Wyoming outfitters tags ?

[dan maule]

Demand is not going to decrease and I agree that we could easily double the fees and every tag would sell.

The special WY NR fee worked for the outfitters for a while, but in the scheme of NR hunting, its not even a proper rounding error in the cost. That's why WOGA is trying to get a set aside, the special fee prices are being paid by a lot more DIY folks than outfitted clients.

Don't try to tell me otherwise, I apply and hunt 3-6 states a year. Paying a couple hundred more for the one thing you absolutely have to obtain to hunt, isn't even close to a game changer.

Factor in food, fuel, rifles, ATV's, trucks, spotting scopes, ammo, binoculars, tents, sleeping bags, GPS, and the literal mountain of other crap we buy to spend a month hunting. Literally chump change to spend a couple hundred more for a tag, not even worth a second thought.

The part that makes me scratch my head is most if not all of the outfitters seem to be booked up for the next couple of years. If they are already sold out what do they gain by the set aside?

 

[Rich M]

Demand is not going to decrease and I agree that we could easily double the fees and every tag would sell.

The special WY NR fee worked for the outfitters for a while, but in the scheme of NR hunting, its not even a proper rounding error in the cost. That's why WOGA is trying to get a set aside, the special fee prices are being paid by a lot more DIY folks than outfitted clients.

Don't try to tell me otherwise, I apply and hunt 3-6 states a year. Paying a couple hundred more for the one thing you absolutely have to obtain to hunt, isn't even close to a game changer.

Factor in food, fuel, rifles, ATV's, trucks, spotting scopes, ammo, binoculars, tents, sleeping bags, GPS, and the literal mountain of other crap we buy to spend a month hunting. Literally chump change to spend a couple hundred more for a tag, not even worth a second thought.

I do agree you'll get enough guys for a period of time. Then things will change. The whole dynamic that fueled the western invasion will fuel something else.

Can you stay high on elk hunting with 5 year gaps in general permits? We are gonna find out. The sooner WY, CO, MT, etc. implement their things, the sooner we find out.

 

[BuzzH]

The part that makes me scratch my head is most if not all of the outfitters seem to be booked up for the next couple of years. If they are already sold out what do they gain by the set aside?

They aren't booked in Wyoming. Should have heard the crying at the task force meeting about having to "over-apply" their hunters to get enough to scratch a living.

They want "predictability" in the draw, in other words, guaranteed clients so they can sit on the couch and watch the Flintstones instead of looking for clients the old fashioned way.

 

[BuzzH]

I do agree you'll get enough guys for a period of time. Then things will change. The whole dynamic that fueled the western invasion will fuel something else.

Can you stay high on elk hunting with 5 year gaps in general permits? We are gonna find out. The sooner WY, CO, MT, etc. implement their things, the sooner we find out.

Second question, yes, yes you can. I've drawn 2 sheep tags in 42 years of applying for them. Guess what? I'm applying again next year, and the year after that, etc. etc. etc. until I'm dead.

We would have to lose a pile of hunters to not sell out Wyoming, I don't see it happening.

Nobody seemed to care at all when, 10-20 years ago, thousands of tags went unsold. The WGF didn't go bankrupt, nobody lost their minds, and the sun didn't quit rising. Christmas didn't even get canceled.

 

[Bonecollector]

The animals started to suffer without those funds to support habitat. Understandably it was just a small part, but plays important role. That’s when we started to really see the decline in mule deer as well. They’ve never fully recovered and never will. Hopefully we can continue to maintain some respectable numbers across the west.
Honestly starting to see a decline in whitetail in a few states now and I see the same delayed and low impact responses. The $ does play a part in the equation. They’ll push it as far as they can but it’s always a little too late…

 

[HuskyMusky]

I'm pretty surprised at this point that sheep, goat and moose aren't a once in a lifetime tag in all western states.
Particularly if it's a successful hunt.

 

[manitou1]

The animals started to suffer without those funds to support habitat. Understandably it was just a small part, but plays important role. That’s when we started to really see the decline in mule deer as well. They’ve never fully recovered and never will. Hopefully we can continue to maintain some respectable numbers across the west.
Honestly starting to see a decline in whitetail in a few states now and I see the same delayed and low impact responses. The $ does play a part in the equation. They’ll push it as far as they can but it’s always a little too late…

That's because all the stinking whitetails are here in WY, displacing the mule deer!
A plug here: The Mule Deer Foundation does good work, restoring, maintaining and improving MD habitat.