Wyoming Elk Unit Opinions or Comments

[SmallTownArcher8]

coppermushroom,

Your type of hunting is exactly what I picture and am looking for on my hunt. I want an area that is walk in only so there will be no ATV or vehicle traffic in the area. I am also planning a hunt in Colorado because I have some friends that live there but, I also have points for Wyoming that's why I was looking for some insight on Wyoming. Your knowledge is much appreciate and congrats on bagging 2 Elk on your trip that must be an awesome feeling to walk up on a trophy animal like that!!!

 

[Trigger50]

Hate to be the Bad Guy..but HuntingFool just stated in their Jan 2015 WY preview that 2014 was the 1st yr that nobody drew the general tag as a second choice in the special draw. P.S. Its a free trial subscription to HuntingFool !!! I dont plan on getting a subsciption. Haha.

 

[WapitiBob]

Hate to be the Bad Guy..but HuntingFool just stated in their Jan 2015 WY preview that 2014 was the 1st yr that nobody drew the general tag as a second choice in the special draw. P.S. Its a free trial subscription to HuntingFool !!! I dont plan on getting a subsciption. Haha.

I hate to be an ass but HF doesn't know what the hell they're doing. Just like everybody else, they create odds off the dept reports and have no clue how the draw works.

Eastman uses 2013 odds for the 2015 MRS, has bad GEN odds, and is completely ignorant of the WY NR draw process. Over the last two years I've told him multiple times how it works and offered Reekers the draw process outline as recently as last week because once again their WY MRS is a flippin joke.
And they're a "good resource" ??

At least HF offers the AZ pass thru tags. Eastman told me their readers weren't smart enough to understand that one.

 

[Big Fin]

I hate to be an ass but HF doesn't know what the hell they're doing. Just like everybody else, they create odds off the dept reports and have no clue how the draw works.

Eastman uses 2013 odds for the 2015 MRS, has bad GEN odds, and is completely ignorant of the WY NR draw process. Over the last two years I've told him multiple times how it works and offered Reekers the draw process outline as recently as last week because once again their WY MRS is a flippin joke.
And they're a "good resource" ??

At least HF offers the AZ pass thru tags. Eastman told me their readers weren't smart enough to understand that one.

The way I look at it, so long as those two groups continue as they are, their information being relied upon by 90% of their readers helps me draw a lot more tags.

 

[WapitiBob]

Yea, I need to keep my mouth shut.

 

[dvmhunter]

SmallTownArcher8,
Hello from fellow Pa resident. First post but long time reader. I drew a GEN tag 3rd choice on a special wy license last year for my first time diy elk hunt. Didn't get one but had a blast. Saw a decent bull and couple of raghorns. Like was echoed above be in shape and get away from roads. You should be able to draw a GEN tag 2nd choice on a special and can still put down 100 as your first and maybe get lucky. Either way the planning and research is great. I don't have the experience of some of the folks on hear but you will learn a lot quick climbing the hills in a General Unit. Good luck

 

[SmallTownArcher8]

I really appreciate everyone's knowledge on the issue. I guess now its time to do some more home work and narrow down further on the areas I want to hunt and the tags I wish to apply for.

 

[mixedbag]

Smalltownarcher,you will draw 2nd choice general but only in special draw.You keep all your points since it wasn't 1st choice.Wy general tag is IMO better then any unit I've hunted in Co.If for some reason you don't draw, buy a tag for Montana as chances are they will have leftovers and their elk hunting is outstanding also
you can even combine your elk hunt with a good antelope hunt too.But in western wy. their rifle seasons open mid-end Sept.You can put the bow away and start rifle hunting in same trip on a general tag .The general units in that area of the state have a high success rate as well

 

[SmallTownArcher8]

Mixedbag,

I will look into this option because it sounds great, I could get a hunt under my belt and still continue to build up some more points for the future. Also, the option of being able to use my bow and or rifle would be really great. I want to find a large track of public land that is walk in only, so I'm going to need and start researching that also.

 

[mixedbag]

I gave you a pretty good idea of where you will find what your looking for in Wy

 

[SmallTownArcher8]

Yes you did thank for all the information, much appreciated!!

 

[81hntn]

Same boat

I'm in the exact same situation as you in points and I'm planning on my first elk hunt to Wyoming this fall. I called the game and fish dept and they were amazing. As you've already heard, they recommended to do a special tag putting in for your dream unit first and general tag second. It's the only way to draw and keep points.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Yea, I need to keep my mouth shut.

Yes you do! I just got banned for life by Eastmans for agreeing with you on this thread and the Bowsite website, LOL! They said I was bad mouthing them! I guess Reekers thinks that free speech is no longer allowed in the US, LOL! I'm also sending in the formal complaint paperwork to the Consumer Protection Unit of the Office of the Attorney General regarding the dropping of the MRS during our magazine subscription periods. I really hope some others will do the same so it's not just me. If they get a few others it would go a long way in letting the AG know it's not just one "grumpy old man" complaining, LOL! Send me a PM if anyone else would like to join the fight for our legal rights.

 

[The Hedgehog]

I'm also sending in the formal complaint paperwork to the Consumer Protection Unit of the Office of the Attorney General regarding the dropping of the MRS during our magazine subscription periods. Send me a PM if anyone else would like to join the fight for our legal rights.

Wow. You're bat shit crazier than I even thought.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Wow. You're bat shit crazier than I even thought.

Coming from you that comment doesn't surprise me since I've yet to see a worthwhile post that you've ever put up. I'm not crazy and am just standing up for my rights and for all the other member on that website that just got the shaft and were never even asked to bend over first! Also, FYI I'm getting PMs and emails from various members and am now putting an addendum together to send to the AG next week to add all those members to make it a class action formal complaint, so go pound sand!

 

[mixedbag]

I thought you said their MRS is junk.Why would you care then if it wasn't included in your magazine?

 

[BuzzH]

Wow. You're bat shit crazier than I even thought.

Greenhorn, I agree with you, that is just crazy...as in WOW crazy.

I don't understand, with all the important issues out there with wildlife, hunting, habitat, etc. why someone would worry about a private company that supplies information for its readers. If any hunter is taking the MRS in Eastmans as the gospel, they're foolish.

I mean what does an annual subscription cost? $25-$30? While I don't often agree with Eastmans on much, in this case, I agree with them 100%. I would have banned floppy as well.

Its pathetic that a magazine cant offer up a service to its membership without fear of being taken to court via some dimwit in Michigan. All over something that can be researched via the WYGF website for free?

Good luck with your crusade floppy, way to stand up for wildlife and hunting!

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Greenhorn, I agree with you, that is just crazy...as in WOW crazy.

I don't understand, with all the important issues out there with wildlife, hunting, habitat, etc. why someone would worry about a private company that supplies information for its readers. If any hunter is taking the MRS in Eastmans as the gospel, they're foolish.

I mean what does an annual subscription cost? $25-$30? While I don't often agree with Eastmans on much, in this case, I agree with them 100%. I would have banned floppy as well.

Its pathetic that a magazine cant offer up a service to its membership without fear of being taken to court via some dimwit in Michigan. All over something that can be researched via the WYGF website for free?

Good luck with your crusade floppy, way to stand up for wildlife and hunting!

First off nobody is taking anybody to court! Second, I could give a rip about the MRS, as I only hunt in Wyoming and don't need it. Third, I could give a rip about what you would do! Fourth, the whole reason has obviously escaped both of you and I'll try to clue you in with your often used witty saying that it shouldn't take a person with more than one firing brain cell to figure it out so here goes!

The members were paying for magazine subscriptions that also included the ability to log into the MRS section of the Eastman website with their member number and zip code and get the digital version of archived MRS editions, rather than having to save a ton of paper magazines. With no warning right in the middle of member subscriptions that feature that everyone was paying for was dropped with no recourse other than the company telling members they would have to pay additional fees to get it back. It would be like ordering and paying for a new truck and upon delivery being asked to cough up more money to have tires put on it so it could be driven. What they did is essentially a breach of the subscription or contract that each person had already paid for and it should not have been dropped until the subscription expired. Only then should the customer need to decide whether to pay more for the product to continue receiving it. Even WapitiBob posted on their website that all they needed to do was reinstate the MRS on the website until the time was proper and the problem would go away. As a retired Investigator for the state of MI involving consumer protection, I advised the Forum Moderators that the company was violating member contracts, as did a number of other members on that Forum, by phone and email messages to the Powell Office. The company chose not to respond in any manner, so when a number of members contacted me asking what they should do it was decided to file a formal complaint with the Office of the Attorney General in Cheyenne. That formal complaint was sent yesterday and an addendum with more names will go in next week making it an even bigger class action type of complaint.

What I have done is no different than what you do in trying to look out for the best interests of hunters when you contact Legislators to try and either pass a Bill or squash one. In this particular situation the only recourse when the company would not even respond to members about the situation was to do as mentioned here. It only took and hour or two of my time and now I can get back to "standing up for wildlife and hunting" as you put it!

 

[NoWiser]

Buzz,

The problem is that Eastman's used the online MRS section as a selling point for their subscriptions. If you tell people that they will have access to it if they buy a subscription, you can't just yank it away without notice and expect that you won't upset your customers. The right way to do it would have been to continue to offer it until peoples subscriptions expired, and then given them the choice to renew or not, under the new terms.

I enjoyed having the electronic copy of the MRS sections. It allowed me to access them all in one place without digging through a pile of magazines that the dog may or may not have chewed up.

Though I also found the MRS to be quite inaccurate, it was nice to glance at it to see general trends and where most people would be applying.

I won't be renewing my subscription with a company that treats their customers in that manner. I've also been less than impressed with their MRS sections so far this year.

 

[BuzzH]

NoWiser,

Thanks for handling it like an adult, and just dropping your subscription and financial support...

Barney FIfe...keep up the good work!