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Wyoming Pronghorn Numbers

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As always, thanks for the education and info Buzz! Wyoming offers a quality experience no matter where you go. Hopefully they maintain their superb management rather than slowly become what MT is.

Even with the tag quota and fee increases, I'm going into the draw fully expecting insane point creep and tougher draw odds.
 
How anybody can find a reason to have more than 5 antelope points in WY is really weird ..
 
I hope everyone reads the first sentence closely that BuzzH made, as the post by LopeHunter was a complete disservice to the great job that the Wyoming G&F biologists do raising or lowering the numbers as needed each year based on herd counts and not on money needed! Shame on him!
 
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WY does a great job managing its Antelope.

The unit I'm looking at upped 150 tags, to 400. The last time I hunted that unit,there were 1,800 of the same tags issued. That's a reeeaaal gradual increase, not at all wreck-less.
 
The units around SE Wyoming I hunt lost 500 total tags.

I didn't think it was THAT bad the last couple years.
 
icebreaker12 said:
That's not exactly right. Regs are posted at the end of January, however those are last years regulations for the most part. Then quotas are updated mid-march, right before the public meetings start. Quota's will be final on 4/24 or 25 this year (when the commission approves). Public comment is open until 4/4.
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What I stated is right on the money. The Tentative Regulations were posted when the application periods opened right after the new year. There is a big fuss right now because a number of NRs applied for the Type 1 elk tags in units 41 and 45 thinking they would buy the archery permit that allows them to hunt the last half of September. As things were updated during the month the G&F eliminated that possibility on 1/22/18 if it stays in the Regulation as written. Those that did not see that change and want to hunt both seasons and drew tags may be stuck with only being able to hunt the rifle season in October or try to appeal to the G&F to refund their money and PPs due to the change after they applied. The G&F actually violates their own statute by having the NR elk draw well before the Final Regulation is approved by the Commission in late April and this could very well bring that to a head if they leave that strike out of unit 41 & 45 tag Type 1 tag holders that prevents them from hunting the early archery season in September with that tag that they applied for and drew in good faith.
 
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Thanks for posting!

Makes a guy think that we should be applying to burn up some of those points that are sitting there currently (wife is an 11 and I'm a 7). Tag numbers look positive and a few decent winters should mean some pretty good growth potential.

Currently wrangling the ideas of doing a sheep trip right about the same time as antelope hunting, so will have to make some decisions before application time!
 
Topgun 30-06 said:
What I stated is right on the money. The Tentative Regulations were posted when the application periods opened right after the new year. There is a big fuss right now because a number of NRs applied for the Type 1 elk tags in units 41 and 45 thinking they would buy the archery permit that allows them to hunt the last half of September. As things were updated during the month the G&F eliminated that possibility on 1/22/18 if it stays in the Regulation as written. Those that did not see that change and want to hunt both seasons and drew tags may be stuck with only being able to hunt the rifle season in October or try to appeal to the G&F to refund their money and PPs due to the change after they applied. The G&F actually violates their own statute by having the NR elk draw well before the Final Regulation is approved by the Commission in late April and this could very well bring that to a head if they leave that strike out of unit 41 & 45 tag Type 1 tag holders that prevents them from hunting the early archery season in September with that tag that they applied for and drew in good faith.
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Complaints about the proposed area 41/45 elk license change are total bs. Nonresidents had until January 31 to apply/finalize their application, and the proposed change was included in the draft regulation released on January 22. Anyone burning points on a quality elk tag should be tasked with checking proposed regs before finalizing their application or be prepared to deal with the consequences. I hope they shoot great bulls with their rifles.
 
We've noticed increases in antelope numbers in the units we hunt the last couple years and we've been hunting the same areas for about 8 years now. Didn't see great horn growth last fall but we saw a lot more antelope. Seemed like the increases were pretty modest and in line with our general observations.

More annoyed about the price increase than the number of tags issued. It will be interesting to see what the application numbers look like on those expensive tags.
 
madtom said:
Complaints about the proposed area 41/45 elk license change are total bs. Nonresidents had until January 31 to apply/finalize their application, and the proposed change was included in the draft regulation released on January 22. Anyone burning points on a quality elk tag should be tasked with checking proposed regs before finalizing their application or be prepared to deal with the consequences. I hope they shoot great bulls with their rifles.
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I have to completely disagree with you on your comments even though neither of us have any skin in the game. Most people think that only the tag totals are changed in the Final Regulations when that's not actually the case. To make a huge change like that with only one week left in the application period and not put it in a big announcement on the website to give people a better chance of knowing what was going on and give them a chance to modify or withdraw really doesn't show much appreciation for the NRs who supply such a huge percentage of the overall fees that the G&F gets every year. Guys that applied the first half of January and didn't know to look for that possible change before the end of the application period on 1/31 and drew that tag with a lot of PPs that it takes have a right to be pissed. This would not even be a problem if the G&F wasn't violating their own statute having the drawing two months before the Final Regulation is voted on by the Commission and then posted on the G&F website.
 
Yep. We disagree.

Also, which statute are they violating?
 
Game and Fish has the authority under Chapter 44 regulation to change the nr Elk license quotas from those approved by Commission. They don't have the authority to change season dates and/or types. Technically, they haven't changed the season because it's a proposed change but, nr's applied under the approved regulations. It's a bull crap move to pull on non residents, done with less than a handful of comments from the field, and a good example of a problem caused by the early draw.
 
Thanks for your post WB, as I was watching my team drop that OT game to Kansas and just got back on here to read his question!
 
WapitiBob said:
Game and Fish has the authority under Chapter 44 regulation to change the nr Elk license quotas from those approved by Commission. They don't have the authority to change season dates and/or types. Technically, they haven't changed the season because it's a proposed change but, nr's applied under the approved regulations. It's a bull crap move to pull on non residents, done with less than a handful of comments from the field, and a good example of a problem caused by the early draw.
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So are you implying that elk season dates and types can never be changed because non residents always apply before the commission approves the new regulations? These deadlines have been in play for enough years that I think it would have been addressed if that were the case.

Bottom line is the proposed changes are available early enough for people considering the tag to knowingly either roll the dice on the proposed change or wait another year for the change to either be adopted or not before burning points.
 
"So are you implying that elk season dates and types can never be changed because non residents always apply before the commission approves the new regulations?"

I didn't say that at all.

The Game Branch can change the NR Elk license quotas used for the NR Elk draw, by submitting them in writing to the Fiscal branch, prior to the NR Elk draw.

Season dates, season types, and other species license quotas are another matter and neither the Game branch nor the Fiscal branch can change those without public comment, Commission approval, and the Governors signature.
 
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