WY 2023 Hunting Season Proposals

[wy-tex]

Mule deer are at a 50 year low, had three recent years of severe drought, the worst winter in 100 years and they are doing fine?

Our economy is doing fine too BTW.

Deer are doing ok in some areas, reading comprehension?
Never said deer are doing fine, I wrote they are not suffering all over.
Maybe read it all not just gloss over what you don't like.

Mallards hates Wyoming so anything he writes I take with a grain of salt.
Prices were raised at the behest of the outfitters, Residents by and large commented against the huge increases.
The increase was passed before the winter kill issues came up.
One has nothing to do with the other.
I have never defended the price increase Mallards, show me where I have.

Yes we want more licenses as residents and I make no qualms about that. Our state we should get most of the licenses.

While many residents don't want increases in our prices, many are willing to pay more for better odds to draw quality tags.

No the regular draw was not raised in price.

Hilltop what would you do in areas 6 and 7 to help with the elk problem? Adding tags for folks with access won't help?
All the deer I've been seeing in meadows are muleys too, not WT. Depends on where in the state.
I do not like doe mule deer tags and we can get them, I do and don't hunt tthem.

 

[mallardsx2]

Mallards hates Wyoming so anything he writes I take with a grain of salt.

I don’t hate Wyoming.
I just hate you.


Put some salt on that…..

 

[disabled combat vet]

Can't we all just get along and respect each other......

 

[Hilltop]

No the regular draw was not raised in price.

Hilltop what would you do in areas 6 and 7 to help with the elk problem? Adding tags for folks with access won't help?
All the deer I've been seeing in meadows are muleys too, not WT. Depends on where in the state.
I do not like doe mule deer tags and we can get them, I do and don't hunt tthem.

Some of the regular draws have been raised multiple times recently. With 50 million spare, why did the nonresident moose permit need a 100% increase and then another massive increase upcoming?

In areas like 6 and 7, I suggest the WG&F use some of that 50 million to provide much better landowner incentives to allow more hunters. Giving more tags to those privileged few may kill a few more elk but that isn't going to fix the issue.

Show me one landowner upset about mule deer does, and I'll show you 50x that upset with whitetails and/or elk. I'm not saying there shouldn't ever be doe tags issued but I do think they should be a last resort in the rare areas where they get overpopulated.

I get you want to defend the WG&F but I'm not sure why. They need push back when things don't make sense and there has been plenty over the last couple years that are questionable at minimum.

 

[BuzzH]

You and I both know that just raising quotas to kill more elk doesn't work in most areas. If it did, they would have issued double the tags in areas like 6 and 7 a long time ago. You like to make it sound simple but it isn't.

I did watch much of the task force videos but pardon me if I don't take everything they said as truth.

They raised a lot more than the special fees recently.

I realize you have inside info with the WG&F but I would ask you to take a step back and look at the big picture. Some of it just isn't making sense.

I disagree, if you give the right hunters more tags, you'll kill more elk.

I do agree that putting more hunters in the field doesn't mean more elk will be killed. There does reach a saturation point where more HUNTERS can decrease harvest.

Issue me half a dozen elk tags in 7 and see what happens...

 

[BuzzH]

Ya.
Ok.
We all know that they raised the prices to “improve the drawing odds.”

So basically,

“We don’t have enough tags to make everyone happy, so we are going to price people out of the game so only those with money can apply and that helps their odds of them drawing a tag.”

How convenient, they will still sell out of those licenses and capture the revenue.

What a crock of bullshit….and I hope your not defending that.

Hicks and that task force are feeding on the NR working man, and pricing them out of hunting in Wyoming....it’s that simple.

Nobody is forcing you to apply in Wyoming and you can apply for the regular priced tags if you dont want to pay the special fees.

Also the legislature raised the fees, not residents, and not the department.

As far as fee increases on the big 5, the fees should be raised. Still dirt cheap for the tag fee compared to guided hunts for all of them. Hunting as a NR has never been cheap, and even less-so for sheep, goat, moose, etc.

I don't completely disagree with you on the fee increases, but there is no state that I apply in as a NR that hasn't raised costs to apply and also for the NR tag fees. None.

It's just always curious how you have such a vile reaction toward Wyoming but never complain about other states doing the exact same thing.

Cost of doing business if you want to play the game...

 

[Hilltop]

I disagree, if you give the right hunters more tags, you'll kill more elk.

I do agree that putting more hunters in the field doesn't mean more elk will be killed. There does reach a saturation point where more HUNTERS can decrease harvest.

Issue me half a dozen elk tags in 7 and see what happens...

I hear you on that for sure but you are not the average person who would be receiving the tags. I do think that strategy should be part of a creative solution but I think ultimately better landowner incentives is the key.

 

[Prerylyon]

I disagree, if you give the right hunters more tags, you'll kill more elk.

I do agree that putting more hunters in the field doesn't mean more elk will be killed. There does reach a saturation point where more HUNTERS can decrease harvest.

Issue me half a dozen elk tags in 7 and see what happens...

Meanwhile, somewhere near Laramie Peak, 2024, the 'right' hunter sets afield, with 6 elk tags...

 

[KHSRanger23]

Wyoming Game and Fish Altering Hunting Season After Severe Winter | Big Horn Basin Media

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is actively monitoring the impacts of the harsh winter on big game populations across southern, central, and western

mybighornbasin.com

Looks a season setting commission meeting in Casper April 17-18. You can attend in person or virtually.

 

[Yell Co AR Hunter]

I hate seeing the heated arguments across the hunting forums between residents and non-residents. It is just an indication of where the future of hunting is heading. I see both sides and have come to realize the cause. The non-resident like me is more worried about being totally priced out of ever drawing a tag. The resident is worried about having to go seasons with out a tag in their home state. Both are real concerns and a certain in the near future. The area I differ with the residences is over Federal lands. All citizens should have rights to hunt these lands. I am not saying split it 50/50, but limiting non-resident tags to 6% as NM does is not fair. Unfortunately I am not one of the people who can hunt what they want every year. Yes a person can do that. They just have to be able to write the check. You would be shocked just how many of those people are out there. The Outfitters know this and that is why they push for the increases. Don't make the mistake of thinking they will not come after your resident tags next. Make the best of every tag you are able to draw as it may be your last.

 

[mallardsx2]

Meanwhile, somewhere near Laramie Peak, 2024, the 'right' hunter sets afield, with 6 elk tags...

Fixed it for you. lol

 

[BuzzH]

Fixed it for you. lol

Nice! But wrong color, and only when its fairly cold.

Past 3 years.

2020

2021:

2022:

Do you really think it would be tough for some hunters, hat aside, to kill half a dozen a year?

 

[mallardsx2]

 

[jmwyoming]

I disagree, if you give the right hunters more tags, you'll kill more elk.

I do agree that putting more hunters in the field doesn't mean more elk will be killed. There does reach a saturation point where more HUNTERS can decrease harvest.

Issue me half a dozen elk tags in 7 and see what happens...

You got that right

 

[DoubleDropMuley]

I say kill a lot more elk and get our mule deer back

 

[manitou1]

I say kill a lot more elk and get our mule deer back

Yeah, but fewer elk means more muley chasers! As long as them stinky ol' elk keep them distracted it leaves less mule deer pressure for us!

 

[disabled combat vet]

Anyone go to the meeting in Casper today and if so was there anything new important?

 

[bdan68]

I joined the Zoom meeting. All the season setting stuff will be tomorrow. Today there was discussion of the unprecedented winter Wyoming had, and the effects it had on wildlife. And also I was glad to hear quite a few members of the public stand up to speak regarding the need to look at reducing the number of predators, to help deer herds recover.

 

[disabled combat vet]

I joined the Zoom meeting. All the season setting stuff will be tomorrow. Today there was discussion of the unprecedented winter Wyoming had, and the effects it had on wildlife. And also I was glad to hear quite a few members of the public stand up to speak regarding the need to look at reducing the number of predators, to help deer herds recover.

Thank You!!!!!

 

[WapitiBob]

They're going to approve the latest quotas as presented in the next few minutes.
Cut 50 nr licenses from G and that was about it.