope hunters on there property, wyoming fish and game send it to me this week. Send e-mail address and will send you the 8 page list.
Good huntin
Anie

Anie,
I don't know a lot about that unit but from the WDFW wedsite they class that unit as poor in the way of access so I'd say no its not great.

Your plan of action should really rely on statistics that are available online at:

http://gf.state.wy.us/wildlife/hunting/stats/demandpdf/index.asp

In my opinion, the odds have to dramatically improve, or be guaranteed, or you have to really want that particular hunt, to justify a jump in tag price from $286 to $526. The odds sheet will make your choice very clear! In some cases, you can virtually guarantee a tag by going that route (Wyomings way of raising more funds). In others, the odds don't improve that markedly.

The Wyoming state Gazeteer map will show you most everything you need to see on public vs. private land. Well worth the $$.

anie,

I just sent you an email regarding that list.

"I'm not sure how the special permit works but if you put in for the special draw as first choice, and use your second and third choices for a new unit and the unit you drew last time, you're almost guaranteed"

Unfortunately that is not an option. You either apply for a special tag with all hunt choices, or a regular tag with all hunt choices. There is no mixing of hunt choices.

I'm a fan of the special tags. Draw odds are often significantly better. With trespass fees you may have to pay them "per day", "per animal", or other such fees. Also think about paying for a bonus point, which you probably would elect to do with a regular tag. You end up applying for two or three years to get drawn, and paying for a bonus point each year. Compare that to paying $200 extra for a special tag, and probably getting drawn when you apply.

Just for clarification, the special license was promoted by the Wyoming Outfitters Association because they couldn't get licenses set aside for them. They had a survey done that showed, no surprise, that their clients were wealthier than the average nonresident hunter. So, outfitters' clients would be more willing to pay extra for a "special" license, and since the rest of the hunters wouldn't, the odds of drawing a "special" license would be higher, and their clients would be more successful in drawing licenses. That's the way it turned out for a few years, then other folks decided they had extra money for higher odds of drawing a license and started competing for the licenses. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department opposed these licenses, but every time an outfitter heard someone complain at a travel show, the Department got credit. With preference points, there is no longer a need for the special licenses.

anie - pm sent.
thanks

"With preference points, there is no longer a need for the special licenses."

DrHJH, if I draw a tag I have 0 preference points. How can I draw every year without a special tag, and without preference points?

Pick units with 100% odds...

Good Idea,go back and learn the unit well. There might be some legal way to access the public land locked up by privite land such as easements and Federal leased land byways,IHunt 90,92,87,89, in WYO for lope. The more time I spent scouting the areas I found good access and several land owners that would provide access. I have harvested some real nice antelope by spending the time scouting the area and by scouting I mean looking at maps, making phone calls to WYO G&F ,land owners and physically driving/walking scoping.

I shake my head every year when I here of res. and non res that don't draw type 1 antelope tags. Just by spending some time looking at the drawing odds and some maps you can find areas that you can draw every year and still build points for the so called better areas.
Most of these areas have reduced price doe fawn tags ($34 each for non-res) that you can buy over the counter after you draw your type 1 tag.

"you can find areas that you can draw every year and still build points"

Interesting idea, but if you draw your first choice you don't acrue points. Therefore the only way I know to do this is draw a hunt as a 2nd choice, which is harder yet to do since 1st choice applicants get priority.

Am I missing something?

OregonMuley: I have Hunted Antelope in Montana and Wyoming since the late 1960's.
Some years I Hunted both states for Lopes - depending on the "draws".
I have dealt with the property owners and locked off public lands and high concentrations of Hunters for over 4 decades!
I have taken several 15"+ Buck Antelope during those decades, and never came home with an uncut tag!
Two out of the last three years though, I have broken my policy of never paying tresspass fees.
Last year I paid $500.00 for 2 days of Antelope Hunting on a "well managed" ranch in eastern Montana.
I was happy I spent that large amount of money and had a wonderful and wonderfully successful Antelope Hunt!
Over the decades I have learned how to "out compete" or how to "out Hunt" the crowds and learned to deal with skitterish Antelope on public lands - that can be rewarding and fun in itself.
But, Hunting on the tresspass fee ranches has really been incredibly pleasant and intensely rewarding for me!
I plan on using the fee ranches for my Antelope Hunting as often as I can afford to do so in the future.
For you to really appreciate the tresspass fee Antelope Hunting on a well run ranch you need another 20+ years of fighting the crowds on public lands - OR - you can take my word for it?
Best of luck with whichever route you take.
Long live Antilocapra Americana!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VarminyGuy,
Thanks for your post - you make some great points. I did end up going with what I know which is unit 113, and if I draw I have a couple of landowner names I will contact for access. I've only ever done a trespass type hunt 2 times before, and that was in my home state of Oregon for mule deer. Like you mention, it can be a fun time if you hit the right piece of property.

And since it takes me 11+ years to draw a tag in Oregon for antelope, driving to Wyoming is a great option. Hunting antelope has become an addiction for me so the drive over and a small fee is well worth it.
Good luck to everyone - hope you all draw your tags!!
Frank

Bob 33, remember the special license was designed to produce a better chance of drawing a license for those willing to pay more for the license(outfitters' clients). An outfitter who is keeping track of his clients' preference points will know who is going to draw licenses every year, so there is no need to make some of the people in camp pay more for their licenses. But, don't look for the special licenses to disappear anytime soon.
Drawing a license to hunt antelope or deer every year requires accepting that it will not happen on public land, because a lot of other people want to hunt public land rather than paying a trespass fee. Residents hate fees so much that most of the hunters in areas of primarily private land in Wyoming are nonresidents. That's why the odds of drawing an antelope license in eastern Wyoming are much better, the residents won't take the licenses. Since the residents don't apply until May, you wait until after their information is entered onto the computer and their drawings are held, then whatever they don't take out of their license quota is added to the nonresident quota. Some areas have had as many as 85% nonresidents hunting antelope.
With preference points, if you apply for an area with tough drawing odds on public land, but your second choice is an area with 100% chance of drawing a license, you accumulate a preference point and still get a license in the second area. Although you may have to pay to hunt private land, it might be a hunt area with a hunter management area like area 7, where access is free, and you still get to hunt every year. Or you can get doe/fawn licenses on public land, and hunt cheaper. There's only 6 pounds difference between a hog-dressed buck and a hog-dressed doe, anyway.
The same is true of mule deer regions. Last year an antelope area 7/region B combination hunt was possible in northeastern Wyoming on land where Game and Fish had bpought access to several ranches. There are leftover deer license in region A, with lots of national forest, nearly every year, and there are more and more mule deer on the forest.
And there are several thousand cow elk licenses left after the resident drawing every year, all over the state, not to mention the reduced price licenses for cow elk.
As Get Lost said, you've got to work the sysytem.

DrHJH, thanks for the always insightful information you provide.

I apply for a special tag in an area near Casper because my odds of drawing it are nearly 100%, versus in the teens for a regular tag. I justify it by purchasing four reduced price doe/fawn tags, so I end up with five opportunities and a lower "per antelope" cost. I know there are units in WY with 100% odds for a regular tag, but I have friends in Casper I can stay with, in addition to private and public land to hunt. Therefore I don't mind paying the extra $200 to hunt nearly every year in a unit I know and have contacts in. When I think of those that pay $3,000 or more to hunt elk somewhere, and those that pay $500 in trespass fees for antelope, my extra $200 to hunt antelope seems rather paltry to me. Pronghorn is simply my favorite game specie to hunt.

Anyway, thanks for your insight. Bob