Update on the Wyoming Hunter Defense Fund (WHDF)
A few months ago, we shared the launch of the Wyoming Hunter Defense Fund (WHDF)—a vital initiative created to protect hunting access, educate the public, and conserve wildlife habitat throughout the state. Since then, this grassroots effort has gained strong momentum thanks to the generosity of SNS Outfitter & Guides clients and other dedicated hunters.
When it comes to preparing for a Wyoming pronghorn antelope hunt—or any western big game adventure—our guides emphasize two key areas: shooting practice and physical conditioning. In Part 1 of our series, we covered shooting tips. Now, we’ll share our top recommendations to help you get in shape and maximize your experience in the field.
Antelope hunting in Wyoming often means covering vast, open country with rolling hills, sagebrush flats, and uneven terrain. You might spot a buck from a mile away—but getting into shooting range requires speed, agility, and endurance.
A guided hunt is an awesome experience. It often means seeing a new area for the first time, and sometimes hunting a new species for the first time. One of the most common questions we receive from our guided hunters is what they are responsible to bring.
We send a checklist to each of our hunters before their trip. The needs of a hunter on an antelope hunt from town are of course much different than hunting elk or mule deer from a remote mountain camp.
While packing lists can vary considerably, there are some general things to think about on any guided hunting trip in the west. Here are a few tips to consider:
Don’t Overload Your Daypack
Ask most hunting guides, and they’ll tell you that hunters’ daypacks are always heaviest on the first morning of the hunt. Excited and sometimes not sure what to bring, hunters tend to over pack the first day. But after carrying a heavy backpack through rough western country, those items quickly get paired down. A few days into the hunt, most hunters are carrying only the essentials.
On a big game hunt, shouldering a heavy backpack can take a toll. Be very careful about how much you intend to carry in your daypack.
Listen to Your Guide’s Advice
Every guided hunt is different. But in most situations, the guide will be carrying essential items, like field dressing equipment. If your guide has those things covered, there may be no reason to carry duplicates – especially bulky items like game bags. Most importantly, pay attention to your guide’s advice. If he says you don’t need it, don’t put it in your pack.
Invest in Lightweight Hunting Gear
If your gear is heavy to begin with, you’ll have trouble keeping the weight down on your daypack. Items like rain gear can be one of the biggest culprits. Rain gear can spend a lot of time in your pack, but you don’t want to be caught without it.
Wherever possible, invest in lightweight hunting gear. There is a higher price for gear that is both highly functional and also light weight. But on a tough, multi-day western hunt, it can be well worth the investment.
Admittedly, selecting
the right hunting outfitter is not an easy process. With hundreds of thousands
of outfitters around the world, there are numerous aspects to take into
consideration. First, what species are you interested in hunting? Once you have
that figured out, which state do you want to hunt in? Are you looking for an
area where tags are easy to draw? Furthermore, are you looking for a trophy or
simply want to fill your freezer? You’ll also want to consider the length of
the hunt and whether or not you prefer a horseback hunt. As you can see, there
are a plethora of factors to take into consideration.
Once you
narrow down your preferences — or at least have a fairly solid idea of your
likings — you take to the Internet. Between interactive websites, great trophy
photos, and testimonials that make you feel like you were on the hunt yourself,
it’s difficult to choose. So, here is what we suggest:
One of the most exciting things about hunting in Wyoming is the widely varying range of opportunities. From the plains to the peaks, this is a state that offers everything. Some of our favorite hunts each year are the mule deer and antelope Combo hunts.
These combo hunts offer everything you could want in a classic, western hunt. There’s nothing like being able to spot and stalk trophy Wyoming mule deer and then go after North America’s fastest animal and one of its most beautiful, the pronghorn antelope.
We conduct these mule deer and antelope combo hunts on nearly 200,000 private acres of incredible big game habitat. This is a unique opportunity to pursue two iconic western trophies.
These hunts take place from early October to late October, depending on the location. The terrain on these ranches varies from plains to rolling hills, to steep canyons, and pine-covered foothills. Perhaps the only things better than pursuing these great big game animals is the incredible Wyoming scenery and the fun hunting camp experience.
We offer three different camps for these combo hunts. On our website or in our brochure, you can refer to Hunt 2, Hunt 5 or Hunt 10 for details. Whether you prefer to hunt from camp or from town, we can help plan a hunt that’s perfect for you or your group. For more information, give us a call at 307-266-4229.
We hope to see you here at SNS Outfitter and Guides soon on this incredible western combo hunt!
See past blog posts on the SNS Blog.
