DIY General Elk tag WY

[Highcountryelk]

Just a few thoughts I want you guys to weigh in on for a DIY hunt for WY 2019. I'm a nonres & I've gained some p.p. for WY and Im debating on saving them vs using them on a general elk tag in WY, for example I'm probably half way to a really good drawing chance of a really nice unit in WY, or spend the tag with someone else that has 1-2 preference points in WY that also wants to hunt a general tag that knows the area in WY. As many of you others out there I started applying 5 years ago and at time the unit I desired had a p.p. of 7-8 now a days same unit has 12 p.p. & its not really an option anymore for me... Im sure WY has some really (good) general units for elk with some restrictions. I'm not interested in a wilderness area because of a budget. Other areas could be a possibility but would require all the points and some extreme terrain, and possibility of deep heavy snow in September. From my understanding the general tag that I would acquire is the exact same tag a resident of WY buys OTC seeming maybe not so appealing after all? But there's lots of different units to choose. I'm sure there are handfuls of guys on here that have done the 10-12 p.p. The idea lies in my mind to just collect p.p. and still hunt another state and gain perspective...

 

[go_deep]

I'd rather hunt more, than dream of hunting... welcome to the forum.

 

[LaHunter]

Not sure how many pp you have, but its difficult to say how many years away you are from drawing a tag in a specific Limited Draw unit. Point creep in some units is running about 1 point / year, so in reality you will never 'catch up', if you are not able to draw that tag yet. You could trend the data from the WY G&F website to get an idea on point creep for a specific unit, but this could be really discouraging.

Good Luck

 

[Kodiak]

As a Wyoming resident I can tell you there are some really good areas that are general, there are also some really bad areas and areas that get hammered by people. If you can find some reliable info on a general unit or have the chance to scout a little bit and find some elk I say go for the general tag. Much like go_deep , I think a few decent elk hunts are better than one “dream” hunt. And who knows, there are 340-370 class bulls killed in general units every year. I say go for it, you likely won’t kill a monster bull, but you just might.

 

[Hilltop]

If your goal is a trophy bull, then continue saving points. If your goal is to just elk hunt and have a shot at any legal animal, buy the general and go hunting. The chance of killing a trophy bull in a general area (on public land) by someone without extensive knowledge of an area is very small in my opinion. It happens occasionally but its rare. Many people struggle to even harvest a legal elk their first trip or two but if you really are willing to work (and think), you increase your chances a lot.

 

[HighPlainsHunter]

get rid of them. The max points guys still can't get the ultra premium units and those with less than max points are chasing a moving target that they will never catch.

If you have enough points to get 2 general tags then you can have a friend apply with you. If not I'd still say get the general tag and go hunt.