Looks like there's a few limited quota units I can draw, or possibly draw. I feel like I'm pissin' in the wind by continuing to accumulate points. I've been eyeballing a couple, but with point creep I'm chasing. Anyone been in the same boat and cashed in on some of these "middle of the road" units that don't take max points? How'd your hunt go? I realize there's some decent general units that don't take a decade of point accumulation, but I am where I am. Any advice on some of these units? Cash in or keep banking points? Not looking for a guided hunt.
Non Res Elk 9 Points.. No Man's Land!
- Thread starter BMosh
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highfastflyer
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You are close but a few years out on an area 7 using the Special Draw. If you’ve waited 9 years, a few years more isn’t much. The alternative is find a buddy and go General now and share with him.
Just throw out a random unit number. This guy is not going to stop until someone tells him what unit to apply for. Next post in May will be for secret spot advise...
Put in for unit 24. Or is it 42? Maybe apply for both. Or either. There, did that help?
schoolhousegrizz
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Pm sent
SDBugler
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I wish I had 9! Lots of great unit options with 9 points. I'm at 7 as I burned my max points 8 years ago on a max point unit. I have several options I'm considering this year with my points, but 2 more points would open up many more/better options.
My son has max elk points and he is planning to burn them next year. Our family has several other "guaranteed" hunts planned over the next 5 years so I need to burn my WY elk points this year.
My son has max elk points and he is planning to burn them next year. Our family has several other "guaranteed" hunts planned over the next 5 years so I need to burn my WY elk points this year.
I have 13, that i'll split with you if you have a place to hunt. I'm 2 points behind max, and at 75,and still in good shape, area 16 is a long ways out.
jm77
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Don't do that, you could draw some great units with 13 points.
That's a pretty awesome offer, but I don't think I'd be doing you any favors.. you're in a much better position than I am.
SDBugler
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brdhunter
That is a pretty nice offer!!!! What kind of hunting are you looking for? Archery and/or rifle? Early or late? Grizz or non-grizz units? Lower elevation or more traditional high country experience? Base camp or backpack? Wyoming has a pretty wide selection.
I'm a rifle hunter. i don't have horses, but can ride but would rather hike. If i had horses, i would look at unit 61 or some of the 30 units. but i would need to go with a resident for 61. I can hunt unit 7, but don't have access to private. I can always wait a year or maybe 2, and try for unit 16. Thanks.
SDBugler
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Being a rifle only hunter limits your options a little more. As BuzzH said, you don't need horses in the 30's and 40's bighorn units. If you are really want to hunt in 61 but don't have a resident friend to go with, then why not hold out for 62 or 63 right next door to 61? They have a little more elbow room outside the wilderness than 61. You might have to wait a year or two and hope the point creep goes down a point though.
Thanks for the advise,
baerman
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Same boat. I have 10 points and it seems that with all the talk of going 90/10, everyone is choosing to hunt now. Many of the units I'm tracking actually saw a point increase of more than one point. Meaning I'm going backwards. I've considered grabbing someone who knows a general unit to share points with to gain first hand knowledge of some areas and just hunt.
BuzzH
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Its more than 90/10 phobia that is driving this. Travel restrictions have people waiting on other hunts they would normally do and forgoing hunts in the US. With other plans on hold, they're burning points to hunt in the States.
I think a smart play might be to keep your powder dry, and points in your pocket, for a couple years and see what happens.
I bet there may be a reversal in point creep for some areas.
U think so? I hope your right! I have 9 pts as well and really don’t see anything I’m dying to draw
With 9 points, you will never get a better unit in the future that you can’t draw now. So many people sitting on so many points. Some guy above mentioned waiting a few years until you can draw unit 7. Bad advice. You will never get to unit 7. It will just dangle 2 to 4 points out of reach year after year. Hunt now. Then you can start building points to draw a general tag every 3-4 years after that. I’d look at unit 23 if I was you and was sitting on 9 points.
highfastflyer
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You’re not accounting for the dramatic increases in elk licenses and the herds continue to expand. Ever increasing herds far above objective with ever expanding numbers of elk licenses are the one bright spot we have currently in Wyoming hunting. These are the good ole days when it comes to elk hunting. I think you’ll be just fine with an area 7 license in 3 to 4 years. Many of those top point holders are sitting on them for when they retire and have a whole month they can go hunt, Many are in their 50s and will wait another decade for that OIL opportunity and won’t look at the areas now requiring 11 points. Time will tell. This article sums up that growth. https://wyofile.com/wyo-game-and-fish-issues-2k-new-elk-tags-as-herds-exceed-goals/
highfastflyer
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They also added 350 Type 2 permits. Lots of youth hunters shot some very nice bulls with those permits and they were quite easy to obtain as it went undersubscribed in the initial draw. Cow tag numbers also increased and some guys burned points on Type 4 licenses. It all adds up.
tracker12
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I would pick a unit and hunt now. I cashed in for a Bighorn archery elk hunt 5 years ago so I now have 4 points. At 70 in SEP I am in truly in "no mans land". I'm not taking any chances and am going unit 37 archery this year so I can elk hunt. I love it in the mountains in SEP and will enjoy it anywhere except and OTC in CO. loI I have elk antlers in the basement, garage and shed. What I don't have is a lot of years left to elk hunt.
To be honest at 75 I would either look for a guide or find a guy with knowledge and experience to share a hunt with.
To be honest at 75 I would either look for a guide or find a guy with knowledge and experience to share a hunt with.
Unit 7-1 took 9 points in 2017, <10 points in 2018, <11 points in 2019, <11 in 2020, and <12 in 2021. If you have 9 points now for 2022, it will be many many years before you ever catch up and draw and if you want to be realistic about it, you probably never will. Look for the best unit you can find now that took 8 points last year. Adjust for the one point point creep per year and apply for it. In general, units that took 8 points last year will take 9 this year. Yes, there are always exceptions if you want to try and play that game but good luck at that.
brushcreek
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What does "averaging current point holders" mean?
highfastflyer
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Your buddy has 10 points, you have zero, you apply together so your average is 5.
highfastflyer
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It depends upon whether or not the resource is growing. If the area has 10% more licenses being offered every other year or so as we have in many Elk areas it won’t be as drastic of a point creep increase. Many of those point holders are treating their points like a OIL time hunt and have no intention of using their points for a decade or more. There are some people who also recognize this and apply in areas which aren’t publicly broadcast and find hidden gems and nuggets. Go ask the guy who drew a NR moose license last year with 7 PP. With certain species like Moose and Sheep we‘re in a continuous downward spiral but Elk is the one bright spot in Wyoming and the resource is growing, unfortunately popular areas get broadcast by social media and hunt magazines and hunter services are just exacerbating the problem.
tracker12
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If the question is to my post I'm not sure. He was saying it was how NV does it. He was not referring to two hunters averaging there points.
SDBugler
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Wyoming already does this.
highfastflyer
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That’s why I explained it as he asked what it was…….
brushcreek
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yes Wyoming already does this that is why I asked for clarification
Iowan
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9 points in Wyoming as a non-resident for elk is anything but no man's land. I am 51 and burned my elk points in Wyoming last year. Thank goodness I have points for many species in many states - I am using them over the next 10 years. If you have other hunting options for the next two to three years I would keep building WY elk but not much longer than that if it were me and depending on what other hunting options you have. 9 points is far superior to my 14 elk points in Utah or 14 elk points in CO. I would give you my 14 CO elk points in one second for your 9 elk points in WY. I will say that it is hard to imagine WY elk hunting will get any better than it is right now - things can change so do not assume it will last forever. Good luck.
hatchetjack
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I’m in with 9 for area 7 , all I can do is try for the random
desperatehills
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Speaking of point creep, I wonder if Wyoming has considered splitting the bow seasons out of the rifle season. They have done this in the bighorns and around Cody. I wonder if they would consider doing it in the 30's, 100, 124, etc. I am one under max and would burn my points on a archery only tag in a unit that currently takes max points if I had the option. Just food for thought.
jm77
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When this idea came up at the Task Force a famous MM member agreed with the "choose your weapon" type elk seasons if every other year rifle hunters were allowed to rut hunt and archers got the later season.
Haven't heard this idea brought up since.
Thanks BuzzH
Bookhead
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I like type 9's wish there were more of em if they did it right there would be less hunters in the woods in rifle season too. There are several rifle elk seasons that open oct 1st that's a rut hunt. Also all the rifle cow seasons open in the middle of bow season is a joke
jm77
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They won't do it right. They will just leave type 1 the same and add the archery tags. That not only puts more pressure on the bull elk, it causes higher density of hunters in rifle season.
Sometimes we need to just leave well enough alone and not push to be more like Utah or Arizona when it comes to season structures. We have some pretty awesome general tag hunts that many don't take advantage of. Some big bulls being killed every year.
Bookhead
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I will say you know better then me about what they would likely do and I'm fine with the way it is but it would be nice to get a good tag easier with a type 9 is all I thought.
wweaver79
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Put for a type 9 in the NW with rifle cow on private during same time, not thrilled about that at all. We will see I guess.
Zim
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I’m in the same boat with 8. After drawing 38-9 some years ago had been trying to talk my hunting buddy into switching to generals since then. But my main rational was establishing a “go to” state for a dependable cycle where I could have a decent hunt on a regular basis. Also, tired of getting my points watered down in so many states. I think NR point holders in WY are just sitting ducks with their NR quotas. And I’m not interested in getting left holding the bag yet again. We both have sons in nearby CO now so formulated a point splitting plan. He will split his points with his son this year and go general. (I’ll burn my CO points) Then next year we’ll split my points and do general. He has unit tips from a friend who did very well last year on a general. So I’ll have some intel next year.
This is the strategy I picked. But I’ve been on a lot of hunts and already taken many big ones. I like the idea of learning an area I can return to, and visiting my son & granddaughters sooner rather than who knows when. My job affords me a lot of time & freedom to extend hunts and learn areas. On top of all this, I like challenges and have done very well in the past in low to mid tier units. I just need a place where they don’t totally clam up due to over-pressure, and I’m good.
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Zim
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Godawful, that’s exactly the degree of challenge I want to avoid. Besides that way overpriced. One day there were no less than 6 trucks parked at our first TH. Elk cleared out of the entire drainage. However, it was a good learning experience that made it easy to steer clear of their point system and avoid what has now become a NR joke fiasco. ? So I don’t regret it.
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elks96
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It will be a long time coming before I and most everyone I know would support a choose your weapon set up in WY. I do see a time in the future when we might have to go that way, but I hope it will be the very last resort. There is a ton of other things we can change before we reach that point.
Wyoming Hunting Guides & Outfitters
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We focus on trophy elk, mule deer, antelope and moose hunts and take B&C bucks most years.
