Wyoming Results
- Thread starter Topgun 30-06
- Start date
Man is that left over list mighty slim pickings.Big change from how it was just 4 years ago.I remember buying left over antelope tags in August for antelope.Doubt that will happen.I guess I need to look and see if I could even use any of the available tags.They are all in limited access areas.
ShootsManyBullets
Well-known member
With lower tags and good conditions the last few years, the populations will come back and we'll have more opportunities in the future. Short term pain...
HONEY BADGER
New member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2011
- Messages
- 38
All the talk of an impending 90/10 split in Wyoming pushed a lot of point sitters off the fence this year. I would hope that trend does not continue but I am afraid it will.
Muley Crazy
Member
Shootsmanybullets I think you are right on track. WY knows how to manage there animals.
sbhooper
Well-known member
Not to mention that your money floats the western residents cheap tags!:hump:
Kind of bored, so decided to see what dent was made in the WY point creep this year. Quick answer; not much.
Just did a quick scan of the WY reports. A total of 76 people drew deer tags in the preference point draw, both Regular and Special draws. I suspect a few might have drawn in the random draw, but given max point holders are the smallest group in the random pool, odds are they didn't even draw 10 in the random draw. I doubt more than 90 NRs at max points drew WY deer tags this year.
Bad news for those waiting, that means with 2,656 max point holders going into the deer draw, it is now down around 2,560. If WY non-resident deer tag number stay the same, a big assumption, it will take another 28 years to plow through the top point tier of deer point holders.
I'm one of those guys sitting on max points. Due to scheduling, I decided to do points when the "Point Only period opens in July. Going forward, I'm gonna be applying for deer in WY every year, until such time they take these points from me.
Sorry to depress those of you below the max point pool, or those thinking of starting in the WY point system in hopes of drawing one of the highest demand tags.
Did the same thing for pronghorn. Between Regular and Special, 71 NRs drew in the preference point draw. A few probably drew in the random draw, but given the max point holders are the smallest group in the random draw, doubtful more than 8 or 9 drew in the random. So, let's say that a total of 80 max point NRs drew pronghorn tags this year. There were 1,053 max point NRs going into the draw, so it is probably now down around 970. At that rate, it will only be 12 more years to cycle through all the max point holders if the tag numbers stay the same.
This is shaping up to be the exact same situation we see in Colorado, though 15 years further down the curve. And, the fact that WY does give everyone a chance by allocating a percentage of tags to the random draws.
Hope we can help WY find a way to put more deer on the mountain and more pronghorn in the sage, or NRs are going to be competing for a very scarce opportunity in the units with high percentages of accessible public lands.
Just did a quick scan of the WY reports. A total of 76 people drew deer tags in the preference point draw, both Regular and Special draws. I suspect a few might have drawn in the random draw, but given max point holders are the smallest group in the random pool, odds are they didn't even draw 10 in the random draw. I doubt more than 90 NRs at max points drew WY deer tags this year.
Bad news for those waiting, that means with 2,656 max point holders going into the deer draw, it is now down around 2,560. If WY non-resident deer tag number stay the same, a big assumption, it will take another 28 years to plow through the top point tier of deer point holders.
I'm one of those guys sitting on max points. Due to scheduling, I decided to do points when the "Point Only period opens in July. Going forward, I'm gonna be applying for deer in WY every year, until such time they take these points from me.
Sorry to depress those of you below the max point pool, or those thinking of starting in the WY point system in hopes of drawing one of the highest demand tags.
Did the same thing for pronghorn. Between Regular and Special, 71 NRs drew in the preference point draw. A few probably drew in the random draw, but given the max point holders are the smallest group in the random draw, doubtful more than 8 or 9 drew in the random. So, let's say that a total of 80 max point NRs drew pronghorn tags this year. There were 1,053 max point NRs going into the draw, so it is probably now down around 970. At that rate, it will only be 12 more years to cycle through all the max point holders if the tag numbers stay the same.
This is shaping up to be the exact same situation we see in Colorado, though 15 years further down the curve. And, the fact that WY does give everyone a chance by allocating a percentage of tags to the random draws.
Hope we can help WY find a way to put more deer on the mountain and more pronghorn in the sage, or NRs are going to be competing for a very scarce opportunity in the units with high percentages of accessible public lands.
Kiwi
Well-known member
As some one who will be trying to build points in WY sounds like I have my work cut out for me to get a high demand tag! Just shows you the best year to hunt is this year.
Just did the same exercise for elk. In the PP draw 161 NRs drew between both Regular and Special. Add in a few more in the random draw and it might be around 180. That makes a better dent in the point creep for elk than what is was for deer, given there were 2,615 max NR elk point holders going into the draw. With that math, only about 2,440 max point NRs are left for elk. Another 15 years and most max point holders should cycle through.
One thing impossible to isolate, is how many max point holders applied in a party with lower point holders. There average will not show if they had max points. Given that, the dent in point creep for all species is probably a slight bit better than the dismal picture painted by this small research exercise.
Here is a link to the number of NR point holders, by point level, going into the 2015 draws. http://gf.state.wy.us/web2011/Departments/Hunting/pdfs/TOTAL_PREF_POINTS_EDA_140006260.pdf
All this is to show why I try to burn points at much lower levels. In some instances, I can't find time in the schedule to burn points, so they just keep accumulating; CO elk and WY deer being two prime examples.
One thing impossible to isolate, is how many max point holders applied in a party with lower point holders. There average will not show if they had max points. Given that, the dent in point creep for all species is probably a slight bit better than the dismal picture painted by this small research exercise.
Here is a link to the number of NR point holders, by point level, going into the 2015 draws. http://gf.state.wy.us/web2011/Departments/Hunting/pdfs/TOTAL_PREF_POINTS_EDA_140006260.pdf
All this is to show why I try to burn points at much lower levels. In some instances, I can't find time in the schedule to burn points, so they just keep accumulating; CO elk and WY deer being two prime examples.
I'm very surprised the antelope hunts are getting so tough to draw.I'll be dumping my 6points for them next year I think;if I draw for elk.I've been watching the point creep for my deer unit for years now.Originally wanted to hunt 89 but could never catch up.The unit I drew this year has long been my back up plan and I missed drawing it a few years back with 3 points.Its been creeping up every year as well till I decided to just use up my points and go hunt,but probably wouldn't have drawn if I didn't pay the special price fee
Think its coming down to paying the extra money in the special draw, as much as that hurts the pocket.I'll be in the special draw for elk next January.Not sure a tag is worth that much money,but when your in the mid range of points, I think its best option for a good tag.After I use up my points,I think I'll see how many years it takes then to just draw general tag
Wonder how many Montana deer tags have been sold since the Wy draw came out.I would think a lot of guys would fall back on that tag
Think its coming down to paying the extra money in the special draw, as much as that hurts the pocket.I'll be in the special draw for elk next January.Not sure a tag is worth that much money,but when your in the mid range of points, I think its best option for a good tag.After I use up my points,I think I'll see how many years it takes then to just draw general tag
Wonder how many Montana deer tags have been sold since the Wy draw came out.I would think a lot of guys would fall back on that tag
sbhooper
Well-known member
I picked a good time to burn points and give up that point crap. The good elk hunt that I drew twice in Colorado over the years with four points, now goes for eight plus. Pretty discouraging for future hunters.
You can also look at it another way by comparing how many tags they have issued in recent years. In 2014 there were 48,853 total antelope tags issued and in 2010 there were 75,837 tags. Thats a drop of 36%. Only about 1/3 of the antelope tags were issued in 2014 compared to 2010.
There were 75,772 deer tags issued in 2014 and 88,661 in 2010. Deer numbers have been super low in most units for 10ish+ years so obviously it has taken longer and longer for applicants to filter through the system.
To add fuel to the fire....there has been stuff brewing in the legislature to cut nonres tags and hand them over to Wyo res. I have a feeling that is part of the reason more max pref hunters have been applying for tags rather than just applying for pts.
The last couple year's relatively mild winters with good moisture has definitely helped Wyo wildlife. Hopefully that trend continues. I've heard rumors of lots of twin fawn antelope this year so that is a positive sign! The added moisture ought to help horn and antler growth. It may take a few more years with decent conditions to produce whopper bucks but at least right now the trend is looking up!
There were 75,772 deer tags issued in 2014 and 88,661 in 2010. Deer numbers have been super low in most units for 10ish+ years so obviously it has taken longer and longer for applicants to filter through the system.
To add fuel to the fire....there has been stuff brewing in the legislature to cut nonres tags and hand them over to Wyo res. I have a feeling that is part of the reason more max pref hunters have been applying for tags rather than just applying for pts.
The last couple year's relatively mild winters with good moisture has definitely helped Wyo wildlife. Hopefully that trend continues. I've heard rumors of lots of twin fawn antelope this year so that is a positive sign! The added moisture ought to help horn and antler growth. It may take a few more years with decent conditions to produce whopper bucks but at least right now the trend is looking up!
alwayshunting
Active member
I see it mentioned a lot about how discouraging it will be for future hunters, but someone who is relatively new to applying out of state (4-5 years), I have went into the mindset that it will be a long term process. Also, I have never known better. I do envy the stories of others from before all the points games or getting in on the ground floor of the points, but I do not have another choice to be hunting out of state.
bmack
Member
Well, that didn't play out like I anticipated. Went in the pronghorn special draw which had shown 100% success rate based on my 5 pts. No dice.
Someday I'm going to have that great feeling of drawing a NR tag. I hope.
Someday I'm going to have that great feeling of drawing a NR tag. I hope.
It's sometimes tough to predict regular vs special draw odds in Wyo! Once you think you have a system figured out there is a giant twist in draw odds. I've gotten to the point that in dry years with few tags drawn there are other options out there that are just as fun. It takes a little imagination to figure out new and exciting strategies but I'm never bored in the fall!
