Yeti GOBOX Collection

Official Wyoming Draw Results available.

npaden

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https://wgfd.wyo.gov/DrawResults/frmSearch.aspx

And I didn't draw. :(

Over 1,800 folks applied for the General tag in the Special draw as a first choice so there weren't enough to fall down into the 2nd choice applicants like me.

According to the results not even all the 1st choice applicants got drawn, not sure how the extra licenses that don't show up work, but I do know that I didn't get one.
 
Yea there were sure way more guys putting in for that special general tag...That's a bummer. I had my hopes up for the general tag!
 
I guess the "secret" about special general tag is out. Thankfully I was able to cash in on preference points. So much for being able to hunt wyoming every year as a non-resident
 
I think a lot of guys are burning points in Wyoming. Just about every unit took a jump according to the results I just looked at for the Special Draw. Last year, the unit we drew was 100% draw in the Special Draw, even with zero points. This year, only a percentage of the guys with 1 point drew in the Special Draw for that unit and those who would have drawn last year with zero points all were below the cutoff.

I expect a similar thing in the deer and antelope draws. I think guys are seeing legislators tinkering with the tag allocations and pricing, so they are dumping the points they've been sitting on. Which, I think is a good thing and will help clear out some of the top tier point holders. With any luck, clearing out some of those who have been sitting on points will get the mid-tier units back in reach to guys with 2-4 points. Especially if numbers can rebound and tag allocations rise with animal populations.

Even at max deer points, I doubt I will draw in WY this year. With no pronghorn points, I am sure I won't draw, or at least not in any of the units I try to hunt every year or so. Just not enough tags to be allocated when the numbers are where they are today. I commend WY G&F for adjusting tag numbers as they do. Some would argue they should cut them further, and maybe so. But, many agencies are too slow to cut tag numbers and as a result, recoveries don't happen.
 
https://wgfd.wyo.gov/DrawResults/frmSearch.aspx

And I didn't draw. :(

Over 1,800 folks applied for the General tag in the Special draw as a first choice so there weren't enough to fall down into the 2nd choice applicants like me.

According to the results not even all the 1st choice applicants got drawn, not sure how the extra licenses that don't show up work, but I do know that I didn't get one.

I know of some folks who drew a 2nd choice general in the special so not sure if all of that is true.
 
Not sure who joined my group but I drew my LE unit tag with 0 points. Much to my surprise. Maybe my BIL with 2 points helped elevate us to a 1 point average.
 
I know of some folks who drew a 2nd choice general in the special so not sure if all of that is true.

I was curious if anyone did draw with second choice in the Special.

Supposedly there are some phantom tags that shuffle around that aren't in the official counts that go to the Special General tag pool but they are not in the official results.

Evidently there are enough to fill the 300 or so folks that are showing as 1st choice applicants that did not draw a tag based on the official results and enough to go and fill some of the 2nd choice special generals.

They don't publish any of that information though.
 
I worked there for 28 years, and the only "phantom" tags were up to 5 more than the quota issued because a party drew the last license. Because the outfitters and you nonresidents are so hot to know what you've drawn before winters are over and seasons are set, and in order to let you have your refund before time to apply for deer and antelope licenses, license quotas this time of year are very conservative in limited quota areas. With elk, there is a limit on the number of NR licenses, dictated by residents, although the outfitters have decided they need a higher quota of NR elk licenses, and are pushing for them. Unfortunately, that will just result in more bulls being killed and depressed bull:cow ratios, based on past history and their records of what their clients kill. So when finally data is analyzed and the seasons are actually set, there may be more licenses available in limited quota areas. That's where the extra leftover licenses come from in limited quota areas after the resident drawing, as many residents prefer the flexibility of general licenses. If you can hunt for either sex in a general license area, and hunt public land with your general license from Sept. 20 through the end of November by just switching to different areas in different parts of the state, why get a limited quota license in an area with a two week hunting season and difficult access?
 
They aren't "phantom tags", but are actually tags filling the required nr quota. Data is available but a public info request is required.

And to Nathan's point, yes NR did draw Special Gen tags as a 2nd choice, although for the first time ever, not every Special Gen applicant drew.
 
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Yep WB, so much for a so-called "insider's information! Hey, at least the NRs can be thankful that Bill 149 that WYOGA was pushing and that would have reversed the 60/40 to 40/60 percentages for NR elk, deer, and antelope tags failed in the Legislature on the third reading yesterday! This does mark the first year in the nine year NR PP system that all the second choice Special applicants didn't draw a tag and it's because of so many people out on the net commenting about it. The same thing is happening like Fin said with other units where the PPs to draw are going up by a PP or 2 in just one year.
 
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" If you can hunt for either sex in a general license area, and hunt public land with your general license from Sept. 20 through the end of November by just switching to different areas in different parts of the state, why get a limited quota license in an area with a two week hunting season and difficult access?"

1- Personal preference
2- Less hunting pressure
3- Higher success rates
4-More trophy potential
 
At least the NRs can be thankful that Bill 149 that WYOGA was pushing and that would have reversed the 60/40 to 40/60 percentages for NR elk, deer, and antelope tags failed in the Legislature on the third reading yesterday! From what is being said today on various hunting websites, it appears that this is the first year since the NR PP system started 9 years ago that not everyone who put in for the Special General as a second choice got a tag. That's obviously due to the all the talk out on the net about it being a sure thing and there finally weren't enough tags left to satisfy 100% of those who out in for it that way.

The reason 2nd choice wasn't 100% is because the 1st choice pool blew up by almost 300 addl applicants this year. 2nd and 3rd choices were pretty much like last year. Those 1st choice guys pulled a big chunk of the carry over tags that normally go to the 2nd and 3rd choice pools. Last year the excess was 174 tags that went clear thru the Special and down to the Regular gen side.
 
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Okay so my "phantom tags" was a poor choice, but there are some tags that are awarded to the Special General tag pool that do not show up in the official results. Evidently there are less than 800 of them.
 
The reason 2nd choice wasn't 100% is because the 1st choice pool blew up by almost 300 addl applicants this year. 2nd and 3rd choices were pretty much like last year. Those 1st choice guys pulled a big chunk of the carry over tags that normally go to the 2nd and 3rd choice pools. Last year the excess was 174 tags that went clear thru the Special and down to the Regular gen side.

Yep! I just went in and looked at the stats and the first choice applicants sure went through the roof this year and obviously took away a lot of tags that had been going down to second choice and even further.
 
I think a lot of guys are burning points in Wyoming. Just about every unit took a jump according to the results I just looked at for the Special Draw. Last year, the unit we drew was 100% draw in the Special Draw, even with zero points. This year, only a percentage of the guys with 1 point drew in the Special Draw for that unit and those who would have drawn last year with zero points all were below the cutoff.

I expect a similar thing in the deer and antelope draws. I think guys are seeing legislators tinkering with the tag allocations and pricing, so they are dumping the points they've been sitting on. Which, I think is a good thing and will help clear out some of the top tier point holders. With any luck, clearing out some of those who have been sitting on points will get the mid-tier units back in reach to guys with 2-4 points. Especially if numbers can rebound and tag allocations rise with animal populations.

Even at max deer points, I doubt I will draw in WY this year. With no pronghorn points, I am sure I won't draw, or at least not in any of the units I try to hunt every year or so. Just not enough tags to be allocated when the numbers are where they are today. I commend WY G&F for adjusting tag numbers as they do. Some would argue they should cut them further, and maybe so. But, many agencies are too slow to cut tag numbers and as a result, recoveries don't happen.
I cashed in my max elk points this year with crappy odds! You're welcome! ;) :D I just hope your right as I'd like to get back into the game with only 2-4 points.

To be truthful, I don't even know where I apply for elk in WY. I just attach to anothers application who picks the units. He likes to pick some of the very hard odds/higher profile units. This year I'm no cussing him for that...
 
Okay so my "phantom tags" was a poor choice, but there are some tags that are awarded to the Special General tag pool that do not show up in the official results. Evidently there are less than 800 of them.

Nathan, we are allotted 7,250 tags by the Legislature.The Bio's also set a per hunt unit quota prior to our NR draw. In simplistic form, that 7,250 minus the per hunt quotas, equal the gen tags for (a possible 7,250 tag quota). The draw reports show the odds of drawing those tags. After that portion of the draw, the dept goes back and tallies the actual qnty of full price tags drawn (quota balance) vs the legislated 7,250. That difference is the "phantom tag" you are wondering about. Because WY is required to issue all 7,250 tags, they go back thru the Special gen draw and issue till all apps are filled or they run out of tags. If tags are available after going thru the Special, the go to the Regular Gen.

Now that you have that, know that NR land owners draw before the regular nr. They can, and have, drawn all the tags for a hunt code.
 
NR landowners draw first, before any other NR's and could take every single tag, in every unit.
 
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