Mule Deer Fanatic

Animal/Type ~ License Type ~ App Period ~ Drawing ~ Results ~ Price

Deer~ Region General & Lim Quota (p. 23) ~ Jan. 1-Mar. 15 ~ July 23 ~ July 10 ~ $273
Youth Deer**~ Reg Gen & Lim Quota (p. 23) ~Jan. 1-Mar. 15 ~July 23~ July 10~ $122
Special Deer~ Region Gen & Lim Quota (p. 23)~ Jan. 1-Mar. 15~ July 23~ July 10~ $473
Landownr Deer~ Reg Gen & Lim Quota (p. 23)~ Jan. 1-Mar. 15~ July 23~ July 10~ $273
Landnr Youth De**~ Reg Gen Lim Quo (p. 23)~ Jan. 1-Mar. 15~ July 23~ July 10~ $122
Preference Point Only~ Form 30 Available Via Web Sit~ Jul 1-Sept. 30~~~~ $40
Preference Point Only-Youth**~ Form 30 Avail Via Web~ Jul 1-Sept. 30~~~ $10

Deer-Reduced Price
Doe/Fawn Deer~ Limited Quota (p. 25)~ Jan. 1-Mar. 15~ July 23~ July 10~ $41*
Doe/Fawn Youth Deer**~ Limited Quota (p. 25)~ Jan. 1-Mar. 15~ July 23~July 10~ $31*

*Note: Amount to be remitted includes nonrefundable $12.00 application fee.
**See page 51 for a definition of a “youth applicant.”

How to Apply for WYOMING Nonresident and Resident Adult and Youth Licenses 

Step 1:  Welcome Page and Credit Card Advice 

Read the Welcome page and click on any links you need to get all of your information gathered and organized.  At a minimum, you will need to know:

• Your Sportsman ID number, or last name, date-Of-birth (DOB), and zip code
• If you are a resident or nonresident
• Which Draw you are applying for.  If you are a nonresident and applying for elk deer or antelope, decide whether you are applying for a special draw and whether you want to purchase a point for the next year
• What hunt area and type is your first choice, second choice, and third choice if applicable.
• Are you planning on donating to Search & Rescue and/or Access Yes
• Your credit card number and other card information that may be required
  

Next, fully read the credit card notice, and agree with its terms if you choose to apply online.  If you do not agree, you may apply with a paper application, using a personal check or money order. 

Step 2:  Log yourself into the system 

If you have preference points for any one of our draws, or have applied before, you should be in our customer database.  Simply enter your Sportsman ID and date-of-birth (DOB), or last name, DOB, and the zip code (the last one we would have on file for you.) 

If you have never applied for a limited quota license in Wyoming, then follow the New Sportsman, Create Account screens

Step 3:  Add, Review and Update your Personal Information 

If you are a returning sportsman, please update any incorrect information.  If you are a new sportsman, please fill out the required information on the screen.

Step 4: Choose Your Residency

Toward the top of the Add, Review and Update Screen, there is a “Are You a Wyoming Resident?” Field.  Answer that appropriately as per W.S. § 23-1-102(a)(ix) and W.S. § 23-1-107. 

If you are a Wyoming Resident, you are required to comply with W.S. § 23-1-102(a)(ix) and W.S. § 23-1-107 by:

1. Reading the Wyoming State Statutes listed in the box
2. Clicking the I swear, under penalty of prosecution, that I am a Wyoming Resident as defined by W.S. § 23-1-102(a)(ix) and W.S. § 23-1-107 check box
3. Providing either your continuous years residency or Days Active Duty Military as defined in Wyoming Statute.
4. Providing either your current Wyoming Drivers License, Wyoming State ID, or filling out the online affidavit, all in accordance with Wyoming State Statute.
   

Step 5: Pick A Hunting Application to apply for

Choose the draw and species from the list available to you.  The list is displayed based on your age, residency, open application dates, and applicable time period limitations on moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat. 

Step 6: Application Type Selection

At this point you must choose whether you want to apply as an Individual, are the first applicant for a party meaning you are a “Party Organizer”, or want to join a party as a “Party Member”.

• Individual – simply click individual and go to Step 7, Fill out the application.
• Party Organizer – Choose Party Organizer and hit ENTER.  The next screen will show you your Party ID.  You will have to give this Party ID to the members of your party.  It is required that they know and use the Party ID when they apply to successfully join your party.  After you write down the party ID, click enter to go to the next screen (see step 7).
• Party Member – If you choose “Party Member”, you must enter in the Party ID.  Party ID’s have no spaces or special characters.  Once you enter the party ID, you will be taken to the application screen, but will not be able to change the hunt area or type since party applications have to have matching species, draw, hunt area and type.
  

Step 7: Fill out the application

After choosing a draw, you will need to provide specific information for that draw including hunt area, type, preference point purchase(if applicable), withdrawal block (if applicable) and quantity (if applicable).  If you applied as a “Party Member”, you will NOT be allowed to change the species, draw, hunt area or type.

Step 8: READ the Application Review screen

CAREFULLY review the Application Review screen to ensure that your choices match what you had intended to apply for.  If the information is accurate, choose “Add to Shopping Cart”.  If you need to make changes or do not wish to complete the application at this time, you may choose “CANCEL”.

Step 9: Shopping Cart

The first step to completing the application process is to CAREFULLY REVIEW ALL INFORMATION ON THE SHOPPING CART SCREEN.  You may choose to hit the “DELETE” button on any application you choose not to apply and pay for at this time.  You may choose “Check Out Now” to pay for your selections, or “Add Another Application”, to apply for an additional draw. 

By clicking “Check Out Now”, you are swearing that “Under penalty of prosecution, I swear or affirm that the information given by me on this application is true and correct”

Step 10: Billing Information

Verify the Application Total listed at the top of the page matches the total amount you are authorizing to be charged to your credit card.

Complete all of the information as requested.  By clicking “Submit”, you authorize full payment of the Application Total above.

Step 11: Receipt

At the conclusion of your transaction, you will see a receipt detailing information about your transaction.  You should print this and keep it for your records.

If you ever have a question about your credit card charge, the receipt number will be important for reference. 

The party id is also printed on the receipt as well as a recap of your application information.

Preference Points for Elk, Deer and Antelope

FOR NONRESIDENTS ONLY

An optional Preference Point system was instituted beginning in 2006 for Elk, Deer and Antelope. In 2007, hunters, who were awarded a Preference Point in 2006, will have an advantage in the license draw.

Beginning in 2007, the Department shall allocate not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the available nonresident Elk, Deer and Antelope licenses to a preference point drawing and twenty-five percent (25%) of the available nonresident Elk, Deer and Antelope licenses will be assigned to a random drawing in which all unsuccessful applicants from the preference point drawing shall be placed.

For party applications, the number of preference points for each applicant within the party will be averaged for the preference point ranking to be used for the ranking in the preference point drawing.

NEW for hunt year 2007 is the TIME PERIOD for only purchasing a Preference Point without applying for a hunting license. Purchasing ONLY A PREFERENCE POINT can ONLY OCCUR from July 1, 2007 through September 30, 2007. This is a CHANGE from 2006. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PURCHASE A PREFERENCE POINT ONLY during any of the initial license application periods. YOU MUST WAIT until July 1st to purchase only a Preference Point. The price is $50.00 for Elk, $40.00 for Deer and $30.00 for Antelope ($10.00 for youth for each species). There is NO APPLICATION FEE TO PURCHASE A PREFERENCE POINT ONLY.

REMEMBER, a PREFERENCE POINT ONLY PURCHASE is DIFFERENT THAN an application for a license with a PREFERENCE POINT OPTION. THE PREFERENCE POINT OPTION takes place during the initial license application periods. If you elect this OPTION when applying for an Elk, Deer or Antelope license, the fee, which you must remit with your application for a regular elk license, is $543.00 ($12.00 application fee, $481.00 license fee and $50.00 preference point fee). Regular deer license is $313.00 ($12.00 application fee, $261.00 license fee and $40.00 preference point fee). Regular antelope license is $268.00 ($12.00 application fee, $226.00 license fee and $30.00 preference point fee).

To purchase a Preference Point, an applicant must be at least eleven (11) years old at the time of application and be at least twelve (12) years old by December 31 of the year of application.

An applicant may fail to apply for a license or fail to purchase a Preference Point for one (1) year without losing accumulated Preference Points. However, if an applicant fails to properly apply for a license or purchase a Preference Point for two consecutive years, the accumulated Preference Points will be deleted.

The Preference Point system is designed to award a point for each unsuccessful draw attempt in a hard to draw area for individuals who elect the PREFERENCE POINT OPTION and remit the additional Preference Point fees, yet not penalize those who wish to list an easier to draw area on their second or third choice. If a person draws on the second or third choice when electing the PREFERENCE POINT OPTION, a Preference Point will be awarded even though a license is issued. If the person is successful in drawing his or her first choice, then all Preference Points are deleted but the preference point fee paid for that year is refunded. DRAWING A SECOND OR THIRD CHOICE DOES NOT CAUSE PREFERENCE POINTS TO BE DELETED.

Some suggestions when applying for licenses with the PREFERENCE POINT OPTION: DO NOT apply for an easy to draw area for your first choice. If you do and are successful, then all of your accumulated preference points will be deleted and the odds of drawing a license in a hard to draw area may be greatly diminished for the next couple of years. For example, a person applying for Antelope might list area 57/type 1 as a first choice and area 26/type 1 as the second. Based on past years, drawing odds in area 57/type 1 are less than ten (10) percent but area 26/type 1 has been a 100 % draw on all choices. Under the Preference Point system, a person, if not drawn for area 57 would be issued a Preference Point for Antelope if he or she elected the PREFERENCE POINT OPTION, and would also be awarded an area 26 Antelope license if the additional Preference Point fee was remitted as identified above.

To summarize, please remember there is a difference between PREFERENCE POINT ONLY PURCHASES and an application for a license with the PREFERENCE POINT OPTION. A PREFERENCE POINT ONLY PURCHASE APPLICATION (no chance to draw a license) CAN ONLY be submitted from July 1, 2007 through September 30, 2007. An application for a license with the PREFERENCE POINT OPTION can only be made during the applicable initial draw periods.

If you have any doubt, please call (307) 777-4600 or go to our Web Site at http://gf.state.wy.us where the difference between PREFERENCE POINT ONLY PURCHASES and PREFERENCE POINT OPTIONS WITH LICENSE APPLICATIONS will be further

explained.

NEW GAME AND FISH RULE CREATES PREFERENCE POINT ONLY APPLICATION PERIOD

9/8/2006

CHEYENNE – A new Wyoming Game and Fish Commission Rule, outlined in Chapter 44, established a new preference point only application period.

Hunters wishing to apply for only a preference point, but no big game licenses in a given season, must now do so between July 1 and Sept. 30.

“Because of the new preference point system, we received an increased volume of new applications to process during the 2006 big game application period,” says Jean Cole, Game and Fish license manager. “The preference point only application period will cut down on the number of applications we handle during the critical time of the big game application period.”

Because the rule takes effect immediately, hunters who have not yet applied for or received a preference point in 2006 can still apply for their point through Sept. 30, 2006, including nonresident deer, antelope, elk, moose and bighorn sheep and resident moose and sheep. Preference point applications are available on the Game and Fish Web site at http://gf.state.wy.us.

(contact: Teresa Cole)

-WGFD-

If you are interested in being a State Representative, please contact the administrator of this site.

You will need to be knowledgable about mule deer in your state. You will also be asked to share information with our subscribers on an ongoing basis. There will be something in it for you as well.

Happy Hunting and may the Force be with you

Admin

Every Mule Deer Fanatic loves to absorb as much information about Mule Deer as he or she can. Here is a book that will add to your knowledge base and help you be a better muley slayer.

Happy hunting and may the Force be with you.

Only the females. They blink them in rapid succession when trying to attract a big buck.

Seriously, yes – mule deer have eyelashes. They have a regular set, similar to humans, and then an extra set made up of long (2 inches) black hairs, above and below the eye. Had you ever noticed? When browsing in thick forage or when running through thick cover, these extra eyelashes may come in handy. We still don’t know if they help does attract bucks, but suppose they do.

Can you see eyelashes in the accompanying photo?  No? Look closer.

Happy hunting and may the Force be with you

I think it’s one of them 2-legged 2 points!

Even though Mule Deer are much smarter than whitetailed deer, if you could find a whitetail dear like this – you’ld really have something. This post comes from my whitetail hunting friend, Mr. Rex Howell. A link to his site is provided in the sidebar under Deer Camp Blog.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Trophy Dear

My brother Paul, who just had his 50th birthday and is NOT going through a midlife crisis, sent me this pic.
This beautiful (single) woman owns the Huddleston Ranch in Texas.
All 8000 acres of it.
Trophy deer galore.
If you look hard you will notice that there is a deer in the picture too!

Wolfpack kills hunting dogs near Avery!

AVERY, IDAHO — Two hunting dogs are dead and another is seriously
injured after being attacked by a pack of wolves near of Avery, Idaho east
of St. Maries that has one North Idaho man saying the state is to
blame.

With 30 staples across her small head, and 12 feet of sutures weaved throughout her fragile body, Lilly – a 2 1/2 year old Plott hound dog is slowly recovering.

That’s a tooth hole of a wolf right there. Those holes back there are teeth marks, dog owner Jamie Parker said.

Lilly along with Parker’s two other dogs George and Ginger was attacked by a pack of wolves on Sunday. George and Ginger didn’t make it to the Silver Valley Vet Clinic like Lilly did; they both died shortly after the attack.

I don’t know how to describe it, Parker said. It tore my heart
out. Wouldn’t compare it to losing a child, but it’s got to be closet
thing to it.

Parker and some friends were hunting a mountain lion just a mile or so
from Avery when the dogs stopped barking and they knew something was
wrong. The hunters climbed up a mountain and when they got there they
found blood everywhere and a pack of wolves running toward them.

The men fired several shots and the wolves ran away.

Idaho re-introduced 35 gray wolves to the state in 1995 after near
extinction and now there are 651 wolves and 71 wolf packs statewide.

I’m frustrated by the people that have shoved these wolves down our
throat, Parker said.

The Idaho Fish and Game Department says it understands parker’s frustrations, however there isn’t much it can do until the gray wolf is taken off the endangered species list.

The federal government tried once in 2002 and another effort is now underway.

If and when the wolf is off the list, Parker and others would be able
to hunt gray wolves and shoot one if its attacking a family pet.

Parker says the push to de-list should’ve happened a long time ago.
Even so, he remains hopeful as he prepares to take Lilly home on Thursday.

I feel good and I’m pretty sure she’s going to pull out of this and
she’ll hunt again someday, he said.

=======================================

When I was 46 years old, I read of a study which concluded that the average age of a mule deer hunter was 46. I remember this because – I was the average age. Today, I am 55 years old. I am guessing that the average age of today’s mule deer hunter is lower than 55 because of the baby boomer effect.

If the age distribution of muley buck hunters follows the standard bell curve, then a high percentage of hunters are baby boomers. This makes sense because: a) baby boomers cut their teeth on the best years of mule deer hunting, and b) baby boomers represent a significant portion of the overall population. Game agencies have anticipated the day when the baby boomers will drop out of the hunting population and are worrying about dealing the loss of revenue.

I have hunted with the same hunting partner for the last 20-plus years. About 15 years ago I asked him how long he planned to hunt mule deer, and what he thought would be the cause of his quitting ( age, poor hunting, too much regulation, poor health, gun control, etc.) He thought he would hunt until age 70. I’m not sure it will happen…. disouragement being the cause. No matter what the cause, there is likely to be a large drop in mule deer hunting demand when the baby boomers exit. In 2007, the baby boomers are on the brink of quitting en masse.

So, what now. Near the early 1990’s overall mule deer hunting tags were cut in half while the agencies were busy creating hunting units and hunting lotteries. A lottery gives the appearance of short supply and creates a bit of a demand frenzy. It should be noted that there is an actual short supply. In theory, with the overall human population increase, there should be an increasing demand for mule deer hunting. Yet, with all of this – young hunters are not entering the ranks as desired.

I have four sons, none of whom are mule deer hunters. All of them, except one, have been hunting with me in their youth. Unfortunately, I have not been able to provide for any of them a “good hunt” as defined by the hunts of my youth. Hunting mule deer is boring to them. I must agree. It is hard to draw. It is unlikely that they will see what you are looking for. Seasons are short. Prices are high. And, it is probable to hunt an entire season without so much as firing a shot. Before I can get my sons to become mule deer fanatics, something needs to be fixed.

Like me, they have been frustrated by the lack of opportunity, and additionally, they have many other activities available to them that are more exciting – such as video games. They can even hunt mule deer right in the comfort of their home.

Game agencies are doing all the wrong things to attract young hunters. In short, agencies cannot recruit young hunters by making hunting miserable for their fathers (parents). There are now special youth hunts, special pricing, special seasons, etc. The agencies have long since abandoned the notion of giving the fathers something in return for their investment. Many of them will not even acknowledge that they have customers. They still have an income, but bite the very hand that feeds them.

Fortunately, these problems can be fixed. In order to recruit young hunters, the agencies need to make hunting good for the dads. They need to be doing exactly the opposite of what they are doing. First, there needs to be a product: mule deer, and lots of them. Second, the agencies need to stop regulating their customers away from purchasing the product. Third, the product needs to be available with broad opportunity at a reasonable price. These are simple, good business concepts.

I estimate that there are 450,000 mule deer hunters in the United States each year, and atleast 1 million hunters that are turned away. Those turned away may experience disappointment year after year. Even if they draw a tag they will likely be disappointed. The most crucial issue is having more mule deer. This can never be done with predator populations what they are today. It just cannot happen.

It takes an attorney, an accountant, and a doctor to help a person get through a 2007 hunting proclamation. The doctor is for the headache. When I was a youth, a hunting proclamation was a one page document with a map on the backside. The agencies are regulating themselves right out of a customer base.

When I started hunting mule deer, if a person wanted to, he could hunt from mid August through mid January. Because hunting seasons were long, there was not such a sense of urgency. A deer hunt could really be enjoyed, and for more than five days. The agencies are cutting their own throats by making hunting seasons so short. Long seasons do not mean more deer harvested. They mean more enjoyment. Even if longer seasons meant more harvest, the solution is more deer – not shorter seasons. We have all been conditioned, by the agencies, to the idea that harvesting more deer is a bad thing. It’s not. Our youth are not going to join ranks without it.

I want to see mule deer hunting be as good as it ever has been. I firmly, believe it is possible. We simply need a management decision. I want my children to enjoy what I once enjoyed. The current strategy is the wrong one. I intend to be a voice for change and encourage you to do the same.

Happy hunting