NEW GUY HERE, THE WIFE AND I ARE GETTING ARE WYOMING ANTELOPE HUNT STUFF TOGETHER. NOW WE HAVE 2 OPTIONS #1 FULL OUTFITTED HUNT. or OPTION # 2 SEMI GUIDED PRIVATE LAND . #2 WOULD SAVE MONEY BUT I DONT WANT TO RUIN A HUNT. THIS IS OUR FIRST OUT WEST HUNT, . WE ARE NOT IDIOTS WE HAVE ALL OUR GEAR, BIPODS, RANGE FINDER, ECT; WE PRACTICE WITH OUR RIFLE ALOT, SO WHAT TO DO ??? HELP ME OUT HERE IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY.......! WHAT SHOULD WE DO.
I would go for the private land, in a good area. Antelope hunts seem to be pretty high success rate. Not speaking from experience here, just what I've read. But if your a competent hunter, in a good area. You'll get lopes
-Jake
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Look online for rancher who allow walk in access for a fee or knock on some doors while your out here. I don't hunt antelope myself but I see a lot of them while hunting rabbits, cyotes and prarie dogs. Most of the ranches I hunt in colorado for varmits the owner will usually let you hunt antelope but not deer.
My buddy and I did the same thing a few years ago in South Dakota. I'd say don't spent money on a fully outfitted hunt. We knew nothing about antelope. Got hooked up with a rancher. He just showed us where the antelope were. If you can find water, the antelope will be somewhere near there. We had 3 tags filled by 4:00 on day one. Quit hunting to cut up and bone out goats. It was 85 degreees. We had all the tags filled by 9:00 on day 2. Have lots of ice and big coolers.
If there was ever a hunt that a guide was not needed for it's an antelope hunt!
honestly if you find public land you'll have 100% shot opportunity, maybe not 100% on a monster antelope buck.
Study what antelope look like! try to look at 70-80" bucks, if you're looking for a trophy at least. the difference between 70 and 80 isn't much at all! and 80 and 85 even less!
They're hard to judge!
Honestly the best benefit to a guide would probably be to help you judge the size of a buck.
if you're going to be on private land, esp a large amount of private land, btw land doesn't go far out west, 1 sq mi 640acres is a drop in the bucket...fyi.
if a guide will calm some nerves etc... it might be worth it, but paying probably 1000-3000 for a guided antelope hunt certainly isn't required.
honestly if you're not going to do a guided hunt, private land isn't required either.
The success rate on many antelope hunts hovers around 100%. If you have a few days to invest and can shoot well you should both tag out with nice bucks on the private land hunt. It is a lot of fun. Read everything you can about how to judge them. Mike Eastman's book Hunting Trophy Antelope is a good investment. Take lots of pics!
My vote is DTY on antelope. If you start now doing your homework you'll have a successful hunt. I've taken antelope every time I've went out west hunting them.
I'm pretty much in the same boat. Have never hunted out west but would like to. Me and a friend started buying points in Wyoming this year. I recently subscribed to Eastman's magazine, which also gives you access to their website. Lots of good state-specific and management area-specific info there.
The big debate , ! Nervous!
