Wyoming Unit 73 Pronghorn Antelope Hunting Guide

Wyoming Unit 73 sits among the state's well-regarded pronghorn antelope country, and it consistently shows up in discussions among nonresident hunters searching for a unit that balances huntability with genuine trophy potential. Spanning 929,790 acres with elevations ranging from 4,784 to 9,111 feet, this unit offers the classic high-plains and foothill terrain that Wyoming pronghorn hunters chase every fall. With 69% of the land base in public ownership and zero designated wilderness, Unit 73 is fully accessible to do-it-yourself hunters without the guide requirements that complicate wilderness hunts elsewhere in the state.

For hunters comparing draw units across southeastern Wyoming, Unit 73 gets mentioned alongside neighboring units 74 and 75 as part of a broader stretch of pronghorn habitat known for good numbers and above-average bucks. This article breaks down what the data actually shows — harvest trends, application costs, tag quota shifts, and trophy potential — so hunters can decide whether Unit 73 deserves a spot on next year's application.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 73 Worth Applying For?

Based on the data compiled by HuntPilot, Unit 73 presents a genuinely strong option for pronghorn hunters, particularly those willing to apply strategically. The unit combines three things hunters look for: solid public land access (69%), a track record of trophy production in the surrounding counties, and harvest success rates that have historically run well above what many other big game hunts offer.

The harvest numbers tell a story of a unit that produces. Over the four most recent seasons on record, success rates ranged from 71% to 86%, meaning the large majority of hunters who draw a tag and get in the field are punching it. That's a meaningful data point for hunters weighing time and travel investment — a trip to Unit 73 is very likely to end with a tag filled, not an empty freezer.

The one area of caution comes from the wildlife survey data. The average buck:doe ratio across four survey years (2021–2024) sits at 51:100, which is a reasonable, believable ratio for a pronghorn herd — not the kind of inflated number that signals a small sample artifact. That steadiness across four years of surveys gives more confidence in the reading than a single-year snapshot would, and it points to a herd structure that is neither exploding nor declining dramatically, but holding at a workable level for hunter opportunity.

Combined with a meaningful increase in Type 1 tag quotas — climbing from 400 tags in both 2024 and 2025 to 500 tags in 2026, a 25% jump — Unit 73 looks like a unit where the state is actively expanding opportunity rather than tightening it. That's a favorable signal for hunters who have been sitting on points or considering applying for the first time. Type 7 tags, by contrast, have held flat at 25 tags across 2024, 2025, and 2026, suggesting that particular hunt type is being managed conservatively and isn't likely to loosen up soon.

For hunters chasing trophy quality, the counties overlapping Unit 73 carry an extensive history of trophy-class pronghorn production. That history doesn't guarantee any individual hunter draws a book buck, but it does mean the genetics and age structure capable of producing exceptional animals exist in this landscape, which is more than can be said for many pronghorn units in the state.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 73's harvest data (reported as unit totals across all hunt types) shows a unit that consistently rewards hunters who draw a tag:

• 2025: 380 hunters, 307 harvested — 81% success
• 2024: 382 hunters, 327 harvested — 86% success
• 2023: 506 hunters, 358 harvested — 71% success
• 2022: 920 hunters, 675 harvested — 73% success

There's a clear trend worth noting: hunter numbers have dropped substantially, from 920 in 2022 to under 400 in both 2024 and 2025, while success rates have climbed. The 2024 season's 86% success rate is especially strong and suggests that as tag numbers have been managed down in recent years, the hunters who did draw found excellent opportunity. Whether this reflects tighter quota management, improved herd conditions, or both, the trend line points toward Unit 73 being an increasingly efficient unit for hunters who prioritize filling a tag.

This kind of success rate is well above what's typical for many big game draws in the West, and it should factor heavily into any hunter's evaluation of whether this unit fits their goals — especially if the primary objective is a high-probability, DIY, public-land hunt rather than a long-shot trophy quest.

Trophy Quality

Trophy data available through HuntPilot indicates that the counties overlapping Unit 73 carry an extensive history of trophy-record pronghorn. That history is shared across the broader county-level geography, meaning neighboring units 74 and 75 — units that come up frequently in the same conversations among nonresident hunters — draw from the same trophy pedigree. This is a shared distinction, not a Unit 73-exclusive one, but it still speaks well of the genetic potential across this stretch of southeastern Wyoming.

Given the extensive trophy history in these counties, hunters targeting a mature buck rather than just tag-filling should view Unit 73 as a legitimate option worth serious consideration. That said, hunters should keep expectations realistic: an extensive trophy history reflects sustained production over time across the wider area, not a guarantee that every hunter, or even most hunters, will encounter a record-class animal. Most tags here, as in most pronghorn units, will result in solid, representative bucks rather than record-book entries — but the upside exists in a way it doesn't everywhere.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The buck:doe ratio average of 51:100 across the 2021–2024 survey period is a healthy, believable figure for a pronghorn herd and doesn't show signs of a small-sample distortion. A ratio in this range typically indicates a herd with reasonable buck carryover from year to year, supporting both consistent hunting opportunity and the age structure needed to produce mature bucks over time.

Combined with the tag quota increase for Type 1 tags heading into 2026, the population data suggests wildlife managers see room to expand opportunity without compromising herd structure. Hunters should still treat any single survey year with some caution, but the four-year average here is a solid, trend-supported data point rather than a one-off anomaly.

Access & Terrain

Unit 73 offers 69% public land across its 929,790 acres, giving DIY hunters a genuinely workable base of accessible ground. With no designated wilderness in the unit, there are no Wyoming outfitter-guide requirements to navigate — nonresidents can hunt this unit unguided without running into the state's wilderness-guide law that complicates access elsewhere.

Elevation across the unit ranges from 4,784 feet up to 9,111 feet, which is a wide spread for pronghorn country and suggests hunters will encounter everything from open sagebrush flats and rolling foothill terrain at the lower elevations to higher benches and ridgelines as the land climbs. Forum discussion among hunters who've pursued antelope in this general area of southeastern Wyoming describes classic pronghorn habitat — open country where spotting and stalking across long sightlines is the standard approach, and where a willingness to walk in from access points pays off with more solitude and better bucks than pressure near the road.

Because nearly a third of the unit remains in private ownership, hunters should do their homework on land status before the season — HuntPilot's public land mapping tools can help identify exactly where public and private boundaries fall within the unit so hunters can plan routes and glassing points accordingly.

How to Apply

Wyoming's application system requires hunters to plan around specific dates and fees that change annually.

Wyoming nonresidents applying for pronghorn accumulate preference points on unsuccessful draws, so hunters who don't draw this cycle should factor point accumulation into their multi-year strategy for Unit 73 or comparable units. For current draw odds by point level, hunters should consult HuntPilot's Unit 73 page directly.

Application dates and fees change every draw cycle. For the current deadlines, fees, and draw odds, see HuntPilot's Wyoming page at /states/wy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Wyoming Unit 73? Unit 73 spans a wide elevation range from 4,784 to 9,111 feet, encompassing classic pronghorn habitat that transitions from open sagebrush flats and rolling terrain at lower elevations to higher benches and ridgelines. With 69% public land and no wilderness designation, hunters have substantial room to roam and glass for bucks across open country typical of southeastern Wyoming's pronghorn range.

What is harvest success like in Unit 73? Recent harvest data shows strong success rates, with 86% of hunters filling tags in 2024 and 81% in 2025. Even in years with higher hunter numbers, such as 2022 (920 hunters) and 2023 (506 hunters), success rates held at 73% and 71% respectively. This is a unit where drawing a tag translates into a high likelihood of harvesting an animal.

How big are the pronghorn bucks in Unit 73? The counties overlapping Unit 73 carry an extensive history of trophy-record pronghorn production, indicating strong genetic potential in the area. While most hunters will take solid, representative bucks rather than record-book animals, the trophy pedigree here is more established than in many other pronghorn units, giving hunters targeting a mature buck good reason to consider this unit.

Is Unit 73 worth applying for? Based on the available data, yes — Unit 73 combines above-average harvest success, a healthy and stable buck:doe ratio (averaging 51:100 across four survey years), majority public land access, and an extensive regional trophy history. The Type 1 tag quota increase heading into 2026 also suggests expanding opportunity. Hunters should check HuntPilot's current draw odds for Unit 73 to gauge how many points their specific residency and hunt type require.

Do nonresidents need a guide to hunt Unit 73? No. Unit 73 has 0% wilderness designation, so Wyoming's mandatory outfitter-guide requirement for nonresident wilderness hunters does not apply here. Nonresidents can hunt this unit DIY, provided they've successfully drawn a tag.