Get out your Wyoming wallets!!!

[Stein]

Special draw odds may improve, but the wildcard is they have some bad odds at times when too many people jump in the special and it's actually lower odds than the regular.  If people drop out, the odds will improve.  If people think that's going to happen and the odds will jump up, more may actually join.  We're an interesting species.

Regarding learning to hunt at home, it's fairly difficult to learn how to elk hunt in Florida.  Most states don't have elk hunting.  Most of the country can't hunt elk at home.  Or mule deer.  Or moose.  Or mountain goats.  Or bison.  Or sailfish, grouper, salmon, dungeness crab, whatever.

Nobody thinks twice about going fishing while on vacation but for some reason out of state hunting is something some think maybe shouldn't even happen.

It's going to turn out of state hunting into a rich man's sport which means the majority of the potential new hunters (young and old) won't have access to what is a public resource.

[MountainWalk]

I get a chuckle out of the folks talking about how WY is catering to the rich and hunting is geared towards rich folks.  You guys are dressing up in kuiu head to toe, buying browning and kimber rifles topped with Swarovski rifle scopes, spending all year buying bullets and powders looking for that perfect load, driving nice new model trucks, extolling the virtues of zamberlain boots, pulling fifth wheel trailers and you have the gall to complain about people that have having more financial means than you. Hahaha!

  You think that Wyoming shouldn’t have their own residents best interest in mind? You think Wyoming is just an enclave of rich elk hunters?  You wanna hunt there so bad and can’t stand hunting your own state and your own elk? Why not move there?

  How much would an Alaskan coastal brown bear hunt cost a non resident? 15-30 g’s?  Well, as a resident, I get to hunt them every year for just the cost of the tag. Because I live here.  I like how ak’s constitution makes it clear that the wildlife is managed for resident hunters first and foremost. When changes are made, nonresident hunters aren’t the priority.

I agree with a comment above. This has nothing to do with “ hunter recruitment “. That’s one lame excuse.  Bottom line- you want to hunt Wyoming so bad on the cheap, move there. You want to hunt Alaska on the cheap? Move there. That’s what makes America great; if you don’t like the place you are at or think some place better, you are free to move there. I have little sympathy for well heeled hunters complaining about prices in places they don’t live.

[trophyhunt]

I get a chuckle out of the folks talking about how WY is catering to the rich and hunting is geared towards rich folks.  You guys are dressing up in kuiu head to toe, buying browning and kimber rifles topped with Swarovski rifle scopes, spending all year buying bullets and powders looking for that perfect load, driving nice new model trucks, extolling the virtues of zamberlain boots, pulling fifth wheel trailers and you have the gall to complain about people that have having more financial means than you. Hahaha!

  You think that Wyoming shouldn’t have their own residents best interest in mind? You think Wyoming is just an enclave of rich elk hunters?  You wanna hunt there so bad and can’t stand hunting your own state and your own elk? Why not move there?

  How much would an Alaskan coastal brown bear hunt cost a non resident? 15-30 g’s?  Well, as a resident, I get to hunt them every year for just the cost of the tag. Because I live here.  I like how ak’s constitution makes it clear that the wildlife is managed for resident hunters first and foremost. When changes are made, nonresident hunters aren’t the priority.

I agree with a comment above. This has nothing to do with “ hunter recruitment “. That’s one lame excuse.  Bottom line- you want to hunt Wyoming so bad on the cheap, move there. You want to hunt Alaska on the cheap? Move there. That’s what makes America great; if you don’t like the place you are at or think some place better, you are free to move there. I have little sympathy for well heeled hunters complaining about prices in places they don’t live.

Lets take it a bit further than, how do you feel about raising the non resident prices to $4,000 or 10,000?  How about just no non resident hunting allowed?

[MountainWalk]

Hell, I don’t care.  I wish AK would jack up non res tags.

[trophyhunt]

Well, I think its sad, long standing traditions of out of state hunting with family and friends on PUBLIC lands is/will go away.  I hope your wishes are a minority. 

[MountainWalk]

 O, they won’t go away; you just have to pay more for it, just like everything else nowadays. Weigh your priorities.  Mine? Moose and brown bear hunting every year and killing lots of wolves. 

[trophyhunt]

O, they won’t go away; you just have to pay more for it, just like everything else nowadays. Weigh your priorities.  Mine? Moose and brown bear hunting every year and killing lots of wolves.

Living in Alaska would be great for certain things.  I used to get my wife and daughter special permits for here in my home state, used to put them in for everything.  Quit doing that about 6-8 years ago because the cost, We'd drop easily $900 just for our home state.  No way can we afford to hunt here and another state, but Idaho used to be affordable, no more.  I see lots of traditions that won't even be started now, and people won't even know what they are missing out on. 

[whacker1]

Neil, you think this will improve odds in the special draw?  Most folks I’ve been conversing with are assuming the odds won’t change much. I’m at max for deer and elk, I’m in it for the long haul. I’m also expecting Montana and others to follow suit with the price increases. Interesting times for sure

Will you be in for the long haul a second time after you burn your max points?

[257 Wby Mag]

Ya I’ll keep on keepin on. I’d gladly pay the $1200 for the special antelope license to go hunt my favorite unit every year. Seems pretty mixed, that’s why I asked. Will you? What’s the consensus from the folks you’ve talked to?

[whacker1]

People have asked me whether the odds will change much.   My take is yes but it will be slow from year to year over year get better for special as the regular will get worse.  The max point holders will pay the special one time, but not repeat for another 20 years if they draw for the first time when they are 50 years of age and likely not draw the same tag again until they are 75 or 85.   

However as it relates to Elk, i can see them going to Wyoming a time or two for a lesser quality tag, but probably less likely not going to pay $1950 on the second time around.

More people with mid-level deer points and antelope points will likely apply in the regular instead of the special.  i think this will be the most noteable change as compared to elk, which will likely stay more static.

Antelope currently $326 and $614 in special
New fees as i understand it will remain the same for regular draw and $1200 for the special.

How many people will pay $1200 for a middle of the road antelope or Deer unit?  are they more inclined to wait a year or 2 longer to go to the same unit under regular prices vs $1200 to go sooner?

Here is my deer example.
Preference Point draw
Region G "regular" took 9 points, some drew with greater than 8 points.
Region G "special" took 8 points, some drew with greater than 7 points.

Random draw
Region G "regular" deer tag in 2021 - draw odds 52 out 1509 first choice applicants. 3.45%
Region G  "special" deer tag in 2021 - draw odds 35 out 502, which is closer to 6%


i would suggest to you that there will be fewer applicants year over year at $1200 for a region G deer tag in the special draw, but those same people will be applying in the "Regular" draw until they can burn their points. And depending on age of the hunter/applicant, may not play for 10 more years on the second go round to draw a Region G deer tag.   

[whacker1]

Ya I’ll keep on keepin on. I’d gladly pay the $1200 for the special antelope license to go hunt my favorite unit every year. Seems pretty mixed, that’s why I asked. Will you? What’s the consensus from the folks you’ve talked to?

Definitely no consensus.  it is all over the board.

i am on the fence.   so many other things I would like to do in addition to Wyoming.   I will probably burn the deer points in the next 3-4 or so years, but will see what the draw odds look like after this next season.   i think the differential between regular and special will create a bigger differential between the two categories and odds will get better for special and worse for regular.

i pay a lot of money to hunt different states, so i would likely shift my focus to states i would rather hunt at a greater desire for the next few years.  I think it puts a lot of guys in the boat of making it near unaffordable, so it is either a one hit wonder for the 1 tag they drew in the special or adding length of time in the regular draw  and they are likely never to go back to Wyoming again.  i know people that have already said that for the 20 years they have acrued points.   they are likely never going to wyoming for that species again.

i will likely be in the regular draw for elk in the general in the next couple of years as i can't acrue enough points fast enough for the tags i would like to hunt in the short term.   

   

[257 Wby Mag]

Next year will be crazy as folks rush to “burn” their points. I suspect special draws will get quite a bit better. The greedy side of me is happy.  I don’t enjoy “hunting” so much anymore as I love “quality” hunts.

As a aside, I see Montana is more than likely gonna make folks choose a weapon. Gonna see some big changes in multiple states.

[whacker1]

Next year will be crazy as folks rush to “burn” their points. I suspect special draws will get quite a bit better. The greedy side of me is happy.  I don’t enjoy “hunting” so much anymore as I love “quality” hunts.

As a aside, I see Montana is more than likely gonna make folks choose a weapon. Gonna see some big changes in multiple states.

10.4....i also see the writing on the wall for choosing a weapon in Montana or at least for more units as time goes on.  Regulating foot traffic threw draws.

i still enjoy both the Quality and the hunting.   it is quite possible that a bunch of folks try to burn their points in 2023.  Elk application is still early and likely won't change fees until 2024 based on when the Legislature can get together.

[dvolmer]

I wonder how long it will be until the new rates are applied???  I have no idea.

[whacker1]

I wonder how long it will be until the new rates are applied???  I have no idea.

i am thinking 2024, because i don't think the legislature meets until January through March.  The elk applications are still due early in 2023, and deer /antelope in May of 2023.   But speculation on my part, that is just my logical approach to bureaucratic process