Wyoming Non Resident Preference Point Increase

[Colorado Cowboy]

Wyoming's Fish & Game voted Tuesday to increase non residents preference point fee to $75.00 effective Jan 1, 2027. This is the maximum allowed by their legislature.
Residents pay only for sheep, goat and moose points which is $7.00. All other big game have no points.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

Dangit

 

[fisherman983]

Buncha ******* culls

Sent from my SM-S928U using Tapatalk

 

[cnelk]

A 66.66% increase
UffDa

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I only buy deer and antelope tags and have enough to draw both. I am waiting to get the results from my Colorado applications before I apply for Wyoming. It takes 4 to 5 to draw either one. If I use them I probably won't be applying for Wyoming again. I will be 85 in a couple of months and I can draw tags for Colorado pretty much every year. Who knows what the changes in 2028 will do to the drawing of tags here in Colorado.
You younger folks have my sympathies. I remember when I started hunting Wyoming 50 years ago then a non resident could get a deer or antelope tag every year and you could get as many as 5 (or maybe 6) antlerless tags over the counter for $5.00 apiece.

 

[sierracharlie338]

As someone stacking points but not enough to draw that’s disappointing to hear.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

I only buy deer and antelope tags and have enough to draw both. I am waiting to get the results from my Colorado applications before I apply for Wyoming. It takes 4 to 5 to draw either one. If I use them I probably won't be applying for Wyoming again. I will be 85 in a couple of months and I can draw tags for Colorado pretty much every year. Who knows what the changes in 2028 will do to the drawing of tags here in Colorado.
You younger folks have my sympathies. I remember when I started hunting Wyoming 50 years ago then a non resident could get a deer or antelope tag every year and you could get as many as 5 (or maybe 6) antlerless tags over the counter for $5.00 apiece.

Yeah I've been buying deer, Elk, and antelope points and I do have enough to draw a decent antelope and I've never been deer (mile) hunting. Might do both this year and quit with those. I'll probably suck it up and keep buying the Elk points though, have to this year anyway because the deadline passed.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

This would be another reason to abandon WY. I did so over 20 years ago. I hate those MF's.

 

[IDElkmagnet]

I hopefully cashed my elk points this year and figured Id do it again in 10 or so years. But buying another 10 elk points then hitting my unit on the $2000 special draw has me thinking I'd feel like the prettiest guy in the prison knowing how bad wyoming will have reamed me out.

 

[BRTreedogs]

I only buy deer and antelope tags and have enough to draw both. I am waiting to get the results from my Colorado applications before I apply for Wyoming. It takes 4 to 5 to draw either one. If I use them I probably won't be applying for Wyoming again. I will be 85 in a couple of months and I can draw tags for Colorado pretty much every year. Who knows what the changes in 2028 will do to the drawing of tags here in Colorado.
You younger folks have my sympathies. I remember when I started hunting Wyoming 50 years ago then a non resident could get a deer or antelope tag every year and you could get as many as 5 (or maybe 6) antlerless tags over the counter for $5.00 apiece.

What were wages 50 years ago?
What did a new pickup cost ?

 

[fisherman983]

What were wages 50 years ago?
What did a new pickup cost ?

I know in 2012, I bought a leftover deer tag, cow elk tag, 1 any antelope tag and 3 doe tags and had the option of buying a second leftover any antelope tag and a 4th doe tag and I should have. I filled 5 tags in 4 days, skipped the cow elk tag as plans didnt work out for that.

Doe tags were $34, any lope was $226? And the deer was 347 or something like that. It was very affordable.

And I could have bought as many doe whitetail tags as I wanted had i found them on public land. This was all as a non resident. Times sure have changed

Sent from my SM-S928U using Tapatalk

 

[Maxhunter]

Received this newsletter:




"Commissioners vote to increase non-resident preference point prices April 21, 2026

CHEYENNE - The Wyoming Game and Fish Commissioners voted on Tuesday to increase non-resident preference points effective January 1, 2027, a motion that was passed unanimously after some discussion.

The Commission voted to increase non-resident preference point prices for elk, deer, and antelope to the maximum amount permitted by the Wyoming State Legislature, which allowed limited increase in preference points and license increases per Wyoming Statute Section 23-2-101 in 2018.

“We need to be prepared to do more for our Game and Fish employees,” Commissioner Bill Mai said. “Costs have increased across the board - we have to be ready to cover that.”

The increases will include the following:

Antelope preference points: $31 to $75, a $44 increase. Deer preference points: $41 to $75, a $34 increase. Elk preference points: $52 to $75, a $23 increase. Moose and sheep preference points had previously been increased to the maximum allowed on January 1, 2018.

Game and Fish Chief Fiscal Officer Meredith Wood said that the revenue increase, based on current preference point sales, will provide the Department with an annual revenue increase of an estimated $14,654,829.

This is the first increase for non-resident preference points since 2018. During her presentation, Wood noted that since 2008, there has been a cumulative inflation of 68.3%, with a 35.7% inflation increase since 2020.

Commissioner John Masterson said that the increase in preference points is a necessary step in managing the increased cost of wildlife management for the Department, and will ultimately benefit residents and visitors alike.

“This increase is a way of preserving a way of life that we love,” Masterson said. “I’m very confident that the agency does a great job of administering the agency dollars, and I think everybody who looks at the department budget would say that they are responsible, transparent stewards of that money.”

Game and Fish Director Angi Bruce said after the meeting that the decision to increase non-resident preference points is an important step forward in matching revenue with more than a decade of cost increases to the agency.

“An overall hunting license increase has not occurred since 2008,” Bruce said. “It is good to see the support from the Commissioners in looking out for the future of wildlife management, however, the costs to our mission continue to grow exponentially. This is a move in the right direction, and we will continue to work to find creative opportunities to generate additional funds that will benefit wildlife in our state.”

 

[Q_Sertorius]

It makes sense to me considering the inflation since it was last changed.

 

[bozeman]

Only blame ourselves, too many 'grip and grin photos'.......
Quit whining and put the work in. If you want to be cheap, hunt somewhere else. Guys will spend $750 on a pack, $1200 on a bow, $1000 on clothing, $300 on boots, $2000 on binos and then complain about a $75 fee.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Just adds a little bit more to the reason I should become a WY resident.

 

[RyanT26]

Not unexpected but does kind of suck. Hunting other states as NR’s isn’t cheap.
It’s an investment of time and money.

Hopefully Wyoming G&F puts the money to good use (habitat) , and doesn’t just blow it all on new pick ups and pay raises.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I am waiting to get the results from my Colorado applications before I apply for Wyoming.

Do the dates work this year? Usually the WY deadline is before the CO results.

 

[cmahoney]

Only blame ourselves, too many 'grip and grin photos'.......
Quit whining and put the work in. If you want to be cheap, hunt somewhere else. Guys will spend $750 on a pack, $1200 on a bow, $1000 on clothing, $300 on boots, $2000 on binos and then complain about a $75 fee.

That’s a cheap bow


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[S.Clancy]

Received this newsletter:




"Commissioners vote to increase non-resident preference point prices April 21, 2026

CHEYENNE - The Wyoming Game and Fish Commissioners voted on Tuesday to increase non-resident preference points effective January 1, 2027, a motion that was passed unanimously after some discussion.

The Commission voted to increase non-resident preference point prices for elk, deer, and antelope to the maximum amount permitted by the Wyoming State Legislature, which allowed limited increase in preference points and license increases per Wyoming Statute Section 23-2-101 in 2018.

“We need to be prepared to do more for our Game and Fish employees,” Commissioner Bill Mai said. “Costs have increased across the board - we have to be ready to cover that.”

The increases will include the following:

Antelope preference points: $31 to $75, a $44 increase. Deer preference points: $41 to $75, a $34 increase. Elk preference points: $52 to $75, a $23 increase. Moose and sheep preference points had previously been increased to the maximum allowed on January 1, 2018.

Game and Fish Chief Fiscal Officer Meredith Wood said that the revenue increase, based on current preference point sales, will provide the Department with an annual revenue increase of an estimated $14,654,829.

This is the first increase for non-resident preference points since 2018. During her presentation, Wood noted that since 2008, there has been a cumulative inflation of 68.3%, with a 35.7% inflation increase since 2020.

Commissioner John Masterson said that the increase in preference points is a necessary step in managing the increased cost of wildlife management for the Department, and will ultimately benefit residents and visitors alike.

“This increase is a way of preserving a way of life that we love,” Masterson said. “I’m very confident that the agency does a great job of administering the agency dollars, and I think everybody who looks at the department budget would say that they are responsible, transparent stewards of that money.”

Game and Fish Director Angi Bruce said after the meeting that the decision to increase non-resident preference points is an important step forward in matching revenue with more than a decade of cost increases to the agency.

“An overall hunting license increase has not occurred since 2008,” Bruce said. “It is good to see the support from the Commissioners in looking out for the future of wildlife management, however, the costs to our mission continue to grow exponentially. This is a move in the right direction, and we will continue to work to find creative opportunities to generate additional funds that will benefit wildlife in our state.”

At least WY is recognizing the true inflation in the last 5 years.

 

[Chris in TN]

I’m pretty ok with it.