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WY Antelope

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WY Antelope

Postby Tigger » 06 22, 2017 •  [Post 1]

My daughter and I drew our second choice antelope tags in WY this year. It will be her first ever western big game hunt at 13 years old! We will be headed to Unit 17. If anybody has any advice for rookie speed goat hunter let me know!

Lauren has been deer hunting for 3 years and has shot 4 deer so far (2 fawns, 1 doe, and 1 small buck). She shot on the high school trap team and finished 7th in the novice division. I am pretty proud of her involvement as she was the only middle school girl on the team. That is a hard thing to do!

I am really looking forward to this trip with just her and I. I will not fill my tag until she fills hers (even though I have never shot one). I want her to get a great overally experience.
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Re: WY Antelope

Postby Swede » 06 22, 2017 •  [Post 2]

I know nothing about hunting antelope, but good luck. They cam make a great trophy. WW has a great recipe for antelope meat. Fry one pound of thin sliced antelope rolled lightly in flour. When the steaks are medium well done, mix with one pound of Alpo and feed it to the dogs. For most antelope, I recommend WW's recipe. I was given an antelope at the butcher shop by mistake. It was ok. Definitely better than most, so I guess you can get one that is fair to good.
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Re: WY Antelope

Postby Grousewit » 06 23, 2017 •  [Post 3]

Sorry about yr luck trying to get some info for the daughter's first speed goat hunt, but this is what u get when Swede is in charge of website. RJ will b back soon. Just hang in there.LOL
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Re: WY Antelope

Postby Tigger » 06 23, 2017 •  [Post 4]

I have heard such mixed reviews on antelope meat. Some think it is the best, others feed it to the dogs. I hope I get to form an opinion!

My number one worry is access. So much is private land that shuts off access to public land. I have OnXmaps, which will help, but I just know we are going to see critters on the private and not be able to even access the public.
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Re: WY Antelope

Postby Lefty » 06 23, 2017 •  [Post 5]

Antelope is the families favorite, certainly over waterfowl, and any venison including whitetail, moose, and elk.
Antelope are great family and youth hunts. Antelope hunts with my daughters is my favorite, cherish that time.

I looked at the unit map. Plenty of small BLM and state parcels. Nothing wrong with hunting within a section or two,
Lots of antelope. So don't shoot one the first day .
I'll repeat that. You don't need to shoot one the first day.
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Re: WY Antelope

Postby Roosiebull » 06 27, 2017 •  [Post 6]

Tigger wrote:I have heard such mixed reviews on antelope meat. Some think it is the best, others feed it to the dogs. I hope I get to form an opinion!

My number one worry is access. So much is private land that shuts off access to public land. I have OnXmaps, which will help, but I just know we are going to see critters on the private and not be able to even access the public.

I am in the camp of "it's the best meat there is" get it cooled quickly! super important from what I hear, but the meat is flat out amazing....very mild, I don't know how anyone would not like it, it's excellent.

I have no useful info, but will in the future, my very good friend is moving there, and I will be making an annual trip to go hunt with him, lope will be the target, though i'm sure I will end up deer and elk hunting with him as well in the future. he is the one responsible for getting me into hunting, and he is my favorite person to hunt with still, we are always on the same page.

his last season elk hunting here (last year) he went and did it, and killed a very rare Roosevelt, he broke the 300" mark at 312".....glad he was able to do that before moving East :mrgreen:
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Re: WY Antelope

Postby Tigger » 06 28, 2017 •  [Post 7]

Lefty,
I looked at the map too and tons of BLM land....but very little is accessible. I am hoping by knocking on a door or two, we may get access to some of them.

I have heard "don't shoot the first buck" many times. But, man, I am really struggling with that. I can just see this turning into one of those deals where you only see critters on private and can get no access. lots of bucks, but cant get to them.
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Re: WY Antelope

Postby Lefty » 06 29, 2017 •  [Post 8]

Talk to the local CO. He might have a list of properties that can be hunted.

Does anyone know? Wyoming still have the landowner vouchers?
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Re: WY Antelope

Postby Da White Shoe » 07 06, 2017 •  [Post 9]

I lived in Gillette for about 13 years, but I've never hunted unit 17.
In this day and age, knocking on doors is a long shot, I'm afraid. Still... it's worth a shot. I do know that you'll have better luck getting permission for pronghorn then you would for deer.
On the bright side, it doesn't take much public ground to find and kill a buck... if you're not too picky. I believe 17 has at least part of the Thunder Basin National Grasslands in it. BLM is legal, but state or school section may not be... you have to ask. Who? Hell if I know! :roll:
Study maps, drive adjacent roads and look for antelope. The public land has to actually touch a road for access... you can't cross private land. It works best to glass them up from a good distance and plan a stalk using any cut or ridge to stay completely out of sight until you're in range. If you peek over a hill, you're taking a chance. They can really see!
Bucks will have a black cheek patch that does do not have... although, some does will have horns, but they're rarely over 3" long. The difference between a good buck and a dink is not much! If the prong, "or cutter" is above his ear tip, he's decent. Their ears are 7" in length, just for reference.
If you're on public land, you most likely will be on foot and pretty far from your truck when you kill one. I know it sounds like a hassle, but the best way to do this is to carry a pack frame with a small tarp and game bags. One grown man can pack an entire quartered antelope on his back.
Once the pictures are done, get that hide off! And, I mean... right where he fell! After that, get him on ice in a reasonable amount of time. If you do that, you'll have great meat back home.
When people say pronghorn meat is terrible, they're really telling you one of two things... that they didn't know how to treat them once they got one down... or, that they don't eat meat that isn't well done. Med-rare antelope is outstanding!
Good luck on your hunt!
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Re: WY Antelope

Postby Tigger » 07 07, 2017 •  [Post 10]

Some great advice there White Shoe! I will have OnX maps on my phone so I can tell the public from private. Some areas are sooooo close to touching the road.....but do not so I know you cannot trespass to get to them. I was under the impression you can hunt state land, but cannot camp there. I will confirm with the game warden. If I can get my daughter one good opportunity, that will make our trip a success. I think we plan on finding some good looking areas (yeah, I haven't really figure out what a "good looking area" is yet, but am banking on the fact I will know it when I see it!) and then doing some walking.

That is our plan should we get one...take pictures, get the hide off, quarter it and then go get the pack frames. yes, plural. frames. As in one for the grown man and one for the daughter. She shoots it, she can help!
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Re: WY Antelope

Postby BrentLaBere » 07 07, 2017 •  [Post 11]

Wish I could help, I am in the building points process for ND and WY. Ive heard about the same results from people trying the meat. Love it or hate it. Water holes sound like the trick at times but it also sounds like torture. Spot and stalk with a decoy would be up my ally. Excited to hear how the hunt turns out for you. Keep us posted.
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Re: WY Antelope

Postby Marshmstr » 07 08, 2017 •  [Post 12]

I love antelope meat, my advice is to keep as much hair off the meat as you can (sometimes kinda impossible with a lope). If you leave some gland/pee filled hair in contact with meat, it will not taste too good, all the clean meat will be excellent. And don't shoot the first buck you see, unless he really catches your eye and you love him. Regardless, it's gonna be one of the more fun/relaxing hunts you go on.


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Re: WY Antelope

Postby Da White Shoe » 07 08, 2017 •  [Post 13]

Yes, hair is bad... on any meat.
Luckily, antelope hair... because of the color... is pretty obvious and easy to clean off, compared to deer or elk hair.
I can not speak to what a pronghorn taken to a processor will be like, as I don't trust them. They don't usually take the care to remove all the fat and silverskin that I would. I haven't used a processor for anything since my first deer in 1975.
In any case, I like meat better if I can get it cooled down and keep it cool without immersing in icy water. But, I've done it that way, too... when it was necessary. It doesn't ruin it. It's just not quite as good and there'll be more trim/waste. If I have to, I pack the whole quarters in a cooler, surrounded with ice... so that nothing is touching, meat to meat. Open the drain spout and tip the cooler so that the melted water immediately drains out.
If you have a big enough box that's insulated, you can use dry ice.
I use that option for out of state elk, with long trips home in a vehicle.
I built a meatbox out of 2x2, plywood and 2" Styrofoam sheeting.
Keep the dry ice up high and off the meat or it will freeze. I stapled an old cotton T-shirt to the underside of the lid... to make a sleeve that I can slip the dry ice into. Perfect. Ten pounds of dry ice will keep elk quarters chilled very well for 3 days, if you keep the lid closed.
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Re: WY Antelope

Postby Indian Summer » 07 20, 2017 •  [Post 14]

That corner of Wyoming has a GREAT population of antelope. You should have no problem killing two. Did you know that there are more antelope in Wyoming than people? It's true. For that reason property owners aren't over protective of them as with elk and mule deer. So don't be afraid to knock on a few doors and ask for permission. You shouldn't have a problem with that especially with your daughter by your side.

One time we spotted some nice herds on a ranch. We drove up and asked if we could hunt. The lady said well I don't know what those speed goats are worth to you fellas but we charge a tresspass fee to hunt them. How much we asked. Five bucks a man! Haha :lol: Other places let us hunt for free. But there were plenty on BLM land too. You will have an excellent hunt and a good time. I like the fact that lope hunting isn't a morning and evening thing. You can hunt all day. You can even sleep in if you want. Take leather gloves and knee pads because you'll do some belly crawling. And don't sit or kneel on cactus. Ouch!!!
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Re: WY Antelope

Postby Tigger » 07 21, 2017 •  [Post 15]

I am really looking forward to this trip. Lots to do including setting up a new thunderstick. I have a 7mm-08 I will be using. The daughter will tote a .243. Hers is all ready to go. I hope the snakes are hibernating by then!
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Re: WY Antelope

Postby Lefty » 07 23, 2017 •  [Post 16]

Tigger wrote:. I hope the snakes are hibernating by then!
In the 14 years Ive lived in Idaho I have seen 4 rattlers. Two while scouting. Two while hunting. I heard all 4 before I saw them.
Enjoy your hunt

And don't sit or kneel on cactus. Ouch!!!

Fall of 79. My first time in Wyoming, I sat to shoot at an antelope,...
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