Wyoming fall bear?

[jnd1959]

I'll be in north central Colorado and south central Wyoming next fall. It appears fall bear is over the counter. Can someone school me on fall bear in that area?

 

[WyoDoug]

They are in the area but not optimal habitat in my opinion. I find more on western slope that I do anywhere in the state when I am looking for them. North central probably has a much better population than south central.

 

[jnd1959]

Thanks for the info. This is a side trip for other hunting. I haven't been in that area so it may be a scouting trip with bear tags in case we see one.

 

[WyoDoug]

If you were a resident, I would say buy the tags anyways because you still might see one. For me, a tag is $35.00 so I consider it a donation to G&F if I don't see one. I see bears where I hunt about every other year when I don't carry a tag and tag out every other bear tag I buy. But then, I hunt western slope of Wyoming almost exclusively for bear, lion, elk and soon to be moose.

 

[Steve Petersen]

If you were a resident, I would say buy the tags anyways because you still might see one. For me, a tag is $35.00 so I consider it a donation to G&F if I don't see one. I see bears where I hunt about every other year when I don't carry a tag and tag out every other bear tag I buy. But then, I hunt western slope of Wyoming almost exclusively for bear, lion, elk and soon to be moose.

As a resident I pay $47 for a WY bear tag. How do you get it for $35?

 

[WyoDoug]

Yer

As a resident I pay $47 for a WY bear tag. How do you get it for $35?

Yer prolly right. I have not bought one in several years. But still, compared to nonresident rate still worth buying one if yer seeing bears or bear signs at all.

 

[TheDudeAbides]

I'll be in north central Colorado and south central Wyoming next fall. It appears fall bear is over the counter. Can someone school me on fall bear in that area?

I think Colorado would be the better option.

Just set up shop at the Steamboat springs Walmart parking lot at 4 AM. Lol

Assuming that Area in Wyoming, I feel the quotas fill up pretty quickly in Baggs and Saratoga, which means you can buy a tag and will have to go somewhere else.

I would keep an eye on the quotas by calling the hotline.

 

[WyoDoug]

I think Colorado would be the better option.

Just set up shop at the Steamboat springs Walmart parking lot at 4 AM. Lol

Assuming that Area in Wyoming, I feel the quotas fill up pretty quickly in Baggs and Saratoga, which means you can buy a tag and will have to go somewhere else.

I would keep an eye on the quotas by calling the hotline.

Wyoming quotas fill up quickly because people shoot the dang sows. The mortality limits for sows in Wyoming is very low so once enough hunters shoot sows, everyone else has to stop hunting in that area. Otherwise, there really is no real quota for bears. Most people I know that try to hunt bears can't tell the difference between a sow and a boar and I wonder if they can tell the difference between blacks and grizzlies. They just don't have enough experience to really know bears. Wyoming G&F frowns on killing sows because the population is not high enough to support that.

 

[Steve Petersen]

Yer


Yer prolly right. I have not bought one in several years. But still, compared to nonresident rate still worth buying one if yer seeing bears or bear signs at all.

I was counting down the days until I hit residency status. I rather have missed a season than pay non resident. Having come from OK where I have a lifetime disabled vet hunting & fishing combo and paid nothing for deer/ turkey tags.

 

[WyoDoug]

I was counting down the days until I hit residency status. I rather have missed a season than pay non resident. Having come from OK where I have a lifetime disabled vet hunting & fishing combo and paid nothing for deer/ turkey tags.

If you are a disabled vet, be sure to read the regs on disabled vets. Wyoming gives a lot of free stuff to disabled vets who were injured in line of duty. Especially resident vets.

 

[jnd1959]

I noticed the rules on the quota and assumed they didn't last very long. Do you have to call every day? What if your in the back country? We may have time to go elsewhere and I do need to scout some new elk areas in CO. I've always hunted around Craig but am looking a little farther east and south.

 

[WyoDoug]

I noticed the rules on the quota and assumed they didn't last very long. Do you have to call every day? What if your in the back country? We may have time to go elsewhere and I do need to scout some new elk areas in CO. I've always hunted around Craig but am looking a little farther east and south.

You do have to call every day to see of season is still open for your area. You also have to call in the kill along with GPS coordinates within 72 hours of the kill or report to the regional game office in person (with pelt and skull). You have to retain the pelt and skull and present it to the regional game and fish office or an inspection station.