Wyoming point creep. How bad will it be for the NR elk draw this year?

Yeah Buzz is right, supply and demand will never be trumped. Demand side increase has skyrocketed while supply side has remained neutral in comparison. The “bigger pie” isn’t being created at even close to the same speed as the line of prospective pie eaters (so to speak) that now has a line going around the block.

The special increase will show us that this is what western hunting costs now. And in the not-so-distant future it will cost significantly more.
 
I think it will be a one deal year for better odds in the special. People and the application services will point out how good the odds were in the special, and the following year will be as bad or worse.

I think a few people may stomp their feet, throw their sucker in the dirt, and hold their breath next year and "show them" by not applying in the special due to the fee increase. After they see the improved odds, they'll wipe the dirt off their suckers and apply special again.

I mean its not really that much of a price difference from 1200 to 1950. I think most people shelling out for the special aren't going to slowed down by $750 dollars. Chump change in the scheme of NR elk hunting.

I predict that the special price increase will scare almost nobody away and will attract some new applicants figuring they'll have better odds and reg and special will have almost the same odds again next year. If reg has as good or better odds not sure what people will do, will become a gamble of which will have better odds from year to year.

Is there any chance of NR regions being in place by 2024 or would it be 2025 at this point?
 
Two things that have been buffering elk demand that folks have gotten very accustomed to:
1)CO generosity
2)Many Wyoming elk herds are doing very well

I wouldn't bank on those holding forever...
 
I predict that the special price increase will scare almost nobody away and will attract some new applicants figuring they'll have better odds and reg and special will have almost the same odds again next year. If reg has as good or better odds not sure what people will do, will become a gamble of which will have better odds from year to year.

Is there any chance of NR regions being in place by 2024 or would it be 2025 at this point?
Yes, 2024 maybe for sure 2025...we're in discussions with GF right now on how to implement. Matter of fact just got off the phone with the GF about it.
 
interesting thought actually wllm and buzz

i think i'd be willing to pay as much as like 200-250 dollars per resident elk tag if in return i got 80/20 limited across the board, resident elk OTC, and zero NR elk otc.

however, i could actually in reality spend 5 grand every year and hunt trophy mule deer on certain landowner tags, but i actually don't, cause that's too much.

i think i'd be willing to pay like upwards of 500 if it meant i got a unit 49 1st rifle bull tag every year
 
I think it will be a one deal year for better odds in the special. People and the application services will point out how good the odds were in the special, and the following year will be as bad or worse.

I think a few people may stomp their feet, throw their sucker in the dirt, and hold their breath next year and "show them" by not applying in the special due to the fee increase. After they see the improved odds, they'll wipe the dirt off their suckers and apply special again.

I mean its not really that much of a price difference from 1200 to 1950. I think most people shelling out for the special aren't going to slowed down by $750 dollars. Chump change in the scheme of NR elk hunting.
3 second rule…
 
So was point creep artificially high because of the looming price increases and all of the licensing services telling everyone to jump in? Will it reverse next year? Does it go up even more from here?
These are good questions. As soon as I think that I have things figured out, someone moves my cheese. I very much enjoy hearing the insights shared here.
 
Because you said ask any resident hunter, I'm a resident hunter and I'm all about resident fee increases, significant increases.
Same. I’d be interested to know the proportion of Wyoming resident hunters generally for or against increases. I think you and I are in a minority who feel that way, but I really have no idea how skewed it is other than that.

And for the record, I want nearly all of that extra money to go towards habitat improvement. I just don’t see how we can keep anything close to what we have now for another couple generations if we don’t have some kind of paradigm shift and get much more serious about intact healthy habitats.
 
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Because you said ask any resident hunter, I'm a resident hunter and I'm all about resident fee increases, significant increases.
I meant more, of course you'd pay more if you got a smoke'n tag who wouldn't... but would you pay for the gen tag every year.

I think the answer for any resident any any state is over my dead body unfortunately.

I can't even really pick on my fellow westerners too much, MA had a $5 increase on our $10 deer tag and all the MA facebook groups were livid. The horror 4 deer tags, 3 turkey, and a bear for $65 instead of $45 :rolleyes:
 
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