As a gateway to the Great Plains stretching into Nebraska, Laramie County might not have huge herds of elk and mule deer like some other places in Wyoming, but when it comes to Antelope, the hunt areas east of Cheyenne are tough to beat.
“Antelope reign supreme. If you want a great antelope hunt, you can go just about anywhere east of Cheyenne and be in a pile of them,” Vance Bryan, who works in the hunting department at the local Murdoch’s store, told Cowboy State Daily.
Occasional Elk, Muleys And Whitetail
The opportunities are scant in Laramie County for other big game species: elk, mule deer and whitetail deer. But there are some, if you know where to look, Bryan said.
There is a small migration corridor for elk, and sometimes mule deer, traveling north from Colorado and trying to reach the Encampment area of Wyoming. That goes through a corner of Laramie County, he said. It’s off a service road that stems from Interstate 25.
“Sometimes you can catch young bull elk going though there; young bulls that don’t really know any better – that’s where some guys tag out for elk,” he said.
There might also be a handful of mule deer bucks, “maybe four or five at a time,” passing through that area, he added.
To the east, Nebraska has some great whitetail, and once in a while a buck or two will cross the state line into Laramie County, Bryan said.
“Nebraska has lots of good corn crops for the whitetail,” he said. “Occasionally, they’ll peek over into Wyoming to get some alfalfa.”
Just to the west of Laramie County in the Vedauwoo area, some mule deer can be found, said Tyler Rossetti, who works with Ryan.
“Once I was back in there and had a herd of about 25 or 30 bucks and does come in,” he said.
Bird Hunting For The Ambitious, Rabbits Galore
There also is some opportunity for bird hunting in Laramie County, particularly on the west side, said Ryan and Jerry Caldwell, who manages the hunting department in the Jax Outdoor Gear store in the Cheyenne Frontier Mall.
There are sage grouse, sharptailed grouse and a few pheasants for bird hunters who are willing to do some hiking with a good dog, Caldwell said.
For more bird hunting action, folks in Laramie County can head into Nebraska or South Dakota, he added.
There is also some decent hunting for mourning doves in Laramie County. But once temperatures drop even a little, the doves leave for warmer areas to the south, Caldwell and Ryan said.
Cottontails Aplenty
For small game enthusiasts, Laramie County has cottontail rabbits aplenty, Ryan added.
“They get so thick in some places, you could just about throw a rock and hit one,” he said.
For predator hunters, the bumper crop of rabbits means Laramie County also is rife with coyotes.
But ultimately, things circle back to antelope. Laramie County has both the numbers and genetic quality to produce some impressive trophy bucks, Ryan said.
Access is relatively good as well. Some of the best antelope hunting is on private land, but there are plenty of public hunting grounds as well.
“Anywhere you go, if you look for places where there aren’t already a lot of cars, you should have good antelope hunting,” Ryan said.
Other Hunting Wyoming features:
Hunting Wyoming: Albany County Waits For Cooler Temps To Heat Up Hunting
Hunting Wyoming: Fremont County Great For Elk, If You’re Willing To Work For It
Hunting Wyoming: Teton County Has Great Outlook – Just Watch For Grizzlies
Hunting Wyoming: Elk Superb, Deer And Antelope Down In Sublette County
Hunting Wyoming: Come For the Big Game, Stay For The Birds In Natrona County
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
