Wyoming Preference Points Question

[wapitibob]

I disagree eventually every sees that they have little chance to draw thier dream tag and cash out on lesser units driving the number of points to draw those up. The odds reflect that and now people waiting on those units will need to continue to wait or spend thier points on a less desirable unit. Driving point creep across board.

There were over 35,000 nr who only bought points at the 2-5 level last year. We haven't come close to seeing what point creep looks like if these guys decide to actually apply.

 

[Rich M]

Honestly it's getting to the point where I hang up my stuff and just remember hunting for how it used to be.

I'm a little older than you. Very different world from when we were growing up til now. I too, am getting ready to hang up the towel. Too much BS involved with hunting and everything else costs more than I think it is worth. A shame but we have population increase and all the things that come with it - including mass habitat loss where the subdivisions now sit. Hunters glorify public land hunting and beating the crowds. It aint all that for sure.

I've got 2 more travel hunts - 2 diff buddies and a hunt with each one. One is antelope and the other may be cow elk. Then planning to stick close to home and play with the FL quota draws and the BS that comes with those. The population here goes up 800-1,000 people per day. It is insane. (and half of those can't drive right) The fishing is suffering from the population growth too.

You should do the antelope thing if that's something you might like. I enjoyed it.

If you want some NR perspectives on antelope hunting, PM me. Will tell you what you need to do to be successful. It isn't difficult, you won't be spot & stalk hunting tho. Not in the land of the orange army where you'll be able to get a permit.

There were over 35,000 nr who only bought points at the 2-5 level last year. We haven't come close to seeing what point creep looks like if these guys decide to actually apply.

They have a goal in mind - those guys are wanting to hunt Unit X and when they are able, they will. It will displace some hunters, but not too many. The idea that all these guys are gonna drop out of the collecting stage and go hunt this year cause someone got all excited over the 90/10 proposal, or maybe a change in the draw system is not realistic. If those guys get antsy over a rumor, they aren't that set on what they wanted to do in the first place.

IMO - They will drop out en mass when the changes are real and gonna happen. Not before.

 

[Jaeger62]

I'm a little older than you. Very different world from when we were growing up til now. I too, am getting ready to hang up the towel. Too much BS involved with hunting and everything else costs more than I think it is worth. A shame but we have population increase and all the things that come with it - including mass habitat loss where the subdivisions now sit. Hunters glorify public land hunting and beating the crowds. It aint all that for sure.

I've got 2 more travel hunts - 2 diff buddies and a hunt with each one. One is antelope and the other may be cow elk. Then planning to stick close to home and play with the FL quota draws and the BS that comes with those. The population here goes up 800-1,000 people per day. It is insane. (and half of those can't drive right) The fishing is suffering from the population growth too.

You should do the antelope thing if that's something you might like. I enjoyed it.

If you want some NR perspectives on antelope hunting, PM me. Will tell you what you need to do to be successful. It isn't difficult, you won't be spot & stalk hunting tho. Not in the land of the orange army where you'll be able to get a permit.



They have a goal in mind - those guys are wanting to hunt Unit X and when they are able, they will. It will displace some hunters, but not too many. The idea that all these guys are gonna drop out of the collecting stage and go hunt this year cause someone got all excited over the 90/10 proposal, or maybe a change in the draw system is not realistic. If those guys get antsy over a rumor, they aren't that set on what they wanted to do in the first place.

IMO - They will drop out en mass when the changes are real and gonna happen. Not before.

I did an antelope hunt when I lived in Colorado about 20yrs ago. I pulled that off by just finding a rancher and asking him if I could shoot a doe on his place and he agreed. Not sure one could do that anymore.

We have a small piece of property in Otero County, NM that we may retire to.... so I may end up just taking my chances on the NM draw every year and then seeing if Colorado still remains a viable option for OTC tags when I don't draw. I'll just want to do one decent Wyoming hunt, then if things remain on the trajectory that many on this thread seem to think they are, I'll give up on Wyoming after that.

 

[ScottR_EHJ]

I follow your logic but disagree.

Guys banking points for area 57 or 61 antelope or 100 for elk have no impact on point creep in the 2-5 point units I like to hunt. Point creep is happening because of increased demand- they are simply more people wanting to hunt the west. TV hunting shows, magazines, sites like this one and Eastman's, and the internet in general are the real drivers of point creep. It is exponentially easier for a person East of the Mississippi to research and plan a western hunt than it was even 10 years ago.

Demand is IMO the highest driver right now and like you mention the resources to help someone get out West to hunt have shortened the learning curve a lot. Point creep isn't going away, my logic is based on the trend I see talking to a lot of hunters using WAY more points than necessary just to go hunt. I.E. wanting out of the mousetrap so to speak. Will it fix point creep? Not a chance, a silver lining is just that a lining.

Fear is also driving a LOT of this IMO, justified or not. People in the current political climate are wondering how much longer this western gig is going to last. Add in the 90-10 conversation and staying in the points game is a hard pill to swallow.

 

[wytx]

Haha ... Well, you see Buzz, "for the record," there are some animals that like to live above 10,000 feet, and there are NR that would like to hunt them there without a guide or a resident to tag along.

I think NR have an easier time stomaching outfitter set asides for state tags over being told where they cannot hunt on federal public lands.

You wouldn't understand.

The point of the post was to point out that there is plenty outfitter welfare in WY.

We have plenty of above 10,000 ft areas you can hunt without an outfitter or guide.
I am constantly amazed that NR think all the best hunting is in wilderness areas, it is not.
Yes, most resident oppose the wilderness guide law, not all though for sure.

 

[npm352]

We have plenty of above 10,000 ft areas you can hunt without an outfitter or guide.
I am constantly amazed that NR think all the best hunting is in wilderness areas, it is not.
Yes, most resident oppose the wilderness guide law, not all though for sure.

The purpose of my post was pointing out that Wyoming's NR wilderness law is more of a form of outfitter welfare than outfitter allocated tags.

Again, NR can stomach fewer state tags more than cutting off access to millions of acres of federally owned land. If you are a western hunter who travels but are a resident of WY, you wouldn't understand because you have never dealt with it. Access to federal land based on state residency so that a few outfitters can make more money is not something public land hunters should stand for, but unfortunately most people simply look at what benefits them.

WY NR tag allocations are very generous, but I would venture to say that many NR would rather have a worse R/NR split over continuing with the wilderness rule. I would say 100% of DIY sheep tag applicants would also take fewer overall NR tags to be able to hunt more than just a couple units without a guide or resident tag-along.

Telling hunters you can kill stuff outside of wilderness doesn't take into account people who like hunting wilderness areas simply because they are wilderness areas. Sometimes the how and where of hunting is just as important as killing something.

I was pointing out that the law is shittier than outfitter tag allocations. But since it effects only NR, residents don't care and just blame it on the outfitter association.