WY Unit 7 becoming General

[307]

I just filled out a survey from WYGF where they're considering options to turn WY Elk 7 into a general license area.

There were a couple of options including Type 9, Type 1, and General in different mixtures.

The survey said that objective is 5,000 elk and they currently have 12,500 elk in that unit (IIRC).

They understand that private access is the limiting factor for hunting in the unit.

Currently, they allow 5500 licenses in unit 7, which is similar in number to the number of hunters in the Snowies and Sierra Madre ranges.

 

[realunlucky]

I filled out the survey myself. I mostly opposed the change not enough public access and more pressure on that won't help anyone but the private outfitters.

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[wapitibob]

It'll be a slaughter the first week for a cpl years then back to the same problem they currently have.

 

[Indian Summer]

It'll be a slaughter the first week for a cpl years then back to the same problem they currently have.

Exactly. A great way for Wagonhound and other outfitters to make sure the elk all head for their private land leases. If something sounds too good to be true think twice. I’m sticking with the mountains.

 

[Kimber7man]

Link?

 

[Jethro]

I got the survey too. Answered not in favor. I can’t see how it would solve anything.

 

[rjw4]

I got the survey as a nonresident who has applied for the unit in the past. I don't see how a general tag will do anything, you could issue 10k worth of type 1 tags and have no access to the animals.

 

[HOT ROD]

I got the survey and would like to see it go general because that would help take sum pressured off sum of the other general units...

 

[Jethro]

I thought about that too Rod when I took survey. Gen tag holders going to 7 could mean less hunters in the gen areas I hunt. Would be more opportunity for residents that get a general tag. Ultimately though I couldn't see how it would change anything in 7, so opposed it on the survey.

 

[Overdrive]

Makes me wonder what it would do to Point creep the first few years in the General draw. It benefits residents and will become over run with residents, unless they have private access.

I guide for an Outfitter in area 7 on private, as a NR I've built up 11 PP to hopefully draw area 7 in the next year or so. If they did change it to General I'd probably benefit from it as well as I have access to private. The Outfitter I work for might benefit some but our Private land isn't near as big as say Wagonhound, most of the elk we get are there and stay until we hunt them for a day or so then move off us to other ranches until they get pressure there too. There is a big Ranch near us that doesn't allow hunting and on any given day you'll see 3-400 deer and 2-300 elk (some day's way more) hanging out on their alfalfa pivot, so they have a safe space and I'd guess the rancher complains about it too.

But overall I don't see it beneficial to the NR DIY guy, it will be even more crowded than it is now on public.

It makes me wonder too if they are trying to up the Elk quota because of how bad the CWD is in the area on the deer, 5 of the 6 bucks we took and had tested came back positive last fall.

 

[307]

I like the idea of a type 9 tag there and I'm hoping that if 7 goes general, it will take some pressure off of the other SE wyoming general areas.

 

[Skerhunter]

For the people that have hunted this unit a lot, would having separate tags for private vs. public help the crowding while increasing harvests? I have hunted other places that have this system, seemed to keep pressure down on public and the animals moving. I agree that making a gen tag wouldn't be a great idea, just put even more pressure on the public and wouldn't help increase the harvest numbers.

 

[wapitibob]

You can't increase harvest enough to make a difference as currently managed. NM has the same issue in a few units where there are large private ranches; too many Elk and no way to kill them.
Making it gen will allow more outfitted hunts on the private, getting a few more Elk killed. However, the problem is outfitters shoot bulls, and cows need killed to reduce the herd size. So in the end, going gen won't solve the issue.

 

[WyoBowhunter21]

I didn't get the survey as I no longer hunt that area because of the difficult to access lands. I know they say understand the access issue and maybe they do but proposing this will make all the elk go on private. I honestly don't think it will take a couple years. I think it will be after the first year with all those people, the vast majority will end up on the ranches. Some of those ranches only let a handful of outfitted hunts on them and there is a lot of elk on those right now. Personally, I don't think there going to get a better kill and this will incentivize landowners more to not allow access. General tags=more people in the pool that are willing to pay that $15k bull on the wagonhound. This may be crazy but we need to incentivize more to get access or penalize for no access at an economical rate. In my opinion, landowners should be paying a pretty good royalty for killing elk anyways. That is a resource that is owned by the people not the landowner. We pay royalties for oil/gas etc., why not the same for our wildlife?

 

[WyoBowhunter21]

For the people that have hunted this unit a lot, would having separate tags for private vs. public help the crowding while increasing harvests? I have hunted other places that have this system, seemed to keep pressure down on public and the animals moving. I agree that making a gen tag wouldn't be a great idea, just put even more pressure on the public and wouldn't help increase the harvest numbers.

I understand where your going but sadly, this will hurt the access piece of the puzzle. Give landowners more tags or private only tags, those tags will go to those who will pay and make the landowners less likely to give access. I am of the opinion that if our tags went up say $50 per elk tag sold. Nonresidents would give a pool of money increase by $580,000 and residents would increase by around $2.5 million. Put this in a land access fund and now we have $3 million in the first year that we can go to say wagonhound and make it worth their while to get access. Give them say $500,000, pay a warden $50,00 extra, to just patrol that ranch. I believe that will incentivize access.

Image from Wyoming Game and Fish website regarding 2020 revenue fact sheet.

 

[LostArra]

Give them say $500,000, pay a warden $50,00 extra, to just patrol that ranch. I believe that will incentivize access.

Image from Wyoming Game and Fish website regarding 2020 revenue fact sheet.

View attachment 507572

You might need to find a warden first before you assign the only one in the region to a ranch.


"Currently, around 20% of Wyoming game warden posts — 13 out of 65 field-level positions — are unfilled, King said. Seven of eight warden districts were recently vacant in the Laramie Region, he said.

Understaffed, overworked wardens leery of predator night hunting - WyoFile

CHEYENNE—An “unprecedented” shortage of Wyoming game wardens is adding to angst about a legislative proposal that would attract coyote hunters onto public

wyofile.com

 

[wysongdog]

Where did you guys get the survey?

 

[LostArra]

Where did you guys get the survey?

email if you applied to 7 in the last 5 years

 

[wysongdog]

Hmmmm ive applied for the past 6 years and drawn it once.

 

[Presswood_936]

I’ve hunted J for deer a few times and area 7 is a zoo with hunters . We did see a lot of elk on public though and could’ve tagged out on respectable bulls several times . I can’t imagine the pressure if it goes general .