Wyoming Preference Points
 

I have 9 Preference Points for Elk in Wyoming. How do you go about finding Ranchers who allow tress pass fee hunting? I have priced Outfitted hunts and they are way over my budget. Looking to hunt in 2018. Thanks for any help!!!!!

I would make some phone calls to their fish and game department and see if they have a list or any advice. That's a place to start.

I have two antelope preference points and am hoping to head there this fall for a hunt.

-Jake

Thanks, That's in my plans. I Antalope hunted Wyoming last year at the Peterson Ranch in Walcott Wy. Was a very good hunt.I shot a nice goat my second day. Tons of Antalope. Josh Peterson who runs the place is a streight shooter and you don't have to worry about getting screwed. I was his first ever hunter when he first started years ago. I hunted Elk with him. We didn't see any Elk so he gave me a full refund. How many outfitters would do that? Plan on going back once I get a couple PP again $1,500 with lodging and Super I think. I stayed in my camper and cooked myself. Ishould of been more picky on my goat but couldn't resist a 20 yd broadside shot at a nice buck!!

Looked at his website. Group is planning on doing this on public land. I've been studying maps and areas for a couple months now it seems trying to narrow down a good spot to be drawn with two points.


-Jake

SCHL4444 - In my experience the normal elk habitat is often up behind the ranches on public land. In the places there I used to elk hunt the elk would graze, water, and sometimes bed on the ranches but usually headed up the mountain to bed. I only know one ranch that lets hunters cross the private land to have easier access to the public land for a fee of $750, but only if they had finished their guided hunts for the year, only if the hunter was someone that they had met in the past, and it is in a max point unit to boot.

We would just shoulder the backpacks and hike in the long way to play tag with the elk. Nine points should get you into some very good units like 49, etc. but of course it is not quite enough to get into the "best" units where the guys with Governor's Tags and the guys that have max points (and lucky draws) hunt. Nine points is kind of a no-man's-land, but even if you wait it out to get max points the chance of getting into one of those units is very slim. Point creep is a pain.


Jake - Did your group agree to pay the extra for the Special draw next year?

Negative,


Three of them hunted antelope in the 80s several times and they have trouble believing that there is even a draw for antelope. I'm gonna try to make the best of it. And in the future no more big group hunts in lottery areas lol....


-Jake

This has been my experience as well. Good elk country is often good elk country because it doesn't see a lot of traffic. If you're averse to paying often exorbitant trespass fees as I am, that often means you won't get to it unless you can find a legal and often difficult public access onto that ground the other side of the landowner's lockup, or you hunt wilderness areas. Unfortunately, if you choose the former, be prepared for confrontations with the "guides" using the landowner's property. If you run into them they're not going to like you being back there after they've paid good money to limit the easy access.