2014 Pronghorn
 

Who else is hunting pronghorns this season? I have my fingers crossed for a Red Desert tag this year (just like I did last year, the year before, the year before that, etc.).

NR application must be made with Wyoming within just a very few more days.

no plans to unless that NM or AZ tag comes through...

but I do love me some antelope hunting!

I'll be buying a couple of leftover Wyoming doe tags in July.

You know Topgun that's not a bad idea however, I don't recall seeing antelope around the Big Horns.

I'll be cashing in preference points for CO. I retire from the Navy in 53 days and have been stockpiling points for years. Those hunts will be my retirement present to myself. Like Top, I may get a couple leftover doe tags for WY.

Ah, a short-timer. I bet you mark your ST calendar daily.

***Naw, I think he's going to reup!!!

I plan on burning 3 points this year -- still debating with myself over a couple of units though.

I'd love to. But they say I have stayed for 25 years and I need to open a billet for a new generation. I actually requested a 2 year extension and was told no. So, I guess I'll go hunting this fall instead of going to war again. :party0005:

That may be true Flag. Ya never know.

Say I've got 12 points for elk in Co, how many do you have?

Antelope are like gophers here. Might put in for a tag, Undecided. Will definately go elk moose and deer, maybe bear.

I've got either 19. Since I'm a CO resident I'm going to try for the Unit 2 bull tag this season as a retirement present to myself.

If I remember correctly for non-res unit 2 was 23 points I think.If I'm wrong sorry about that. I would like to cash in mine in the next 5 years. I need to get out there so I can look over the units. I've only hunted 26 and 34 in the Flat Tops a few times. Haven't been back since 911. We were out there when 911 happened. We cut our hunting trip short and headed back home. Sad times for sure.

***I can't believe people buy points for that many years just for the opportunity to hunt one dang animal!

Top, in my case, it really wasn't a matter of "buying" points. The Navy kept me away from home so I always put in for the points for when I could get home. I did some good hunts over the years using some points. For instance I got my Mtn Goat in 2011, I've got a bighorn ram on the wall, took a good whitetail and a good antelope.

But, I've let the elk points roll. I've hunted cows in unit 2 a lot of times since I could draw those as a 2nd choice. Unit 2 has some of the biggest bulls in the state and the highest bull/cow ratio. i'm going to make a play for the tag this season. If it doesn't come through this year, then next year is a shoe in.

I was really addressing car on that PP statement. I can fully understand that a person in the Service like yourself doesn't have much leeway to go on some of these OIL hunts that many of them are unless you can still hunt and live to 100! I wouldn't want to put in and draw one of those top end high PP tags and then come down on deployment orders and have everything screwed up and maybe lose the hunt depending on how a particular state handles that kind of a situation. I know Wyoming will let you reserve a "top four" tag to the following year if you get drawn and come down on orders. However, the best you can do for a hard to draw antelope, deer, or elk tag under their requirements would be to get a refund. At least they reinstate your PPs and you can possibly draw another good tag in the future though.

The reason I let mine build up is we had planed on moving to Wy and I was going to do my scouting in Colorado while living in Wy. It's kind of hard to spend much time in Co when your 1500 miles away. Once we make the move I'll spend a good bit of time looking over the units. Also being a family man I tried to limit myself to just one hunting trip a year. I love hunting bears and I can drive to Maine/ NH in one day to get my hunting fix vs 2 day drive out west.

Lots of guys build points in a few states and then hunt another state every year in general seasons. Its not like most of those guys are not hunting. Now if you saw those units you would think otherwise they are like a primos video with 300" bulls screaming all over. I hunted next to one 61 last season and a herd of 50 elk were 300 yds off divide with 15 bulls 5 were heavy 6xs pretty much all of first rifle screaming like crazy. Keep in mind those bulls were in freaking rifle range of Divide road during season! One guy I talked to bugled one when he was 50 yds off the road shot it and it ran and died on the road he drove over an picked it up in his truck. He hunted 25 min and shot a 330 bull that died on the road opening morning! Those Elk deff knew the boundary and would not come closer than 100 yds to divide.

I drew a AZ Unit 10 Antelope tag...

I've got two apps in for doe/fawn in WY. If tag numbers this year are like what they've been in WY the last few, there won't be jack for leftovers. Cheers on a Red Desert tag if you get it! That's a real treat, I took a 16" buck in that unit about 50 miles out of Jeffrey City a few years back. If you draw, do not miss the opener. The locals in that area hit those units hard due to the quality of bucks in that region.