Mid-range Point Purgatory in Wyoming!

[efw]

So I have somewhat of a complicated question around a couple hunts I’m planning.



I’ve been away from the western hunting scene since 2020 due to the longtime decline of my mother in law who we cared for. All I’ve done since then is buy points.



My intention as I started thinking about all this was to burn my Wyoming deer points in 2026 & my elk points in 2027. Going into those draws between my hunting partner & I we’ll have 18 elk & 12 deer. Frankly I’m sick of having all these points and being in that mid range where I can’t get premium areas but feel like I’m gratuitously burning points on others.



My desire is to deer hunt an area in 26 that I might be able to score a bull tag for in 27 so it can be somewhat of an elk scouting trip as well as deer hunt. Considering Gen Areas X or K, although it appears that the former was hit with hard winters in last several years causing a shortage of higher age class bucks.





With all that in mind, I started looking at combo elk/mule deer tags in Montana for 26, which appear to provide great opportunity and which my hunting partner and I both really like. I have no points there and the draw announcement comes after Wyoming so if we don’t pull a tag we’ll have to look at Idaho controlled hunts, but if I’m reading correctly Montana general tags are for all general areas in Montana, unlike those in Wyoming where you’re in a limited though large geographic area?



I am getting OnX’s premium service so I can look at odds and such via Huntin Fool.

I’d be interested in what you guys would do if you were me?

Thanks a lot,

Efw

 

[TOGIE]

i'd say hunt deer in the best unit you can and hunt elk in the best unit you can, don't try to make it the same unit for both. if those happen to overlap, then do that. but i doubt that will be the case without sacrificing the quality of one or both.

get the highest quality bull tag you can get and e scouting and calls to the bio and warden will be all you need in the meantime. arrive a few days before the season and that'll be all the scouting you need.

 

[THINKIN6X6]

I would not concentrate on trying to hunt the same units for both. Many times the better elk units are not great deer units and vise versa. You don't need top tier units to have a great wyoming hunt. Look for something in your point range and go for it.

 

[SaskHunter]

I wouldn't settle for units that overlap with that many points.

I'd go for the best deer and elk units in my point range, show up a few days early and scout ahead of the season if making a separate scouting trip not possible.

 

[WapitiBob]

18 and 12 combined, or averaged ?

 

[efw]

18 and 12 combined, or averaged ?

Combined

 

[WapitiBob]

Combined

Severely limits the options but hunts are available. You don't need onx for WY odds, just download the odds from the dept. Onx "research tools" is still lacking, two years after rollout. Supposedly they have figured out how to show both regular and special odds for WY and will update in January.