Hunting party tags through an outfitter

Swimmer

New Member
May 20, 2017
7
0
Iowa
In Wyoming, if an Outfitter sends in a "Hunting party" of 4 tags to the DNR, is it about a 100% chance of drawing?
This would be "all 4 draw or none draw" deal. I can't believe the DNR would not guarantee an Outfitter these tags, as it would put a real bind in his income and filling in dates lost in late June. Any response to this question? Hope this question is clear enough. I'm waiting to see if my 4 tags (3 sons/self) get filled. Lots of $ involved.
Thanks in advance.
 

ScottR

Eastmans' Staff / Moderator
Staff member
Feb 3, 2014
7,922
2,827
www.eastmans.com
Lots of variables, biggest being the unit and point requirement to draw.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

JimP

Administrator
Mar 28, 2016
7,316
8,696
72
Gypsum, Co
Outfitters also have access to landowner tags where for some extra money they will get you a tag.

But it is also like Scott said it also depends on if there are a number of points that are required to draw.

I'd talk to the outfitter and see what is going on.
 

go_deep

Veteran member
Nov 30, 2014
2,650
1,984
Wyoming
There's no guarantees in life. Jump on the G&F site and look at draw odds for the unit you put in for. Give you an idea if you should draw or not.
 

wy-tex

Veteran member
May 2, 2016
1,064
347
SE Wyoming
Landowner tags can not be transferred in Wyoming and outfitters do not get any preference in drawing tags. A party app is a party app regardless of whether an outfitter is involved. No outfitter can really guarantee a tag, in Wyoming, but they can outfit in areas that tags are almost a guarantee due to drawing odds. The outfitter should be upfront in telling you the drawing odds for your party based on last years draw. Be prepared that those odds can vary from year to year.
The state of Wyoming is under no obligation to guarantee an outfitter his income.
 

480/277

Very Active Member
Feb 23, 2013
629
1
Hunting with an outfitter should not give you an edge over anyone else. Just my .02
 

fackelberry

Active Member
Aug 27, 2013
276
4
Wyoming
What WY-TEX said! You have to be a first blood relative to the land owner to get the landowner tag, like dad, mom, brother, sister or your wife. Alot depends on your preference points for the unit you are applying, tag quotas and if more or less people apply for that one unit. Remember too that your party of 4 gets assigned 1 number into the draw, and if it gets selected you 4 will all get tags. You don't have 4 seperate chances to draw as alot of people might think. And ya it's not the States responsibility to provide opportunity to outfitters for their income! If that was the case we all would be outfitters. Good luck in the draw.
 

Zim

Very Active Member
Feb 28, 2011
738
67
LaPorte, IN
Ya there's no shortage of outfitter welfare in Wyoming. Second most auction tags in the US next to Utah. Where do you think those bidders end up? Also illegal preferred campsite rights on federal wilderness areas where average Joe is prohibited from driving. Seen this many times.
 

BuzzH

Very Active Member
Apr 15, 2015
909
952
Ya there's no shortage of outfitter welfare in Wyoming. Second most auction tags in the US next to Utah. Where do you think those bidders end up? Also illegal preferred campsite rights on federal wilderness areas where average Joe is prohibited from driving. Seen this many times.
Not true...CO, NV, and NM have more set asides than WY.
 

BuzzH

Very Active Member
Apr 15, 2015
909
952
Does it matter how, or by whom, the tags are sold to the highest bidder and what they are called?

Yeah, I don't think so either.

WY is not even close to the same league of tag theft from the general public as UT, NM, CO, or NV...
 

gladen8

New Member
Apr 11, 2012
17
0
WY-Tex is right on. No guarantees in WY, its all about your preference points and how many are needed to draw an area. I was once a resident...now I have to pay big $ for my tags and don't get one every year as well as can't hunt wilderness areas I grew up in because of the stupid no resident rule in those areas. Important to note that if your party members have different levels of preference points, they are all averaged together to get one number for the draw.
 

shootbrownelk

Veteran member
Apr 11, 2011
1,535
196
Wyoming
Ya there's no shortage of outfitter welfare in Wyoming. Second most auction tags in the US next to Utah. Where do you think those bidders end up? Also illegal preferred campsite rights on federal wilderness areas where average Joe is prohibited from driving. Seen this many times.
Correct Zim, I've seen plenty of outfitter camps on Federal ground behind closed gates. It sucks.
 

Zim

Very Active Member
Feb 28, 2011
738
67
LaPorte, IN
Does it matter how, or by whom, the tags are sold to the highest bidder and what they are called?

Yeah, I don't think so either.

WY is not even close to the same league of tag theft from the general public as UT, NM, CO, or NV...
Just pointing out there was nothing incorrect about my post. All facts. I don't disagree about UT, NM, CO nor NV. There's plenty of entitlements to go around.
 

nv-hunter

Veteran member
Feb 28, 2011
1,587
1,321
Reno
Does it matter how, or by whom, the tags are sold to the highest bidder and what they are called?

Yeah, I don't think so either.

WY is not even close to the same league of tag theft from the general public as UT, NM, CO, or NV...
Nevada only offers 9 big game tags at auction not sure that's a big theft.
 

BuzzH

Very Active Member
Apr 15, 2015
909
952
But Nevada skims a pile of tags right off the top and sticks them in a dedicated outfitter welfare lottery! No secret there. [emoji848]
...and a pile of transferable landowner tags too.