WY Pref Point Disappointment

[rmyoung1]

So I'm a max point holder in Wyoming for deer. The whole change last year surrounding the preference point only period really had me selfishly hoping for a favorable bounce in the nonresident tag draw game. I was hoping that more than a few nonresident max point holders for deer would miss the memo and forget to buy a deer point. Tonight I sat down and crunched the numbers. During 2018, the NR max deer point holders decreased 9.5%. Could the change in 2019 result in a 20% decrease??? Larger even??? Turns out that max point holders are a dedicated group. In 2019, there was only a 9.2% reduction. RATS!!!!!

 

[mtmiller]

I am in your club.

 

[rmyoung1]

I am in your club.

And I bet you didn’t forget!!!

 

[mtmiller]

Not in '19. You still have a shot for 2020.

 

[WapitiBob]

Bad economy didn’t do it
Price increase didn’t do it
People saying it’ll decline hasn’t done it

it’s not happening, $42 for the point isn’t even beer money

 

[MP48094]

I forget if it's one or two years in a row you don't apply you lose all your points

 

[gutshootem]

I forget if it's one or two years in a row you don't apply you lose all your points

It's 2 years, but OP doesn't need them to lose all their points; just 1.

 

[BrentD]

So, how many points is Max Points? 15? 20? I'm curious and I know I'll never be a max point holder for anything. The point system is really frustrating for certain. I can't imagine being a wannabe hunter and facing this crap now. I'd throw in the towel and take up fishing or golf, or something I could actually plan on doing more than once in life time (if that).

Meanwhile, $42 isn't chump change. I can buy one or two bottles of beer for that sort of pocket money and maybe that's a better use of it.

 

[Trial153]

First mistake, being a max point holder. Second mistake. Hoping.

 

[rmyoung1]

First mistake, being a max point holder. Second mistake. Hoping.

And then you watch Randy’s YouTube WY deer day-by-day and you feel better about your life’s choices

 

[mtmiller]

First mistake, being a max point holder.

Depends if you live in MT or NY. I seem to find a couple "western" deer hunts every year.

 

[jvanderlinde]

Im burning my 10 points this year. I never building more than 2 or 3 points in Wyoming again. It could be just my way of thinking but how many stud 190" deer are getting killed on these max points hunts compared to a lets say a 8-10 point guaranteed hunt?

 

[BuzzH]

Im burning my 10 points this year. I never building more than 2 or 3 points in Wyoming again. It could be just my way of thinking but how many stud 190" deer are getting killed on these max points hunts compared to a lets say a 8-10 point guaranteed hunt?

There aren't many stud 190 bucks getting killed anywhere in Wyoming...

 

[thusby]

The true trophies I have seen in Wyoming, over the years, were all in the general units. Fate had me hunting a different species or tagged out already.

 

[wytex]

There aren't many stud 190 bucks getting killed anywhere in Wyoming...

Well I know of an area that takes 0-1 PP to draw that had a 190+ deer come out of it just a year or so ago. They are out there but not behind every pile of rocks.
No need for max PP to get a good hunt at a mature buck.
If you can find an area with mature bucks your chances go up, unfortunately that may be on private land.

 

[LopeHunter]

Bad economy didn’t do it
Price increase didn’t do it
People saying it’ll decline hasn’t done it

it’s not happening, $42 for the point isn’t even beer money

$42 today. $92 soon, right? Remember when sheep points were, let's see, $7. And now...$150. What was that trajectory like? A few percent a year? Nope, huge jumps. The health of Wyoming's non-resident demand is there if most of the high point holders get back in line after the points are used. The reason these is only 9% attrition is there are not that many non-resident tags in the top 5 units. If those tags went up 10x then would see the attrition increase and if most do not jump back into line at 0 points then there is an issue. Someone has that answer within F&G. Same is true with CO. A person that has sat on the sidelines for a decade or more is reluctant to just get "a tag" so may hold out for just a bit better unit then maybe gets that special tag or the state changes the rules or they die of being old.

We saw the exodus when moose and sheep points skyrocketed. High point holders of elk/deer/pronghorn can't simply get the tag they want this year much less get all blue-ribbon tags this year and most could not get the time off work to hunt 3 great tags so will take a while for us to know. F&G absolutely knows right now how many jumped back in line the past couple of years. Maybe they will share that information one day.

 

[LopeHunter]

Im burning my 10 points this year. I never building more than 2 or 3 points in Wyoming again. It could be just my way of thinking but how many stud 190" deer are getting killed on these max points hunts compared to a lets say a 8-10 point guaranteed hunt?

Are you applying to a unit that took 9 points last year and not all 9 point holder got drawn? If so, may not be drawn. Or, applicant behavior changes and is not 100% draw for 10 points this year. There have been dozens if not hundreds of unsuccessful max point applicants each year since the point system began for elk/deer/pronghorn.

 

[Jape]

Yeah, I don’t see the numbers game changing soon if ever. People are gonna still put in every year with a certain percentage focusing exclusively on prime units. I hope you pull the same tag as Randy @rmyoung1. That would be a cool hunt.

Buzz is also correct that 190+ deer are not common. There are some to be found (I’m guessing Randy’s hit that mark) but this is not the 60’s and 70’s.

 

[ClearCreek]

Remember when sheep points were, let's see, $7. And now...$150. What was that trajectory like? A few percent a year? Nope, huge jumps.

That jump was an anomaly. I was in the room when that jump was voted on. G&F Dept requested the Commission approve a small percentage (like 5%) increase in the cost of sheep preference points for nonresidents. One commissioner wanted the price increase to be the maximum allowed by the Governor and that is what happened.

I think it took a lot of folks by surprise.

ClearCreek

 

[jvanderlinde]

Are you applying to a unit that took 9 points last year and not all 9 point holder got drawn? If so, may not be drawn. Or, applicant behavior changes and is not 100% draw for 10 points this year. There have been dozens if not hundreds of unsuccessful max point applicants each year since the point system began for elk/deer/pronghorn.

I'm going to apply in the special, I believe i have 2 or 3 more points than is required. I just want to take 2 weeks off and make the most of it.