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The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission unanimously just voted to increase the price of preference points for non-residents beginning January 1, 2027. This increase will affect deer, elk, and antelope which will increase them to the maximum amount permitted by the Wyoming State Legislature.
“We need to be prepared to do more for our Game and Fish employees,” Commissioner Bill Mai said. “Costs have increased across the board – we have to be ready to cover that.”
The increases will include the following.
- Antelope preference points: $31 to $75, a $44 increase.
- Deer preference points: $41 to $75, a $34 increase.
- Elk preference points: $52 to $75, a $23 increase
Moose and sheep preference points had previously been increased to the maximum allowed on January 1, 2018.
Game and Fish Chief Fiscal Officer Meredith Wood said that the revenue increase, based on current preference point sales, will provide the Department with an annual revenue increase of an estimated $14,654,829.
Good By Wyoming!! I will not be part of this money grab just like Utah.
I hate traveling anyways.
States just keep raping the non-res. It’s bad enough we have to put in for 10-20 plus yrs to draw a tag and pay 10x or more than what a resident pays. Now double just for a pref pt. Non residents pay for almost all the F&G expenses like salaries and land improvements. My income didn’t double and I bet no other hunters did either so why double the cost of pts on top of the increase in tag cost just the other year. It’s time to start drawing a tag with the pts I have even if it’s not the one I want, just to save me some money. Hopefully others will do the same and stop applying then the F&G depts of all the states will have even less money
This always ruffles feathers but why not increase the resident fees? I live out west and I would be fine with resident fees increasing in my state. Why is it each state always looks to the non residents to help with budget shortfalls, don’t we all enjoy the same sport equally?
Its easy to rape the nonresidents
They actually have, but residents don’t have a preference point system in Wyoming for non-trophy species.
Many residents actually want an in-state preference point system for limited quota areas, but that idea hasn’t gone anywhere.
I’m not surprised. I think as long as there is increased demand from non-resident hunters with any state, the demand out-strips supply by a wide margin.
The software platforms that enable hunters to apply for multiple species in several states opened Pandora’s box. Now, very little knowledge of hunting areas is required…just a credit card.
There were nowhere near as many non-resident applicants in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s as there are today. This will not change – it is the evolution of the system we created.