Wyoming general elk

Jq23

Active Member
Messages
144
I'm just curious why wyoming doesn't split up their general season by weapons. Why don't they have archery only hunts and muzzle loader only hunts? Seems like they could bring in alot more money if they did this. Archery isn't a high success hunt so I don't think it would hurt the elk population. Same with their general deer hunts, have an archery only season for 2 weeks before the rifle hunt opens. Seems to me they're missing out on alot of revenue. Maybe I'm missing something. Any thoughts?
 
While different then other states like Utah, most Wyoming bull tags allow you to hunt both archery and rifle. And unlike say a general season Utah tag for archery, muzzleloader or rifle...you are normally always successful in getting an elk in Wyoming if you have the time and know how to hunt...the question I think should be reversed...Wyoming general season elk is the example others should follow and Utah needs to quit pimping maximum tags for maximum opportunity with very little harvest success. If additional money is needed for any fish and game the solution is raise tag prices across the board not adding more tags.
 
I'm not from Wyoming and have only hunted there twice but my guess would be because they are trying to give their residence a ton of hunting opportunity with all weapons. They still have the limited population in the state to make this work and the few Non Res tags that are given out simply have to follow suite. If I was an Wyoming resident I would be all for this.
 
I'm talking more about non residents. I'm not saying give more tags out. For example, I think they give 400 non residents tags in region G, why not take 50 of those tags and make archery only. Same with non resident elk. Take a certain percentage from the tags that are given to non residents and make them archery only but also still have the option to put in for the archery/rifle hunt.
This way archery hunters can just apply for and archery only tag and the guys who want the rifle tag can apply for the regular tag.
I'm just curious to know why they haven't done this.
 
How does doing that generate more revenue for Wyoming if it is the same # of tags, just split between weapon types?
 
Your original comment says this would create more revenue then Your latest comment says to keep overall tag numbers the same but split up the season? So exactly how does this create more revenue? There have been a few go down this path and most are just wanting better draw odds due to primitive weapons. It has been met by most residents and non residents with resistance including myself. Leave well enough alone and enjoy an opportunity to hunt a lengthy season. Probably should post this in the Wyoming forum.
 
You guys are right about the revenue. In my head I was thinking eventually they could give out more archery only tags because the success percentage is only like 10 to 15 percent. I'm not trying to start an argument just wondering if they have ever considered this and if so what was their reasoning for not doing it.
 
Jq23,
I like the theory behind your suggestion, just wasn?t following how it would generate more revenue in the way you proposed it.

Wyoming definitely could separate archery and rifle tags and raise the overall # of archery tags given lower success rates (thus increasing overall revenue) . I wish they, and other states (especially Utah) would be more creative or thoughtful in this way.

Utah could do a lot to change for the better, but a big start would be to cut out all but a few conservation/auction tags for all species, and move the LE rifle elk tags out of the middle of the rut to a mid-October timeframe (and maybe cut out or decrease late rifle elk hunts which hammer bulls on most units). That change alone would allow for a net increase of LE elk tags across all weapon types due to lower harvest success rates. This is a No brainer in my mind, but Utah is always run by the special interest group that can feed the hand best ??
 
I guess I'll step in it first. We don't want to choose your weapon. We like being able to hunt archery and rifle.
I believe that if NR were forced to choose their weapon it would lead to the same for residents, eventually.
Some, or most perhaps, residents don't even like the few type 9 tags forced in some areas that take away archery hunting from type 1 tags.
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-20-19 AT 08:24PM (MST)[p]IMO, I think that the way Wyoming does things with elk is pretty tough to beat.

I think that Wyoming separates itself from other states with the ability for one hunter to hunt both the archery and rifle season. That makes the WY tag way more desirable than say an OTC archery tag in Colorado where you're limited to archery only.

When a person spends north of $600 for an elk tag, I think the value Wyoming offers in both quality and the length of season is well worth it over other states.

Another thing to consider, is that if you go to an archery only tag and give out more of them, there will be crowding issues. Also, every single person that has an archery only tag WILL hunt during the archery season. As it is now, many of the people that draw tags will only rifle hunt. Meaning that there will be a better quality hunt in both seasons since some will archery hunt only, some will rifle hunt only, and a few will do both.

Another thing with forcing more hunters into the archery season is that elk will get pushed from the increase in pressure and harbor up earlier and earlier.

The smart move is to just leave well enough alone and enjoy the flexibility of being able to, if you choose, hunt a nice long season for archery and return with a rifle if you want later.

Seems like wayyyy more upside for the hunters that draw the tag to be able to hunt both, than possibly putting more hunters in the field and make them choose a weapon.

The idea of archery only tags has been tried and largely stomped every time its been suggested. Lots of opposition to it here.
 
I have had some amazing times hunting elk in Wyoming with both bow & rifle, so I would probably side with keeping things the way they are now from a selfish standpoint. It is nice to have the option to hunt both weapon types & it does cut down on crowding during the archery hunt.
 
> Seems to me they're
>missing out on alot of
>revenue. Maybe I'm missing something.
> Any thoughts?

Wait, I thought we were suppose to complain about G&F departments only caring about money. Now we are suppose to advocate for them to think more about money. It so hard to keep up with what we are suppose to complain about. Imagine if you worked for the G&F?

No matter how you divide those NR gen tags up, archery, muzzleloader, rifle or all three combined you are still only going to have around 4500 NR gen licenses in any given year. With the 7250 quota then the issuance of about 2750 full price LQ tags you end up with 4500 NR gen tags. If you want to carve up 1/3 to archery, 1/3 to muzzy and 1/3 to rifle you still only get 4500 total tags. No revenue is being lost on the current system of letting people hunt archery and rifle under the same tag. You segregate archery only tags and your odds of drawing will not increase. Same number of tags no matter how the animal is to be killed.

For the life of me I cannot see why people want to tinker with the current way Wyo is managing it's elk hunting. By every measure it is a success. No other state has the combination of opportunity, trophy quality, access, hunter density, B:C ratio and overall quality of experience that Wyo does. There is a reason why more and more people want to come to Wyoming to hunt elk. There is a reason why Wyo can charge $1,268 for a NR Gen license and have demand exceed supply. Wyo elk is a success by every measure. Why tinker with what has worked so well?
 
Wyoming already has separate archery and rifle seasons on a number of units. They offer it all for the taking. Just pick and choose where when and what weapon and they have it. As for muzzleloader, they are just rifles these days anyway and are great for rifle seasons :)

Cheers, Pete
 
>
>> Seems to me they're
>>missing out on alot of
>>revenue. Maybe I'm missing something.
>> Any thoughts?
>
>Wait, I thought we were suppose
>to complain about G&F departments
>only caring about money.
>Now we are suppose to
>advocate for them to think
>more about money. It
>so hard to keep up
>with what we are suppose
>to complain about. Imagine
>if you worked for the
>G&F?
>
>No matter how you divide those
>NR gen tags up, archery,
>muzzleloader, rifle or all three
>combined you are still only
>going to have around 4500
>NR gen licenses in any
>given year. With the
>7250 quota then the issuance
>of about 2750 full price
>LQ tags you end up
>with 4500 NR gen tags.
> If you want to
>carve up 1/3 to archery,
>1/3 to muzzy and 1/3
>to rifle you still only
>get 4500 total tags.
>No revenue is being lost
>on the current system of
>letting people hunt archery and
>rifle under the same tag.
> You segregate archery only
>tags and your odds of
>drawing will not increase.
>Same number of tags no
>matter how the animal is
>to be killed.
>
>For the life of me I
>cannot see why people want
>to tinker with the current
>way Wyo is managing it's
>elk hunting. By every
>measure it is a success.
> No other state has
>the combination of opportunity, trophy
>quality, access, hunter density, B:C
>ratio and overall quality of
>experience that Wyo does.
>There is a reason why
>more and more people want
>to come to Wyoming to
>hunt elk. There is
>a reason why Wyo can
>charge $1,268 for a NR
>Gen license and have demand
>exceed supply. Wyo elk
>is a success by every
>measure. Why tinker with
>what has worked so well?
>


?? ☝️☝️☝️
Very well said!!
 

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