Wyoming Elk...who's applying? Increased cost changing your plans?

[realunlucky]

I'll be in for elk and antelope, but priced OUT for bison. Hope everyone draws this year! Good luck!

Yep I'm also out for bison should be pretty good odds for those left with deep pockets

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[trail@goHunt]

I'll be in for elk and antelope, but priced OUT for bison. Hope everyone draws this year! Good luck!

Crazy, I'm in the same boat. Almost $4,500 for a bull bison permit. I understand the demand is there and there are people that can and will pay it, but it's sad to think that they have priced out alot of non-resident hunters.

 

[wyodan]

We are putting in for the special draw first choice in 45 so we can put in for special draw second choice. You can't be in the regular draw in on choice and the special in another, that is correct.

The RP cow tags had more applicants than the allotment last year as first choice. May or may not get a tag. They also don't allow bowhunting with the RP cow tags in the unit. We are bowhunters. Based on last years numbers we should have no issue getting the antlerless tag through the special draw.

Hey, I'm not really a bowhunter, but the regulations show that you can bowhunt on the regular price cow tags in that unit. I'm pretty familiar with the area as I hunted it in my youth, but all you would need is the archery permit to go along with your tag. Unless you mean a type 6 license. I can't see in the regs where you could use one of those.

 

[jmez]

I'm just putting in for 45 as a first choice, I won't draw it, just looking to get into a cow tag in the second draw and keeping my points. Planning on hunting a different unit.

 

[trail@goHunt]

As a head up... the 2017 draw odds for goHUNT INSIDERS has been updated and the Elk application strategy article will be live this evening. Also, several have noted the antlerless hunts available in WY. Last year we received quite a bit of feedback requesting odds for those hunts and we have added those odds for 2018. Antlerless odds will up live on the INSIDER site early next week.

 

[Trial153]

The go hunt article solidified my thoughts on WY. I am cashing out points this year in the special draw. Getting bent over but I made a commitment to a hunt and it looks like my only chance is in the special draw. No way is the unit I am looking at worth a 1300 Elk tag.
In the future the only points I will accrue in WY for elk will be enough for a a general tag. I think the price increase is a little much considering the cost to get to a top end unit and factoring in the sure to increase point creep. This brings the spread between Gen tag and limited draw even closer.

 

[realunlucky]

With every tag service out there hyping up Wyoming general elk tags there is bound to be major point creep for that tag coming soon.

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[Trial153]

How can there not be creep considering the price of the special draw ? There isn’t more then a handful of units that maybe...and maybe a Street has ....worth that kind of money for the tag and the points it will take to draw it in the special draw.

 

[Trial153]

I would discount that a lot of three and four point applications will be getting put in for first choice gen tags. That will in some respects lessen creep on some middle limited units that you might have drawn with the same points in the regular draw and surely would have drawn in the special draw. It would be nice to see the special draw become under subscribed across the board however I think it will take two or three years of the increase to do that. Guys like myself that have a hard plan for the year in place already are going to pay the increase. However looking two and three years out....no way.

 

[wapitibob]

The draw process prevents special licenses from ever undersubscribing. What isn't drawn on a type 1-5 will be converted and drawn on the Gen side. The Gen license apps have increased at close to the same rate for the last few years and I'd suspect the same in 2018. Special Gen odds were 60% in 2017 and should drop to 40ish with history as a guide.

 

[rbljack]

We were/are considering applying in WY this year despite the increase. I do think the prices are getting a bit out of reach though. 1300 for an elk tag to Non-residents is quite a bit. With the increases, the odd may get better for the special draw simply due to overall price, fewer may apply there. But that is just out of reach for me, so if we apply, it will be in general draw.

We have zero points, so our chances at Pref point draw aren't there. in some ways, I prefer the simplicity of states like NM. No bonus points, no pref points....just apply and wait for results. Of course, in NM, only 6 percent of tags go to Non Res., AND they take all your money during application time and send a refund if you aren't drawn..so that's the downside there. But that's an entirely different topic.

 

[Trial153]

The draw process prevents special licenses from ever undersubscribing. What isn't drawn on a type 1-5 will be converted and drawn on the Gen side. The Gen license apps have increased at close to the same rate for the last few years and I'd suspect the same in 2018. Special Gen odds were 60% in 2017 and should drop to 40ish with history as a guide.

If the special tags are not drawn and hence converted to the gen side then projected revenue is lost, isn’t that undersubscribing?

 

[tmwtrfwler]

I’m applying with a group of guys with a 2.3 point avg. I guess that puts us in the 2<3 grouping. Our guide and my buddies who are experienced at the system feel confident we will draw. Hope so. The price increase didn’t phase me because it’s probably a once in a lifetime deal for me.

 

[wapitibob]

If the special tags are not drawn and hence converted to the gen side then projected revenue is lost, isn’t that undersubscribing?

Every nr lq license allocated and not drawn, regular and special, is converted to a special gen license and then issued after the main draw, up to our hard quota of 7,250. First choice, then 2nd choice before they ever get to the regular gen side. There is no revenue loss, Regulars converted are a revenue gain, specials converted are revenue neutral.

 

[wapitibob]

I’m applying with a group of guys with a 2.3 point avg. I guess that puts us in the 2<3 grouping. Our guide and my buddies who are experienced at the system feel confident we will draw. Hope so. The price increase didn’t phase me because it’s probably a once in a lifetime deal for me.

WY now averages points to 4 decimal places. As such the dept formats their reports to minimize the number of pages and point pools and make them easier to read.
2.3 is better than 2 but worse than 2.5.

 

[DWarcher]

i’ll be in.

pm sent

 

[tmwtrfwler]

WY now averages points to 4 decimal places. As such the dept formats their reports to minimize the number of pages and point pools and make them easier to read.
2.3 is better than 2 but worse than 2.5.

Good to know. Thanks for that info. This point game is entirely new to me and in most cases is like reading Greek.

 

[trophyhunt]

I’m all in with one less than max points, pot committed now. The increase sucks but I should have a 50% chance at drawing unit 62, good luck guys! You gotta love how soon Wyoming does their draw!

 

[skyleralan]

I will be putting in for both mule deer and elk this year (first year apply). I essentially just want to get PP's, any tips? I plan to go out this summer to scout and get my feet wet. Will be in regions G & H. I met a contact who is a resident so that will help with the wilderness areas if/when I draw and if we decide to hunt there.

 

[Jimss]

I would expect with the steep cost of pref pts that a lot of hunters will consider drawing tags rather than just paying to build points. Some hunters that draw tags may call it quits once they draw particular species or give up (in the case of sheep and moose). Some nonres young hunters or hunters just starting out applying may not apply for sheep and moose tags where draw odds are horrible and the cost to apply each year for pref pts is outrageous. A sad day for young nonres hunters just starting out. My guess is the WG&F may regret raising the prices in the long run!