Hi information guys

I will be going to Wyoming next week to try to get my Antelope. I would like to know from those of you that have been there this time of year just what gear you need. I have had it suggested that I bring a good pair of leather gloves for crawling as there is prickly things that "can ruin your day". It has also been suggested that layers of clothes is a must because of the temperature swing from morning to evening.
Anything you guys and girls can add is most appreciated.

I wait at the stove
Turtle

Good optics, are a must. If you plan on crawling aournd on the ground you should take some good knee pads that won't get punctured buy cactus. Leather gloves will help too... Good luck, I'll be hunting the suckers in a month in MT.

Good camo is a must, they can see with the equivilent of something like 8-10 power binoculars.

Good luck

Ivan

If you crawl...knee pads to protect from the same.

Most important,Good Optics
And a rifle you can shoot well.
Here's mine from last year


Kill a big one
Jeff

Nice job Jeff!
Ivan - I was informed that Orange is going to be required but I can get really small if I have too .

Knee pads huh... I can see some jokes coming my way but I I do have some.

Back To The Stove
Turtle

BBTURTLE, I have been there 5 or 6 times. Most of the time it was hot and dry. One time it was warm and dry until opening morning when we awoke to 3 inches of snow on the ground. The next day it rained a cold rain. So as they say you got to come prepared for the weather. We were in a small town called Kaycee and most of the time the weather was just great. Have a great time hunting the "slope goats". Don't forget to bring a varmint gun with you. There are many places to get into some good Prairie dog shooting. Are you hunting on a private ranch or BLM land or what? If you are hunting on BLM land be sure to find some law enforcement officer and make sure that it is indeed BLM land and not land that has just been leased out to a rancher or some guide that has the hunting rights to that land.

I guide in the Buffalo area on private and public land.
THE - most important thing is very good binocular.
The rifle you use for deer at home will work. Get out of the truck and enjoy the hunt.
You will be able to stalk them with no trouble. There "threat" range seems to be about 350yds. With that you can stalk the other 200 yds. and you are in like flynn. You will need an orange hat or shirt. I have clients use a hat. These have "mysteriously" blown off at the very end of the stalk.
I have never used camo for goats - or any other animal for that matter. I have nothing against in the field it is the negative aspect of it in public. In PA. ,where I unfortunatly live, nothing you do says you are an asshole better than wearing it at hunting season. It seems that the bigger the a-hole you are here the more high tech your camo and the more huffing and puffing you do of your on self greatness. Soryy, just another pet peeve.
Most important is to glass, plan a stalk, be sure of the shot, and have FUN......These are my favorite spiece to hunt.

ED

E O -

These is nothing wrong with where you live. I'm also sorry about your feeling on field attire. I actually hold the opposite view but this is America so we will agree to disagree. I was told that hat and vest are required and that we will be supervised during the hunt. I will most likely use my 280 but have been toying about a 257roberts.

Mike338 -
I think the weather should be ideal with lows near 40 and highs in the range of 60s to 70s. I hunt in these F'in Wild Rose so a cactus spike or two shouldn't bother me all that much.

I'm starting to get wound up for this now. Thanks

Back To The Stove
Turtle

BBturtle
It is a very fun hunt...You should be jazzed
Pics and story mandatory on completion of the
hunt.
Jeff

Hey BB,
Sorry about the clothing thing, comes from a life time of exposure to the upstate mentality. I apologize.
As for some of your other questions, yes dress in layers. It can be 70 or snowing. It should be above freezing at dawn and up to 65ish midday.
Don't forget your camera, have FUN.
The .257 is plenty, sight in on at 200 and know where it hits at 300. That will be plenty. They are easy to clip legs off of, but don't worry, just do it right.

Hey JeffP,
Great goat. Where was that from????

ED

BBTurtle,
I hunted outside Casper a couple years ago. I had knee pads but always found it a hassle to put them on. The outfitter would be saying "come on, let's go" and I'd be trying to strap the pads on. Finally gave up and just crawled without them. Gloves are a must. I bought elk skin from Cabelas. They are supposed to be tougher than leather. Didn't wear camo as there is enough terrain to plan your stalk without the animal seeing you. Blaze orange is required but it can be only a hat. Temps this time of year were never cold enough for a coat but a couple layers were needed. Pretty unpredictable this time of year though. As others have mentioned it can be in the 70's one day and then snow the next. Don't shoot the first one you see. There are lots. Glass is important though not for spotting, you can see the damn things from 5 miles away. It is important in judging quality of the horns. Good spotting scope is as important as binoculars. Guide should have that covered. If going unguided, I'd get a scope. Probably don't expect a huge one though depending on the area. Drought has cut the horn production down. If you got a 13-15" 'lope you'd be doing good. Your Bob should be fine. These guys only weigh about 100 lbs and you should be able to get within 300 yards. The .257 will do great and will double for coyotes and/or prairie dogs.

Have fun

[ 09-12-2003, 00:22: Message edited by: NoCAL ]

Best advise I've had on 'lope hunts: put one foot in from of the other.

Drive high ridges if you can, glassing valleys and bowls. If no roads, start walking. Even if it looks flat, there are always little gullies and rises to use for a stalk.

Most locals are more than willing to give you tips. If you're on public land, though, get as far from the public road leading out of town as possible.

There is some small dependence on where you are hunting, but in general 30-40 degrees at night and 60-80 degrees during the day. There are small cacti that will poke holes in the side of your sneakers when you crawl, which is often required if you are not staking out a water hole. The longer I do this, the shorter the shots get, now are often only 100-200 yards. Wind often reduces the practical range.

I have not had any trouble with wearing orange; their eyesight is quite good and I don't think you gain much advantage by leaving off the orange, certainly not enough that you can be careless about hiding yourself.

Tom

[ 09-12-2003, 01:07: Message edited by: TomP ]

You guys are GREAT!
I knew I would get what I needed from this group.
WyoJoe -

This hunt is near Lander and I know you are familiar with the hunt its self. I have one of the best for a guide if not the best. I would thank that boots are in order simply because I have not hunted in sneakers since I was 12 years old ( a long time back ) . I am having trouble finding a good pair of gloves but I'm sure I'll find some before or get them in Riverton.

Back To The Stove
Turtle

An observation, I have noticed that the vast majority of hunters in Wyoming prefer to drive the roads and glass. Find a area that you can walk into and you will have the area to yourself.

I have found that speed goats will tolerate an approaching hunter if he always approaches at an angle rather than walking straight at him. You know zig-zag a 100 yards one way and back another 100.

On my daughters first hunt we were able to stalk to within 300-400 yards this way but with the terrain being quite flat and the sage quite short that was as close as the herd would allow before they started to get spooky (it was later in the season and they had been hunted before). So we decided to "flag" them. We sat down in 6" sage and waited until they settled down a little bit. Then while they were facing us and watching closely, I was able to pull out a hankerchief and wave it a few times over my head. Then we would sit stone still for 5 minutes or so. A rather large buck couldn't stand it and would approach 50 to 75 yards and stop and stare at us. I'd wait a few minutes after he stopped and "flag" him again. And again he would advance 50 or so yards. This continued until she had a shot at about 150 yards.

So put that bit of experience in your trick bag. It works and ya never know when you will be caught flat footed during a stalk. If you are, just drop into a position you can stay still in for a while and get out the hankie.

As for clothing, wear layers and shed them as it gets warmer or put them on if it gets colder. Personally, I like to wear T-shirts, then a heavy shirt, then a vest, then a wind proof jacket. That way I can shed all the way down to the T-shirt if I have to.

Yes, you will need to wear ONE EXTERNAL article of blaze orange. I've had hunter ed students ask if orange boxers are OK! No kidding! This article can be a baseball hat. In most all cases the goats will know you are there so why not be safe and not get shot and wear a blaze orange vest. And dont get a plastic one. They are hot, don't breath and are noisy. Get a cloth one or one that is mesh.

Take plenty of drinking water, you will need it. Wyoming and most of the west is quite low in humidity and you will dehydrate more easily than what you are accustomed to. Especially if it is breezy, and we call anything under 30 mph a breeze! It would help to take about 5 one-gallon milk jugs of water in the truck to wash down the goat after it is skinned and gutted (in that order). This helps in cooling it off and cleans it up too.

I never really cared much for antelope as table fare until a friend told me I was doing things all wrong (and he was right too). He told me to: 1) shoot the goat, 2) skin it, 3) gut it, 4) wash it down and let it cool off preferably in the shade. I'd always gutted before skinning. But the difference was and still is amazing as to the difference in how it tastes. Anyone else ever do this? It works for me every time now and the antelope tastes much better than when I used the other method.

Enjoy! We are glad you chose WYO to hunt fast food!

Elkslayer -
Thanks for all that information. What color handkerchief do you use? I have heard people talk about doing this. The guys I will be with are all very experienced Antelope hunters so the fine points I am sure will be pointed out to me. I agree on the water issue. I have been to Utah and found just how fast you can get dehydrated. You know that its a funny thing that they are calling for a chance of rain. I can tell you that a place that hasn't had rain for five months will get it if I am going hunting there .

Fast Food

Back To La Stove
Turtle

BBTURTLE,

Doesn't seem to matter about the color of the flag. Antelope are familiar with their home territory and are very curious about "strange" things that are there. Especially if they can't recognize it. Anytime you stop looking like a human and you don't resemble anything else they have ever seen they will come to investigate. If you look like a cow for example, they won't pay you any mind. But if you look like something they have never seen and they don't feel threatened, they will come. They know they are the fastest thing around and they count on that to escape most any danger.

Hey BB'

Elkslayer brought up a good point as far as table fare goes. I have been hounded on this since my very first hunt. Our proceedure - not to be altered- When a goat goes down i will clean him up with water and pose him for some photos. I use a digital so we can critque and reshoot as needed. I then dress him and gather up everyones water. We have a victory sip of water then use the rest to flush out the cavity. then it is in the truck and of to town to the locker. No B.S. and no exceptions on this. Don't leave it in the truck and roll around the rest of the day looking for a goat for your partner. You will find another. Get that buck to a locker and have them at least skin, quarter and chill it.
In our home its the favored red meat. After Heart attack at 38YRS old we don't eat a lot of redmeat, but brother when I do step aside because a goat 1/4 is going to go missing.

It is great as Swiss steak, Grilled w/ teriaki, shaved and rolled with spitzle, Crook pot with the following;
1cp brown gravy
1cp water
splash apple cider vinegar
1/2 white onion
pinch basil
pinch B. pepper
let it cook while you at work and eat with starch of choice.
AWESOME STUFF

Ed

Turtle -

You are some kind of weatherman!!

It IS raining right now and it's about 47 degrees! The news just reported it is 27 degrees at Yellowstone Lake in Y-Stone park.

The cold front has moved thru the state and is in western Nebraska, but they showed another front coming down out of Washington and if it travels about like they usually do it will arrive about Tuesday the 16th. May bring rain, may not. But it will be pushing some wind in front of it. Good news is that once the front is here the wind stops. Those of us living here know that in the winter when the wind stops it will start to snow. In fact it didn't start to rain today until the wind stopped.

Turtle,
Good luck on your hunt. I'll be set up and already trying to glass them at this time next week in N.M. I have been reading all the advice you have received here. Thanks for your post.I usally carry several bags of ice in my cooler to get the body temp down as quick as I can. Again good luck and have a safe trip.

Turtle,

I've only been out there twice, in the Rawlins/Baggs area, but here's my "easterner 2 cents".
Glass.
YOu need really good binoculars, and a good spotting scope. The first time I went, I had a pair of cheap binoculars and only took a 20X Bushnell spotting scope. I ended up giving the Binoc's away to a kid after the trip and bought Nikons for the second trip. The Bushnell is history. I picked up and old Unertle 27X spotter, and that went on trip #2. A window mount for the spotting scope helps too.
You can spot these critters a long way off, but getting close enough for a shot can be difficult.
Another thing that took a few days to get used to was all that SPACE! It really takes some time to get used to picking out the detail you want in them wide open spaces.

weather
Both of my trips were during the middle part of October to coincide with a Mule deer hunt. It would get down to the 30's at night, but up to the low 70's by early afternoon. And it's windy all the time.
Orange was a requirement, probably still is, so we wore "greens" and used orange vests. You can open them up and tuck them under your arms while on a stalk.

taxidermy
Trails West taxidermy in Rawlins does an outstanding job and will have your trophy back to you in less than six months. The butcher shop next door also does a professional job cutting up your game and flash freezing it for the trip home.

stalking
They seem to have a safe zone of about 200 yards or so. If you get inside that zone they bolt, but if your hunting with a couple guys, the old crow hunting trick works. Stalk up as close as you can and comfortably make the shot. Have the shooter stop and set up, and the other guy keep moving either away or at a right angle. They will watch him while you make your shot.

There were 5 of us on each trip. We all tagged out and the animals were taken anywhere between 150 and 500 yards. It was a memorable trip and I'm sure your will be too.

Good luck and enjoy the trip!

P.S. One thing I regretted was not bringing my own "good" camera. the first time only one of the guys brought a good camera. He turned out to be an idiot(with a camera anyway) and we only had the disposable camera pictures.

Listen to your guide, glass lots, look for horns that fork above the ears and have wide prongs. Antelope is disrespected for some reason. THey are great eating, I prefer over elk. Gut and wash if you can, and pack some ice in them. I quarter and place in a ice chest with ice. Makes excellent table fair. As for the weather, if you don't like it wait an hour and it will change. WE have been cooling down and getting some rain lately. The weather man said this morning that trend is supposed to continue. Never know, we had 80's in november the last two years. If you get a chance go to Thermopolis to the Hot Springs, or take a drive over to sinks canyon south of Lander. Good Luck! Welcome to Wyoming! Spend all your money! And save an elk, shoot a wolf!

BBTURTLE,

For the best gloves, knee and elbow pads go to a garden supply and get the ones that strap on with Velcro. They only takes a second to put on and you are not trying to tug them on over your boots, coats, etc. Heavy gloves ARE A MUST. Cows leather is best. A .257 Roberts will work great. Use a good bullet like the Nosler Partition in 100 grain for these animals that weight less than 100 lbs. Lawdog

BB, I've been guiding kids for doe antelope up in Wyoming for several years now, and have been involved in one way or another with antelope hunting for 25 years now. A couple things i've learned over the years is prepare for any weather condition as mentioned above several times. USE rubber or leather kneepads with leather gloves for crawling (i always ensure that the kids crawl some in an effort to provide reward for "hard" work). You'll be surprised how far, and fast you can crawl on all 4's. Antelope have little fear of something with a short profile, and judicious use of this technique is almost a gurantee of success.

USE quality optics. Spotting scope, binocs, decent scope. Sometimes if you hunt after drout conditions they can be hard to find as antelope populatioins are very susceptible to extreme changes in weather patterns. This is what separates the successful hunter from the unsuccessful-- oftentimes.

Someone mentioned quartering the animal. EXCELLENT comment. I never gut game anymore. I skin one side, and quickly pull quarters, backstrap, neck, and miscellaneous meat. Dump them right in a big cooler. Ice not needed in the field. Take to town and game meat processor immediately, OR separate meat in cooler and apply ice. This will last several days easily, IF kept cool.The meat will dry on the outside forming a protective layer. Almost forgot-- game bags, of course.

Now one last comment that i have learned over the last several years. Learn to shoot tactically in the field-- sniper-like, in other words. know the back-brisket measurement of the avg. buck antelope (about 16"). If you don't shoot a scope with target turrets, or trajectory-compensating reticle, along with a rangefinder, then put the plex reticle (if you're using one) to work as an optical rangefinder, and know the bottom post zero for your particular load. No sense guessing on a nice buck @300 yds. or so...

Have fun!!

Well I'm back and was successful . All information I got was useful and mostly used . I will be posting details on the hunt as soon as they find my bags from the flight back .
Until then

Back To The Stove
Turtle

congrats! looking forward to story and pictures!