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Wyoming

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Wyoming

Postby 7mmfan » 12 04, 2020 •  [Post 1]

I'd like to chat with someone familiar with the application and draw process in Wyoming. We didn't get our normal Idaho tags this year, and I don't want to count on trying to get a returned tag like I did last year. Wyoming has been on my list and I know there is great hunting that can be had every year there. Feel free to message me if you want to. I'm strongly considering a hunt plan from our very own Indian Summer if I feel confident my Dad and I can get tags.

Thanks,
Rory
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Re: Wyoming

Postby Trumkin the Dwarf » 12 04, 2020 •  [Post 2]

Never been, but I finally bought points for deer and elk there this year. It's gonna happen sooner or later!
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Re: Wyoming

Postby >>>---WW----> » 12 04, 2020 •  [Post 3]

Check with Indian Summer on here. He seems to know a lot about Wyoming hunts.
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Re: Wyoming

Postby Tigger » 12 04, 2020 •  [Post 4]

I will PM ya.
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Re: Wyoming

Postby Indian Summer » 12 04, 2020 •  [Post 5]

Like lots of application processes it seems complicated when you first dig into it but once you understand it it’s actually very simple. Do you guys have any preference points?

When I get a minute I’ll explain it in a nutshell. Do you have any specific questions?
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Re: Wyoming

Postby Tigger » 12 04, 2020 •  [Post 6]

I have stumbled across ol' Joe and some of his customers on other hunting forums (yeah, other forums actually do exist!). I have never saw anything but extremely positive reviews of his services. I know that isn't exactly the same as personal experience, but that and 25 cents will get you a bubblegum!
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Re: Wyoming

Postby 7mmfan » 12 04, 2020 •  [Post 7]

Indian Summer wrote:Like lots of application processes it seems complicated when you first dig into it but once you understand it it’s actually very simple. Do you guys have any preference points?

When I get a minute I’ll explain it in a nutshell. Do you have any specific questions?


I'm in the infancy of this planning. Been considering it for a few years, just have never dove in. I have actually hunted in Wyoming a few times, for deer out of Sheridan. The region we applied for was virtually guaranteed because of the amount of private ground in the area, and we hunted with family that had access. Because of that I never really learned the draw system.

Main points:

1. We just want to elk hunt. Not interested at this point in gaining points for limited entry hunts.
2. We have no points.

Some of you seem to elk hunt in Wyoming every year. That's what I want, how do I do it?

What my research today has yielded is that there is a general draw and a special draw. The special draw has better odds but costs significantly more. A general tag is good for many areas (I cannot seem to find a list or map that I can highlight just general areas on), but I can also apply for specific elk units. My rudimentary understanding is that I may have a better chance of drawing a low point elk unit than a general tag.
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Re: Wyoming

Postby Tigger » 12 04, 2020 •  [Post 8]

Nice talking to ya! yep, your understanding is right on so far. You are now beyond spike status and are approaching satellite bull status in your WY draw experience!
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Re: Wyoming

Postby 7mmfan » 12 04, 2020 •  [Post 9]

It was nice chatting with you to Dean, thank you for fielding my seemingly random questions. You did help me gain some understanding of what to realistically expect in the drawing and how to go about it. I talked with my Dad about what we discussed today and I think we might have a tentative game plan now.
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Re: Wyoming

Postby Indian Summer » 12 05, 2020 •  [Post 10]

I never save points. As soon as I have enough I get a general license. Be careful when applying for tags that have better odds than the general. Make sure it isn’t in an area with access issues meaning lots of private land. I won’t hunt anywhere near private. Too often that’s where the elk end up leaving public land with little to no elk. Looking at 300 elk on the other side of a fence gets old.

You have the license system pretty much figured out. Keep in mind that they set aside 25% of the licenses aside for the random drawing. Anyone who didn’t draw based on their points has an equal chance in that. I believe odds on that are 14% in the regular and 24% in the special. That’s for the general license. So you can draw tags with zero points.
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Re: Wyoming

Postby 7mmfan » 12 05, 2020 •  [Post 11]

Joe, I've been under the impression that you hunt Wyoning basically every year. Is that wrong?

One thing we talked about last night was picking an area that has a general season but has easily drawn cow tags so that we could go this year with cow tags and learn the area while trying to gain a point for a future return trip with a general tag. Lots of research to do now.
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Re: Wyoming

Postby Indian Summer » 12 05, 2020 •  [Post 12]

I try to hunt it every year. I’ve been pretty lucky with that the past few seasons. One year I didn’t draw so I went out with a cow tag. My odds of drawing were 97% too so I was pretty surprised not to draw. Ok borderline suicidal! Lol

Sometimes clients have more points than they need so I’m able to join their party. But usually it’s just friends. The have a bunch of friends that want to hunt elk but not every year. I tell them to start buying points and there will be a day when I have to take you hunting if I want to hunt! Lol When that happens if I have clients with extra points that I don’t need I use them to help other clients. Last year I had zero points. I got a call from a friend who said he had 10 points and his brother had 9. They just wanted to come hunt. 19 points is enough to guarantee 6 licenses in the regular draw! I never let points go to waste so there were 6 of us on that party app. If I have a hunter who helped someone else out then he’s at the top of the list to return the favor when possible. You should buy a hunt plan and join our little family! :D
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Re: Wyoming

Postby Fridaythe13th » 12 05, 2020 •  [Post 13]

I am watching this very close. I was 1 of the lucky ones to get a idaho tag with my brother. 4 years ago I knew 24 people from are area that hunted this particular zone now fast forward to this year just 2 of us got tags. Some moved on because of price but most had bad luck on the random number draw. I started looking into Wyoming and even called but that as far as it went. Like other people we just want to hunt the mountains at a chance at getting a elk.
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Re: Wyoming

Postby Elkhunttoo » 12 05, 2020 •  [Post 14]

Where Idaho sold out a big portion of there tags for 2021 already, I think a lot of people will have this same plan with Wyoming and Montana. I think in the next 5 or so years all of the states will be making major changes to there nonresident systems.

I have always wanted to hunt Wyoming and Montana at least once but maybe I should just be grateful I live in idaho and as of now can buy a tag every year
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Re: Wyoming

Postby Wyo67 » 12 09, 2020 •  [Post 15]

7mmfan wrote:One thing we talked about last night was picking an area that has a general season but has easily drawn cow tags so that we could go this year with cow tags and learn the area while trying to gain a point for a future return trip with a general tag. Lots of research to do now.


Be wary of this approach. If there's easily drawn cow tags in a General area, there's usually a reason. Most likely lack of access or elk - Areas 3 and 6 to be specific around here.

If you have the funds and really want to hunt, consider looking at the draw odds of the Type 4 (Full Price - antlerless tags) as your second choice. Draw odds are not bad for several areas and if you draw, you still keep your preference points as they only go away if you draw your first choice. The big draw back is your essentially paying $700+ to hunt a cow elk instead of the usual Type 6 price of $300ish.

As a non-resident, you'd have to be real fortunate in the random drawings to be able to hunt every year or close to it. For a general tag, in the special drawing odds were just under 25% and less than 15% in the regular draw. Point creep is real in Wyoming, I wouldn't be surprised that it will take 4 or 5 preference points to draw a General tag in the regular draw within the next 2-3 years.
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Re: Wyoming

Postby 7mmfan » 12 09, 2020 •  [Post 16]

Wyo67 wrote:
7mmfan wrote:One thing we talked about last night was picking an area that has a general season but has easily drawn cow tags so that we could go this year with cow tags and learn the area while trying to gain a point for a future return trip with a general tag. Lots of research to do now.


Be wary of this approach. If there's easily drawn cow tags in a General area, there's usually a reason. Most likely lack of access or elk - Areas 3 and 6 to be specific around here.

If you have the funds and really want to hunt, consider looking at the draw odds of the Type 4 (Full Price - antlerless tags) as your second choice. Draw odds are not bad for several areas and if you draw, you still keep your preference points as they only go away if you draw your first choice. The big draw back is your essentially paying $700+ to hunt a cow elk instead of the usual Type 6 price of $300ish.

As a non-resident, you'd have to be real fortunate in the random drawings to be able to hunt every year or close to it. For a general tag, in the special drawing odds were just under 25% and less than 15% in the regular draw. Point creep is real in Wyoming, I wouldn't be surprised that it will take 4 or 5 preference points to draw a General tag in the regular draw within the next 2-3 years.


Thanks for the input. I've been able to cross several units off my list based on exactly what you just described. Lots of private land, or elk not being in the area during the season. I've seen the same thing here in WA as well. Surprisingly, there aren't a bunch of Type 4 tags in the units that I'm looking at, unless I just missed them since I wasn't really looking for them.

I also agree with you on point creep. Idaho's move this year will speed up that process in surrounding states as people jump ship and start looking elsewhere. It's sad to think that this is the reality now for anyone looking for a quality elk hunt. We're going to be forced to play the point game in multiple states just have an opportunity to hunt every year.

I could elk hunt in WA every year if I wanted to, but it's less than quality that's for sure. General season spike only hunts, or hunt the west side jungle in a monsoon for elk with hoof rot. I'm trying hard to establish some quality hunts to take my son on in the next few years and man I just don't see WA being that hunt. I guess I grew up doing it though. We had very little success on elk specifically, and it still lit a fire in me, so maybe I'm overthinking this.
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