Wyoming outfitter, landowner, DIY battle!

Jimss

WKR
Joined
Mar 6, 2015
Messages
2,074
Sorry if you've already read this on a different website but I am trying to reach out to every DIY/OYO across the country that enjoys hunting Wyoming. I'm not sure if many Wyo nonres are aware but nonres landowners currently take tags off the top of the pool of nonres tags available each and every year prior to the limited elk, deer, and antelope draws. Currently nonres landowners can potentially take every tag available. In fact, this happens every year in a number of high demand Wyo elk units.

With that said, Wyo outfitters are trying to do this same thing in Wyo. Hunters that sign an outfitter agreement prior to the draw would be eligible for tags prior to the Wyo elk, deer, and antelope draw. Every tag issued to outfitters is obviously 1 less tag available in the public draw.

If you are a nonres that enjoys hunting DIY/OYO in Wyoming I would highly recommend offering comments in regard to your dissatisfaction of Wyo offering any type of tags in any form to outfitters. Allow hunters to draw tags in the public drawing. Once tags are drawn hunters can decide whether they want to hire an outfitter or hunt on their own.

Nonres hunters across the country have devoted years and years to applying for Wyo deer, elk, and antelope and paid stiff pref pts fees. I encourage all of you to offer comments.

The Wyoming Task Force is taking comments for the next meeting with an April 21 deadline. Here is a link:

 
Joined
Jul 17, 2017
Messages
653
When this task force is done and between the resident hunters, landowners, and outfitters divvying up the tags, it would be surprising if DIY non resident hunters get any tags going forward. We all know that DIY non resident hunters are the ones that have been stealing away all the opportunity from residents over the years…..
 

Bighorner

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Nov 15, 2017
Messages
562
Wyoming task force gives zero ***** what nonresidents think

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

Have you actually read any of the comments submitted to the Task Force? I can send you the link if you haven't.


It's worth while to see what is actually going on.
 
Joined
Feb 17, 2013
Messages
2,254
They should rename the Task Force to something like Non Resident Hunter Elimination Club

Fish and Game needs to submit a proposal outlining the transfer of paying their annual multi million dollar budget from non resident hunters to the Non Res Hunter Elimination Club. Careful what you wish for! 😡

One can only hope that they’ll continue to rely on the money from general elk licenses to pay their bills. Fingers crossed 🤞
 
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Jimss

WKR
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Mar 6, 2015
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2,074
Be sure to get your comments sent in! Hopefully they will listen If the task force is inundated with nonres comments.
 

Bighorner

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Nov 15, 2017
Messages
562
Right now there is a sub committee taking about land owner tags. The high thing I saw was minus averages, but also limiting LO tags to 10% of the quota.

This is a really good time to get involved. Those are NR issues that that the task force is looking at as well. I dont know where that LO/quota cap sits right now. I dont think there is one. This is a really good time to change that. The closer they can cap it to 10% percent mentioned the better.

This very much an oppertunity to have your voice heard. This is a NR/NR allocation issue and I would imagine your comment would carry some weight.
 
Joined
Feb 17, 2013
Messages
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Be sure to get your comments sent in! Hopefully they will listen If the task force is inundated with nonres comments.
I don’t think the “non resident hunter elimination club” even reads comments from hunters who aren’t residents. They know how we feel and are only interested in comments they can use to support their agenda when working with the state.
 
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Jimss

WKR
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Mar 6, 2015
Messages
2,074
Currently landowner tags are unlimited for both resident and nonresidents and taken off the top of the quotas prior to the draw. Obviously it's great that landowner tags are available to those that own private land in Wyo but also some of these tags are in high demand units that takes public resident and nonres hunters a lifetime to draw. In several elk units there are currently 0 tags issued to nonres since they are all offered to landowners prior to the draw. As mentioned by Bighorner it would be good if there is a cap on landowner tags.

What is even spookier is outfitters also want to do the same thing with tags available for clients signing contracts prior to the draw!
 

Wrench

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Joined
Aug 23, 2018
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5,596
Location
WA
I'm in favor of landowners being able to hunt their own land. I hate the idea of states shutting out nonresident hunters, BUT I hate the idea of giving up state's rights even more.

Bitter pill, gladly swallowed.
 
Joined
Nov 20, 2018
Messages
889
Location
Wyoming
It comes down to a limited resource with more demand than supply. It would seem unfair to take any land owner rights away. And if we are going to prioritize, I'd say Land owner, Resident, Non-Resident in that order. Some units just don't have the herd size for a lot of hunting, in that case if land owners are the only ones getting tags is that a problem (if this is even true at all)?

Bottom line is, if we want to hunt elk there is always somewhere to do it (OTC, public land, general tags, etc). May be a million other hunters on public land, but this is a tough situation with more and more NR hunters and big game western hunters in general.

I don't know the answer, I barely know the issue. But it sure seems like first rights should go to land owners and if that leaves the rest of us to fight over OTC public land, well, at least we have somewhere to take a nice hike in the woods with a bow or rifle in the fall :)
 
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