So nonresidents can get a Moose tag but not hunt the area while residents with the same tag can?
Yes, certain areas they have a valid tag for, they just have to find or pay a babysitter to hunt 100% of the area the valid tag covers, area the federal government owns.
One could argue it creates crowding more in non wilderness areas.
NonRes can’t even apply for a couple of the moose areas.
Yeah and that makes perfect sense, really WY should just redraw the lines and make the wilderness draw units for resident only, then this wouldn’t be an issue, other then for outfitters.
tell me you don’t spend any time archery hunting Wyoming without telling me you don’t spend any time archery hunting Wyoming.
No issues with x bows, they have been around longer than compound bows.
That's cool. Definitely room for more than one opinion.
Spend some time in western WY especially for deer between sept 1 and the 14th. The new crossbows have guys taking 150* yard shots. You want to hunt with a crossrifle do it during the rifle season. The biggest buck killed in WW this year had 3 dudes from UT chasing him with $2500 crossbows with 12 power scopes on them. The technology has changed enough with cross rifles to warrant change. It’s why many states have modified muzzleloader requirements etc. Who gives a flying f*** it’s been that way for 40 years? WY is slow to change anything. Doesn’t mean it should stay that way.
Exactly...And the guy that got him, listed his xbow immediately after season for sale. Same with Commisioner tags in many big bull areas, lots of outfitters are using a crossbow to go after the bigger bulls in september so they can shoot 100+ yards. Does it really effect my hunting, no, but do i think it should be changed, yes. No reason for able bodied people to be using a Xbow during archery season. . . And dont forget the Thermal stuff the Utards are also using to find said bucks every year...thats a whole other issue going on behind the scenes thats very hard for wardens to chase down, cause its being done at night from high points. These guys basically buy points to get a tag each year, and then will do whatever at all costs to kill the biggest buck. Fair chase is long gone
Game wardens and USFS rangers will float the wilderness areas to enforce the law. Like it or not, and for being big country for them to cover, they do a great job at enforcing it.
Not true. it's enforced quite heavily. People might get away with it until they don't.
What changes this dynamic is that state does own (manage) the wildlife, so it is the States right to legislate and enforce those laws within its borders.
I don't care for much of the outfitter industry, but I saw this with deep experience having both guided for wilderness camps and had family who were in the business as owners,,,the pockets for these organizations are not deep. In most cases for Wyoming outfitters operating on public lands, and certainly for outfitters operating in wilderness areas, after you pay taxes, payroll, contingent / non contingent expenses, overhead, livestock feed, etc,,,you then pay the department of the interior for using the land for commercial activities. NOBODY is banning access. You are allowed to be there from JAN - DEC at your choosing. You just cannot posses a hunting license and actively be engaged in the activity of hunting for your own gain for any species in the duration of your time spent inside a USFS wilderness zone.
I'll give an example without naming names or areas. a simple internet search can do the rest. 2023 elk season a resident was "accompanying" a NR hunter in a wilderness unit. He was discovered by the Game and Fish and charged with unlawful hunting without a permitted guide. The resident member who possessed a resident elk license at the is going to trial in February for guiding a non resident for pay (coyoting as we call it), while the hunter was fined north of $12K and in violation of the lacy act. Id say that's a lot worse than $150 bucks and damn sure well deserved.
