I've been buying some for me and my son. He's got 4 for elk, 4 deer, 4 antelope. I'm at 1 deer b/c I should one a couple years ago but 4 on the others. We don't need to have tags together - one of us shooting on a hunt is plenty of fun.

I'm pretty sure we need to stack up more elk points. And that's fine (he got lucky and drew for elk in NM this year and shot a stud; we can wait on elk for a while).

Is it time to start spending antelope or mule deer points? Or should we save 2-3 more years? I'm just not familiar with the tiers of quality units and how many points we need to get where. I'm ok being patient, but if 4-5 gets you into as good an antelope hunt as 7 then I'd go ahead... Also, I don't know if youth have better draw odds with fewer points.

Just looking for a good resource to get my arms around this. Thanks.

Here's my opinion as someone who is older. Spend them as soon as they look like their viable. You always have the random portion of the draw. Talk to the guides. They know what you need in PP. I was saving pronghorn for the red desert. I got to 14 and looking at the odds it would have been at least another 7 years before I had a lock on the draw. I spent them in a party ap with my son and we hunted a decent unit and had a great time. I wasn't pressured for that 80 buck. I just shot the first decent one I saw and concentrated on getting my son's.

If you spring for the gohunt ap you will see the PP needed for each unit and get information on the draw process. If you hunt out west it's worth the 150 odd dollars in my book.

So many people keep saving points for that big trophy hunt. I no longer believe in that. If you are hunting multiple states then I could see it but putting all your chips on a OIALT trophy hunt puts a lot of pressure on you. I don't think I would enjoy it as much. Hunt as much as you can when you can. The points aren't earning interest. They're depreciation with your age.


Talk to a guide now if you are going to use one and enter the draw (I think it is January for elk for non residents and May or June for Pronghorn). You'll either draw or you won't but the sooner you go the sooner you can go back.

I quite buying elk and deer preference points and I was going to let them expire. I decided to buy again this year.

Remember, some WY wilderness units require a guide.

I would be glad to PM my pronghorn experience if you are interested.

Hold off on using your deer and antelope points last year (winter) was devastating on both herds.
Here's my wife's 86 5/8" antelope from 2018 we had a super hunt.

Might want to hold them at least 1 more year, buy another now if you haven't.
Antelope need to come back a bit, as mentioned some areas got hit really hard last winter, deer as well.
Tags were cut for antelope all over the state this year.
They bounce back quicker than deer though, lots of twins and triplet fawns.

Elk are doing fine but changes are coming to the NR licenses.
New Regions for general tags, have to choose a region to hunt.
No clue on how that will affect draw odds but it should somewhat.
Special license price went way up for elk, $1900+. That will affect odds as well next year or so.
Cow elk possible ? Wyoming has reduced price cow tags, no PPs and random draw.

Special draw price for deer and antelope also went way up, I think about $1200 on each now in the special draw.

Some deer areas are doing ok, some got hit pretty bad on West side and South Central last winter, Black Hills too I hear.

Good hunts can still be had but draw odds may be longer with changes and lower tag numbers in some species.

Huh. Interesting. I bought us more points this week - that's what got him to 4 for all species and me to 4 for antelope and elk and 1 for deer.

So you think 2024 might be too early to burn one? Get to 5, then see what 2025 looks like?

Is there any distinction for youth (besides the points being cheaper)?

2024 may be ok for antelope but numbers will still be down.

Deer in some areas will not bounce back for a few years, some areas are ok though.

Elk are doing fine but with changes to the draw, odds will be all over the place I think.
Could be that 2 of the 3 Regions for General; elk will be easy to draw, hard to tell.
4 PP was not a guarantee for general elk this year.

Youth get reduced price from NR full price, some deer areas have an early youth season, maybe elk too.

You need to look over the draw odds and visit the website, Hunt Planner is great for areas and public access available, season info.

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Hunting/Drawing-Odds/2023-Drawing-Odds
https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Hunting/Hunt-Planner

If you want a guided hunt then some low PP areas can be drawn, mostly private areas and hunt with outfitters in those, both antelope and deer.

Glad I read this; I didn't think i had bought a preference point for this year.....logged in and come to find out i was in danger of losing both a deer and antelope point if I didn't purchase one this year. This has already happened once before thru a glitch in their system where it wiped out a few of my points I had


got a point each for Antelope and Deer, which puts me at 5 for Antelope and 4 for Deer.


Can't wait to go back and get my P&Y speed Goat.

I used my 9 points for antelope this year and had a very fun hunt although numbers were certainly down from previous years. I spoke to the game biologist as well as the game warden prior to my hunt and they had a lot of useful information. Wytex was very helpful as well and she has a ton of knowledge regarding all things Wyoming hunting. As she said, the change in quotas, cost of licenses and general regions will change the preference point game but nobody really knows for sure at this point exactly how.

I've got 10 mule deer points but am hesitant to use them at this time because of last year's die off. I can't wait too many more years though or I will be too old to get up the mountain.

Use Epic its worth the coin