Update on the Wyoming Hunter Defense Fund (WHDF)

A few months ago, we shared the launch of the Wyoming Hunter Defense Fund (WHDF)—a vital initiative created to protect hunting access, educate the public, and conserve wildlife habitat throughout the state. Since then, this grassroots effort has gained strong momentum thanks to the generosity of SNS Outfitter & Guides clients and other dedicated hunters.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission (WGFC) has released new hunting regulations, now in effect. These updates expand the list of legal calibers and ammunition, clarify requirements for archery equipment, and officially legalize the .17 HMR rimfire cartridge for turkey hunting.

These changes aim to simplify regulations while maintaining Wyoming’s commitment to ethical and effective wildlife management.

Benny Tillerson is a perfect example of the skilled and dedicated guides that make SNS Outfitters & Guides one of Wyoming’s most trusted names in big game hunting. With nearly 25 years of guiding experience and more than four decades of hunting antelope and mule deer in the West, Benny now serves as a camp manager, specializing in mule deer and pronghorn antelope hunts.

We recently sat down with Benny to learn more about his background, favorite aspects of guiding, and his top advice for hunters coming to Wyoming. Here's what he had to say:

As we enter February there are many things to look forward to. The best thing is that we are one month closer to hunting season. I'm sure many of you have already started checking your gear and maybe you've even started working with your rifles. However, there is something every hunter needs to begin today to be prepared for their hunt this fall: conditioning. 

Conditioning is one of the most important parts of hunting that is often overlooked when prepping for the trip of a lifetime. You've invested in this trip so it is vital you put in the work to make it an enjoyable experience. When I say conditioning I don't mean that you need to go to the gym and do thousands of squats. In fact the best exercise to prepare for your hunt is to start walking. If you live in a place that has winters, like us, start at your local gym on the treadmill. When walking on the treadmill it is vital that you do it on an incline to simulate walking up hills. Once the weather warms up get outside. While treadmills are wonderful there is nothing like actually walking outside. When you are out in nature and on trails you will be working on going up and down and stepping on uneven surfaces. When you are on your hunt there will be limited trails and lots of sage brush to walk around and over when on the stalk. 

After spending quite a bit of time researching different outfitters throughout Wyoming, I landed on SNS Outfitter & Guides. While I was researching Wyoming Outfitters, I had a few things in mind – these made for fairly specific wants and needs. Most importantly, I wanted an outfitter that offered hunts for big game animals. This is simply because I want to continue building preference points for trophy animals; however in the meantime, I will be hunting animals, like antelope, that do not require points to draw. These animals will fill our freezer full of wild, organic meat.

My first priority for 2019 is an antelope hunt. I've never gone on an antelope hunt personally – I have only tagged along with my husband. I have always been intrigued with antelope and their overall demeanor, which makes for a more challenging hunt. Antelope are a unique animal in the sense that they spend much of their time at a far distance from anyone. They are North America’s fastest land animal and have exceptionally keen vision, all of which play into the difficulty of the hunt.

The countdown has begun to our 2019 fall hunts. We are sure you have spent the last few months preparing physically, mentally, and gathering all the necessary equipment for your western hunt. This is an exciting time and here at SNS want to make sure that packing the wrong equipment won’t stand in the way of that once in a lifetime hunt.

All of those in our outfit would agree that proper footwear is the number one necessity in clothing. This isn’t a one size fits all option though. When you are coming to Wyoming or Montana it is necessary that you plan for all different types of weather. If you are enjoying one of our September hunts there is a high likelihood that you could be hunting in 80 temperatures one day and the next morning have frost on the ground. This makes finding the right boot important. You must have a boot that keeps your feet warm in the morning and is breathable enough to wear throughout the day. That is why we recommend Cabela’s Men’s Iron Ridge Uninsulated hunting boots with GORE-TEX.  These boots are waterproof, but breathable when the day begins to heat up. This boot is a great choice for both our men and women hunters.  I personally have owned a pair of Cabela’s GORE-TEX boots for 15 years and they have always been the perfect fit for our Wyoming terrain and weather. 

All rifles should be sighted-in before every hunt using the ammunition you plan to use. A gun that was sighted-in prior to your last outing could have been knocked out of alignment by a single jolt. That misalignment could mean the difference between a successful hunt and a disappointing experience. 

Rifles should be topped with quality scopes at a minimum of 3x9 power with a 40mm objective or larger. Remember, we take longer shots out West, and often in low-light conditions.

For a detailed instruction on how to properly site in your rifle click here.

Other than ensuring accurate shots, sighting-in a rifle has other advantages:

Over the last few years, as the concern surrounding the impact of Chronic Wasting Disease has increased, we as outfitters and hunters are left searching for answers on how to deal with the impacts of CWD. There is no known cure for the disease which makes it a grave threat to infected herds of deer and elk.

So, what can be done, and what is being done? In 2019 I was asked to be a part of a CWD working group made up of public members. This group held a series of five public meetings in hopes of using input from the working group and the public to generate ideas and recommendations. Those recommendations would, in turn, be submitted to the Wyoming Game & Fish Department in an effort to aid with a CWD Management Plan moving forward. I gained a wealth of knowledge from these meetings and feel like the ideas that were generated will be beneficial for the Wyoming Game & Fish as they attempt to tackle one of the biggest challenges they face.

Since the mid-1990’s, Wyomings elk population has experienced tremendous growth as have elk across the entire mountain west. The biologists in charge of managing these majestic game animals have many theories as to why elk numbers have exploded across the west. Wyoming’s statewide population estimate stands at 113,000 animals, which is almost double the elk population just 25 years ago! The Southern Bighorn herd where SNS conducts our cow elk hunts, has now grown to become Wyomings 3rd largest herd. The Wyoming Game and Fish manages this herd via 6 hunt units and issues 3050 licenses for cow elk within this elk herd.

This herd seems to have stabilized in terms of total animals. The game and fish has been trying to bring elk numbers down within this herd but it's been difficult. Elk are prolific and very well suited when it comes to surviving Wyomings winter weather. Because of the vast ranch range, this elk herd can move over an incredible amount of country in order to find winter feed. The seasonal movement of elk is large and the cows seek out more secluded areas to have their calves. Elk prefer well watered areas with lush grass and trees to seek shaded shelter during the heat of the day. The very large working cattle ranch that we hunt provides some of the best year round habitats to be found in the Bighorns Mountains.

It’s countdown time! That long awaited hunt is right around the corner. On top of getting your daily exercise so you are ready for the rigors of a western hunt, it is also time to make sure your gear is up to standard. Next, let’s not forget the importance of getting your rifle, scope, and ammo tuned up and ready. It’s vital to carve out some time to hit the rifle range and make time to practice with the rifle you plan on bringing with you. Unfortunately too many hunters put this off as a last minute item and do not make the time to get plenty of shooting practice. Time spent at the range will hopefully result in a clean ethical kill.

The first step is to check out your weapon. Be sure all screws are tight and your rifle is cleaned throughly. Pick out, and buy plenty of ammunition so you will have more than enough to shoot at the range. Your scope needs to be clear, and the scope mounts secure. It may be well worth the time and money to have a reputable gunsmith give your rifle a once over.

Winter feeding of wildlife is a hot button issue and often pits wildlife lovers, hunters and conservationists against one other. Elk are fed each winter by the Wyoming Game & Fish Department and the National Elk Refuge. As townships and ranchers established themselves out west, elk were left with very little intact natural winter range.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission has tasked the department to hold a series of public meetings to educate the public as to why elk are being fed in Western Wyoming. These public meetings will be held in a virtual format starting December 1^st. Click here to view the schedule of this week’s meetings https://wgfd.wyo.gov/events

Hunting is seeing a huge resurgence in participation. This trend has excited the outfitter industry and we all find ourselves hoping it continues. With New Zealand, Africa, Europe and Canadian outfitters having to forgo their 2020 season, hunters looked to the west to satisfy their desire for adventure. Before the pandemic, many outfitters booked a year or two in advance. These days, with the increased stateside demand, traveling sportsmen are scrambling to secure their hunting opportunities in 2021, 2022 and beyond. SNS Outfitter & Guides phone calls and email volume has been at an unprecedented high volume this fall.

Mule deer hunts are, without a doubt, the hunt of which we have received the most inquiries. Wyoming mule deer hunting is a hot commodity. Wyoming is home to some of the wests finest mule deer hunting. SNS Outfitters offers mule deer hunting from the central Wyoming prairies to the 10,000 foot peaks in the Wyoming range in western Wyoming. Should a combination of mule deer and pronghorn antelope hunting be your interest, we suggest you plan ahead at least one year if not two years. Those of you investigating a Montana mule deer hunt, scheduling that a year ahead creates a window of opportunity to purchase a Montana preference point. Even just one Montana point will greatly increase your draw odds. Hunting Montana mule deer during their November rutting season is as good as it gets! 

The most plentiful big game animal in North America is without a doubt the WHITETAIL DEER. When hunting circles talk about WYOMING HUNTING, hunters automatically think of our fabulous ELK HUNTING or WYOMING MULE DEER HUNTS and without a doubt ANTELOPE HUNTING. If you haven’t thought about hunting WYOMING WHITETAIL DEER you’re missing out. 

Wyoming’s populations of WHITETAIL DEER have exploded in the last 10 years and they are now found across the entire ‘Cowboy State’. The most well known area and home to our largest populations of whitetail exists in northeastern Wyoming in the Black Hills. The Black Hills is a beautiful section of Wyoming containing hardwood creek bottoms, cultivated fields and hills covered in juniper and ponderosa pine trees. Best of all lots and lots of WHITETAIL DEER. 

The preference point application period has once again come around. While many of the hunts offered by SNS do not take years to draw, we highly recommend the purchase of points to help ensure successful draw results. 

Wyoming’s preference points are species specific rather than area specific. The application period to buy preference points in 2021 is July – November 1. Points must be purchased prior to the year you apply for a draw.

As we enter 2022, we are all feeling the effects of inflation in our lives. These increases are noted at gas stations, grocery stores and most certainly have their impact on small businesses like SNS Outfitter & Guides.

Knowing how to deal with inflation as a small business owner is difficult to say the least. It is nearly impossible to predict the cost of items essential to run this business. What we do know, however, is that this current trend in inflation is affecting every aspect of our business. The prices that affect every one of our hunts are gasoline, groceries, camp supplies, employee wages, payroll taxes and ranch lease fees. Fixed overhead costs include; insurance, storage fees, postage, advertising, office equipment and rent. Camp repair and maintenance have seen considerable increases in building material costs. Horse lease fees, their feed, shoeing, trucking, tack, and equipment repair are all climbing as well. As you can see, the list is long and has a direct affect on our hunt prices. 

Interest in western hunting continues to be very high. Because of this interest, its very important do some long range planning for your future hunts. Wyoming Mule Deer and Pronghorn Antelope hunts continue to be highly sought after each year. When you start the planning process, it is key to learn about the different licensing systems each western state uses to issue non-resident hunting licenses.

The sale of preference points has become very popular with western states as a way of distributing hunting licenses. This includes both Montana and Wyoming. Because the demand and competition to draw western licenses has increased, preference points have become a method of insuring that a hunter will eventually draw a coveted tag. The key is to buy points consistently and not miss any years. Skipping years of purchasing preference points can result in forfeiting what you have accumulated. To ensure you don’t miss out, SNS Outfitter offers a service to buy points for our clients. That way when you’re ready to go hunting with us, you will have enough points to draw your licenses. We provide information about preference points in our brochure and on our website. If you prefer to talk to us to learn more about preference points, please do not hesitate to give us a call.

We are excited to announce that SNS Outfitter & Guides has acquired a new elk hunting opportunity. In addition to our private land elk hunt and our Greys River elk hunt conducted out of the Box Y Lodge, we will now offer a wilderness elk hunting experience in the Shoshone National Forest. 

In the past, this camp was owned and operated by Todd Jones for 12 years, and for the last 8 years, it has been owned and operated by Taylor and Hillary Engum of East Fork Outfitters. We are currently booking archery and rifle elk hunts for the 2023 season from this camp.

The Wyoming Wildlife Task Force [WWTF] has been busy working on wildlife and licensing issues for the last year. SNS outfitter Sy is the outfitter representative on the task force. Several subjects have been discussed and either rejected or approved and moved on to the legislature or commission or continue to take public comment. 

One topic that has drawn a lot of attention is an outfitter draw. The task force is currently working on gathering comment on this subject. The outfitter draw is expected to be voted on at the August 8th & 9th meeting.

Starting in 2023 SNS will take over operations of this incredible elk camp. During the fall of 2022 our staff will be assisting Taylor Engum with camp set up and tear down, learning horse trails, and guiding elk hunters. After a full season, I am confident we will be ready to take over operations and will have developed the skill set required to run this wilderness backcountry pack in camp. 

The East Fork camp is a great archery elk hunt and the previous outfitter, Todd Jones built a heck of a reputation out of this camp guiding archery elk hunters for 12 years. The archery season will run the entire month of September and we will be operating our first archery hunt September 8-12th. This first hunt will require enough points to draw a type 9 archery-only elk license. Starting September 15th we will take general license elk hunters for two 5-day hunts. Taylor currently runs all archery elk hunts on a one-guide-to-one-hunter basis and we will continue with that same ratio going forward.

It’s been over a year now that the Wyoming Wildlife Task Force has been meeting to discuss wildlife and licensing issues that affect all Wyoming hunters. It’s coming down to a couple very important issues that will affect your ability to hunt as a non resident in Wyoming. 

A major reason for the formation of the task force was to study and come up with solutions in how Wyoming issues licenses to non residents. This issue has been boiled down to two paths that are being considered.