Nonresident Elk Draw held Feb 26
by Wyoming Game & Fish Department
March 5, 2006
There will be nearly 8,000 happy nonresidents when they get their mail in upcoming days. Those are the hunters who drew an elk license in the drawing conducted Feb. 26 by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
License mailing began March 3 and refund mailing begins March 6.
The demand for full-priced nonresident general and limited quota elk licenses was comparable to last year, but the initiation of a nonresident preference point system increased overall interest in Wyoming elk hunting. Slightly more than 10,000 of the license applicants received preference points in addition to 11,000 other future nonresident elk hunters, including nearly 1,000 youth, who opted to just purchase the preference point this year. Beginning in 2007, 75 percent of the nonresident elk quota will be drawn from applicants with the most preference points.
The chance of drawing a general license was 41 percent, up from 39 percent in 2005. Demand for the higher-priced special general license improved to 84 percent from 78 percent last year.
The steepest drawing odds for a regular license were .57 percent for the late season "any elk" license in area 58 south of Cody. The toughest reduced price cow/calf license was area 117 between Newcastle and Sundance at 12.3 percent.
Unsuccessful applicants and other prospective nonresident elk hunters are reminded they will have another chance to get a 2006 Wyoming elk license. The application period for the second elk drawing is July 10-20. The drawing will offer licenses left over from the resident drawing, which in past years have predominately been "antlerless licenses."
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