Wyoming Resident Newbie

[Watts307]

My take -

I can help you with turkey. I live in Newcastle.

Hunting pronghorn is fun, but not easy. Harvesting is super common. (go figure.) Also, I am a meat hunter, so I WAY prefer the idea of does over bucks. Just taste better, IMO.

Get to know locals regarding elk in your area. I go for a draw and get an OTC general every year. Mrs. Fan doesn't like mulie meat, so it is white tail or nothing here.

Water fowl kind of sucks here, but there is a pretty active fb group for it.

Good luck.

Awesome. I appreciate.

I’m mainly a meat hunter as well. However most units where I hunted was spike or cow. So looking forward to chase some bulls. I have applied for reduced cow tags as well to help my chances on meat.

Been lucky to find some good folks so far. Mostly hunters. Some that help guide. So the networking is in motion.

Is whitetail much better tasting? I’ve only ate mule and black tail when it comes to deer.

 

[Djfan]

Awesome. I appreciate.

I’m mainly a meat hunter as well. However most units where I hunted was spike or cow. So looking forward to chase some bulls. I have applied for reduced cow tags as well to help my chances on meat.

Been lucky to find some good folks so far. Mostly hunters. Some that help guide. So the networking is in motion.

Is whitetail much better tasting? I’ve only ate mule and black tail when it comes to deer.

I don't think you can beat a WT doe from an alfalfa field.

 

[USMC123456789]

Hey Folks,

I have been living in Wyoming for over a year now and officially a resident in the eyes of Fish and Game.

This ending hunting season was not the best to say the least. Arriving to Wyoming I knew absolutely nothing but decided to role with the punches and buy tags or what was left over.

I didn't draw an elk or deer tag and I did not apply for antelope because honestly I didn't even know I had to. I though it was OTC. My fault.

Anyways, the deer tag was in area 33, whitetail doe. It was only $35 for NR so I said sure! Found mule deer but no whitetail and to my findings the entire area was pretty much private land.

Also got a left over NR elk cow tag for unit 7. Was excited because everyone said it was a good unit but to my findings it was mainly checkerboard land and private land. Saw one group of elk and that was all. I didn't have any time off work so not a lot of scouting, traveling, and boots on the ground research was done.

Needless to say it was a little disheartening. I am from WA and never stepped foot off National Forest land, never needed land ownership maps, never hunted random peoples property, no guides, walk in units, HMAs etc. I know the hunting in WA cannot compare to here in WY. However my experience and first hunting trips left me a little homesick.

Now that I am a resident and have more options and knowledge of how things work, below is my plans for my 2023 season and was hoping for anyone's advice or opinions. Whether you have more knowledge than me of Wyoming or have more hunting experience in this state. Any insight will be appreciated. It may look standard and basic to folks but I am just throwing it out there just in case someone has input or thinks I should go another route.

Plan:

My goal is mainly gaining knowledge, covering ground and learning more areas. Also to get an antelope because that's one animal I haven't hunted yet.

I feel like I should get general tags for Deer and Elk. Hopefully allowing me to go to units with more public access and room to spread out. Hunting pressure may be more but that's nothing new coming from WA. Muley's are probably my favorite to hunt but getting an elk may take precedent this year. In WA, most units central and east of the state is "True Spike or Spike Only" BS, so having the opportunity to hunt bulls would be epic for me but cows would make me smile ear to ear as well.

Also, I am planning on applying for antelope areas close to home, here in Casper. Seeing as there everywhere. Not looking for monsters and hoping to just get knowledge of how to hunt and be successful. I think an antelope hunt is the best way to introduce my fiancé into hunting as well. Since she has been a resident and wants to get into hunting. Since I do not know anything about most areas and just relying on Go Hunt planning and filtering, I am leaning on units with highest draw odds, just to get the tag and experience regardless.

Planning for future, I'll also be doing preference points for Moose.


Sorry for the long rant but if anyone thinks I'm crazy for leaving a certain species, hunt, or application out. Or has any advice on my 2023 plans or have any input, I am all ears.

Thank You!

Welcome to Wyoming!

Last year was my first year hunting as a resident, I didn't fill any tags but it beats the hell out of working!

The deadline for drawing had closed by the time I became an official 1 year resident and I had to go with general and leftover tags, so no antelope hunting for me last year. You should have no problems with antelope around Casper, lots of BLM land and it seems like you can spot them all over the place. I bought a leftover cow elk tag west of Kaycee and saw lots of elk...all on private alfalfa fields. It's a general deer tag there as well, I saw lots of mule deer does but no bucks. I don't know if it was because it was the last weekend to hunt the general deer season or not, but there were quite a few other hunters as well. This was the first time I've seen the red wall country and it's amazing, I definitely want to see it again.

I'm not sure yet which units I want to put in for the draw, I think I'll wait a bit as the deadline isn't till the end of May.

Best of luck to you this season!

 

[ChasinGame50]

Hey Folks,

I have been living in Wyoming for over a year now and officially a resident in the eyes of Fish and Game.

This ending hunting season was not the best to say the least. Arriving to Wyoming I knew absolutely nothing but decided to role with the punches and buy tags or what was left over.

I didn't draw an elk or deer tag and I did not apply for antelope because honestly I didn't even know I had to. I though it was OTC. My fault.

Anyways, the deer tag was in area 33, whitetail doe. It was only $35 for NR so I said sure! Found mule deer but no whitetail and to my findings the entire area was pretty much private land.

Also got a left over NR elk cow tag for unit 7. Was excited because everyone said it was a good unit but to my findings it was mainly checkerboard land and private land. Saw one group of elk and that was all. I didn't have any time off work so not a lot of scouting, traveling, and boots on the ground research was done.

Needless to say it was a little disheartening. I am from WA and never stepped foot off National Forest land, never needed land ownership maps, never hunted random peoples property, no guides, walk in units, HMAs etc. I know the hunting in WA cannot compare to here in WY. However my experience and first hunting trips left me a little homesick.

Now that I am a resident and have more options and knowledge of how things work, below is my plans for my 2023 season and was hoping for anyone's advice or opinions. Whether you have more knowledge than me of Wyoming or have more hunting experience in this state. Any insight will be appreciated. It may look standard and basic to folks but I am just throwing it out there just in case someone has input or thinks I should go another route.

Plan:

My goal is mainly gaining knowledge, covering ground and learning more areas. Also to get an antelope because that's one animal I haven't hunted yet.

I feel like I should get general tags for Deer and Elk. Hopefully allowing me to go to units with more public access and room to spread out. Hunting pressure may be more but that's nothing new coming from WA. Muley's are probably my favorite to hunt but getting an elk may take precedent this year. In WA, most units central and east of the state is "True Spike or Spike Only" BS, so having the opportunity to hunt bulls would be epic for me but cows would make me smile ear to ear as well.

Also, I am planning on applying for antelope areas close to home, here in Casper. Seeing as there everywhere. Not looking for monsters and hoping to just get knowledge of how to hunt and be successful. I think an antelope hunt is the best way to introduce my fiancé into hunting as well. Since she has been a resident and wants to get into hunting. Since I do not know anything about most areas and just relying on Go Hunt planning and filtering, I am leaning on units with highest draw odds, just to get the tag and experience regardless.

Planning for future, I'll also be doing preference points for Moose.


Sorry for the long rant but if anyone thinks I'm crazy for leaving a certain species, hunt, or application out. Or has any advice on my 2023 plans or have any input, I am all ears.

Thank You!

Good luck in the new state! I'm jealous you have so many different opportunities where you're at. I've been thinking hard on putting in for moose somewhere but not sure where to start with that one! Curious if anyone is familiar with the Western wide of the Bighorn Mountains for elk? Got lucky this year and pulled a tag. Very excited to get out there but it's my first mountain hunt and not really sure what to expect. Starting this week it will be constant research until October!

 

[perma]

Good luck in the new state! I'm jealous you have so many different opportunities where you're at. I've been thinking hard on putting in for moose somewhere but not sure where to start with that one! Curious if anyone is familiar with the Western wide of the Bighorn Mountains for elk? Got lucky this year and pulled a tag. Very excited to get out there but it's my first mountain hunt and not really sure what to expect. Starting this week it will be constant research until October!

Hijacking threads is weird man. Welcome to HT.

 

[ChasinGame50]

Hijacking threads is weird man. Welcome to HT.

Sorry dude, can’t post my own until a certain amount of replies or whatever happens first

 

[CRJR45]

Sorry dude, can’t post my own until a certain amount of replies or whatever happens first

Welcome , now go to the FNG post's and say welcome for ten posts , and you are free to move about the forum . LOL