New Hunter moving to WY

[jasond106]

Hi All,
I am relocating to Cheyenne this summer and plan to take up hunting. I have read the both of Steve Rinella's "Complete Guide" books, listened to 130+ episodes of the Meat Eater podcast, and read the Wyoming hunting regulations. I am former military and have experience with marksmanship and gun safety. I did a little squirrel hunting when I was a kid but nothing since (I turn 50 this year.)
Can anyone recommend content/resources that will further prepare me for success?
I plan to apply for a Pronghorn Doe/Fawn tag, since it has a long season and is very inexpensive for a non-resident. Any recommendation for which unit (preferably near Cheyenne) to apply for?

Thanks!

 

[Bowmannate2000]

Welcome to hunttalk. I would suggest reading up on this forum. Plenty of information to get started. I believe you missed the window to apply for this year, but you should be able to apply as a resident next year. Maybe you could find someone with a tag to tag along with this year and learn the basics?

 

[shb]

You'll be lucky to ever draw a tag in WY.

If you want to hunt you should move to the south east where you can get like 20 deer tags a year.

 

[Letthemgrow]

Can I apply for a Resident License?​

To qualify for any resident game and fish license, preference point, permit or tag, a person shall be domiciled and shall physically reside in Wyoming for one (1) full year (365 consecutive days) immediately preceding the date the person applies for or purchases the license, preference point, permit or tag and the person shall not have claimed residency elsewhere for any other purpose (including, but not limited to, voting, payment of income taxes, purchase of resident hunting, fishing or trapping licenses, etc.) during that one (1) year period.

 

[JM77]

Welcome to hunttalk. I would suggest reading up on this forum. Plenty of information to get started. I believe you missed the window to apply for this year, but you should be able to apply as a resident next year. Maybe you could find someone with a tag to tag along with this year and learn the basics?

Deadline is May 31st for antelope.

 

[Washington Hunter]

I'd be looking at cow elk and/or whitetail deer doe licenses. Antelope doe tags are going to be very low in number and probably very difficult to draw, at least in areas with any public land.

 

[jasond106]

Welcome to hunttalk. I would suggest reading up on this forum. Plenty of information to get started. I believe you missed the window to apply for this year, but you should be able to apply as a resident next year. Maybe you could find someone with a tag to tag along with this year and learn the basics?

The deadline is May 31st, but that is a good idea to find someone to shadow if I don't get a tag. I'm also going to get a small game license to hunt rabbit. I'm a little hesitant to try birds, since I have no experience with species identification.

 

[jasond106]

I'd be looking at cow elk and/or whitetail deer doe licenses. Antelope doe tags are going to be very low in number and probably very difficult to draw, at least in areas with any public land.

That's a good idea -- the doe/fawn deer tags are cheap too. If I get points as a non-resident, will they transfer to resident points next year?

 

[Washington Hunter]

That's a good idea -- the doe/fawn deer tags are cheap too. If I get points as a non-resident, will they transfer to resident points next year?

Points are only for buck/bull licenses. And, also only for non residents. So you don't need to worry about points.

 

[Bowmannate2000]

The deadline is May 31st, but that is a good idea to find someone to shadow if I don't get a tag. I'm also going to get a small game license to hunt rabbit. I'm a little hesitant to try birds, since I have no experience with species identification.

I guess I was confusing it with the elk deadline. It will be a rough year for pronghorn after all the winter kill and tag cuts. But if you can get a tag, it shouldn't be too difficult to fill.

 

[pabearhunter]

Welcome aboard.

 

[Wy067]

Welcome to Hunt Talk and Cheyenne. So far as antelope near Cheyenne, that's a bit of task. Lots of private and landlocked public in the Cheyenne/Laramie areas and there's only been 25 doe tags available for unit 38 for the last couple of years. Never too early to start looking at next year as you'll be able to hunt elk and deer on a general license.

 

[Caseknife]

Welcome aboard and thanks for your service. Are you moving due to a job? If so talk to your co-workers and get to know the hunters and bring something to the table so they don't just feel like you want there secret spots. Welcome to hunting and try for whitetail buck/doe tags as a non-resident this fall. From the biologists recommendations sounds like there won't be any whitetail cuts due to the drastic winter.

 

[WYelker]

Simple. Use the first year to explore, look at areas, find public lands and areas you want to hunt. Get to know others etc. Then after being here a year go as a resident. You can always hunt coyotes, rabbits, etc. the first year…

 

[Washington Hunter]

Grouse are a good thing to hunt as a first time hunter too. I think it's $80 for a non resident small game license. Season opens September 1st and there's plenty of public land up in the mountains that holds good numbers of grouse.

 

[Cornell Cowboy]

Welcome aboard and thanks for your service. Are you moving due to a job? If so talk to your co-workers and get to know the hunters and bring something to the table so they don't just feel like you want there secret spots. Welcome to hunting and try for whitetail buck/doe tags as a non-resident this fall. From the biologists recommendations sounds like there won't be any whitetail cuts due to the drastic winter.

Good luck finding any place in the SE part of the state to hunt whitetail on public land. I've killed plenty of whitetail outside of Wyoming, but it's a tall order unless you have a line on some private ground along a river/creek.

 

[perma]

Welcome. Pick up a turkey tag. Season starts tomorrow.

 

[Elkhunter24]

Welcome from PA!

 

[Wildabeest]

Welcome. Per regs posted by others, try to get your residency established before June 1 this so you can apply as resident next year.

 

[JLDemo]

Welcome! Sitting in the same boat as you, moving to Cheyenne this summer. Fortunately I lived there before and know the area. If you must stay around Cheyenne to hunt, you're going to want to look hard at walk-in areas. There's certainly state and BLM property around, but I've had the best and most consistent luck on walk-in areas. But please don't limit yourself to just around Cheyenne, there's some really cool units to explore with a doe tag in your pocket within a few hours of the capital, especially if you want to fish new country.

Birds aren't as difficult as you might think, most (not all) areas around Cheyenne allows the harvest of both hens and roosters as they're released farm birds on walk-in areas. Don't forget to enter the draws for Glendo and Springer bird hunts.

On another note, good luck with this housing market! We're looking and it's painful.