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Drawing Wyoming Elk Tags: Resident vs Non-Resident
- Thread starter Nugger
- Start date
tahunua001
New member
depends on the hunt and how many people are applying. so many tags are set asside specifically for non-resident and the rest for residents(at least they are here and I believe that WY is set up the same as us). your odds of getting a non-resident are most likely higher because there are fewer people competing for those tags. likewise. there are more elk say, near yellowstone(pre-wolf) and near coloroado border so those regions would have more tags available but also, more people live in say, Cheyenne, than Sheridan so more people would(in theory) be applying for tags in that region than up north so... take all that with a grain of salt.
personally, I would rather have meat than a trophy so every year, I put in for a cow tag, in late november, on a mountain(in early winter) and every year so far I've gotten it because there are 250 cow tags available for that hunt and since it's early winter up there, nobody wants to chase cows around the mountain, on average, only 300 people apply for those tags. at the same time there is a bull elk hunt for the same region, only 50 tags, 10 of which are reserved for non-residents, and usually over 1000 apply for them. I choose the hunt that gives me the best chance of actually getting to hunt. you can do that, or you can pine over a dream hunt that will likely only come around once in a lifetime.
personally, I would rather have meat than a trophy so every year, I put in for a cow tag, in late november, on a mountain(in early winter) and every year so far I've gotten it because there are 250 cow tags available for that hunt and since it's early winter up there, nobody wants to chase cows around the mountain, on average, only 300 people apply for those tags. at the same time there is a bull elk hunt for the same region, only 50 tags, 10 of which are reserved for non-residents, and usually over 1000 apply for them. I choose the hunt that gives me the best chance of actually getting to hunt. you can do that, or you can pine over a dream hunt that will likely only come around once in a lifetime.
Tough question.
Answer: Depends!
I know, cop out, but true!
A resident can purchase a "General Elk License" over the counter. This General tag, no quota, is good for any area in the state that has been designated as a General Area. A certain number (33% of historical sales) "General" tags are reserved for out of state hunters. But there is a catch! The nonresident hunter that gets a General tag is limited to a region of the state, and can't hunt in general areas outside of that region! Also, the nonresident needs to apply for a lottery for his "general" tag, because the demand for them exceeds the 33%! Kind of a high chance lottery!
Now to make it even more convoluted, "special permit areas" are also thrown into the mix! These areas are generally more productive with better quality animals and easier access than the "General tag" areas. These "special permit areas" are limited quota, set by our game commission each year. They still are mandated by law to reserve 33% of the tags for nonresidents, though. These tags become easier for nonresidents to acquire over time, as out of state hunters can build preference points for them, whereas residents are not afforded that luxury!
Take, for instance, elk area 100. This area is mostly within Wyoming's Red Desert. The elk can be accessed by vehicle rather than horses, it is nearly 100% public land, the herd is large and the animals are some of the biggest in the state. A nonresident hunter can build points over the years and can generally draw this permit in 10 or so years. Residents, on the other hand, face yearly drawing odds for this area of less that 3%! I have applied for 25 years and still not drawn this tag!
So, you see, It depends! Do your homework!
Answer: Depends!
I know, cop out, but true!
A resident can purchase a "General Elk License" over the counter. This General tag, no quota, is good for any area in the state that has been designated as a General Area. A certain number (33% of historical sales) "General" tags are reserved for out of state hunters. But there is a catch! The nonresident hunter that gets a General tag is limited to a region of the state, and can't hunt in general areas outside of that region! Also, the nonresident needs to apply for a lottery for his "general" tag, because the demand for them exceeds the 33%! Kind of a high chance lottery!
Now to make it even more convoluted, "special permit areas" are also thrown into the mix! These areas are generally more productive with better quality animals and easier access than the "General tag" areas. These "special permit areas" are limited quota, set by our game commission each year. They still are mandated by law to reserve 33% of the tags for nonresidents, though. These tags become easier for nonresidents to acquire over time, as out of state hunters can build preference points for them, whereas residents are not afforded that luxury!
Take, for instance, elk area 100. This area is mostly within Wyoming's Red Desert. The elk can be accessed by vehicle rather than horses, it is nearly 100% public land, the herd is large and the animals are some of the biggest in the state. A nonresident hunter can build points over the years and can generally draw this permit in 10 or so years. Residents, on the other hand, face yearly drawing odds for this area of less that 3%! I have applied for 25 years and still not drawn this tag!
So, you see, It depends! Do your homework!
Unlicensed Dremel
Moderator
Do you have to live there a full year before being a "resident", or can you actually move there then the next day submit your resident forms (assuming it's Jan/Feb, that time of year)?
tahunua001
New member
depends on the office. I've walked in with nothing but an instate hunters ed card and gotten a license, I've tried others with out of state hunters ed card and they wanted anything from a utility bill to just a valid in state ID. I'm thinking that if you have a WY drivers license that they'll probably take that, no matter how new it is, as long as it's current.
Unlicensed Dremel said:Do you have to live there a full year before being a "resident", or can you actually move there then the next day submit your resident forms (assuming it's Jan/Feb, that time of year)?
http://wgfd.wyo.gov/web2011/EDUCATION-1000243.aspxTo qualify for a resident game and fish license, a person shall be domiciled and physically reside in Wyoming for one (1) full year immediately preceding the date the person applies for the license. Additionally, the person must not claim residency elsewhere for any purpose during the previous year.
If you have never purchased a resident license in Wyoming, you will be asked to sign an affidavit stating that you meet the requirements for residency. You will also be required to provide proof in the form of a DL or other State ID.
Many people have lost their hunting privileges in compact states because they falsified the residency affidavit! Don't do it. Wyoming likes to prosecute non-residents getting resident tags! Each fall the paper is full of stories, the result being big fines and loss of hunting and fishing privileges in nearly 30 states!
Unlicensed Dremel
Moderator
Duly noted. But it still makes no sense. If I'm a resident, I'm a resident. Why does it have to be a year? Why more than 1 day or 1 month? So for 1 full year, I'm not a resident *anywhere* and cannot apply for tags *anywhere*? Doesn't make sense, unless *during* that one year, when you're actually a WY resident, you can still apply for tags in the old state you moved from (that you are no longer a resident of) - why should there be an exclusion that puts you in limbo with no residence anywhere for a year of your life? I must be missing something.
Barnacle Brad
New member
I am campground owner. I have many guests who work in the area for months at a time, yet they have out of state car plates and DLs. They reside in Wy? Not really....until they meet the criteria set forth by the game dept. It sucks but you only have to purchase out of state tags for one year.
Unlicensed Dremel
Moderator
No, that's FINE *if* you can purchase out of state tags, so that you never "miss" a year completely, putting in for tags. If you can still apply legally in the OLD state, while living in WY, then that's fine, because there's no "missing year". What I'm saying is - let's say I moved from NM to WY in December. It's very hard to get certain tags in NM (done by lottery). So on Jan 1st, I live in WY. Do you think NM will let me legally apply for that new year in their state? I doubt it - they will say you have to be a resident (I think), which I would not be. I guess the answer is, even if you've moved, apply in the old state that 1 year, and no one will be the wiser, even if technically a violation. I'm just thinking of missing an entire year of chances of being drawn. Oh well, no big deal, because I'm not coming from NM but a "normal" state, with almost no lottery drawings.
Barnacle Brad
New member
For the purpose of establishing resident hunter status in Wy:
1) one must reside in the state for 1 year prior to purchasing resident licenses or tags.
2) one may not have a 'resident' tag from another state in that same year
3) it's not worth losing hunting privileges cheating the state.
1) one must reside in the state for 1 year prior to purchasing resident licenses or tags.
2) one may not have a 'resident' tag from another state in that same year
3) it's not worth losing hunting privileges cheating the state.