Is Wyoming Game and Fish discriminating against early season archers in Snowy Range fire area?

[highplainsdrifter]

Fire is raging in the southern Snowy Range. Wyoming Game and Fish has offered hunters the option of a refund or carrying over their license until next year IF they had not hunted with that license.

But the "IF" part seems unfair. The notice sent by Game and Fish on September 23rd offered a refund or carryover IF you had not yet started hunting. But September is archery season and some hunters had done some archery hunting prior to the September 23rd notice...which disqualifies them for refund or carryover...even if that archery hunting was for a very short period of time.

This policy especially impacts limited quota areas because unlike general license holders, limited quota hunters are restricted to small areas. The refund/carryover policy has ramifications for 375 deer hunters in area 78, 200 type 6 elk hunters in area 110, 150 type 6 elk hunters in area 9, and 40 moose hunters throughout the Snowies. If archery hunters in these areas had done any hunting prior to September 23rd, they are not eligible for refund or carryover. Depending how the September 23rd notice fit your hunting schedule, you could potentially have ruined your refund or carryover option by archery hunting for as little as one day.

As many of you may know, my wife has a Snowy Range moose tag. While we are still able to hunt the northern portion of the Range, we are annoyed that because we started moose hunting with archery equipment prior to September 23rd we don't have the option of carryover. But this is not just about us. We are determined to find a great quality bull in the area that remains open for us to hunt.

Does this carryover/refund policy seem fair to you? What say you?

 

[wy-tex]

I would say they had almost 3 weeks to hunt, got their money's worth.
Ethics come into play as how hard would it be to say you hadn't hunted at all before the closure ?
Saw plenty of moose in northern part, your wife should fill her tag, look east as well into Vedauwoo.
Right now you should be more worried about the actual fire, it's bad.
Hard topic actually as what is fair, mother nature sure isn't playing fair right now.

I would wonder how the moose hunting will be next year, lots of areas burned up and some very hot to mineral soil I fear. How many tags will carry over and how many more hunters will be in the field ? She might be lucky to be hunting this year, how many tags were turned in ? Less pressure might help you all out.

pm sent

 

[Yell Co AR Hunter]

If you purchased an archery permit for the area. That might be a indication of weather or not a person had hunted. I am not sure how my ethics would stand if I could not hunt the full amount of a tag.

 

[highplainsdrifter]

If you purchased an archery permit for the area. That might be a indication of weather or not a person had hunted. I am not sure how my ethics would stand if I could not hunt the full amount of a tag.

In Wyoming, in most units, you are allowed to hunt both archery and rifle with the same license. It is common for people to "dabble" with archery with the anticipation of going rifle hunting if archery doesn't produce.

 

[mallardsx2]

Slippery slope. Very slippery slope IMHO.

 

[buckbull]

How would they know if you actually hunted during that time? Is it the honor system?

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Doubt if they would know...........

 

[mallardsx2]

I believe that you have to sign an affidavit/attestation. Which yes, is the honor system.

 

[Hilltop]

How would they know if you actually hunted during that time? Is it the honor system?

Hunters are required to sign an affidavit stating that they did not hunt- completely on the honor system. I personally don't think it is fair. A lot of people choose to hunt Wyoming because they can hunt with both weapons'. I personally think Wyoming should make people choose to lower hunting pressure but that is a different debate. As it stands, a person's ability to fully use the tag has been removed. When considering the area 38 moose tag is basically once in a person's lifetime tag, it becomes really unfair to me.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I believe that you have to sign an affidavit/attestation. Which yes, is the honor system.

Yep, you do.

 

[highplainsdrifter]

How would they know if you actually hunted during that time? Is it the honor system?

They are requiring you to sign an affidavit that you have not hunted.

But it seems likely that some people would lie about it.

 

[BuzzH]

I believe that you have to sign an affidavit/attestation. Which yes, is the honor system.

Correct and falsifying one is a fine.

Have mixed feelings on the carrying over of tags.

On the one hand, it sucks to draw a tag in an off year, but it happens all the time. I've drawn AZ elk during a drought year and never expected a refund, just hunted it and did the best I could.

This is a bit different, but its not the WYGF's responsibility to control the weather, fire, climate, etc.

IMO, if you've hunted the tag...no refund. If you haven't...maybe a refund or reserving the tag for next year. Tough call on whether to reserve the tag or take the refund and let this stuff sort itself out for a year two then draw it again.

No easy or right answer I'm afraid.

 

[BuzzH]

They are requiring you to sign an affidavit that you have not hunted.

But it seems likely that some people would lie about it.

If it were me, I'd keep the moose tag and hunt it this year, personally. Hunt the edges of the fire and you should do fine, animals are going to be concentrated some.

 

[highplainsdrifter]

Correct and falsifying one is a fine.

Have mixed feelings on the carrying over of tags.

On the one hand, it sucks to draw a tag in an off year, but it happens all the time. I've drawn AZ elk during a drought year and never expected a refund, just hunted it and did the best I could.

This is a bit different, but its not the WYGF's responsibility to control the weather, fire, climate, etc.

IMO, if you've hunted the tag...no refund. If you haven't...maybe a refund or reserving the tag for next year. Tough call on whether to reserve the tag or take the refund and let this stuff sort itself out for a year two then draw it again.

No easy or right answer I'm afraid.

We have contacted G&F and the Governor's Office and asked them to offer a refund or carryover to all hunters in limited quota areas impacted by the fire for moose, deer and elk. We believe the fair policy is to offer these options to all hunters in those areas because their hunt has been limited by the fire. We probably would not accept the carryover option on our moose tag, but we don't like not having that option when others have it. Quite frankly, we feel discriminated against simply because we archery hunted a few days before G&F offered the option. Some of the deer and elk hunters are in an even more unfair situation because their entire hunt area has been closed...and still they can't get a refund or carryover if they hunted archery at all.

 

[highplainsdrifter]

If it were me, I'd keep the moose tag and hunt it this year, personally. Hunt the edges of the fire and you should do fine, animals are going to be concentrated some.

You really can't hunt the edges of the fire because the closure area is much bigger than the fire area. We sat in our vehicle on Highway 130 and watched bulls walking around on Libby Flats...but we couldn't hunt them because they were in the closure area...even though they were a long way from the fire.

 

[BuzzH]

You really can't hunt the edges of the fire because the closure area is much bigger than the fire area. We sat in our vehicle on Highway 130 and watched bulls walking around on Libby Flats...but we could hunt them because they were in the closure area...even though they were a long way from the fire.

Season runs until October 31 doesn't it?

May be worth the gamble...maybe not.

 

[highplainsdrifter]

Season runs until October 31 doesn't it?

May be worth the gamble...maybe not.

If we don't get snowed out, we have plenty of time. We're committed to finding a good bull this year...just don't like that G&F has not given us the same options as others.

 

[BuzzH]

If we don't get snowed out, we have plenty of time. We're committed to finding a good bull this year...just don't like that G&F has not given us the same options as others.

Put any thought into asking GF for a season extension?

May be worth a thunk...

 

[highplainsdrifter]

Put any thought into asking GF for a season extension?

May be worth a thunk...

That's worth a thought. If the fire gets under control, they could reopen some of the closed area later.

 

[highplainsdrifter]

Interesting side note: Before the fire, we ran into the guy (and his guide) who purchased the Governor's moose tag. We later found on the Internet that he paid $37,500 for it. He could hunt almost anywhere in the state with that tag, but he chose the Snowies. Gives you some idea how coveted a Snowy range moose tag is. Hope he got a good moose...but haven't heard.