WY Elk Poll

[LFC911]

Asking for a friend ;-), let say a guy is 56 years old in 2024, in fair physical shape, has 5 elk preference points in WY, probably not going to be up for the challenge again in 7-10 years, so this is probably a one and done opportunity. With a ~$10k annual hunting budget he could either go on ONE guided elk hunt in WY ($7-9k for the outfitter plus tags/travel/tips) OR go DIY (non-wilderness) in WY and hunt other states/multiple tags in '24/25.

 

[InkedElkSlayer]

I drew in 18, so I have 5 points like you.
I could, in theory, spend 10k on a hunt.
I am 46.

My plan is to wait. I have 1 more WY hunt, then I’m done in WY. I will most likely wait until I retire. That said, if you’re at the point where you are 56 and you’re ready to cash in your WY investment… then do it.

 

[robtattoo]

I burnt my 6 points on a general tag this year, knowing that I'll never be able to draw again, or afford an outfitter. And at 50 years old, by the time i did draw again, would be far less physically able to tolerate a proper Wyoming hunt.
I think by '25 5 might be the absolute minimum for Special.

In your (friend's) shoes & at your (friend's) age () I'd be putting all in for a Special General next year, in the 'Western Zone'. Take off the whole of October & spend the first 15 days in the early (1st to 15th) units & the last half in the later units (15th-31st)

I only did the last half, being familiar with units where the season runs 15th-31st & had literally the best hunt of my life. I only came home empty handed through my own choice, not through lack of opportunity.

If you decide to try this route, please PM me. I can point you to, if not honey holes, certain parts of a couple of units that don't get a lot of pressure or traffic & are surprisingly easy to truck camp in & access on foot.

 

[MallardSX2]

General and if you don’t draw it again next year.

 

[LFC911]

I burnt my 6 points on a general tag this year, knowing that I'll never be able to draw again, or afford an outfitter. And at 50 years old, by the time i did draw again, would be far less physically able to tolerate a proper Wyoming hunt.
I think by '25 5 might be the absolute minimum for Special.

In your (friend's) shoes & at your (friend's) age () I'd be putting all in for a Special General next year, in the 'Western Zone'. Take off the whole of October & spend the first 15 days in the early (1st to 15th) units & the last half in the later units (15th-31st)

I only did the last half, being familiar with units where the season runs 15th-31st & had literally the best hunt of my life. I only came home empty handed through my own choice, not through lack of opportunity.

If you decide to try this route, please PM me. I can point you to, if not honey holes, certain parts of a couple of units that don't get a lot of pressure or traffic & are surprisingly easy to truck camp in & access on foot.

I appreciate your response Rob and was actually hoping that you'd reply as I saw in another thread you mentioned that you were too cheap (or something to that effect) to pay for an outfitter...I'm kind of in the same boat and on the fence. I'll let you know what i decide. If and when I do go, i will get the archery stamp and hunt the last part of September.

 

[wapitibob]

I'd spend the money in NM

 

[robtattoo]

I appreciate your response Rob and was actually hoping that you'd reply as I saw in another thread you mentioned that you were too cheap (or something to that effect) to pay for an outfitter...I'm kind of in the same boat and on the fence. I'll let you know what i decide. If and when I do go, i will get the archery stamp and hunt the last part of September.

I'm more than happy to help, where & if I can.

 

[LFC911]

I'd spend the money in NM

Do you mean for a landowner tag? I plan to apply for elk in NM, WY (5pps), AZ (5pps), UT (2pps), KS (3pps), KY, and CO (3pps)...and currently have an ID tag in my pocket.

 

[axeforce6]

I’ll probably go against the grain. As hard as it is to get a tag, I’d want to maximize my opportunity. Time is limited and a good outfitter will put in the extra leg work ahead of time. Nothing is 100% but I’d want the odds in my favor that’s for sure.

 

[oregonoutdoors]

You don't say if money or time are limitations for you. I would think if the money was a concern go unguided and do another hunt with the savings.

 

[LFC911]

You don't say if money or time are limitations for you. I would think if the money was a concern go unguided and do another hunt with the savings.

The budget an agreed upon amount that can be spent on hunting related stuff. I can probably swing a little more than $10k if I play the OIL hunt in the wilderness with an outfitter and don't do anything else card next year...and spend a little less the following year. I also have licenses and preference points in other states, which i have to figure in there as well. So money is a concern as I'm exceeding my agreed upon budget amount. My vacation time is limited to 6 weeks; 3 weeks for hunting and 3 weeks for family. Like you stated, i could go unguided and not break the budget and also hunt other states/tags. That's the question.

 

[oregonoutdoors]

The budget an agreed upon amount that can be spent on hunting related stuff. I can probably swing a little more than $10k if I play the OIL hunt in the wilderness with an outfitter and don't do anything else card next year...and spend a little less next year. I also have licenses and preference points in other states, which i have to figure in there as well. So money is a concern as I'm exceeding my agreed upon budget amount. My vacation time is limited to 6 weeks; 3 weeks for hunting and 3 weeks for family. Like you stated, i could go unguided and not break the budget and also hunt other states/tags. That's the question.

In that case I would go unguided in two states and hunt elk for 3 weeks then . I have been doing that in Oregon and Idaho the last few years with no regrets.

 

[Laramie]

In the regular draw, there is no guarantee you draw general with 5 this year unless you apply for the east region. This is year one of the new system so it's challenging to predict what points will be needed. If you apply in the special, you are adding over 1k to the expense before you spend a dime on the hunt but you would likely draw any of the general regions.

The above said, only you can choose if DIY or guided is best for you. Some guys would enjoy each differently so asking the blind internet masses doesn't solve anything.

Wyoming general tags are decent tags but they are not the same as a the LQ tags some guys make them out to be. People have only recently viewed them as so desirable because demand has gone up, not because the hunt is getting better. The opposite is actually the case as the Wyoming population grows, those unlimited general tag areas are becoming more and more crowded. There are some amazing hunts in general areas if a guy is willing to foot the bill for the right access, through a guided hunt or a high dollar trespass fee. Yes, people do shoot good bulls yearly on public land, DIY, in general areas. However, that is far from the norm. Success rates vary but lets say 1/3rd of general tag holders are successful. I'll be generous and say that 10% of those shoot a big bull (which is high from my experiences over the last 30 years). That means that maybe one out of every 30 general tag holders shoots a good bull. You willing to spend your years of points for that? If you think my math is flawed, or don't want to trust a random person on the web, give a Wyoming game warden a call to discuss. I know what every one of them will say.

Bottom line, to me, is if a guy is willing to throw all of his chances at one last hunt, the right guided hunt will give that hunter the best opportunity to shoot a good bull.

I prefer DIY so If I were in your shoes, and could spend up to 10K carefree on an elk hunt yearly, I would pay a healthy trespass fee to hunt great private ground in an easy to draw area.