Wyoming

Sickforit23

New member
Jul 25, 2016
41
Looking for a little advice on wyoming units. I've been doing a ton of research on Wyoming with hopes of drawing a tag this year. I'll be going with my father and unfortunately we have no preference points but we're hoping to draw a general tag. I'm having trouble narrowing down possible units that we'd be able to hunt that would be away from wilderness areas as we'd like to stick with our usual DIY hunt.


I've purchased a GoHunt subscription that i've been using for the past month and also have been searching forums, using google maps and ONX and scouring the web elsewhere for ideas advice.

Anybody willing to share any advice or info on tips for figuring out wyoming would be greatly appreciated! I know its a long shot for wyoming and we do have Montana as our back up and i've got a bunch of units picked out in MT BUT we'd love to hunt wyoming.


Thanks
 
Sorry, but you dont have a chance to draw a General tag with 0 PPs.


This year its gonna take 2.5 PPs to get a General tag


 
But...


If you're really set on hunting WY with 0 PPs, there are LOTS of units that you can draw a RP [Reduced Price] cow/calf tag
 
My info is dated by 3 years, but I had a good hunt in both 21 and 13.  Saw a lot of elk....and lot's of hunters....research said that they were way over population objective at that time, but you'd want to do much more research.  Bulls we saw were anywhere from spikes to small five's.
 
Mind if I interject here and ask how you find out the units that have the RP tags and draw odds for those?


My mind is a bit fried and I should have made better notes. New to the Western draw and systems and figuring it out. The thought of enjoying a cow hunt and having good meat is looking better and better (even though I'd be lying if having at least 1 set of beautiful antlers to enjoy wasn't appealing).


Thanks!
 
MOmanJ-
Like i stated in my original post i bit the bullet and purchased a GOhunt subscription and for me it has been worth every penny. They recently just came out with a Cow elk filter system too to help narrow down units that have the high success rates.


I know a lot of guys use toprut as well. These sites certainly aren't for everyone but they've really helped me narrow down units.

 
sickforit23  i to have been subscribed to the go hunt program for the last year. im also looking at wyoming general tags and have been planning a hunt for the last year and im curious what data you found saying that your gonna draw a general tag with zero points? always have a chance i know but my research has shown me that its taking 2 points just to draw the general and via several emails with gohunt staff , point creep for that particular tag will be a future problem.  not trying to rain on your parade of plans, just in the same boat.  my group and i got in on the bonus point application last year that ended oct 31  we all now have one point..
 
and i agree completely on your opinion of gohunt  ha you should have waited and bought your membership during expo and trade show times tho  they always have cool incentives  $50 elk101 gift cards and such!!  if i may advise emailing Trail at gohunt for deeper info. he'll give basic "in the right direction stuff"  hard uphill hike trying to get info out of guys on specific units here or anywhere.. actually kinda offensive to ask  in my very humble opinion
 
Anyone has a "chance" in wyoming with how their draw system is set up. They set aside 25% of the tags for a random draw regardless of preference points. Yeah it's a long shot but that's one of the pro's from a new elk hunter's standpoint when you're looking at Wyoming, they give everyone a chance, even though small, it's still a chance.


We have a friend of ours that is a resident of wyoming and a pretty avid elk hunter so we're having conversations with him about possibly teaming up together to be able to hunt the wilderness areas which would significantly increase our possible huntable units.
Yeah, i agree that it's hard to get info out of guys and people obviously have the right to keep that information to themselves but at the end of the day we're all out there trying to do the same thing, enjoy the god given land that we're lucky enough to hunt and chase an animal that is one of the most challenging and exciting experiences a person can have.


sorry if i stepped on any toes, wasn't at all the intent.
 
Remember - your resident WY friend can act as your 'guide' in wilderness areas, but he is limited to only taking 2 people.


Also
Wyoming allows 'combining' PPs for NonRes applying as a group, if you know someone that has 2 PPs, and you have 0, your average will be 1.
Not much help, but it helps some
 
[quote author=MOmanJ My mind is a bit fried.  I should have made better notes. New to the Western draw and systems and figuring it out.



LOL 


  It gets worse when you've finally got some points banked in several states and try to figure how to not draw two or more in the same year. now add in trying to add an antelope, mulie and moose hunt somewhere. 


i consider it self inflicted madness.
 
Bob Frapples said:
[quote author=MOmanJ My mind is a bit fried.  I should have made better notes. New to the Western draw and systems and figuring it out.



LOL 


  It gets worse when you've finally got some points banked in several states and try to figure how to not draw two or more in the same year. now add in trying to add an antelope, mulie and moose hunt somewhere. 


i consider it self inflicted madness.




Yup, it certainly gets tough. But you always have the option to hunt somewhere! I think Im just cashing my points in Wyoming this year. I came to to the conclusion that I dont want to chase the creep for the next (however many years) to only hunt once. General tag should be a good time. I have the option to buy points in Montana and ND. North Dakota is now allowing people to just buy points and opt out of the drawing. Helps me with 6 points (going for badlands rifle mule deer) and to build for another year or two. When I decide to pull that tag I might not make a trip out west. Makes for easier planning in some cases.
 
questions for Wyoming application.
For those of you who apply, do you purchase the conservation stamp? Is it required?
Also, if you know you will draw the general, do you suggest buying the archery stamp?
 
my understanding is that the conservation stamp is required in order to hunt big game in wyoming.

Archery Stamp all depends on if you want to hunt the early archery season. If you do, you must purchase the archery stamp in order to do so. Also, the Archery stamp took a hike in price this year, used to be $30, now is $75.
 
BrentLaBere said:
questions for Wyoming application.
For those of you who apply, do you purchase the conservation stamp? Is it required?
Also, if you know you will draw the general, do you suggest buying the archery stamp?




1- Yes its required - There is a box to select on the application to be charged your Conservation Stamp if you're successful in the draw. Thats an easy decision for me


2- Id wait to buy your archery license anytime before you go - $70  - Just in case...
 
Thanks guys, basically what I was assuming.
Should be a lock in the draw, but youre right, you never know. No reason to buy it ahead of time for the archery stamp.
Ive ran through the draw process a couple different times now and it seems easy enough
 
In all my research of units and over the past couple years i've had good luck picking out units that we've been able to see a lot of elk in but once i get to the unit that i like, i have a hard time figuring out the proper tactics to narrow down specific hunt areas within those units.

What strategies or tactics (do you focus mostly on finding north facing slopes, drainages, changes in elevation or specific topography?) do you guys use to narrow down specific areas within a unit and how many different areas do you usually have picked out in a unit? I've heard some guys say 5, some say 10, i've even heard some say upwards of 15?


If this helps, i'm an archery hunter so i am only trying to pinpoint areas that look like good archery areas.



 
Sickforit23 said:
In all my research of units and over the past couple years i've had good luck picking out units that we've been able to see a lot of elk in but once i get to the unit that i like, i have a hard time figuring out the proper tactics to narrow down specific hunt areas within those units.

What strategies or tactics (do you focus mostly on finding north facing slopes, drainages, changes in elevation or specific topography?) do you guys use to narrow down specific areas within a unit and how many different areas do you usually have picked out in a unit? I've heard some guys say 5, some say 10, i've even heard some say upwards of 15?


If this helps, i'm an archery hunter so i am only trying to pinpoint areas that look like good archery areas.

For my hunts I typically have 3 larger areas that I would focus on if need be. However this is not an OTC area. So I can see where people may have many more spots.
I guess it comes down to the person your speaking to and their definition of a spot.

In one way I hunt 1 larger area, but I also break that 1 larger area into 3 smaller areas, but in the 1 area, broken into 3 areas, I have numerous spots.

Clear as mud? Lol

I would just say don't overwhelm yourself. Simple can be smart.
Personally I think if you picked 3-5 solid areas you'd be able to devote enough time to get a good idea on them.
 

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