WY Price Hike Implications

[Bigjay73]

It's mind blowing to me that people balk at $2,000 for WY for how much of a quality hunt you can have. Especially when hardly anyone complains about MT at $1,000+ for a flippin general tag.

Even if you draw a special tag every 5 years at 2 grand a pop, that isn't even $40 a month over that timeframe. Or like $10 a week. Give me a break.

The average American spends around 2k a year on coffee. We've forgotten how to save money instead of buying everything we desire.

 

[jwilkstn]

I think you are short. If they took every tag right now that currently takes at least 10 points for a NR to have a 100% chance at drawing in either special or regular and created a draw where all of these tags were priced at $20,000 and held the draw, I bet there are very few if any leftovers.

As much as I hate it, this might be the answer. Let the big money types buy their tags and burn their points, then go back to normal for a few years lol

 

[Neighwp]

I've spoken to outfitters and read in publications where the big price hike will improve odds, but everyone I talk to privately complains about it, but says they will bite the bullet and write the check. Might it be the tipping point where someone doesn't pay up in a unit where Special vs Regular odds are within a point......yes, otherwise we will be right back where we started in 2 years.

 

[hogcarpy]

My 2 cents... I figure point creep and/or the amount of points to draw a unit we vary upon perceived unit quality. I don't think the Special tag price will change the applicants in the hardest to draw units or even the "mid-tier" limited entry units. Some units might even see a bump. I do believe the general tags will be easier to draw in the special and consequently harder in the regular draw.

 

[williaada]

The prices for westerns tags will continue to go up. There seem to be more people booking hunts with the idea it is a once in life time or a hunt ever 5-10 years.

 

[HuntTalk Freak]

Wife wants to go on another western hunt next year and picked WY as I’ve been buying her points for a few years now and I have about double the points she has. Still trying to figure out what species, but now I’m considering maybe us just going to CO and keep building points in WY to see what happens.

Being a school teacher it’s hard for her to get time off and WY adds another day or two of travel.

 

[thusby]

Increasing the price of concert tickets by a 1000% hasn’t stopped the arenas from selling out.
I predict zero change.

 

[Nick87]

At some point its gotta price some people out. It's not the only thing going up. Just thought about it the other day. Me going down state deer hunting here vs my wyoming trip this year. This is just a conservative guess but I don't think I'm far off.

Wyoming trip-
*tag $600
*10 tanks of gas so let's say $900
Hotel-$300
*Food and drinks-$200 ( I know you have to eat regardless but this is just what I spent eating out I definitely could have saved some here)
*Took 5 days off of work. Spent $2k

Home state trip
*Tag $25
*3 tanks of gas $270
*Stayed with family so free lodging.
*Ate with family other than once on the way down and back so $25

Took two days off work. Spent $320

No I don't think $1700 is too much to save for an out of state trip. But it is for the guy who's strapped with a new truck payment, new sxs, who takes his family to Hawaii every year etc etc. Sooner or later gotta catch up with some people. Or I'm just doing something terribly wrong.

 

[ccc23454]

At some point its gotta price some people out. It's not the only thing going up. Just thought about it the other day. Me going down state deer hunting here vs my wyoming trip this year. This is just a conservative guess but I don't think I'm far off.

Wyoming trip-
*tag $600
*10 tanks of gas so let's say $900
Hotel-$300
*Food and drinks-$200 ( I know you have to eat regardless but this is just what I spent eating out I definitely could have saved some here)
*Took 5 days off of work. Spent $2k

Home state trip
*Tag $25
*3 tanks of gas $270
*Stayed with family so free lodging.
*Ate with family other than once on the way down and back so $25

Took two days off work. Spent $320

No I don't think $1700 is too much to save for an out of state trip. But it is for the guy who's strapped with a new truck payment, new sxs, who takes his family to Hawaii every year etc etc. Sooner or later gotta catch up with some people. Or I'm just doing something terribly wrong.

In theory i agree with you but i have been thinking that for years. Believe it when i see it, price raise will have little to no impact in long run. Last price difference had units where regular draw had same or even better odds in units than special becuaseof perception of better odds. The pool of people trying for these tags have become so large that price is almost not a factor for most it seems.

 

[Nick87]

In theory i agree with you but i have been thinking that for years. Believe it when i see it, price raise will have little to no impact in long run. Last price difference had units where regular draw had same or even better odds in units than special becuaseof perception of better odds. The pool of people trying for these tags have become so large that price is almost not a factor for most it seems.

I agree and it's all about rotation let's say I drop out this year. For every guy like me there is 10 new guys jumping in who don't care what it costs they're just keeping up with the jones's or in this case they're new favorite influencer.

 

[seeth07]

I agree and it's all about rotation let's say I drop out this year. For every guy like me there is 10 new guys jumping in who don't care what it costs they're just keeping up with the jones's or in this case they're new favorite influencer.

There is no longer 10 new guys jumping in. As far as nr apps go, a lot of states saw a level off in 2023 where 2022 and 2023 app numbers were similar or just a slight increase. The astronomical gains from 2019 to 2022 though are just so massive

 

[Bigjay73]

One could wonder if the gains from 19-22 were a slight bubble that could deflate some. I have to imagine a percentage of people came out west and decided it wasn't worth the effort. Time will tell I suppose

 

[seeth07]

One could wonder if the gains from 19-22 were a slight bubble that could deflate some. I have to imagine a percentage of people came out west and decided it wasn't worth the effort. Time will tell I suppose

I think you are right. People also got points on a whim and now with a few points they are going to realize that they still need to buy points for a few years yet for say the wyoming general tag. Some will give up. Or like people in AZ realizing that odds aren't getting much better each year and that dream archery hunt there is still 15 years out

When my wife and I started the points game about a decade ago, we knew then it would be a decade before we finally got established to start using them and having better than otc type tag hunts. It was a commitment and a lot of up front investment required to spend for 10 years without a guarantee to show for it. Are there people that didn't realize this? I'm guessing so

 

[Kiwi]

At some point its gotta price some people out. It's not the only thing going up. Just thought about it the other day. Me going down state deer hunting here vs my wyoming trip this year. This is just a conservative guess but I don't think I'm far off.

Wyoming trip-
*tag $600
*10 tanks of gas so let's say $900
Hotel-$300
*Food and drinks-$200 ( I know you have to eat regardless but this is just what I spent eating out I definitely could have saved some here)
*Took 5 days off of work. Spent $2k

Home state trip
*Tag $25
*3 tanks of gas $270
*Stayed with family so free lodging.
*Ate with family other than once on the way down and back so $25

Took two days off work. Spent $320

No I don't think $1700 is too much to save for an out of state trip. But it is for the guy who's strapped with a new truck payment, new sxs, who takes his family to Hawaii every year etc etc. Sooner or later gotta catch up with some people. Or I'm just doing something terribly wrong.

$1700 seems like an absolute bargain compared to what is costs me very year .

But seriously I think many people treat hunting the west as a vacation like I do and assuming you plan to have a few weeks vacation a year the costs are budgeted annually on that basis.

 

[BuzzH]

I think special general elk will be almost a sure thing with 1 point. LQ might see a point reduction in some units special fee.

The winners are going to be those willing to shell out $1300 for special pronghorn. I think many mid tier units will go second and third choices. Meaning you hunt a decent- good tag every year and get a point.

If I were a NR of Wyoming I would just keep my elk strategy the same, elk are over rated anyway. I would focus on $1300 pronghorn.

 

[Bullshot]

One could wonder if the gains from 19-22 were a slight bubble that could deflate some. I have to imagine a percentage of people came out west and decided it wasn't worth the effort. Time will tell I suppose

I think it will happen and is happening (quietly, but I think more noticeably to come) as odds and quality go down, costs go up. I think it will happen fastest from the periphery and then in, losing the ones that are farthest out and where it is most inconvenient. Take Pennsylvania for example. LOTS of PA hunters have headed west but it is expensive, complicated, a long haul, and for many, PA incomes are not consistently high enough to afford this. Many of the traditional groups of old-timers are aging out. In places where incomes are higher, NJ, NY, CT, etc, even fewer per capita folks hunt to begin with, let alone, make the trip west frequently, and group traditions are fewer. I have said before and say again now…. NOBODY I know who hunts around here is the LEAST bit interested actually following through on western hunting once I explain the costs, logistics, and conditions. This is why I usually go alone. I am personally feeling a loss of interest in many places due to the headaches and costs involved too. The unlimited reservoir of newly interested people I think is also soon to become diminished. Same forces apply to people who live closer but it will just take a bit longer and maybe another good recession to sink in.

 

[seeth07]

I think it will happen and is happening (quietly, but I think more noticeably to come) as odds and quality go down, costs go up. I think it will happen fastest from the periphery and then in, losing the ones that are farthest out and where it is most inconvenient. Take Pennsylvania for example. LOTS of PA hunters have headed west but it is expensive, complicated, a long haul, and for many, PA incomes are not consistently high enough to afford this. Many of the traditional groups of old-timers are aging out. In places where incomes are higher, NJ, NY, CT, etc, even fewer per capita folks hunt to begin with, let alone, make the trip west frequently, and group traditions are fewer. I have said before and say again now…. NOBODY I know who hunts around here is the LEAST bit interested actually following through on western hunting once I explain the costs, logistics, and conditions. This is why I usually go alone. I am personally feeling a loss of interest in many places due to the headaches and costs involved too. The unlimited reservoir of newly interested people I think is also soon to become diminished. Same forces apply to people who live closer but it will just take a bit longer and maybe another good recession to sink in.

Idk if it's the same in PA as here in WI (south 2/3rds) but deer hunting is actually getting easier as herds continue to be as strong as ever and less hunters every year chasing them. Public access is slightly getting better as well and there are plenty if spots to get it done on public land.

 

[Bullshot]

I hunted the rifle opener in PA and it was so crowded! In northeastern PA, the deer hunting is crap. Private land can be good I would guess but public is simply hammered. I saw a spike and 5 does… it was the single best day I ever had there. I have NEVER SEEN a branch antlered buck during rifle season across maybe the 5 or 6 years I have gone (spanning through 25 years) and have never taken a single deer in that state, I don’t know why I try!

 

[westbranch]

I think special general elk will be almost a sure thing with 1 point. LQ might see a point reduction in some units special fee.

The winners are going to be those willing to shell out $1300 for special pronghorn. I think many mid tier units will go second and third choices. Meaning you hunt a decent- good tag every year and get a point.

If I were a NR of Wyoming I would just keep my elk strategy the same, elk are over rated anyway. I would focus on $1300 pronghorn.

If could hunt WY pronghorn every other year and WY general elk every three years at the special prices I would be pretty happy.

 

[Kiwi]

The winners are going to be those willing to shell out $1300 for special pronghorn. I think many mid tier units will go second and third choices. Meaning you hunt a decent- good tag every year and get a point.

If I were a NR of Wyoming I would just keep my elk strategy the same, elk are over rated anyway. I would focus on $1300 pronghorn.

I hope you’re right. My strategy next year includes trying for a pronghorn tag in the special with no points if my earlier applications aren’t successful.