Wyoming Antelope unit 16, what can ya tell me about it?

[Hookturnr]

A buddy and myself got antelope tags for unit 16. This will be our first trip out there so I can use any info anyone might be willing to part with.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

16 got a lot of hits out on the net on several sites and consequently sold all the tags out in the leftover sale. Therefore, opening week will be a zoo that I would not want to be around and I'd suggest you go the last week of the season after things calm down if at all possible. There is a lot of BLM in the unit, but not a lot of access spots that are legal staying on the few public roads in the unit to access it. That is why the G&F has it marked with a * as difficult access. You'll need a good map showing all the legal county roads along with a good GPS and landowner chip to stay legal and not get a trespassing ticket. Plan on finding the few spots here and there where you can park that touch the BLM to access it and plan on doing a lot of walking from there. Hint: There are several spots that the Powder River Road hits BLM over along the eastern boundary as it goes all the way up from I-90 north and it opens up thousands of acres to the west, but you'll have to walk a lot to cover all of it.

 

[wyowinchester]

One of the best investment you can make, is a "LAND OWNER" chip for your GPS, phone, or tablet. Study it with the Google Earth map. Walking is going to be on the top of your list, but the goats are there. There are people.
I haven't been in that area on opening day of rifle season. I usually bow hunt it.
I'll give you what info I can,.

 

[Hookturnr]

I already bought the on x huntmaps gps chip for the garmin. That was first the purchase when we saw that we got tags.

I was thinking about working off of Powder River Rd. and possibly working from the Red Horse access area.

We haven't set a week yet but we are planning on camping on BLM and doing lots of walking. We're not truck hunters by any means...kinda look at it as cheating in a lot of situations. Not afraid to take a ride and scout but we are looking for the spot n STALK not the spot, walk off the berm and shoot.

We got both Any Antelope tags and Doe tags so we've got four chances to get it right anyways!

Range isn't a terrible limitation for us...I'm comfortable to 650 in the wind as long as its not gale force, my buddy is good to 400 all day long. We both prefer to get closer if at all possible.

Anywhere we can get game frozen/stored while we're there? Any places to avoid?
I'm going to be playing the part of information sponge until the day we leave so I'll take whatever you guys are willing to part with!

 

[Topgun 30-06]

If you're going to be there long enough that you can't keep the boned out meat on ice in good coolers until you get home, here is the place in the link to go to out on the southwest side of Gillette. It's as good as you'll find with decent prices and good honest people running it that run a clean shop. The main thing is to get the hide off the animal ASAP after the kill, bone it out, and get it on ice. It will keep for days if you do that and keep the coolers in the shade and drained so the meat isn't swimming in water. If you plan on getting a shoulder mount of a buck you need to be very careful and get the cape/head off ASAP and take it in to them to freeze it until you get to your taxidermist. The hide on antelope is easy to ruin because it slips very easy and hair goes everywhere with each little cut. The one my buddy shot two years ago that made the all time B&C Book with a score of 84 4/8" was taken out whole after gutting him and straight to our taxidermist in Cody so we wouldn't screw it up.

https://maps.here.com/directions/mi...=44.23933,-105.5633,13,normal&fb_locale=en_US

 

[Hookturnr]

Thanks Top, thats exactly the kind of place I was looking for.

We are allowing 2 weeks total for the trip, so that's about 8-9 days camping. It's a 2 day drive home (1500 miles to sw PA). I figure if we tag out early, it may be better to have it frozen just to be safe. I'd hate to lose any meat over something like that.

The other reason is if the hunting gods smile upon us and we shoot one or two that deserve mounting, then we need to get it frozen before it hits the ground.

OK, next question, where would be the best place to look for a map that designates county roads versus private roads? It's easier, in that respect here, because private roads are required to be posted as such.

I really don't want to end up with a trespass ticket for driving on the wrong unmarked road.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Here's the map of Johnson County public maintained roads. The red are state roads (don't park out on I-90) and the ones in black are county maintained and open to the public. Just match up the roads to the public land on your paper map GPS with your chip and you should have no problem staying legal. You can go to the bottom right and zoom in and out with the + and - icons and then print out your maps at home for free. As you'll see, there aren't that many public roads, but the ones there hit almost all the public land and you just have to do a lot of walking to hunt the legal land. Just give a shout if there are any other questions you might have. Here is the map link:

http://www.johnsoncountywyoming.org/docs/GIS/Johnson_County.pdf

 

[wyowinchester]

There is a processing plant in Buffalo, if you need to get it frozen, They are building another one right now that should be open by hunting season.
I see more goats out by the river. Questioning the camping at the Red Horse access entry point. Thats the one just E of Buffalo isnt it.

 

[wyowinchester]

Check out this area on the map. Follow the BLM East on you chip

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Check out this area on the map. Follow the BLM East on you chip

He's aware of that and the BLM over to the east that the Powder River Road accesses in several spots.

 

[Hookturnr]

Thanks again guys, I appreciate the heads up!

I wasn't planning on camping at Red Horse, just one of the possible spots to hunt. If I'm correct I don't think there is any overnight camping on that piece of state ground.

It looks like you guys are suggesting the areas I was eyeing up via google earth scouting so I think we've got a good start.

I'm going to get the Johnson Cty. road maps printed up and get a couple landowner maps printed up off the gps chip and start getting a gameplan together.

 

[Dr. Vette]

If you're going to be there long enough that you can't keep the boned out meat on ice in good coolers until you get home, here is the place in the link to go to out on the southwest side of Gillette. It's as good as you'll find with decent prices and good honest people running it that run a clean shop.
https://maps.here.com/directions/mi...=44.23933,-105.5633,13,normal&fb_locale=en_US

Have you ever used Big Horn Meat Cutting in Buffalo? I've seen some good reviews, some OK ones.

The interest in Unit 16 surprised me this year as well. It will be our second trip out to that particular area, and I was happy that I was buying leftover tags the minute they were available. We spread them between 2 units, and will hunt the second week of October.

I noted that Unit 23 only had private land leftovers this year, which was a big surprise. Did you put in for this unit this year, as I know it tends to be your favorite?

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Have you ever used Big Horn Meat Cutting in Buffalo? I've seen some good reviews, some OK ones.

The interest in Unit 16 surprised me this year as well. It will be our second trip out to that particular area, and I was happy that I was buying leftover tags the minute they were available. We spread them between 2 units, and will hunt the second week of October.

I noted that Unit 23 only had private land leftovers this year, which was a big surprise. Did you put in for this unit this year, as I know it tends to be your favorite?

No, I do all my own processing and I hunt over on the west side of the mountains Dr. Vette! I hunted 16 once a long time ago for deer, so I know that area and once a long time ago up in the northwest part of unit 23 for antelope and know that area pretty well. 16 leftovers went like hotcakes and I think it was because of a couple people talking about it on several popular websites. People really shoot themselves in the foot when they put a lot of stuff out on forums instead of by PM or emails. As I mentioned earlier, if a person has good maps of the legal roads along with a GPS/chip for landownership in 16, there is a lot more land to hunt than that * in the G&F would make a person believe. It's just that most all of it is on foot from the few access points where you have to park and then walk to hunt it. As far as I know, this was the first year that the G&F had separate tags for private land in 23 and because it's mostly private they issued a ton of them like they always do. The other tags for public land were minimal like they should be and they all went bye bye.

 

[Hookturnr]

We actually bought our 16 tags as leftovers. We put in the draw for 27, 23, 113 and didn't get tags in the draw. I had been checking out 16 as well so when they were available in the leftovers it was an easy choice.

Now we just need to get the game plan finalized as to whether or not it will be week 2 or 3.

I doubt we will try for the opener as our whitetail archery opens Oct. 1 and I'd rather let the first week crowds go by the way. The only thing really pushing me to hunt earlier is the weather gamble. If we weren't camping, I wouldn't give it a thought..