Refund for Tags

[Mainer207]

Hey guys,

This is my first year of dipping my toes into western hunting, and I will only be buying points rather than applying. Next year I will begin applying for hunts. I've been doing research on how the systems work, and it's all pretty confusing, but I'm slowly catching on.

One thing I'm wondering is if it is possible to turn in a tag after successfully drawing. For example, if I draw for Wyoming antelope and Montana deer can I return one of these tags for a refund? The reason I ask is that I will not be able to take the time to hunt both states, as I'd be driving from the east.

Obviously, I'd like to be out there hunting, so I'd like to increase my odds by applying in multiple states for tags, but am I running the risk of being stuck with a big tag/license fee without being able to get out there?

If that's the case, how do other guys handle it who don't have the time or money to get out west for multiple hunts? Do you rely on over the counter as your backup plan and only apply for one tag per year?

Thanks for any input!

 

[ImBillT]

Hey guys,

This is my first year of dipping my toes into western hunting, and I will only be buying points rather than applying. Next year I will begin applying for hunts. I've been doing research on how the systems work, and it's all pretty confusing, but I'm slowly catching on.

One thing I'm wondering is if it is possible to turn in a tag after successfully drawing. For example, if I draw for Wyoming antelope and Montana deer can I return one of these tags for a refund? The reason I ask is that I will not be able to take the time to hunt both states, as I'd be driving from the east.

Obviously, I'd like to be out there hunting, so I'd like to increase my odds by applying in multiple states for tags, but am I running the risk of being stuck with a big tag/license fee without being able to get out there?

If that's the case, how do other guys handle it who don't have the time or money to get out west for multiple hunts? Do you rely on over the counter as your backup plan and only apply for one tag per year?

Thanks for any input!

I don’t know the answer with certainty for Wyoming and Montana, and although I THINK Montana offers A partial refund up to a certain date, most states do not offer refunds for tags that you do not use. Reading that state’s regs is a good place to start. The way that I handle it is by not applying for things in which application deadlines, and expected results overlap unless I can live with any potential conflict. Montana deer results should be available before Wyoming antelope applications are due. If you draw Montana, then buy a point in Wyoming. One year you when you don’t draw the Montana tag, you’ll have enough points to draw the Wyoming tag with ease, and you can probably draw the Montana deer tag the next year.

I apply in four states. If I draw a species in one, then I don’t apply for that species in the next state. The state I do apply in that overlaps is UT, but in UT you can only draw one limited entry tag per year, so even if you apply for limited entry on all species, you will only get one limited entry tag at most. Because I consider UT to be almost once in a lifetime, if I have to squeeze in an extra hunt, I’ll just find a way to make it work.

 

[LopeHunter]

With the money you will invest the next few decades, do yourself a favor and subscribe to either HuntinFool or Epic Outdoors for 1 year. Each of those will walk through the process to be qualified to apply (age minimum, hunter's ed, etc), dates to apply, if can get a refund if draw, harvest rates, draw odds, if a point system, if can apply as party and if a point system then how the party's points are calculated, if limits on tags to non-residents, etc. One year will be enough to get you up to speed. The magazines are published monthly and generally they are available 30 days or more before the application deadline. Good luck.

 

[LCH]

Hey guys,

This is my first year of dipping my toes into western hunting, and I will only be buying points rather than applying. Next year I will begin applying for hunts. I've been doing research on how the systems work, and it's all pretty confusing, but I'm slowly catching on.

One thing I'm wondering is if it is possible to turn in a tag after successfully drawing. For example, if I draw for Wyoming antelope and Montana deer can I return one of these tags for a refund? The reason I ask is that I will not be able to take the time to hunt both states, as I'd be driving from the east.

Obviously, I'd like to be out there hunting, so I'd like to increase my odds by applying in multiple states for tags, but am I running the risk of being stuck with a big tag/license fee without being able to get out there?

If that's the case, how do other guys handle it who don't have the time or money to get out west for multiple hunts? Do you rely on over the counter as your backup plan and only apply for one tag per year?

Thanks for any input!

One of my strategies is to apply for tags that overlap in dates or run consecutively. Example, find a pronghorn unit in Wyoming that runs through end of October, hunt it a couple days to fill your tag, then run up to MT when rifle is open. Or archery hunt MT in September then hit the rifle opener for pronghorn in Wyoming.

 

[antelopedundee]

Hey guys,

This is my first year of dipping my toes into western hunting, and I will only be buying points rather than applying. Next year I will begin applying for hunts. I've been doing research on how the systems work, and it's all pretty confusing, but I'm slowly catching on.

One thing I'm wondering is if it is possible to turn in a tag after successfully drawing. For example, if I draw for Wyoming antelope and Montana deer can I return one of these tags for a refund? The reason I ask is that I will not be able to take the time to hunt both states, as I'd be driving from the east.

Obviously, I'd like to be out there hunting, so I'd like to increase my odds by applying in multiple states for tags, but am I running the risk of being stuck with a big tag/license fee without being able to get out there?

If that's the case, how do other guys handle it who don't have the time or money to get out west for multiple hunts? Do you rely on over the counter as your backup plan and only apply for one tag per year?

Thanks for any input!

It used to be in WY that once you got a tag it was refundable only upon death of the license holder and the claim for refund had to be made [along with death certificate] before the season [for which the license was good] started. I checked with my contact there and will post here if there is any change in the policy.

You might try to draw say a WY antelope tag for a season that ends Oct 15 and a deer tag for a season that starts on Oct. 15. Not always easy considering that access for one or both could be difficult.

 

[Trial153]

Go hunt had a list of most states and their regulations as far as turning a tag back in

 

[antelopedundee]

Here is the info right from WGFD.




click on chapter 44, the regulation for issuance of licenses, jump down to Section 26 which begins on page 44. Basically, refunds are allowed for certain hardships such as death of the hunter or family member, illness that prevents them hunting, jury duty or military service and some other things like forest fire preventing the opportunity to hunt or a mistake on our part in issuing the license. Some of the reasons allow the opportunity to carry the license over to the next year, and for that, the request has to be submitted before the first day of the season. For just a refund they have been allowing the paperwork to be submitted through December 31st I believe.

When the hunter has some other reason to request a refund, there is a license review board that they can make their case to and if two out of three board members vote to grant the request then it is possible to have a refund issued for other reasons. One example here was the hurricanes in Texas and Florida a couple years back.


If you want to read the wording in the regulations, go here:

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/regulations#License-Information,

 

[antelopedundee]

Has anyone applied for a Wyoming tag and paid by other than a credit card?