Wyoming Elk Info
- Thread starter jheilman
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dirtytough
Well-Known Member
Like mentioned earlier the resident guide gets a free permit to 'guide' his friends. I think he has to have a big game license, and also I think he can only 'guide' 2 people a year. Since the resident 'guide' isn't making money off of it I doubt he has to follow any of the fs rules like outfitters do. The 'guide' and his buddies can camp anywhere a normal diy hunter is allowed to camp.
That is my understanding of the situation anyway.
That is my understanding of the situation anyway.
memtb
Well-Known Member
Thanks, I thought that it was not difficult, but didn't know the details! Even easier than I thought! memtb
This loop hole was left so family/friends could still hunt together. I know a resident from Sheridan who got one of these and took family members in on the Bighorns.
Topgun 30-06
Well-Known Member
Dirtytough is right on the button. A resident can get a free license to guide up to two people a year. The paperwork attests that he is not getting any form of remuneration for doing it and he does have to have a hunting license, but it can be for anywhere in Wyoming and not specifically for where he takes someone. It is entirely different than what our other member went through to get an actual guides license since that is for a person that is making money from that job. Those are the only rules and they can camp anywhere it's legal for a person doing a DIY hunt to camp.
NWPA0311
Well-Known Member
I agree with this. I was up there the last week of october and saw more bears than any other game.
Topgun 30-06
Well-Known Member
You could go one of two ways if you want to go to unit 38 in the Big Horns. If you bow hunt, the unit 38-9 archery tag could be draw with your PPs. 85.71% drew it with less than 10 PPs last year and the season is the entire month of September, which is the best time to be in the mountains because you can can catch the rut and that gives you a big advantage of finding and killing a big bull. The good thing is also that a Type 1 tag holder cannot buy the special archery tag to hunt with a bow in September like you can in a lot of the Wyoming units. The other good thing is that there are no grizzly bears in the Big Horns like the west side of the state that is crawling with them. if you don't bow hunt, you could draw the Type 1 tag you mentioned you're looking at with your PPs, as 50% drew it last year with just 7PPs.
To answer he question by the other member about fines for a NR hunting in a wilderness area without a guide I believe since it would be a simple misdemeanor that it would probably be around $200. That's just a guess based on trespassing fines out there. I would be a lot more worried that G&F would try to tack on a lack of hunting privileges for a year or more and that would be honored in 47 other states under the Wildlife Violator Compact. That alone would not be worth taking the risk IMHO.
To answer he question by the other member about fines for a NR hunting in a wilderness area without a guide I believe since it would be a simple misdemeanor that it would probably be around $200. That's just a guess based on trespassing fines out there. I would be a lot more worried that G&F would try to tack on a lack of hunting privileges for a year or more and that would be honored in 47 other states under the Wildlife Violator Compact. That alone would not be worth taking the risk IMHO.
See, I've lived here for quite a while now and I've never heard what the fine is. If it is the standard trespass fine then I would say eff the guide and go. It's a simple math problem.
Now, if there isn't a ceiling for a maximum penalty that isn't below the cost of a guide then I wouldn't.
Personally, I think the law is horse crap. There are a lot of laws here that hinder business activity more than the good ol boys in Cheyenne let on. I do wonder how many hunters that law deters.
Topgun 30-06
Well-Known Member
I think it's more than a simple math problem if there is even the slightest chance that a person could lose their hunting rights in 48 states for one or more years. NRs obviously object to it since it's all Federal land we're talking about and even a lot of residents think it's BS because it's strictly an outfitter subsidy even though it actually helps residents that want to hunt those wilderness areas.
Sure it's a simple math problem. Figure out the cost of a guide vs the likely cost of being fined for not obeying a dumb law. You just don't like that I proposed such an approach.
It comes down to what costs you're willing to accept. Like you I would not want to give up hunting rights. That's why I said figure out what the max penalty is. If it's just a $200 fine then I'd bypass the guide.
And for those not in the know- WY G&F officials really are few and far between because they like to post up at check stations.
memtb
Well-Known Member
You must hunt different areas than we hunt......as their are "no" check-stations near our areas. Yet we occasionally do encounter officers in the field. There are many areas where you can access without passing a check-station. We haven't missed an elk season since the '90's...and haven't been at a check station in about 12 or so years! This year was the first year in approx 10 years that we haven't met one or more wardens. However, we did meet an off duty game biologist, that was also hunting! memtb
That's likely the case. I hunt around the state and mix it up year-to-year. Say one warden in a pickup make a round through a camping and corral area, but never got out. Only one I saw this year except for the few I passed on the side of the road with a check station setup. Never ran into one back in the woods, and I haven't heard of that happening either. Do they ever go in on horseback?
