Wyoming Attrition Rate: Non-Resident Moose/Sheep

[crcountry]

Hello All:

So I don't have to keep saving/printing all of the preference point totals.....what is the percent of Non-resident preference point holders who drop out of the system every year for Moose and sheep?

5%?....10%?....

I have 14 points for Moose/Sheep: I can't help but notice that I have 2500 people ahead of me for Sheep and 3089 for Moose....but I'm not stopping. I will hunt sheep and moose in WY!....I hope before I die.

I'm 47 and ready for the next 20+ years of backcountry adventures.....
Thanks
Chris

 

[mmwb]

I don't know if G&F tracks attrition. As a resident, I dropped out of the points game with sheep. At present rate I'll be 78 before I might get drawn and the rate my joints are wearing down, it is unlikely I could pull off that kind of hunt. Not the age, just the mileage. I don't mind, though have heard bighorn is tasty and would've liked to try it. Hopefully some of us backing out increases the odds for others to draw sooner.

 

[LivingTheDream]

Its about 5%, the higher you go though the less that drop out. I keep spreadsheets tracking it year over year.

 

[BuzzH]

There's around 200 sheep tags issued a year, around 400 moose tags...so you lose that many, a majority in the upper point pools and in the preference end of the draw. Depends if you're a resident or non-resident. With only 40 sheep tags going to the NR point holders in front of you...and with over 2000 in front of you...that math doesn't pencil out that you'll for sure draw from the preference pool. Assuming nobody in front of you drops out...and you're the unluckiest of the lot, 50+ years to draw. That also doesn't include all the applicants in your point pool either.

Trying to guess when you will draw depends a lot on how many tags are issued. The trend since the 70's has been less and less permits for both species. In the case of sheep, licenses have declined by about half from 400 to 200...moose from 2000 to about 400 a year.

For all kinds of reasons, habitat loss, habitat degradation, development, disease, predators, etc. I wouldn't be hopeful to see things improve for sheep and moose in the next 20 years all that much. Hope I'm wrong.

Another thing is the hunting success rates on both species have increased over time. Long range shooting, better equipment, better optics, etc. etc. means high success and less total tags issued.

Combine that with more people having easy access to sending in applications via the internet, putting hunting as a higher priority on the list, ability to travel easier...attrition really isn't going to help you all that much.

 

[Packout]

Couple what Buzz said with the talk of reducing nonresident quotas to 10% and you will see almost impossible odds of drawing for guys sitting in no man's land with respect to points.
And what will hunting look like in 25 years? The cost will go up and the opportunities will most likely diminish. Just thinking about it long term.

 

[DH56]

I have 18 Moose Pref points in Wyoming. Most likely won't ever draw the unit I want to hunt in and will try for another unit soon that I may draw since I retire next summer. I want to try and have an opportunity and make an attempt to hunt a Shiras Moose before my days are over and hopefully end up with a nice Bull, if I am fortunate to draw a tag, Time is against me, but we will see how it plays out the next few years.

 

[Millsworks]

Canada moose and sheep hunts look better and better every year, huh?

 

[crcountry]

So....I'm guessing the 10% idea won't stick due to the outfitters association fighting to retain a high volume of NR hunters...But what is the solution?....I think it can only be to initiate a bonus point structure and completely eliminate the preference point debacle altogether. That goes for CO, CA, OR, and I believe WA.

 

[crcountry]

Canada Bighorn hunt?....$30k now. WY scenario: 40 years at $150 a year for PP's is $6k, plus $5k tag, plus $10k for outfitter. It is very close isn't it!

 

[crcountry]

Shiras Moose landowner tag in UT? $15,000??

 

[WapitiBob]

OR doesn't have points for any OIL species, never has.

 

[wytex]

Canada Bighorn hunt?....$30k now. WY scenario: 40 years at $150 a year for PP's is $6k, plus $5k tag, plus $10k for outfitter. It is very close isn't it!

No need for the outfitter part.

 

[Katoom]

I have started and dropped out twice... So clearly I am twice as bad at math as the average NR. There was almost no hope the first time, and less than no hope the second. With the mandatory PP fee, WY is off my list for those species, wish it was all random draw at this point with so few tags but that would just screw those in it already.

 

[DeerHunter53]

I gave up this year I will never draw in my lifetime so no sense in sending $150 a year just to dream about it.
I wanted to hunt Moose one time in my life it may have to be in Canada either way I am sending that money to another state with better odds of drawing a tag