The Ranching for Wildlife program is an alternative draw, but lucky hunters get to hunt private lands not available to hunters in the general draw. Private landowner vouchers are also available for a fee.

In 2006, about 11,000 hunters killed about 7,000 antelope, 4,000 bucks and 3,000 does, for an overall 60 percent-plus success rate. About 85 percent of Ranching for Wildlife and public-land rifle hunters were successful. About 40 percent of muzzleloaders and less than 20 percent of bowhunters tagged antelope.

Going into the 2007 season, there were about 73,000 antelope statewide. The biggest herd, about 18,000, is in GMUs 3, 4, 5, 13, 14, 214, 301, and 441, generally northwest of Steamboat Springs in the north-central part the state. The eastern counties hold other hotspots.

Idaho
Strange as it may seem, antelope are not all that numerous here. Out of 77 hunt units, fewer than half provide hunting opportunities.

All rifle and muzzleloader hunts are controlled-draw hunts, and statewide, just 1,500 or so tags are available in a typical year. Archery hunting is a general tag, however, and hunting is allowed in all open units.

Should you draw a tag, success rates are generally good -- running as high as 100 percent in some seasons in some units. The biggest herd, and the largest number of available permits, is in the southwest on the Owyhee country south and west of Boise.

Units 40 and 42 are two very good ones. At the opposite end of the swath of open hunting units, the country bordering southwest Montana -- for example, units 29, 30 and 37, around Dubois, Leadore and Challis --harbor decent numbers.

Recently, a friend killed a record-class buck almost within sight of his house in Dubois. By the way, this was a buck he had scouted early in the summer and kept an eye on until the opening.

Montana
Montana is second only to Wyoming for numbers of antelope. In 2006, about 35,500 hunters drew tags, including slightly fewer than 2,000 multi-region archery-only tags.

While overall harvest figures are still out, information from check stations indicate that the harvest was pretty much in line with the 10-year average. Assuming a hunter-success rate of slightly less than 50 percent, that would put the overall kill at about 18,000.

As usual, it appears non-residents enjoyed greater success with bows and rifles than did residents.

Region 7, in the southeast, gets the most ink, but there's good hunting to be had in every region except Region 1, where no permits are issued.

In my experience and from talking to fellow Montana hunters, just about everyone who draws a tag and puts forth the effort gets an antelope.

On average, Montana probably doesn't compare to those states where milder winters tend to increase bucks' longevity and let them grow bigger horns. But trust me, anyone who hunts hard should be able to bag a respectable trophy.