Wyo Task Force - Nonres Comments!
Elk
If you are a concerned nonres and have years of applications and $ invested into the Wyo pref pt system....especially for the Big 5 species you can submit comments directly to the Task Force for the July 8th meeting. You must do this by 5:00 pm on July 6th!
90:10 would cut nonres limited tags in 1/2 and require twice as long for ALL nonres to draw tags. For the Big 5 this would likely mean that those that don't have max pts or close to max pts may never draw tags. Nonres that have invested years and $ into a draw system will suddenly have the light switch flipped off with these changes!
The more nonres willing to comment, the more attention will be given to nonres at this and other meetings!. There are no nonres members on the Task Force even though nonres stand to loose so much with decisions made! Sending comments is the only voice you have unless you attend one of their meetings.
Here's a link to submit your comments: https://sites.google.com/wyo.gov/wyomingwildlifetaskforce/home/public-input
Does this end up making changes for deer, elk, and pronghorn as well?
All the more reason to move, live, and hunt where you’ll be happiest.
Ike, from what I’ve seen, just the Top 5 for now…
The Top 5 is definitely on the Casper meeting agenda and I can assure you that deer, antelope, and deer will also be discussed. New outfitter and landowner tags will also be discussed at these meetings. If you don't want Wyo to end up like New Mexico I would urge you to send in comments. The more nonres that respond the better chance this we can be stop it in it's tracks.
90/10 for all species went to the last legislature and I can assure you it will be discussed at the Casper and other upcoming meetings as well.
If you are a concerned nonres that enjoys hunting big game in Wyo be sure to email your comments before the July 6 deadline available at the following website: https://sites.google.com/wyo.gov/wyomingwildlifetaskforce/home/public-input
If you live close to Cheyenne there is a meeting scheduled: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_kBG4_7rKrJJvkjNnIynvn69JLcM1ryu/view
^^^^agree. 90-10 is coming to every LE tag
Email sent. Thanks for the heads up. If they are like MT, that email won't even be read but here's to hoping. I've kind of given up on my state after attending meetings and wasting time on items that are already decided.
I was always under the opinion that Wyoming residents have incredible hunting and opportunity? Have a buddy that moved there from MT and he says life is pretty damn good as a hunter there compared to MT. What am I missing? Are residents having issues or is this coming from somewhere else?
SBH, I guess most states are the same. Texas makes a big deal of public input but then they always do what they originally planned anyway.
Wyo res have plenty of hunting opportunity each year for big game. Wyo res can hunt general deer and elk tags if they don't draw limited tags. Obviously the toughest units in Wyo to draw may take years for res to draw but Wyo res draw odds are generally very good.
As mentioned above, hopefully the Task Force is willing to read and consider all of the emails received from nonresidents. My hopes are high that the task force is overwhelmed with comments from nonres! That is one reason the Legislature created a task force in the first place. The legislators were over-burdened last session with frustrated nonresidents!
Please do your part and send a short message with comments to the task force! You never know! I wouldn't be spending my 4th of July weekend on this unless I felt this would make a difference!
And Wyoming, like every other state can set their own mandates…Some are better, some are worse!
“Are residents having issues…”
Obviously I can’t speak for all residents but by talking to many friends, and listening to MANY at state parks, etc, I can tell you the tolerance towards nonresidents is rapidly diminishing. Not necessarily towards hunters, but nonresidents in general. I think hunting restrictions may just be a fallout. As an example, Glendo State Park is one of the largest recreation and walleye fisheries in the state. Starting on a Thursday, I-25 is a constant stream of campers, 5th wheels, and boats heading north out of Colorado. It’s gotten to the point they outnumber residents to the point they think they own the place. If you want to hear some major bitching, go to an Aquatic Invasive Species check station as you come into the park. Couple that with the fact we’re seeing a big influx of new residents coming into the state, and the once outstanding hunting opportunities are starting to become much more crowded…to the point they’re no longer quite so outstanding.
Most residents may not push to have current quotas changed, but I do believe the days of residents supporting nonresidents through emails to legislators, game commissioners, etc, are becoming a thing of the past.
I love hunting Wyoming but I won't be commenting. May be a resident someday and its hard to blame them for going their own way and protecting what they can. I hate that hunting has become so expensive and the current supply/demand issues here in the west, but I also see the results of our system in CO and it's not the way to go.
Dry Creek, that’s called a feel good meeting they want you to give your input so you feel good, then they do what they want to anyway!
This is my Email
I don’t think it’s fair to nonresidents that have invested thousands of dollars to change it all at once from 25% to 10%!!!
I believe Wyoming residents should have more than 75% of the tags. But I would suggest shifting it 1% a year. That would take 15 years to accomplish & would give nonresidents a chance to get out of the system. To go from 25% to 10% in one year may cause you to have, breech of contract issues! You collected a lot of money under a certain pretext!
Wyo residents have never had a pref point system for deer, elk, and antelope and paid a penny to support the WG&F through pref pt fees that nonres have been paying for up to 25 years! Take a look at who's funding WG&F revenue. It definitely isn't the Wyoming residents! 77% of the total license and pref pt revenue is paid by nonres vs only 17% by residents. I didn't notice it until now but the 17% Wyo resident revenue even includes fishing license sales! Doesn't it seem a little odd that Wyo res want to cut nonres limited licenses in 1/2?
I can see the Big 5 going 90/10 very soon but not so much on the elk/deer/antelope.
Good luck, Robb
I can see it ALL going to 90/10 and then half of the 10% will go to outfitters and landowners to sell to the highest bidder. Wyoming will be one up on New Mexico in destroying the North American Model of wildlife management and moving us all much closer to the way it is done in Europe; only the most wealthy will be able to hunt.
All species have been on the ballot the past 2 years so that is definitely a reality. I can guarantee it will be set before the legislature again this year! One of the reasons it's failed and they set up a task force is because of the overwhelming complaints legislators received from nonresidents! There are quite a few members on the task force that have ties to outfitters and landowners. Set aside tags for outfitters/landowners is also a reality of tags that will be taken directly from Wyo res and nonres quotas!
Here's the link for nonres to submit comments. Make sure to post them before the July 6 deadline! The more that share comments the more attention nonres will get! Even if you write a few sentences it will help!
Make sure to summit your comments before the July 6 deadline! Here's a link to submit your comments: https://sites.google.com/wyo.gov/wyomingwildlifetaskforce/home/public-input
"only the most wealthy will be able to hunt" thanks to all of you who advocate for higher tag prices so that you can weed out those who are not serious and you can have a quality hunt.
Dry Creek, that’s called a feel good meeting they want you to give your input so you feel good, then they do what they want to anyway!
If you've seen who's on the task force there is good reason to be greatly concerned about Wyo's future! There are quite a few ties to outfitters and landowners. You can bet their tongues are out and there are lots of discussions going on behind closed doors. It's really a sad day for Wyo! If 90/10 plus outfitter and landowner tags are a real possibility!
The deadline to submit comments to the Task Force is July 6. If you are a concerned nonres please send comments...even if it's just a couple sentences!
Here's a link to submit your comments: https://sites.google.com/wyo.gov/wyomingwildlifetaskforce/home/public-input
Lol...Jims copy and paste on every site he can find...
How would they do the random/preference (25/75) split? At a 90/10 allocation there would be very few, if any, random moose or sheep license available, under the current rules, and with the current quotas by unit. So there would be little reason left for about 90% of the current applicants to continue to apply for those species and buy points. They'd all go to the guys currently at max points or a few points under max, with only enough quota to clear out this group sometime in the next few decades.
If the solution ends up being to make the NR draw a complete random draw, that would mean really & truly shafting the max & near max point holders. You know, those guys who've been patiently waiting, and paying, for 20-25 years, for their turn at a tag.
Yep, there would be a lot of extremely upset sheep and moose hunters that are just 1 or so pt away from a guaranteed tag if 1/2 the tags are stripped from nonres with 90/10. The same thing is true with premium deer, elk, and antelope tags.
I can understand being upset over the rules changing doesn't seem right but I'm also a resident with over 20 sheep points and can't draw the area in my backyard that I prefer but know multiple non- residents that have hunted that area a couple of times in their lifetime, not right either!!
I like the wait period idea, especially for premium tags…
It's hard to please everyone but without a pref/bonus pt/wait period for deer, elk, and antelope in Wyo some hunters will draw tags more often than others. It also doesn't reward those that have applied for years without drawing tags. Draw odds for Wyo res are pretty darn good for these 3 species. If you aren't drawing tags you are likely doing something wrong! It's also nice that Wyo res can hunt general deer and elk units every year if they don't draw limited tags.
"It's hard to please everyone but without a pref/bonus pt/wait period for deer, elk, and antelope in Wyo some hunters will draw tags more often than others."
I assume that's in response to LONEBULL's post. Since he's referring to sheep, what do elk, deer, and antelope have to do with anything?
"Draw odds for Wyo res are pretty darn good for these 3 species. If you aren't drawing tags you are likely doing something wrong!"
Care to enlighten us dumb ol' residents on what we're doing wrong? For example, I don't consider less than a 24% chance of drawing an Area 57 antelope license as "pretty darn good". Since those odds run fairly consistent, that means 75% of applicants are unsuccessful every year, so what would you suggest to those 75%er's that are "doing something wrong!" The only thing I can think of is to apply for a different area, which is exactly what you can do if you don't like your odds here.
"It's also nice that Wyo res can hunt general deer and elk units every year if they don't draw limited tags."
It's called a privilege we're afforded for being a resident...something you could have become rather than choosing to stay where you are and bitch. It helps offset the relatively high cost of living, comparatively lower wages, cold winters, brutal wind, etc., etc, etc.
Wyoming has long been very receptive to nonresident hunters, fishermen, tourists, etc. Quite frankly, it's attitudes like yours that are rapidly changing that perspective..and it ain't for the the better I can assure you.
“ It's called a privilege we're afforded for being a resident...something you could have become rather than choosing to stay where you are and bitch. It helps offset the relatively high cost of living, comparatively lower wages, cold winters, brutal wind, etc., etc, etc.
Wyoming has long been very receptive to nonresidents hunters, fishermen, tourists, etc. Quite frankly, it's attitudes like yours that are rapidly changing that perspective..and it ain't for the the better I can assure you.”
This…
No one who has been applying for quality western tags should be surprised when the rules get changed during the game. It should be expected based on whats been happening the last few decades. Yes its no fun, but anyone who has been in the game a bit shouldn't be surprised. Commercialization of "recreational" hunting, increasing bureaucracy, and the exploding supply/demand gap all have consequences.
How many times has AZ, NM and MT changed theirs? CO for that matter!
Today by 5 is your last chance to get your comments submitted!
Ike, I believe that states should be able to set there game laws. But none of the states you mentioned have charged 150 a year for sheep & moose points. When you start playing that game you have a obligation to keep offering with in reason what you’re collecting for! Maybe Wyoming will have to refund some money!
If I was a resident of Wyoming & had any pull on implementing a new system for Wyoming residents sheep & moose. I’d make them once in a lifetime, and square points for the random tags. It sucks trying to getting big game tags. The resource is shrinking with more people wanting in the game.
Mark your PP you bought are just that PP, no guarantee of a licensed with them, that is plainly stated on the WG&F website. No one forced anyone to buy PP, licenses are available in the random draw. WG&F is not taking away your PP, you bought them you get to keep them.
Yep, just 125% less of them available to you for sheep. No big deal…
Classic bait and switch. Should be no surprise to anyone. Doesn’t make it suck any less.
Everyone’s argument is based on how this affects then. I’m predicting both sides will be disappointed. Hunters won’t be the winner’s!!!!!
I’m grateful for all the hunting I have been able to do over the years. I was hunting deer in Wyoming when G & H were one unit. Quit hunting it years ago . To many people for my blood. Hate to think what’s in store for future hunters. All should get ready for disappointment it’s coming!
That’s all from me . Happy Hunting.
Mark their state, their choice...Just like it's our choice to play the game!
