Wyoming G n H???

southslope82 · Sep 30, 2012

I have been doinga little homework for next years hunts and am undecided on the two regions. I realize G is a little harder to draw but not by much and the H probably has a little more wilderness to it. But I want to do one or the other.
What are some of the differences between the two areas?
Is Quanity or Quality a noticable difference?
I would like to hear some thoughts on either of the two areas maybe things to take into consideration, I might not be aware of.
How was hunting for either of the two areas this year?
Thanks for any help

elks96 · Sep 30, 2012

Well if it is designated wilderness, then I believe you have to have guide as a nonresident. So consider that.

wyobackcountry · Sep 30, 2012

If you can scout throughout the summer than flip a coin and and run with it.
At the check station at the mouth of the Greys (which sees both G and H deer), game and fish has a photo album of some of the bucks that have been pulled out of there this fall. This year has been one of the better years in recent memory as far as age of bucks goes. The winter kill we had a few years ago killed off a lot of young and old bucks but left the healthy middle aged bucks. We saw less deer than normal this year but what we did see were healthier bucks with a more mature age class. I would guess that next year will be similar to this year.
I can't wait to chase those high country bucks again!

jarheadhunter · Oct 1, 2012

>Well if it is designated wilderness,
>then I believe you have
>to have guide as a
>nonresident. So consider that.

I hunted H a few years back and my step dad is a resident of WY. If you have family or friends that are residents there they can go into the G&F office and pay 10$ I think it was for a paper that says they are your guide. They do have to be hunting with you though.

CATMAN · Oct 1, 2012

wyobackcountry
You need a hunting buddy?

southslope82 · Oct 1, 2012

Thanks guys. Just strictly out of curiosity what is a non resident being caught on wilderness with out a guide or resident looking at as far as punishment? I Guess I can go scout a wilderness area and see if I want to hunt it correct? Then maybe look into getting a guide or a resident to come with to actually hunt.
I know that the whole non res in the wilderness is beating a dead horse on MM but yeah sounds messed up to me.

shepherd · Oct 1, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Oct-01-12 AT 06:32PM (MST)[p]Oh no. It is much too dangerous to hunt a wilderness area if you are a non resident. That is the only explanation I can think of. Wait,............................. never mind.
Seriously though, that sounds like a good plan if you have the time. Scout the wilderness and if you find something good, go for it.

larrbo · Oct 1, 2012

I have hunted both units 3 times each as a non-resident. They both offer some great hunting for deer and elk. I really enjoyed the remote camps I stayed in H.

wyobackcountry · Oct 1, 2012

Not sure of the non res in a wilderness repercussions... But I've NEVER seen/talked to a game warden in the hills while deer/elk hunting and I have also NEVER been asked if I was a resident or not.

Obviously the law is in place because grizzlies and wolves only feed on unguided non residents. That and all non residents are city slickers and wouldn't be able to figure out which end of a match to light if their lives depended on it.

Gator · Oct 2, 2012

True story, LOL
But NR fisherman aren't so stupid. LOL

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

southslope82 · Oct 2, 2012

So other than being completely different regions what would you guys say the main differences are between G and H?

ForkWest · Oct 2, 2012

There's a reason why G is harder to draw than H...its better. You'll have a lot more options in G. Way more mountain to cover and the season runs a little longer on the far southern unit of G. There is some good H country that is not wilderness, but just a fraction of what available in G. I can tell you from experience, that H gets crowded, even miles into the backcountry. Also consider, you'll likely be paying over $500 for a deer tag next year. For that price you might as well hold out and hunt G.

halfassed · Oct 5, 2012

Unbelievable that Wyoming game and fish would have laws restricting the American public from enjoying Our National Forest. Unless they pay an outfitter $5000.

piper · Oct 6, 2012

you can enjoy your national forest wilderness in Wyoming all you want, except you can't hunt big game on your own.
Its selfish I know but I like the law because it restricts nonresidents, WGF gives an awfully high percentage of tags to nonresidents and they hammer things as it is, if they could hunt every area Im afraid there wouldn't be much of anyplace that didn't get excess pressure on the high country deer.

mmwb · Oct 6, 2012

"Unbelievable that Wyoming game and fish would have laws restricting the American public from enjoying Our National Forest. Unless they pay an outfitter $5000. "

That restriction is per statute 23-2-401, so it is courtesy of the legislature, not the Game and Fish. They have the job of enforcing it, but did not create it. It was no doubt a piece of legislature passed with strong influence from the outfitters' association. Most of us residents think it is bogus as well.

Triple_BB · Oct 6, 2012

I know a lot of residents who appreciate the law as do I. If the legislature didn't do it this way, then I'd support doing it like they do in Colorado and some other states where they severely limit non resi tags for certain areas or just don't give any out at all depending on the species. And yet you never hear folks beeatching about those situations...

nripepi · Oct 8, 2012

Could you please name the state or area in CO you are talking about? Colorado is set on the percentage of tags that go to non-resis throughout all of their units (high country, late rut...). If it takes more than 5 points to draw, then 20% of the tags go to non-resis. If it takes less than 5 points, then that percentage is 40%. They do not have specific units that are just for residents, pretty positive on that.

Wyoming should allow a certain percentage of tags to non-residents for all areas including wilderness area. What that percentage is is up for debate, somewhere btwn 10-40%. If they want to go the high-demand route like Colorado, I think that is okay as long as it is fair (not 1% or something crazy like that).

The wilderness rule is pretty much B.S. and perhaps actually illegal if challenged. I can go and hunt coyotes (can I hunt wolves now?) in the wilderness and no one can stop me. Weird.

piper · Oct 8, 2012

In Colorado iIts up to 20% percent of tags, not a flat 20% and that makes a difference. In Wyoming nonresidents get 25% of sheep tags by law, what percentage does Colorado give?

The wilderness rule has been challenged in court a couple of times, go for it if you like? and remember if nonresidents harvest an animal in a wilderness area without a guide it is an illegally taken animal, something to think about.

Triple_BB · Oct 8, 2012

Piper is correct. While yer at it, go look at Colorado's sheep, mtn goat and moose units. A number of them depending on the year don't give out non resi tags or severely limits the number of tags. You ever look at the percentages of deer/elk tags given out to non resi's in New Mexico or Nevada? In Wyoming last year, deer area 144 they had 597 resident hunters and 285 non resi's. Let's set the non resi quota based on the number of resi hunters at 10%. 60 non resi tags sounds good plus I'll bet quality improves significantly since non resi's shot almost as many deer as the residents. I'll take a 10% non resi quota for everything; sheep, moose, etc., in exchange for getting rid of the wilderness guide law...