WY Elk Survey

[CBranch]

I received my WY Elk Survey today in the mail which I filled out online. As I did last year, at the end of the survey in the comment portion, I expressed my disappointment in the inability for non-residents to hunt Federal Wilderness Area. I encourge all Do-It-Yourselfers out there who share my frustration to do the same if you have the opportunity to fill out one of their surveys. I will post my survey comments below.

 

[CBranch]

Survey Comments:
"I hunted area 96 for elk this year as I have for a number of years. I dearly love Wyoming and have many friends there. Once again this year, due to high temperatures, there were very few elk present on the National Forest portion of Unit 96 during opening week of rifle season, while most elk were presumably on Wilderness Area at higher elevation. I was extremely lucky to get my elk while the 6 other people in my hunting party did not see one elk the entire week they hunted. I know based on DNR information there are plenty of elk in the Area, more than target numbers this year. Of course one might advise us to wait until later in the year, however one of our party typically tries to deer hunt and that season now typically ends the first week of elk rifle season.

I am again incredibly disappointed that as a non-resident I cannot hunt elk on public Federal land, i.e. National Forest Wilderness Area. While anyone including me can legally go as deep into Wilderness Area as they want with no preparation or provision any day of the year, as soon as I have an elk tag in my hand, I would be breaking the law to be there hunting. With our party having an average of 4 hunters per year for the last 5 years purchasing non-resident Any Elk licenses, we have put over $12,000 into elk tags, stamps, and licenses alone. This does not include other deer and pronghorn licenses over the years and food, gas, and other money put into local economies. It is very disheartening that we cannot enjoy hunting in the Wilderness Areas of Wyoming without paying a hefty fee to an outfitter and their guide to do what we can do on our own on land that is much ours as a Wyoming resident.

We will be taking our hunts to Montana next year instead of Wyoming where we can enjoy OUR Federal National Forest Wilderness Areas. We do not believe Wyoming is fairly regulating the Wilderness Areas that were set up for all US citizens to enjoy."

 

[sbhooper]

Outstanding response.

 

[RUT JUNKEY]

very well written. I feel the same. I don't think you should have to hire a guide to hunt in those areas. . .just my thoughts. We talked to some rangers out there about this when we were out there pronghorn hunting a month ago. . . it just semms like money talks for sure. ( outfitters)

 

[havgunwilltravel]

Great response and good on you for expressing your views in a very
constructive way.
I am in your boat and it certainly makes planning any DIY
hunts quite a challenge with the NR wilderness restrictions.

 

[BuzzH]

If you have "many friends" in Wyoming and you aren't getting wilderness access you need new friends.

 

[Big Fin]

Very well written response. Unfortunately, the legislature won't read your comments, and that is where any change would need to come from.

Filling out my antelope survey tonight.

 

[CabinFever]

As Buzz says if you have friends there all you gotta do is have them with ya.

That being said it is dissappointing, I think if it was a big issue of being worried about inexperienced people in the backcountry, then non hunters would be restricted as well. The only reason I see for the rule must be money for outfitters, which blows. You gave a great response.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

The only reason I see for the rule must be money for outfitters, which blows.

Ya think? Geez, Ray Charles could take you into the wilderness if he was a WY resident. It's an outfitter subsidy, pure and simple. Anyone that tries to protray it as anything else is kidding themselves.

 

[CBranch]

I have hunted the Wilderness Area in the past with a good friend of mine that lives there and used to ranch; I have also hunted WA with a few other folks I've met there over the last few years. My friend that was a rancher is retired now, and while he still likes to hunt, he's getting up there in age and his health problems don't allow him to go up as high I as I would like, nor would he be able to camp for days on end.

His ranch butts up to BLM and Nat'l Forest which connects to Wilderness. The area is beautiful and great to hunt, but there's always that imaginary line halfway up the mountain that stops hunting, tracking, or scoping for the next deer or elk. There's no question the fellas I hunt with in the area have hunted Wilderness Area with me as a resident guides, they just aren't as into packing in and staying in as me.

The point remains the same that I was trying to convey though, there should not be limitations to where we can hunt with or without a resident, and that was what I wanted to express. It's true, its a money game, and outfitters have the lobby.

Wonder with the new open laws about ploitical contributions, if we can't just start ourselves a super pack to get it changed?