Central Wyoming - Guidance Requested

[wapitibob]

It blows me away the points needed to hunt WY these days. Do a search just 10 years ago, units that were 1-2 points are now 10 point units. The same for WY General elk. You used to be ablet to get them as leftovers.

NE Turkey, sold out in two hours!

I used to take a friend to an easy draw unit in WY that took 0 points, it now takes 9!

It is what it is, we "isn't going back"

The dept has cut the available tags by more than half.

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

Draw odds are right online. Not hard to figure out.

Draw Results & Odds | Wyoming Game & Fish Department

View draw results and leftover drawing odds from the current and previous years.

wgfd.wyo.gov

I am not doing research for someone
Just asking what they can draw
I live here

 

[Coveyleader]

The dept has cut the available tags by more than half.

For sure but even two or three years ago, prior to the huge winterkill, the points were moving up fast. and the cuts have accelerated that for sure.

 

[Tmac]

Hey all!
I have never hunted antelope before but have been saving up some points. I currently have 7 preference points in Wyoming and I am looking to use them this fall for a hunt I can do with my 9 year old son. I have been researching units in Central Wyoming and have found quite a few I have 100% odds to draw. My issue now is trying to decide which units would be the best to apply for. I understand the state is covered in antelope and I probably will have a great hunt in any of these units, but would love some local insight/guidance on which unit has the best access and quality of antelope. I plan to road trip down and spend 3-5 days hunting.

Feel free to PM if you are willing to help out!

Lots of good info on the Wyoming hunt planner. Access info, terrain, draw odds, contact info. Play around there a bit. Some of the units also include historical trophy potential.

 

[Laramie]

For sure but even two or three years ago, prior to the huge winterkill, the points were moving up fast. and the cuts have accelerated that for sure.

The internet will soon make sure that virtually all tags will be OIL tags. Make the most of those tags when you have them.

 

[Coveyleader]

The internet will soon make sure that virtually all tags will be OIL tags. Make the most of those tags when you have them.

I have a pretty good number of points. I have a couple units on the brain, but between a couple BIO calls, and the need to take a drive through this late spring, will determine what I Do. One of the units I’m interested in got hit pretty good (winterkill) a couple years back.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

The internet will soon make sure that virtually all tags will be OIL tags. Make the most of those tags when you have them.

Exaxtly why I can't sit on pp, rather hunt than wait yrs on a great tag. Hunted WY 4x in the last 5 yrs, lot * units. Filled some tags and ate some tags always had great time. I will hunt the same units I didn't fill a tag in past if I can I draw them this yr.

 

[mlevimadden]

For sure but even two or three years ago, prior to the huge winterkill, the points were moving up fast. and the cuts have accelerated that for sure.

Totally agreed. The winter kill and habitat loss has made doe tags exponentially harder to draw (and kudos to WYDGF for that).

But the point creep for buck tags isn't solely due to winter kill. It is due to every youtuber/influencer out there toting wyoming pronghorn as the best beginner hunt. There are literally wyoming pronghorn units that were 0 points for a NR when I started applying in 2015 that are now 9 point units. That point creep isn't just due to tag numbers and population, it's due to application demand.

Wyoming pronghorn is the worst point creep I have seen of any deer, elk, pronghorn hunting in the west in my decade of history.

 

[mlevimadden]

And so I'm actually contributing to the thread. I have hunted central wyoming for other species the last 3 years straight. 2023 was dire for pronghorn populations after the winter kill. I drove all the way from Laramie to Casper and I think we saw 20 pronghorn when normally that number would be in the hundreds. 2024 populations were a little better from my observation and 2025 improved even more. Still not back to what it was but pronghorn bucks make it to maturity quicker than deer and elk, so I wouldn't hold out from hunting central WY in 2026 or 2027. Who knows when the next bad winter will be anyway....

 

[ManyBullets]

And so I'm actually contributing to the thread. I have hunted central wyoming for other species the last 3 years straight. 2023 was dire for pronghorn populations after the winter kill. I drove all the way from Laramie to Casper and I think we saw 20 pronghorn when normally that number would be in the hundreds. 2024 populations were a little better from my observation and 2025 improved even more. Still not back to what it was but pronghorn bucks make it to maturity quicker than deer and elk, so I wouldn't hold out from hunting central WY in 2026 or 2027. Who knows when the next bad winter will be anyway....

I was out there last week and can say that they need some moisture really bad. The grass in most places is so short and many traditional water sources are dry.
At least Wyoming is proactive with tag cuts.