I have 11 Pref. points for the Sheep and Moose and 6 for Elk. A few questions

How many is the max number of points for each of these ?

How many pts do I need to get a top quality trophy area ?

What are the top quality trohy area numbers for each of these animals?

Outfitter recomendations for each of these animals.

Thanks for your input

Not too sure on the units to recommend.

I have max points for deer and elk. I just bought points a few weeks back. When I checked my count, I was at 10. Therefore, I believe I'll be going into the draw with 11.

Wyoming does a pretty good job with their harvest report. If you access their website, you
Can look at the units, harvest data, and size of elk/deer harvested.

Good Luck, Jason

Elk, deer and antelope max is 10.

Sheep and Moose max is 21.

Sheep and moose top areas will be wilderness areas that local yokals (and tons of out of staters) can't or don't hunt because they don't have horses. The key is drawing a tag. If you can get there on a four wheeler it will not be a great area.

Do not apply for a sheep or moose tag without talking to an outfitter, you want to make sure you are in the area they want you. If you drew a tag and that area was outfitted by a shit outfitter, you'd have to figure that part out.

Wyoming Game and Fish is known to over-sell sheep and moose tags. Talk to an outfitter!

My uncle has been a Wyoming resident his entire life, he is in his 60's had killed several moose, probably 40 plus elk, untold numbers of mule deer and antelope. He hunts the same area every year and drew a sheep tag 2 years ago. Didn't even see a ram, covered the entire area, and looked at every mountain for the entire season. Never missed a single day all season. The result no sheep. In area with good public access.

Almost any sheep or moose area that is connected to Yellowstone and is fully in wilderness should be good.


Any antelope area can be good, high density and getting there early will get you a good buck.

Deer and elk are all over the state in densities that are highly varied.

I'd look at outfitters that have huge swaths of private land for trophy quality.

There is zero reason to not hunt antelope and deer on your own if you have can read a map & GPS and have a all wheel drive vehicle, experiences may very, but paying a guide for antelope isn't always worth it.


If you are only after record books and have deep pockets I suggest you buy land owner tags in Utah.

Since you don't have max points here is an example of your sheep application.

You'll probably apply to area 5 or 7 (they only give away 7 tags to folks who don't have max points in the entire state) for non-res.

If you notice below over 200 people applied for tags that didn't even exist.



Hunt Hunt Total First Choice Second Choice Third Choice
Area Type Description Quota Applicants Applicants Applicants
---- ---- ----------------------- ----- ------------- ------------- -------------
001 1 ANY RAM 1 277 0 0
002 1 ANY RAM 1 275 0 0
003 1 ANY RAM 2 567 0 0
004 1 ANY RAM 1 328 0 0
005 1 ANY RAM 2 594 0 0
006 1 ANY RAM 0 14 0 0
007 1 ANY BIGHORN SHEEP 0 29 0 0
008 1 ANY RAM 0 15 0 0
009 1 ANY RAM 0 6 0 0
010 1 ANY RAM 0 13 0 0
012 1 ANY RAM 0 39 0 0
017 1 ANY RAM 0 41 0 0
018 1 ANY RAM 0 22 0 0
019 1 ANY RAM 0 140 0 0
022 1 ANY RAM 0 25 0 0

They only gave away 9 non-res tags to folks who didn't have max points for moose.

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/WGFD/medi...E_RD_NONRES_2016.pdf

Demand Report - Resident Bighorn Sheep State of Wyoming Date: 5/3/2016
Res PP Wyoming Game and Fish Time: 10:48:44 AM
Fiscal Division Page: 1
Hunt Hunt Pref First Choice First Choice
Area Type Description Quota Issued Points Applicants Success Odds
---- ---- ----------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------------ ------------
001 1 ANY RAM 12 1 19 1 100.00%
11 1 18 1 100.00%
10 2 17 2 100.00%
8 8 16 9 88.89%
0 < 16 283 0.00%
002 1 ANY RAM 14 4 20 4 100.00%
10 3 19 3 100.00%
7 7 18 11 63.64%
0 < 18 436 0.00%
003 1 ANY RAM 23 1 21 1 100.00%
22 2 20 2 100.00%
20 4 19 4 100.00%
16 12 18 12 100.00%
4 4 17 18 22.22%
0 < 17 637 0.00%
004 1 ANY RAM 12 1 21 1 100.00%
11 0 20 0 100.00%
11 1 19 1 100.00%
10 2 18 2 100.00%
8 2 17 2 100.00%
6 6 16 7 85.71%
0 < 16 382 0.00%
005 1 ANY RAM 18 1 21 1 100.00%
17 12 20 12 100.00%
5 5 19 42 11.90%
0 < 19 1289 0.00%
006 1 ANY RAM 1 1 17 1 100.00%
0 < 17 29 0.00%
007 1 ANY BIGHORN SHEEP 7 1 21 1 100.00%
6 0 20 0 100.00%
6 6 19 8 75.00%
0 < 19 341 0.00%
008 1 ANY RAM 7 2 18 2 100.00%
5 4 17 4 100.00%
1 1 16 4 25.00%
0 < 16 160 0.00%
009 1 ANY RAM 3 1 16 1 100.00%
2 0 15 0 100.00%
2 1 14 1 100.00%
1 1 13 1 100.00%
Demand Report - Resident Bighorn Sheep State of Wyoming Date: 5/3/2016
Res PP Wyoming Game and Fish Time: 10:48:45 AM
Fiscal Division Page: 2
Hunt Hunt Pref First Choice First Choice
Area Type Description Quota Issued Points Applicants Success Odds
---- ---- ----------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------------ ------------
0 < 13 28 0.00%
010 1 ANY RAM 5 5 19 11 45.45%
0 < 19 122 0.00%
012 1 ANY RAM 4 4 21 10 40.00%
0 < 21 269 0.00%
017 1 ANY RAM 1 1 21 1 100.00%
0 < 21 57 0.00%
018 1 ANY RAM 1 1 21 1 100.00%
0 < 21 103 0.00%
019 1 ANY RAM 5 4 21 4 100.00%
1 1 20 25 4.00%
0 < 20 485 0.00%
020 1 ANY RAM 2 2 21 2 100.00%
0 < 21 67 0.00%
022 1 ANY RAM 3 3 20 3 100.00%
0 < 20 62 0.00%
024 1 ANY RAM 1 1 21 4 25.00%
0 < 21 37 0.00%

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/WGFD/medi...015_BighornSheep.pdf

You should also look at harvest reports.

Saying that most of the guideded non-residents were 100%.

If it was me, I'd hunt in a wilderness area outside of Yellowstone or Grand Teton for Elk, and I'd apply in an area that had lots of moose tags (not matter the odds) for Moose, and area 3 or 5 if they give 2 tags each next year for Bighorn sheep.

I don't know how old you are, but the odds are pretty good you will never draw a moose or sheep tag in Wyoming if you only have the small number of tags you do. So don't wait until you have max points, because you will never catch up.

Now 9 years later. I hope everyone is still healthy, alive and posting here.

I now have

21 points for Sheep and Moose
16 points for Elk

Anyone have ay advice on how many points I need for the best possible Trophy area for each of the above? Also, which are the best Trophy areas for each of the above animals. Maybe I am getting close to actually going or maybe I will just keep funding Fish and Game each year?

Points just keep racking up eh? I can't answer your question, but I'm interested in feedback. Your post reminded me to buy preference points and I see that my oldest is now maxed out on pronghorn points and my second kid is nearly at max. Looks like we may need to apply for a pronghorn hunt next year! My youngest is just getting started with four of each for pronghorn, deer, and elk, and I'm somewhere in the middle of them all.

Any NR applying for sheep without max points is giving money away. You will never draw a tag. Just stop now as it makes absolutely no sense to apply.

quote:

Originally posted by buzz4me2:
Any NR applying for sheep without max points is giving money away. You will never draw a tag. Just stop now as it makes absolutely no sense to apply.

Agreed. I was late enough to the points game in WY that I didn't even see the sense in starting to accrue points for sheep, moose, etc. Just pronghorn, deer, and elk for me. At least there's a chance, however slight, of using those points.

quote:

Originally posted by Cold Zero:
Now 9 years later. I hope everyone is still healthy, alive and posting here.
I now have
21 points for Sheep and Moose
16 points for Elk
Anyone have ay advice on how many points I need for the best possible Trophy area for each of the above? Also, which are the best Trophy areas for each of the above animals. Maybe I am getting close to actually going or maybe I will just keep funding Fish and Game each year?

There are no bull moose tags awarded below 23 points. So you are point levels behind and probably won't draw a bull tag in the next 20 years. Even cow tags are taking 20-22 points to draw- finding a cow without a calf can be a harder hunt that a bull hunt.

Sheep you are kidding yourself thinking you may draw with points.

Elk- 16 is no man's land. Probably best to go on a guided hunt and see if they will let you share some of the extra points for a slight discount. Or draw a general tag with a buddy and go on an elk hunt.

WY (and other states) are changing their point systems and tag allocations which will severely reduce draw odds for nonresidents, especially those with a lot of points.

My son and I each have 26 sheep points and he also has 26 moose points. Going to get serious about trying to draw my son’s moose tag in 2027.

I've got 17 elk points now and plan on burning those in 2027 on a unit I can draw with 9 points as Alan Vincent and I are planning an archery hunt together on my (then) 18 points.

Deer and antelope we each have 13-14 points.

quote:

Originally posted by DLS:
My son and I each have 26 sheep points and he also has 26 moose points. Going to get serious about trying to draw my son’s moose tag in 2027.

I've got 17 elk points now and plan on burning those in 2027 on a unit I can draw with 9 points as Alan Vincent and I are planning an archery hunt together on my (then) 18 points.

Deer and antelope we each have 13-14 points.

That ought to be a lot of fun. I have always wondered how a guide, from Africa, would like hunting here. I hope you post a report.

I am still sitting on max deer and elk points. It is tough deciding which unit I want to try for. I am ready to start burning points...

quote:

Originally posted by DesertRam:

quote:

Originally posted by buzz4me2:
Any NR applying for sheep without max points is giving money away. You will never draw a tag. Just stop now as it makes absolutely no sense to apply.

Agreed. I was late enough to the points game in WY that I didn't even see the sense in starting to accrue points for sheep, moose, etc. Just pronghorn, deer, and elk for me. At least there's a chance, however slight, of using those points.

Is 16 points for Elk decent amount?

quote:

Originally posted by Cold Zero:

Is 16 points for Elk decent amount?

Depends on what you want out of the hunt.
DIY limited quota- not much of a chance. Guided somewhere more of a chance. DIY general season, fun hunt with a lot of effort.

16 points is quite a few. there are lots and lots of units you can draw. But what do you want?

If you are looking for a trophy bull, there is unit 7 with wagonhound outfitters (probably $15k+). unit 7 diy, lots of private land, but you can find big bulls.

Tyler Sims outfitting is near there, with a riverbottom hunt that is physically pretty easy, possibility for a 320-350" bull, but certainly not guaranteed. I forget which unit he is in but you can certainly draw with 16.

I used 14 points a couple of years ago and drew an archery only tag in 38, up in the Bighorn mountains and DIY'd it. Got in bow range of big herd bulls 5 times, and passed on a ~290" 6 point. Never drew the bow. Just too thick to get a good shot, or too quick of a chance before being busted by cows. Great, fun hunt, but tag soup at the end.

horseback, wall tent, wilderness areas near yellowstone/tetons may be within reach if that's the type of hunt you want.

you probably can't draw unit 16, but if you can this would be a good opportunity to kill a very big bull
https://www.hunt-nation.com/hu...er-antelope-elk-232/

Good luck!