Wyoming Elk 2023

[ipkus]

4-4.5

[KDB]

I'm thinking of Bighorn archery with 13 points and Unit 5 for moose with 21 points.  At 71 I need use up my points,

[trophyhunt]

Are the bighorns void of grizz? 

[vandeman17]

Are the bighorns void of grizz?

Not void but they aren't dense at all. I have talked to a handful of people who have hunted a few of those units and none saw any or any sign of them

[Dark2Dark]

We are planning to hunt general season elk this year.

I think I have 8 deer and pronghorn points, also. Will the impact for NR’s be as bad there?

Figuring out where to go is tricky. I think I have some general ideas. :-/ sounds like a drop camp with an outfitter is unlikely, so a DIY roadside camp is probably where we will be. I know a few guys that have hunted it and suggested GMUs. I think one issue is any part of Wyoming is better than just about any WA hunting experience. Any suggestions via PM are welcome, though.

[finnman]

Good thread.
With all of the nastiness coming around the corner for Non-Res hunters, we’re getting out in 2 years.
2023 is my wife and buddy, they are going guided unit 7 bull hunt.
2024 I will be going guided bull hunt unit 7 or 108.
Time to burn and move on. I regret saving our points for so long and not hunting general areas. Some great bulls are killed every year in general areas.
I look forward to hunting them in the future and waiting less years between hunts.

[Stein]

Hopefully you guys get your tags, might be a lot of guys off the bench that didn't work into the numbers in prior years.  We could see some truly epic temporary point creep.

[jjhunter]

I’ll be using my elk points in 2023.   For many reasons, but mostly because mule deer hunting is so crappy right now.

[actionshooter]

Hopefully you guys get your tags, might be a lot of guys off the bench that didn't work into the numbers in prior years.  We could see some truly epic temporary point creep.

Do you think it's temporary? Never seen point creep down...

[trophyhunt]

Looks like the general elk tag for non res will be 4.5 to 5 points, that sucks.

[cem3434]

Hopefully you guys get your tags, might be a lot of guys off the bench that didn't work into the numbers in prior years.  We could see some truly epic temporary point creep.

Do you think it's temporary? Never seen point creep down...

It's not points creep per se, it's more of a points dump year for most as they arent willing to pay the proposed higher NR fees. So yes, I would say its temporary and will only last this year. I'm on the fence with 12 points if I should hold my points because think of the potential tags that will be available to me next year. 

[Chesapeake]

This “points dump” has been going on the last 2 or 3 years. Ever since they had the push for 90/10 and the working group was set up, higher prices were suggested, ect…
That scare got the ball rolling and points creep has been larger than was previously normal.
Some said it was Covid and folks with lots of free time. Some say the retracting economy will provide correction.

There are well north of 100000 points holders in Wyoming and only 1/4 or less of those actually apply for tags each year. The rest just buy points.
The points pool for Wyoming tags has the capacity to drive massive points creep for the foreseeable future. There is no end in sight.

[dvolmer]

It def will be an interesting upcoming year for those trying to get tags in Wyoming.  With the 2024 increase in the special elk tag (going from roughly $1200 to $2000) it will skew the point creep.  How much?  No one really knows.  But the fact that many in the industry have been standing on the steeples and shouting "Burn your points now!!!" will have an affect on this years draw for sure.  Just look at Randy Newberg's Youtube video.  Over 71,000 people have viewed it in the last few weeks.  He is telling everyone to burn their points as soon as possible, especially in Wyoming.  going into the 2022 season there were 148,962 people in the point pool with one to sixteen points.  just a small shift in applicants could be huge in point creep.  So there will be point creep and like some have said, there will be a one year possible shift that could relax possibly after this year.  Once again, to what affect and how much, no one really knows.  I thought we would see some of that last year because a lot of guys have been seeing this coming for awhile but to my surprise it wasn't as strong as I thought it would be.  I actually saw some reversal point creep in some pretty good LE elk units compared to the year previous.  So we will all give it a try and see where it all ends up! 

One thing to consider, If you don't mind spending $2000 for a LE Wyoming elk tag and if you don't draw in 2023, you might be able to move up in LE unit quality in 2024 and beyond in the Special draw. That unit you have been wanting to draw that always seems to have taken one to two more points than you have, might come in reach in the special draw.  With the changes, you will see a big increase in point creep in the normal as people in the future decide $2000 is too much to spend for a tag.  That is what the outfitters are betting on and that is one of the biggest reasons for the changes in the system along with the need to generate the money that will be lost in the Sheep/Moose/goat 90-10 changes.  Wyoming knows that a very large number of folks will bow out of the Sheep/moose/goat system once they realize the math/science that will tell them they wont get a tag until 25 years after they have died! (it blows my mind how many will continue to buy points when they have 0 chance of drawing in their lifetime and now with the 90-10 changes there will be no random tags available.  Some people I guess just cant jump off of a sinking ship).  With the reduction of guys blowing $150 a year on the Sheep/moose/goat points they are scrambling to find a way to not be impacted financially.  As far as Wyoming going to a 90-10 for deer, elk, and antelope, I just don't see it happening anytime soon if ever at all.  The task force struck it down without even hardly considering it.  It would kill their pocketbooks.  What you might and probably will see is either an increase in the percentages of Special over normal, Like a 50/50 instead of a 60/40 currently, and you will soon see a increase in the normal also.  Last but not least, you could see in the distant future a system with just one tag and one rate instead of the normal/special they are currently using.

[Stein]

Hopefully you guys get your tags, might be a lot of guys off the bench that didn't work into the numbers in prior years.  We could see some truly epic temporary point creep.

Do you think it's temporary? Never seen point creep down...

Sure, could happen for sure.  A ton of guys only buy points, if 1,000 of them jump in and burn them, it theoretically could go back to normal last year.  By epic, I mean tags going from 10 points to 16 points in a year and then back down to 10-11 the following year.

Basically, there are a bunch of guys sitting on the sidelines and this could spur a bunch of them into the game for one year.

[dvolmer]

149,000 guys buying points X $52 = $7,748,000.00 per year they are getting for just NR elk point profit.  Just a little shy of $8 million a year.  Start adding up all of the deer $42/elk $52/antelope $32/sheep $150/moose $150/goat $150/etc  points and the cost of the points.  They are making a major haul off of this system before they ever sell an actual license, tag, or permit.  Without doing the math and just estimating, I would say they are taking in somewhere around 20 to 30 million dollars a year just off of NR preference point sales.