Me and a buddy are planning on doing our first pronghorn hunt in SE Wyoming this year. We have been gathering points for the last couple years and feel we have a good shot a drawing a unit which offers most of its access through HMA's. Most of these HMA's offer limited access for first couple weeks of the season (Sept 15-30) and guaranteed access from Oct 1st until closure. My question is what is the hunting like after Oct 1st? Due to our work/college schedules, the week of Oct 6-11 is looking like the best fit for us + guaranteed access.

Do most hunters focus on the first two weeks? Are the antelope picked over or extra spooky by Oct? Weather, snow, etc.?

Weather could be sunny and 70 or blizzard with 12” of snow 2 days later. Bring layers and be ready for anything.

Great time to hunt them. Pressure will be less, deer and/or elk may be open then. Hunt during the week and avoid most folks.
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Thanks all, We plan on throwing a full week at it and were thinking weekdays may be more productive. Im experienced when it comes to hunting in adverse weather (lived in AK for 10 years), utilize a layering system, etc. was wondering more about the effect on antelope? I hear a bunch regarding migration corridors and mule deer, do the antelope move once the snow flies? Do they tend to herd up?

Tom I go the last week in Montana, which season ends on November 10th I believe. Some had lost their horns already but there was plenty of bucks. They were herded up and nobody chasin em...

Tom, Do come prepared for some chilly weather, but depending on how far you will be from any mountains, the weather should still be fairly nice.

A game warden told me several years ago that 75% of the pronghorn are killed opening weekend, and imho that is probably about right. The few times I have hunted later in the season, there was not much competition out there, but were still some pretty nice bucks around.

All good news fella's. Thanks.

I guess everyone goes early because its the first season to open and get hunting season in gear?

I'm no expert but the rancher who's ranch I hunt in every year did say that the antelope will herd up once winter kicks in. Which I believe since that's pretty much what happened last year after the first big snow, at least on his ranch. The sections I hunted on had 2 big herds that would merge into one big mega herd of probably 300+ antelope. Made for a tough hunt to try and get in close enough and pick out a buck to shoot without getting busted by some doe off to the side.

The other thing that can make it tough going is if you get snow that then begins to melt off, makes getting around almost impossible. The mud on Wyoming is like nothing I've seen anywhere, if it gets muddy you are done driving until it dries out again.

Good info...Thanks.

Our Montana rifle antelope seasons have traditionally open the first or second weekend of October. I've hunted them in shirtsleeves and in 2 to 3' snow drifts. Bring cloths and boots for both. Usually early October is great hunting.

I'm also in for Wyoming pronghorn and expect to get drawn. This is my third rodeo in regards to Antelope and I like opening week. Guys are bumping them around and it can make for some real close shots. The second week I've found them to be more skittish and require longer range shooting.

Usually in my area the hunting is better in Oct,, Everyone is hunting deer and or elk.. Unless I am really hungry for jerky or some other reason, I seldom look for antelope until Oct... You can have Sun, rain, or snow, or all three.. Antelope here don't get into big herds until later... They do migrate from the higher plains depending on the weather.. They are tough to spot on snow...

Be prepared to get that meat on ice quickly, in field if possibly. Antelope in October CAN be hot and dusty. If you are not going to bring the animal in right after shooting, make sure you have a good way to cool it. Antelope can be pretty wild tasting if it rides in the back of the truck in 50 or 60 degree weather all day. My season opens on Oct 1 also, and we bring them in quick and get them to the processor, or hung up and cooled off before going back out or we bring some bags of ice to put in them. Game backs and a few coolers to hold quarters would be good as well.

Bring a good cooler with several frozen ice jugs.

Managed to fill 3 pronghorn tags in Wyoming in my life, (so far). All were done in October. The first two were done in T-Shirt weather and a few years later the third was filled with snow on the ground. The snow wasn't much of an issue for someone who has spent their hunting life pursuing whitetail in the snow and cold. Just gotta be ready for whatever Mother Nature throws at you.

Got mine in SE WY on Oct 6th this past year. Great advice on weather. Get out of the rig, put down the spotting glass and go poke your head over little rises and into valleys, etc. Too many people IMHO tend to sit in their rig and glass for miles; helpful at a high level but you can miss a lot.

Fremont has it right. Too many people I see out there hunt setting on their rear in a truck or a dang side by side. I guess if that suits you, but you will miss so much!

We have so much fun spotting and stalking or just walking the hills. I treat it like you see the guys hunting Africa. We work in on a buck then set up the sticks and take our shot or not. You won't believe how many animals you'll see that you would have otherwise missed.

Thanks for the input guys, I like to be mobile and was more worried about possibly blowing antelope out of the area. I guess you need to be smart mobile, use terrain and always be looking out ahead with the binos.

As far as getting the meat cooled down, after living in Florida the last 3 years, I got that down pat. Cooler will be in the truck with frozen 2 liters, ready to go.

I like to hunt them on my own two feet.

this is the way....if you actually hunt them , instead of running them with a truck or atv…...its a lot fun..

go later the weather is usually a lot nicer...…..bob

I have hunted deer in Wyoming for 20 years. The area we hunt the season is oct. 15 thru the 31. The guys are right it could be 80 degrees or like last year opening day was 19 degrees and snow! Be prepared!

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Very nice!

My dad and I have hunted pronghorn in SE Wyoming (in between Wheatland and Glendo) 3 or 4 times now. Went 2 years back to back and the weather was very warm. Started out in the 50's or 60's and was close to 80 by mid day if I remember correctly. Last year was a completely different story. Hunted for 4 days straight and the temperature barely got above freezing. There wasn't a lot of snow accumulation, but the antelope were much harder to come by on that trip. Spoke with the game warden for that area and he said that the weather for that week was not very good for pronghorn hunting. We also just had doe tags, so we couldn't pursue any lone bucks we spotted. Still had a blast though.

Also, our first trip out there we tried to go out on opening weekend, but there were hunters everywhere (public land). Once Monday came around, we were one of only a few groups of hunters out and about.