WYOMING elk hunt
 

Wyoming elk and you have 10 points where do you go or with which outfitter

thanks

buck

The answer to that depends upon budget and physical ability, but as a general recommendation I would have a chat with Tyler Sims. Ten points will get you into some very good elk country and the outfitters that guide in those areas are generally priced a on the high side. Tyler's price is a bit higher than the average bull hunt in Wyoming, but there are reasons that he can get that price and have waiting lists. I do know another great place to go, but it would I doubt that ten points would swing it, and the outfitter has a five figure price (before the decimal point).

When you spend time in the small towns and get to know a few of the locals you will hear real story with the good and the bad about the local outfitters. I have never heard anyone badmouth Tyler, while on the other hand I have never met a local that did NOT badmouth Table Mountain.

Point creep was really wild last year, and with the stimulus payments I would bet that it will be bad again this year.

I know a couple of good guys between Wheatland and Laramie, but I am uncertain if that is a good use of ten points. There are some good horseback/wilderness area hunts around the Park, some good Bighorn Mountains hunts that you might consider but I do not know the outfitters in those areas.

Area 100 in the Red Desert has some monster bulls. Not sure if 10 points would draw or not?

Call the best guide in the state - Keith Metz - https://www.tablemountainoutfitters....-zEIvsKhE3EclQ

Point creep is so bad in Wy

Bad in most of the western states. Big rip off and unless you have banked a bunch over the years you won't get to where you want. Just a money making deal for the departments and most of the time the points rise faster than you can earn/ buy them.

^^^^^^

But if you want to play you have to pay. No other way around it.

y'all that got to hunt easy (easier) to get tags were blessed.


-Jake

I hear you and thought that way in the beginning. In the last 10 years point creep has increased to the point of being ridiculous. Guys like flags and my buddy Randy in Colorado have saved up into the twenties because they were residents and played the point game from the beginning. Unless things have changed at least in Colorado it is an all or nothing deal. They won't allow banking so let's say it you have 25 points and it takes 16 to draw you get your tag but end up with no points left. Wouldn't a better option be to be able to have 2 or 3 quality hunts with those points especially as you get older...at least as an option? The various departments should be able to manage only using the points needed for a particular draw and bank the remainder. They keep track of them up to that point why not after a draw. That could go a long way to slow point creep which in some states is more like an avalanche.

I don't disagree with you CI.

I just don't know any way around it. And I want to hunt.

-Jake

Yup I would probably be feeling the same except I had an issue that pushed me over the top with CO DOW and their points system. Ticked me off and I said I'm not playing anymore. My hunting friends still put in but due to their younger ages will see a benefit in the future. DOW said ....give us money for a cow tag you aren't going to use or lose your 3 points. I said stick your points where the sun don't shine. You will never get another dime from me. Was being a hard head but my years of climbing all over the Rockies was timing out due to age so I am good with it.

I had an advantage with playing the point game because I was active duty. For a long time CO residents that were in the military could put in for points for free and that is what I did. I knew as long as I was in the USN that I couldn't be sure I would be able to hunt so I always put in for points and then if I could get back for the season would buy an OTC bull tag or a leftover cow tag. I have 23 points for elk right now but still can't get the tag I want since I am now a resident of TX. I could pull it as a CO resident but not as a non-resident. Takes 27 points for the tag I want. Eventually I'll get ahead of the point creep since I'm just 58 now and am not that far off. But there is NO way I could or would play the point creep now starting from scratch. I also have nearly 20 points for deer.

What I am afraid is going to happen is the CO DOW is going to cancel all the points and start up with a new system. I was in CO when they started the current system and nobody envisioned some hunts taking nearly 30 points. New hunters will never have a chance for some tags in the current system. I don't know the solution but I hope they take people with over 20 points into consideration before they do anything brash.

Our friend Randy that CI mentioned didn’t draw an elk to this year with 29 points. He is a CO resident.

My point exactly. I would be curious to know how far Randy's choice unit which is probably the same as flags has gone up in the last 10 years when he had 19 points. When point creep exceeds 1 a year there is something wrong with the system which means the target is never achievable. That is a money scam from DOW.

I agree with everything above. It would be nice to see states come up with a better solution.