Wyoming General Tag Quality?

[Sjackson]

Application season is here. Already dreaming of tags yet to be drawn. With Wyoming up first, Im curious as to the quality of the general units offered on the general tag. Im sitting on 3 elk points and eager to get into the elk woods in Wyoming. Just hoping to learn a little bit about the overall quality of these units. Density, population, encounters, all of these being relative to there being more hunters im sure with it being a general tag. Would you cash in on a general tag at the first opportunity or would you wait and bank points for a limited entry hunt? Im more than happy to wait and accumulate the points, but would hate to have wasted them on a general tag if they are over crowded or not worth 3 points. Any guidance would be much appreciated. Thanks for your time.

 

[rmyoung1]

Point creep is pretty severe in WY. Five years from now you might not be 1 point closer to pick-your-chosen-limited-entry-unit. The general tag in WY offers some very good hunting.

 

[LopeHunter]

There are many a tale of woe of the holder of many, many points that finally scores a tag after the passing of many winters then in the year of the tag: poor moisture so antlers smaller than in years, forest fires close off roads, rut is not on schedule, unseasonable cold or hot, federal shut down closes federal land, winter kill worse than expected, spouse is sick, child is born early, tears up knee loading truck for hunt, gets laid off at job, spouse gets laid off, etc.

Hunt as often as can. There are places in many WY elk and deer units where you can get away from the crowds and hunt every 5 years if not sooner. The size of the antlers rarely makes a hunt a favorite memory, in my experience anyway.

 

[LCH]

I'd go general. I've hunted cows a couple times, and seriously considering burning 6 points on a gen tag this year. Should have 3-4 years ago.

 

[Idhikker]

General is going to take five points here pretty soon. The limited entry units are experiencing creep and everyone is saying to go general.

 

[HighDesertSage]

Application season is here. Already dreaming of tags yet to be drawn. With Wyoming up first, Im curious as to the quality of the general units offered on the general tag. Im sitting on 3 elk points and eager to get into the elk woods in Wyoming. Just hoping to learn a little bit about the overall quality of these units. Density, population, encounters, all of these being relative to there being more hunters im sure with it being a general tag. Would you cash in on a general tag at the first opportunity or would you wait and bank points for a limited entry hunt? Im more than happy to wait and accumulate the points, but would hate to have wasted them on a general tag if they are over crowded or not worth 3 points. Any guidance would be much appreciated. Thanks for your time.

I would not chase LE in WY. Point creep goes up 1-2 points a year. At least the units I've been chasing. Learn a general unit and go every couple of years.

 

[ida homer]

I’ve got 5 points. No mans land. Antelope has a better variety of options.

Zero statistical chance at the famous late hunts surrounding the park, since some don’t even have a tag in the random. There are some 8-10 point units I’d love to draw, but the creep.

I’ve come to the conclusion of guided, hunt general or move to WY. Those lucky bastards are playing with 30% draw odds in some historically excellent units. I need a warmer jacket.

 

[Pucky Freak]

I can't wait until I get this tag. I've e scouted like 10 different hunts on this tag and could easily do 40 more. The problem is then I'm stuck picking just one of them to hunt!

 

[N2TRKYS]

I wouldn’t waste 3 points on a general tag.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

It really depends on your goals. If you want to shoot a bull the general tag is fully adequate and opportunity is good in the general units I'm familiar with. Most places are busy around the opener, just depends on how good you are at sniffing out where people aren't willing to go.

 

[wytex]

I wouldn’t waste 3 points on a general tag.

It's not a waste.

 

[jtm307]

The most crowded general unit in WY has a harvest rate above 30%.

 

[N2TRKYS]

It's not a waste.

Shhh. I’m trying to draw with no points.

 

[2rocky]

I hunted WY from 2005-2015 and drew something every year except for 2. But that was when you could throw your elk rebate at a deer or antelope tag.
The elk strategy was always Unit specific as a first choice and General as a second. And buy points for the other species.

The Cow/calf tags are what you should be applying for if you just want a meat hunt. You could easily get those and get to know a unit while you built some points.
I'd take boots on the ground for 3 years in a general unit in WYOMING versus a 10 point unit you have never set foot in.

Granted this is from someone who has only hunted a small portion of WY and never been east of the Continental Divide with an elk tag.

 

[thusby]

Biggest deer I have seen in Wyoming were in general units. 1-2 points max. Elk not so much.

 

[Idhikker]

The most crowded general unit in WY has a harvest rate above 30%.

The harvest rates include cows and it skews things. Most areas across the west aren’t either sex on rifle tags.