Leftover big game licenses go fast
Leftover full-price elk, deer, and antelope licenses went on sale at 8 a.m. on July 8 and reduced price cow/calf elk and doe/fawn deer and antelope licenses were released a week later on July 15.
Hunters purchased 2,344 full price licenses in the first hour after 8 a.m. on July 8 and 5,497 reduced price licenses within the first hour after the 8 a.m. starting time on July 15.
The answer to how licenses could go so fast is a result of the computer age, but issuing licenses via computer is not new. For several years the Game and Fish has been issuing leftover licenses online via the Game and Fish website.
“Before 8 a.m. on the license release dates there were hundreds of people who had already logged in, waiting for the licenses to be released,” said Game and Fish computer programmer Tom Graham. “On the morning of July 8 we looked at the activity on our website and 1,100 people were already logged in and waiting for the licenses to be released at 8 a.m.”
Some license buyers were also waiting at license agents and Game and Fish offices, but lines were shorter this year as it appeared many hunters got the message they had a better chance of obtaining a high demand leftover license from their home computer than at Game and Fish offices.
Graham said licenses are sold at those facilities the same way they are on your home computer. “At Game and Fish offices, a hunter’s personal information must be entered by the Game and Fish employee, and by the time that gets taken care of, others who were already online had often taken the available licenses in some of the areas,” Graham said. “Essentially, the people who were waiting at offices had 1,100 people ahead of them in the line at 8 a.m. on July 8 and about 1,600 folks at the front of the line on July 15.”
According to the Game and Fish it is getting more and more difficult to find licenses leftover in areas that have good public access. If that trend continues, hunters will find it easier to obtain licenses if they apply in the initial drawing as opposed to waiting for leftovers. For nonresidents, the obtaining of a preference point often enhances the chance of drawing an elk, deer or antelope license in areas with reasonable public access. The deadline to purchase a preference point that will affect drawing odds for 2016 hunts is September 30.
Even with the flurry of license buying activity there are a number of areas that still have licenses remaining. For deer and antelope, most of those licenses are on private land areas and hunters are advised to secure a place to hunt before obtaining a license. Some of the reduced price cow/calf elk licenses are for private land areas, but others are available on national forest lands. A complete listing of areas with leftover licenses and application information is available on the Game and Fish website wgfd.wyo.gov.
Hunters purchased 2,344 full price licenses in the first hour after 8 a.m. on July 8 and 5,497 reduced price licenses within the first hour after the 8 a.m. starting time on July 15.
The answer to how licenses could go so fast is a result of the computer age, but issuing licenses via computer is not new. For several years the Game and Fish has been issuing leftover licenses online via the Game and Fish website.
“Before 8 a.m. on the license release dates there were hundreds of people who had already logged in, waiting for the licenses to be released,” said Game and Fish computer programmer Tom Graham. “On the morning of July 8 we looked at the activity on our website and 1,100 people were already logged in and waiting for the licenses to be released at 8 a.m.”
Some license buyers were also waiting at license agents and Game and Fish offices, but lines were shorter this year as it appeared many hunters got the message they had a better chance of obtaining a high demand leftover license from their home computer than at Game and Fish offices.
Graham said licenses are sold at those facilities the same way they are on your home computer. “At Game and Fish offices, a hunter’s personal information must be entered by the Game and Fish employee, and by the time that gets taken care of, others who were already online had often taken the available licenses in some of the areas,” Graham said. “Essentially, the people who were waiting at offices had 1,100 people ahead of them in the line at 8 a.m. on July 8 and about 1,600 folks at the front of the line on July 15.”
According to the Game and Fish it is getting more and more difficult to find licenses leftover in areas that have good public access. If that trend continues, hunters will find it easier to obtain licenses if they apply in the initial drawing as opposed to waiting for leftovers. For nonresidents, the obtaining of a preference point often enhances the chance of drawing an elk, deer or antelope license in areas with reasonable public access. The deadline to purchase a preference point that will affect drawing odds for 2016 hunts is September 30.
Even with the flurry of license buying activity there are a number of areas that still have licenses remaining. For deer and antelope, most of those licenses are on private land areas and hunters are advised to secure a place to hunt before obtaining a license. Some of the reduced price cow/calf elk licenses are for private land areas, but others are available on national forest lands. A complete listing of areas with leftover licenses and application information is available on the Game and Fish website wgfd.wyo.gov.
Al Langston (307)777-4540
