I help non-residents and residents out on some LE elk, goat, sheep, and deer hunts. I don't throw out my honey holes to anyone. The "know it all types", that includes residents and non-residents, don't get much from me. I have many people that want to tag along with me rather than to look on their own for places they should hunt.
The back and forth over numbers and tag allocation between residents and non-residents seems a little much to me. Do the businesses in Wyoming and the Wyoming Game and Fish need non-resident hunters? Sure. Can they survive with fewer non-resident hunters? Yes. Do non-resident hunters bother me when I am hunting? Sometimes. That includes when they camp on top of the game or ride their horses right into them. For the most part, I only run onto them on the roads.
The real advantage that residents have over non-residents when it comes to hunting in Wyoming is simple. It isn't the wilderness exclusion, tag numbers or the outfitter welfare that is complained about almost constantly on the Wyoming forum. Resident hunters can gain specific knowledge of the country they want to hunt if they want to take the time to do so. They live close to those places. Without that knowledge, hunters get quickly lost in unproductive areas that look good on Google maps or some other app. Instead of wanting to only find a 180 buck or a 390 bull, just try finding some deer and elk. The rest will fall into place. Smart resident hunters have specific knowledge of the country we hunt. It has taken me almost two decades to gain that knowledge. I have never spent time with jm77 but I am sure he gained his knowledge that way. I had an outfitter, who I respect, tell me that old guys like me are successful because they take the time and effort to do it right.
When I was scouting sheep last Friday, it dawned on me yet again how vast the country is in this part of NW Wyoming. I sawed out an access path earlier in the week (it about killed me)so that I could climb what looks like a cliff to get into what is a sweet sheep spot that was littered with sheep sign. I am out hiking and scouting whenever I can. If I could do it every day, I would. Unfortunately, my body can't take it anymore. I wish it could.
If I were to give any advice to a non-resident or resident unfamiliar with the country, I would tell them to spend more time scouting and exploring. Move here if you find what you like. Find a few spots and learn how to approach and hunt those areas. Don't rely on others or complain about the way it is. Try to go there every year and hunt it whenever you can. Complaining on a hunting forum is time that could be better spent scouting and exploring. The most successful non-resident hunters that I have helped, came here to explore and scout before they showed up to hunt.
just sayin...mh
