Wyoming south draw predictions

[wytx]

The NR aren't generally making two trips for archery and then rifle. You and I both know that a large % of residents do hunt both. Lower the NR quota all you want but it won't change what this region has become.

If they put it to a vote, I'm guessing you would be surprised how many residents would prefer choose your weapon for the general areas. I would vote yes in a heart beat and wouldn't likely pursue elk with a rifle again unless i drew LQ.

Some sure do and I would love to see NRs choose their weapon.
Yep, we all love being able to hunt both seasons , gives me a chance to hunt archery with my longbow then hunt rifle with more success for the meat.
Sure many folks want choose your weapon, they archery hunt for big bulls not meat necessarily.
What about those folks with lifetime archery licenses, make it choose your weapon and for some and that license would never get used again. Refund the price I say if they go that route.

Lower the NR quota in General areas, that would help the problem, or maybe make Rs choose their Region.

Same folks voting for choose your weapon probably want mt lions over dogs only, just sayin'.

 

[Laramie]

Some sure do and I would love to see NRs choose their weapon.
Yep, we all love being able to hunt both seasons , gives me a chance to hunt archery with my longbow then hunt rifle with more success for the meat.
Sure many folks want choose your weapon, they archery hunt for big bulls not meat necessarily.
What about those folks with lifetime archery licenses, make it choose your weapon and for some and that license would never get used again. Refund the price I say if they go that route.

Lower the NR quota in General areas, that would help the problem, or maybe make Rs choose their Region.

Same folks voting for choose your weapon probably want mt lions over dogs only, just sayin'.

That's a fair point regarding the lifetime archery license and probably one of the reasons they haven't done it yet. However, that license would still be good and they could keep some tags good for archery and rifle, like all LQ tags, without adding more pressure.

Limiting non-residents won't fix what's wrong but I don't see any reason you couldn't go to choose your weapon for them. However, this won't change anything really since 99% of non-residents make their one trip out for the hunt.

The problem in the general regions you hunt, is there are two and arguably 3 population centers closest to your general region areas. Laramie, Cheyenne, and many from Casper (Rawlins and the many smaller towns also add to it), flood the Snowies and bleed over to the Sierras making for very high hunting pressure. People from the same regions, and add in Ft Collins and some from Denver do the same with their UTVs, hiking, fishing, mushroom hunting, broke back mountain pow wows, and all the other BS. You have hunted there a long time just like I have - you know how much it has changed. The only real fix is to spread the hunting pressure out, just like all the other states have done when pressure became too concentrated. I think they would kill more elk and be able to sell a few more tags so it would be a win/win for all involved.

 

[Skerhunter]

I support the chose your weapon/region once crowding becomes an issue (which it is in Montana and parts of Wyoming now). I get that it might be a tough sell to some people, but it could be structured so it is still an option for some hunters (special limited tags).

I also really like the idea of split seasons (example - type 1 tag gets 2 week season before it opens up to everyone else).

 

[S.Clancy]

We have this same conversation in MT and everyone always blames NR. In reality, most of the increase comes from residents (barring some stuff like our legislature increasing NR options by removing 10% cap on cow/doe tags or adding small set off's). So, the obvious answer is to put increased controls on residents (and NR too). Which means, instead of having general licenses that cover most of the state, make them region, or even better individual units, specific. Managing at the unit level is always better.

But, just like telling residents to take on more of the management costs (ie increased resident license fees), asking them to give up the freedom to go wherever they want across the state causes some ruffling of feathers.

Now, some downsides come when you start to do this because you will have units that are currently underutilized (aka low hunter numbers) that will increase substantially when managed at the unit level. Thus, you get similar pressure across all units since they are managed at the unit level, based on animal population.

The choice, for residents, is either deal with increased pressure of certain areas, find other general units to hunt that see less pressure, or manage at the unit level. There is no free lunch.

 

[wapitibob]

The Commission had the chance to fix crowding but caved to Sly Sy and went with three regions instead of 11.

 

[Laramie]

The Commission had the chance to fix crowding but caved to Sly Sy and went with three regions instead of 11.

View attachment 1003035

View attachment 1003036

Would be interesting to see the resident numbers broken down the same.

I would also like to point out that the data above is an estimate provided by surveys that aren't sent to everyone and are not mandatory so their accuracy is questionable. I do know they are doing a better job getting them out now vs 15 years ago.

 

[Jethro]

Except the line of 100 SxS cruising up from Colorado and playing music so loud you could hear for miles. The dust was so bad I thought a fire started. I didn't experience more than a few hikers but lots of ATVs and SxS cruising the roads and many not hunters. I don't blame them as they have the same right as I do just can be a pain.

Did the sxs traffic negatively impact your hunt?

 

[Indian Summer]

I don’t understand how anyone can say “increased non resident pressure” when the number of licenses issued stays the same

I will say that over the past decade I’ve seen a shift from non residents booking outfitted hunts to hunting DIY. The reasons are obvious. Websites like this, television, OnX Maps etc making it easier to hunt on your own.

If I were a resident of Wyoming other hunters whether they are residents or non residents wouldn’t bother me. They don’t matter to me as a non resident either. There is enough elk country in Wyoming to find places to call your own. Both further from the beaten path and as well as lots of overlooked places close to roads. It can get a little busy at the Yankee Doodle Cafe though.

 

[Laramie]

Did the sxs traffic negatively impact your hunt?

In the SE Wyoming regions in question, it is challenging to get more than a couple miles from a road. You can hear them constantly from just about any spot on the mountain. Mornings are little quieter but the afternoon and evening is miserable with the constant drone of them.

I personally believe the negatively impact the hunting in this region for everyone as I think they are one of the reasons the elk have changed habits and migration times.

 

[huntabsarokee]

The only bear I've ever been a party to killing that never got a chance to death load was killed with Barnes ttsx out of a 243 . 300# boar stoned dead . My buddy's kid shot it and swore up and down that he heard no movement after the shot . I was pretty worried we were going to be dealing with a pissed off bear . Nope dead
I'd shoot the ttsx

Did the sxs traffic negatively impact your hunt?

Yes it did that night. Think it was the only night I didn’t see elk. No way the elk would be close to the FS road they often crossed because etge convoy was about mile long. The music was so loud where they parked at the picnic area a mile away there was no way I could hear bugles. Would I go back?? Sure it wasn’t all bad.

 

[LongWayAround]

I don't know... I have been a couple miles up the trail glassing back where I started and seen elk within a couple hundred yards of the SxS bros.

I think the animals get used to them.

 

[wapitibob]

I quit worrying about atv's.
I had WY Bulls bugle at the atv when the partner brought it down the road to haul out my Bull. I've shut off the atv and had Bulls bugle from less than 100 yards away in NM. The last AZ Bull I shot, I bugled while sitting on the atv, he answered at about 100 yards away, I snuck in and shot him at about 10 yards, at 12 noon. Had another group of NM Bulls bugle at the old diesel truck we were driving, from about 50 yards away, that was a bizarre one. Two years ago in AZ the Bulls would bugle before we could get off the atv.

 

[Laramie]

I quit worrying about atv's.
I had WY Bulls bugle at the atv when the partner brought it down the road to haul out my Bull. I've shut off the atv and had Bulls bugle from less than 100 yards away in NM. The last AZ Bull I shot, I bugled while sitting on the atv, he answered at about 100 yards away, I snuck in and shot him at about 10 yards, at 12 noon. Had another group of NM Bulls bugle at the old diesel truck we were driving, from about 50 yards away, that was a bizarre one. Two years ago in AZ the Bulls would bugle before we could get off the atv.

Bulls can get pretty crazy that time of year, I agree. The herds of cows that they follow aren't as forgiving typically.

 

[Undrgrndprdcts]

Seems like this question is relevant enough to this topic. I plan on applying for the general, mostly likely south, and getting put into the random pool since I only have one point at the moment. If we don't want to hunt cows as a second choice, do we just leave second and third blank? Would there be anything else worth applying for in the random pool that could possibly go to second? It seems not.

 

[fmyth]

Seems like this question is relevant enough to this topic. I plan on applying for the general, mostly likely south, and getting put into the random pool since I only have one point at the moment. If we don't want to hunt cows as a second choice, do we just leave second and third blank? Would there be anything else worth applying for in the random pool that could possibly go to second? It seems not.

I would download the WY 2025 draw reports from G&F's website and look them over. You can quickly find the units that had enough tags to draw as a second choice. It's then easy to calculate your odds of drawing that tag as a second choice. Then research those units. I use Gohunt for my research and pay $169 a year for the subscription.

 

[wytx]

I don’t understand how anyone can say “increased non resident pressure” when the number of licenses issued stays the same

I will say that over the past decade I’ve seen a shift from non residents booking outfitted hunts to hunting DIY. The reasons are obvious. Websites like this, television, OnX Maps etc making it easier to hunt on your own.

If I were a resident of Wyoming other hunters whether they are residents or non residents wouldn’t bother me. They don’t matter to me as a non resident either. There is enough elk country in Wyoming to find places to call your own. Both further from the beaten path and as well as lots of overlooked places close to roads. It can get a little busy at the Yankee Doodle Cafe though.

The NR quota statewide was put aside for regional quotas.
I may be wrong but I think there are now more NR hunters for our region than in the past.
I've helped plenty of NRs hunting in our areas, just don't want too many of them since their numbers can be controlled with quotas.
Residents seem to hunt mainly on weekend except for a few dedicated hunters.
We plan for weekday hunts and find less pressure, except for the NR who are there for their week or 10 days.

ATVs have not been an issue, watched many an elk just let them ride on by.
When they stop to bugle from the machine, the elk take notice.

There are more than a few NRs hunters that hunt both rifle and archery seasons, that can be controlled.

 

[wytx]

Seems like this question is relevant enough to this topic. I plan on applying for the general, mostly likely south, and getting put into the random pool since I only have one point at the moment. If we don't want to hunt cows as a second choice, do we just leave second and third blank? Would there be anything else worth applying for in the random pool that could possibly go to second? It seems not.

pm sent

 

[Indian Summer]

The NR quota statewide was put aside for regional quotas.
I may be wrong but I think there are now more NR hunters for our region than in the past.
I've helped plenty of NRs hunting in our areas, just don't want too many of them since their numbers can be controlled with quotas.
Residents seem to hunt mainly on weekend except for a few dedicated hunters.
We plan for weekday hunts and find less pressure, except for the NR who are there for their week or 10 days.

ATVs have not been an issue, watched many an elk just let them ride on by.
When they stop to bugle from the machine, the elk take notice.

There are more than a few NRs hunters that hunt both rifle and archery seasons, that can be controlled.

From that I gather your region is in the east. If so, yes they did increase nonresident licenses by 500. I’m sure that was a change pushed by the outfitters. And if that’s the case, they should have made those additional tags valid on private land only so they didn’t screw public hunters both resident and nonresident.

I experience the same thing as you in the western region with respect to resident hunters hunting mainly on the weekends. I have a strategy for that as well. During the week I hunt the lower elevations that are closer to the road. On Friday morning I hunt low as well but on Friday afternoon I make a move. I put another mile and another thousand feet of elevation between me and the trailhead. I go up to my spike camp and drop off some supplies. Then I hunt up there from Friday evening until at least Monday morning. Not only are there way less hunters if any, but the ones that do show up don’t make it there at first light and don’t stay until dark.

As far as ATVs in the west region, they are only buzzing the main roads. Lots of them that’s for sure, but not an issue as soon as you leave the road. I don’t see or even hear any. I did hunt an area in Montana where there was a forest service road open to motorized travel during archery but gated during rifle. I have been into bugling bulls that went silent as the ATV‘s passed and occasionally stopped and threw out a few bugles. They weren’t falling for that. Once the sound of the four wheeler faded away things got back to normal pretty quickly.

 

[mulecreek]

From that I gather your region is in the east. If so, yes they did increase nonresident licenses by 500. I’m sure that was a change pushed by the outfitters. And if that’s the case, they should have made those additional tags valid on private land only so they didn’t screw public hunters both resident and nonresident.

I experience the same thing as you in the western region with respect to resident hunters hunting mainly on the weekends. I have a strategy for that as well. During the week I hunt the lower elevations that are closer to the road. On Friday morning I hunt low as well but on Friday afternoon I make a move. I put another mile and another thousand feet of elevation between me and the trailhead. I go up to my spike camp and drop off some supplies. Then I hunt up there from Friday evening until at least Monday morning. Not only are there way less hunters if any, but the ones that do show up don’t make it there at first light and don’t stay until dark.

As far as ATVs in the west region, they are only buzzing the main roads. Lots of them that’s for sure, but not an issue as soon as you leave the road. I don’t see or even hear any. I did hunt an area in Montana where there was a forest service road open to motorized travel during archery but gated during rifle. I have been into bugling bulls that went silent as the ATV‘s passed and occasionally stopped and threw out a few bugles. They weren’t falling for that. Once the sound of the four wheeler faded away things got back to normal pretty quickly.

Starting in 2024 the number of NR gen elk hunters increased from the prior year. In every region, including the West and South. 834 more NR Gen elk hunters in 2024 than 2023. This was by design. Prior to 2024 NR Gen elk hunters were on a gradual decrease. Its easy to understand that this would be noticed by resident hunters that for the most part hunt the same Gen Area year after year.

Interestingly enough, I have a very similar strategy as you to deal with the somewhat predictable hunting pressure during the week. I will say that NR hunters are a different breed from the average res hunter. Much more willing to get away from the trailhead or road. Stay longer, hunt longer, go farther, etc.

All this being said, I believe the West region has more than enough elk to provide opportunity for all these hunters, both res and NR. Its not an elk population issue but rather a solitude issue. With the NR increase, you just have to plan differently, hunt different areas, be more flexible and more patient.

As far as SxS's in the West region. They are a non-issue. Few roads and most of them I could drive my wife's car down. Buzz around on a SxS to your hearts content I say.

And finally, YDC is good but Greys Tavern is outstanding. Pastrami burger is a guaranteed winner.

 

[Indian Summer]

Starting in 2024 the number of NR gen elk hunters increased from the prior year. In every region, including the West and South. 834 more NR Gen elk hunters in 2024 than 2023. This was by design. Prior to 2024 NR Gen elk hunters were on a gradual decrease. Its easy to understand that this would be noticed by resident hunters that for the most part hunt the same Gen Area year after year.

Interestingly enough, I have a very similar strategy as you to deal with the somewhat predictable hunting pressure during the week. I will say that NR hunters are a different breed from the average res hunter. Much more willing to get away from the trailhead or road. Stay longer, hunt longer, go farther, etc.

All this being said, I believe the West region has more than enough elk to provide opportunity for all these hunters, both res and NR. Its not an elk population issue but rather a solitude issue. With the NR increase, you just have to plan differently, hunt different areas, be more flexible and more patient.

As far as SxS's in the West region. They are a non-issue. Few roads and most of them I could drive my wife's car down. Buzz around on a SxS to your hearts content I say.

And finally, YDC is good but Greys Tavern is outstanding. Pastrami burger is a guaranteed winner.

Yes it is and a much better crowd than the BMS. Plus I can come out of the hills and pay a few bucks to shower off the stink there!

I agree buzz up and down those roads all day long if you want to!