Caribou Gear

Application futility

I guess if the money to apply for a WY random tag is an issue (see wapitibobs post), and is keeping you from hunting elsewhere, most likely for squirrels and such, then don't apply.

Not applying all along is why many of the folks whining about Wyoming find themselves in this situation.

I apply for tags, not for points...points are the by-product of not drawing tags for me.

i mean just take it to a silly hypothetical extreme: what if someone told you "you can buy a rather solid 200 dollar elk tag every year and hunt or you can put 200 dollars down every year for a chance to hunt a moose and realistically you'll never draw it" and those were your only choices for hunting in life, period. what would you do?

it's kinda how i look at NR MSG draws. that non refundable money can get me hunts i can i do now, or can go towards hunts that i have real odds of drawing, so that's how i'm gonna spend the money.

hunting MSG sure would be fun if i get to do it in colorado someday, but i'm not gonna hold my breath. and in the meantime i'm gonna focus my money on actually going hunting instead of hoping to go hunting.
 
i mean just take it to a silly hypothetical extreme: what if someone told you "you can buy a rather solid 200 dollar elk tag every year and hunt or you can put 200 dollars down every year for a chance to hunt a moose and realistically you'll never draw it" and those were your only choices for hunting in life, period. what would you do?

it's kinda how i look at NR MSG draws. that non refundable money can get me hunts i can i do now, or can go towards hunts that i have real odds of drawing, so that's how i'm gonna spend the money.

hunting MSG sure would be fun if i get to do it in colorado someday, but i'm not gonna hold my breath. and in the meantime i'm gonna focus my money on actually going hunting instead of hoping to go hunting.
If it's down to a $200 hunting budget then a choice has to be made.

Otherwise, there really isn't one, imo.
 
I've drawn 3 Montana sheep tags, 1 Wyoming sheep tag. By that ratio, Montana is getting my cash this month.
Were the Montana sheep tags all ram tags? I know a guy that drew two ram tags but not sure I have heard anyone getting 3.
 
If it's down to a $200 hunting budget then a choice has to be made.

Otherwise, there really isn't one, imo.

but i mean that's still the point, everyone has certain budgets and life circumstances. for a budget to work you then need priorities. doesn't matter if it's $200; $5,000; or $50,000 a year you have to spend on hunting, some things get prioritized and others don't to make that allotted money work for your plans.

me? since i don't have an unlimited budget and am starting to raise a family, there are countless things i can do now and next year and the year after with the money i'd lose applying for NR MSG tags i'll realistically never draw. just not a good use of money when money is not unlimited IMO.

and maybe i just care less about MSG hunting than the average person. i dunno 🤷‍♂️
 
but i mean that's still the point, everyone has certain budgets and life circumstances. for a budget to work you then need priorities. doesn't matter if it's $200; $5,000; or $50,000 a year you have to spend on hunting, some things get prioritized and others don't to make that allotted money work for your plans.

me? since i don't have an unlimited budget and am starting to raise a family, there are countless things i can do now and next year and the year after with the money i'd lose applying for NR MSG tags i'll realistically never draw. just not a good use of money when money is not unlimited IMO.

and maybe i just care less about MSG hunting than the average person. i dunno 🤷‍♂️
If you don't care about MSG, giving advice to those that do, seems odd?

For those really wanting to hunt msg, telling them not to apply seems rather strange advice?
 
If you don't care about MSG, giving advice to those that do, seems odd?

For those really wanting to hunt msg, telling them not to apply seems rather strange advice?

Lolz

Where did I give anyone advice?

Just explaining why I personally won’t burn cash on tags I won’t draw when I can actually go hunting instead with that cash in a thread that’s specifically about that exact topic

Feel free to keep explaining why my personal budget and opinion is wrong though.
 
Lolz

Where did I give anyone advice?

Just explaining why I personally won’t burn cash on tags I won’t draw when I can actually go hunting instead with that cash in a thread that’s specifically about that exact topic

Feel free to keep explaining why my personal budget and opinion is wrong though.
Huh, maybe I misread the reference to the "big 4" in the OP.

Unless the big 4 is deer, elk, pronghorn, and squirrel.
 
Huh, maybe I misread the reference to the "big 4" in the OP.

Unless the big 4 is deer, elk, pronghorn, and squirrel.

i'm just not even sure what your point is in all this.

if you're trying to convince me that with my limited budget, a budget in which raising a family is honestly a higher priority than hunting, that i should be burning cash applying for moose, sheep, goat, and bison in wyoming instead of allocating my funds towards what i have preference towards, realistic shots of drawing, and can hunt more often then you're going to fail. so i really don't understand what you're trying to accomplish.

i have far better odds and for a fraction of the cost can apply for MSG in colorado and if i never even draw that i really won't care, because there's still so much hunting to be had all over the place every single year there's just no reason to be upset about it.

budgets can change for the better for all sorts of reasons and maybe i'll feel differently down the road. i reserve that right.
 
i'm just not even sure what your point is in all this.

if you're trying to convince me that with my limited budget, a budget in which raising a family is honestly a higher priority than hunting, that i should be burning cash applying for moose, sheep, goat, and bison in wyoming instead of allocating my funds towards what i have preference towards, realistic shots of drawing, and can hunt more often then you're going to fail. so i really don't understand what you're trying to accomplish.

i have far better odds and for a fraction of the cost can apply for MSG in colorado and if i never even draw that i really won't care, because there's still so much hunting to be had all over the place every single year there's just no reason to be upset about it.

budgets can change for the better for all sorts of reasons and maybe i'll feel differently down the road. i reserve that right.
If you don't care about MSG, then why talk about your budget and hunting other species? This thread is about species you don't care about, and specifically Wyoming.

Better yet don't apply and dilute odds for those that really want to hunt the big 4 in Wyoming.

I wish even resident non refundable fees were $200+ per species. Would separate the serious from those that don't care.
 
If you don't care about MSG, then why talk about your budget and hunting other species? This thread is about species you don't care about, and specifically Wyoming.

i would love to hunt MSG, but my life's happiness doesn't depend on whether or not i get to do it.

this thread is about the cost benefit of applying for MSG in wyoming as an NR, i shared that i don't apply.

you said this:
Sit on the bench, I'm taking the field...better odds for me when others ride the pine.

in your above words you said that not applying is "sitting on the bench" and that implies that you'd rather "take the field"

my only point was that i'd also rather take the field. not applying for MSG in wyoming actually is what allows me to get in the field even more.

burning money on applications for tags with abysmal odds is literally sitting on bench not going hunting. i'd rather get tags and go hunt especially when money isn't limitless.

it's EXTRAORDINARILY simple, hopefully you have the capacity to understand somethign so elementary, that i'd rather hunt with that money, than hope to hunt with that money. ergo, i don't apply for wyoming MSG.

that's the topic of the thread and an opinion relevant to the topic of the thread, f you don't like it don't open the thread.

bottom line, that's how i approach hunting and my money. i'm not shitting on your opinions because they're different, maybe take note.
 
Last edited:
22 points for sheep, what do u do?
NR? You have 22 NR ram points for 2023?

You drink whiskey - lots of it.

Many ram applicants failed to draw preference tags in 2022 with 22 points - the lowest level any preference tags were drawn. Those guys have 23 for 2023 and will draw before you. And other higher point guys are finally waking up and will snag tags above the 22 point level. Unlikely you will draw this year, but maybe have to try just in case? Choose the lowest 1-3 units as your one/only choice and hope for an anomaly?

Each of those guys holding out for one of the better ram tags knows he didn't draw in 2022 and many will start applying for lesser tags. Hoping to do so before the other guys that are hold-outs.

Worse, you have to keep applying at least every other year or else the good folks at WY GF will void all your points, correct? You're probably completely F'd...
 
Apply and pray for the lone random tag. I feel for you being so close to max points. I’m really happy I abandoned my 3 moose points a few years ago and don’t have to throw good money after bad in WY anymore.
Going in to the 2023 draw there are 340 NRs with more than 22 points.
There are 296 NRs with 22 points.
It's going to be a long time before you draw unless, as stated above, an anomaly occurs (like the unit 36 moose tag being drawn by a NR in 2021 with 7 points.)
Those type of things were very infrequent before, and most likely even less frequent going forward.


 
The WY 22 point ram guys are the group I feel for the most. I would probably give one more app, but probably would NOT buy a final $150 point. Just too many guys ahead of you as above.

And then, apply every OTHER year going forward for that 1 random ram tag so your points don't wipe out. And just pray that WY ends up converting preference points to some kind of bonus points down the road. That's your only legitimate chance here.

All depending on age/ability.
 
Advertisement

Forum statistics

Threads
114,011
Messages
2,041,075
Members
36,430
Latest member
Dusky
Back
Top