Need advice

[ratsnest]

Need advice
I’m planning a pronghorn hunt for 2 hunters here the deal. It usually takes me a year to plan a hunt. This is not my 1st rodeo but it is my 1st. pronghorn hunt. I will either be bow hunting or hunting with a pistol. The other hunter (my son 26) will be hunting with a rifle. Being from the southeast my Spot & stalk is not very good. And with my limited range of the weapon of choice. I think I would be better off in a blind at a water hole or some other ambush point. On the other hand my son with his rifle would like to spot and stalk.
From what I understand there’s 3 options
1. Pay big money and hire a guide.
2. Put in for the draw and pay a trespassers fee.
3. Put in for the draw and hunt public land
Now I have been on guided hunts before and know if you do your homework
Other than the extra cost it can work out pretty good.
I’ve hunted Alaska and Colorado unguided with over the counter tags and came home empty handed (easterner trying to spot & stalk with a bow)
OK after saying all of this here is what advice or information I’m looking for.

1. Guided hunts pro and cons. Average cost, recommended outfitters
2. Draw and trespassers fee. Pro and cons for my needs, average cost. Recommended places. And just how does this work
3. Draw and public land. Pro and cons. Would this fit my need for close range? Were?
Like I said I take me about a year to plan a hunt. And this is my starting point
Any and all help would be appreciated
Thanks in advance

 

[SDHNTR]

Good questions.

1. Probably your best bet. There are plenty of antelope outfitters out there. If you will need a blind (which it sounds like you will) you will probably be best to line yourself up with a bowhunting outfitter who already has blinds set up on water holes. Most of the areas with predominantly private land will be easy to draw a tag.

2. Might work. Contact the WY game and Fish and ask for their land owner list. They keep a list of landowners who will let you hunt for a fee. Ask them if they have water holes frequented by antelope and ask if they would mind if you set up a blind.

3. This would be real tough. I just did this with a rifle. Public land bucks are WAY more spooky than private land. They know what vehicles and human forms mean. They are always on alert and never relax. You might be able to get on a immature buck who hasn't learned the drill yet, but getting on a nice buck will be tough. Unless you have lots and lots of time to keep trying and trying. Not to mention that any unit with lots of public land might be tough to draw.

With all that said. Look into the Spearhead ranch in WY. They have a website if you search it. They sound perfect for what you want. They have lots of blinds already set up on water and will take a rifle hunter so your son can hunt his way too.

 

[bzzboyz]

I can only speak for New Mexico, because I have only hunted pronghorn there. One way to get a hunt in is to do what we did a few years back. The state puts out a list of all the ranchers that they issue permits to. I think you can find it on their website. Get a copy of the list and start calling all the ranchers on the list and just ask them if you can pay to hunt their land. You'll be suprised of the responses you get. Ranchers hate pronghorn because they tear up their fences. We did this 8 years ago, and either myself or somebody I know has benn hunting that ranch every year since. We have even become good friends with the rancher and some have gone back to pheasant hunt with him on occasion. He charges us a case of beer for that.

Of course it might be a self guided hunt, but the ranch we hunt on, the rancher and/or one of his hands always guide us. It's worth a try anyway. Good Luck.

 

[younghunter]

I do not believe you need to hire an outfitter/guide unless its for the sole purpose of aquiring the tag (landowner, private property etc). There are plenty of public land units to try your luck in. 90, 92, 96, 93 are all units in WY that are mostly public land. The con to public land hunts is that there is no gurantee you will draw a tag.

Ernesto

 

[sagebrush]

I think any of your choices could work as far as putting a hunt together. I would be concerned about trying to do an archery or pistol hunt during the rifle season. Unless you are on a ranch with no other hunters, you are going to have rifle hunters screwing up your hunt. You could set up a hunt in NM, but it's only a two or three day season, depending on the part of the state you hunt. If I was planning an archery hunt, I would want a week to ten days to try and get it done. Use a rifle unless you're absolutely set on the pistol or bow and you will open yourself up to a lot more possibilities and better chance of a successful hunt.

 

[ratsnest]

Good advice keep it coming,
ok is the only way for a 100% get tags is to hunt with a guide? in all states?
sagebrush the problem with archery only season is my son will hunting with a gun
and I may use a pistol.
alot of help here tell me more

 

[Tom Petterson]

Average cost is about $1000-$1500 in WY for rile or bow. Some places I have seen online have 100% success on archery hunts they all hunt in blinds of some sort. WY has the most antelope and there is a walk in program. Most of the ranchers are extreamly helpful and will let you on to hunt antelope.Call the game and fish and they will be very helpful. We go every year and rifle hunt this year we hunted for 5 hours and shoot 6 antelope and boned them out and were on ice for the ride home. The rancher even made us dinner

If you go on your own you will need to spend more time than if you go with a guide. Might want to look at getting a call or even a decoy. good luck archery tags are over the counter in some states, and 100% draw on tags is avalible without a guide.

 

[upperEA]

I have a number to a rancher in the north east of Wyoming who offers some good goat hunting. Some of the nices folks you will ever meet. They let us hunt their does for free and I may be a little off but I think it's around $800 for a buck lope and he's got some dandies. It's a pretty big ranch and it has three or four water holes that I know of. I know in some of the areas I have been on the ranch you would have a good chance at one with a bow or handgun. If your interested email me and I will get the # for ya.

 

[Canon]

What do you mean with option 2? I hope that means something different down there because up here when we talk like that it means go onto a private ranch and drop a lope and then pay the fee for trespassin if you get caught. Bad idea, on so many levels.

Up here in montana you could go either way (1 or 3):
1. There is always the option for a guide. I cant say much about that because i have never gone that way.

2. For the most part, drawing isnt all that tough in Montana. There are a couple districts where there are more permits than applicants. Where i hunt, 1/3 of the time i hunt a private ranch, another 1/3 is spend on state lands, and the last 1/3 is spent on land that has fenceposts painted green (with a sign saying: please hunt antelope). I found that most of the landowners where i hunt WANT you to take antelope. With a rifle you should be able to fill no problem (my experience), but with a bow or pistol, this approach may be more difficult. I have friends who go 1/3 with a bow but i cant make that call for you since you said your spot and stalk isnt all that great. like stated in previous posts, a guide may have blinds and such already set up in ideal areas.

 

[fossilman]

I would hunt public land and do your homework.You should do just fine.
As for hunting on private land and paying a "traspassing" fine,that is not hunting,thats "poaching"...Thats why the laws are getting stiffer on us hunters!
I never have a problem hunting antelope,I go visit the land owners and they usually let me on with no problem.
I shoot only "Doe's" (better eating).The Ranchers like that,the more does killed the better..........

Quote me if I'm wrong "Canon" but in Montana,you file for a Antelope Doe tag,you can get a free second one............It was that way in the early 90's when I lived there.

 

[upperEA]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

What do you mean with option 2? I hope that means something different down there because up here when we talk like that it means go onto a private ranch and drop a lope and then pay the fee for trespassin if you get caught. Bad idea, on so many levels.[/b]

He is refering to paying a rancher a fee to be ALLOWED to hunt his property without a guide. It is often refered to as a tresspass fee, look at it as leasing the land for a day or two. I thought they had a concept like that in Montana? Guess not!

 

[fossilman]

Unless its something new?

 

[cavey]

Fossilman, you are blessed to live in an area stocked with what I call "good people" they are not yet saturated with land leased by guides and driven by greed. Thats why I enjoy going out there year to year bow hunting...


Just plain good people; if you stop in and talk awhile and then ask to hunt and they usually say yes. Bring them out some cheese and maple syrup, take them out for super and make it a genuine social event. People out west are some of the most genuinely honest people you will ever meet, a handshake and straight talk will go along ways, even if they say no to you leave the door open for next year.

A tresspass fee, is the same as a gate fee or an access fee... they pay taxes on the land you are getting the pleasure to hunt, if it is not to steep of a price. It is a small price to pay for addmission especially when reflecting on the fact that the cattle industry is in rough shape. Its more and more common out west and is common in western montana, especially in areas where ranch lands block or front access to state and federal lands. Its a bummer that you have to flip out some cash to hunt, and sucks for local hunters competing with docs and lawyers....

One word of advise, ask them what you can hunt, not how much land they have - I have found that that is a kin to asking how much money they have in the bank - sometimes a little to forward of a questions for strangers.
Antelope are one of those creatures ranchers dont mind having respectfull hunters shoot, especially in the more barren lands. If they have cattle, its almost a sure thing to get permission.


If you can avoid the guide thing, dont get one, its better for hunting in general... otherwise it is generally a quick but pricey no hassle method to hunting an area not familiar with. But if you have time to scout, you do not need one.