10-20 Year Application Strategy

[adill84]

I started building points in Montana, Wyoming and Colorado for mule deer, elk and antelope last year. I have a guided Montana hunt this year based on big game combo tag and deposit for Wyoming in 2030. Is there another state I should be looking at for 10,15, 20 years down the line as a potential once in a lifetime? Between being 40 and point creep I’m not sure if I should be trying to get into Arizona or Nevada or just keep rotating hunts when I burn points and try to aim for second choices if I’m trying to build points in one one of the first states?

 

[Jdeck09]

Arizona is cheap to apply and always has the random component. I would add them to your strategy.

 

[LostArra]

I think it's a good idea to plan long term but not at the cost of hunting NOW.

We've all heard the phrase "Man plans, God laughs".
Well the laughing part also holds true for state G&F departments.

 

[cole96]

I thought about building up a pile of points in a few states, but with the points situation now i want to have a rotation of states on a 4-5 pt draw window and go yearly vs wait 25 years. I will take my odds on killing big bulls or deer based on going yearly vs a once in lifetime

I now have points in

colorado
wyoming
montana
arizona

i avoided utah

going to start building in nevada - it may play as my once in a lifemtime

for reference i am 29 now. i don't even bother with sheep points

 

[ndbuck09]

I started really building points in places 10 years ago and the plan I had then won't come to fruition because units I could have drawn 10 years ago with 5 points are now 14 points, etc. ALways behind. A recession is the only thing that slows down point creep.

 

[270-300]

10 years for an elk tag? Geez! I pay $58 for them at walmart every october!

 

[HuntandFly]

I started building points in Montana, Wyoming and Colorado for mule deer, elk and antelope last year. I have a guided Montana hunt this year based on big game combo tag and deposit for Wyoming in 2030. Is there another state I should be looking at for 10,15, 20 years down the line as a potential once in a lifetime? Between being 40 and point creep I’m not sure if I should be trying to get into Arizona or Nevada or just keep rotating hunts when I burn points and try to aim for second choices if I’m trying to build points in one one of the first states?

Just for your planning purposes, you are unlikely to be guaranteed a West or South general elk tag in Wyoming in 2030 with 5 points the way point creep has been going. Unless the $2k special tag keeps enough people at bay.

Hopefully your outfitter will know that and be prepared to roll you into ‘31 or ‘32.

 

[HuntandFly]

And I will throw in another vote for AZ, one of the better value states out there since you have a chance to draw while accumulating points, and most hunts there are very good.

Nevada is probably the least value for points, just not enough tags and extremely low chance to draw while you wait.

 

[adill84]

Wyoming is a wilderness hunt but a lot can change so we will see. You had to buy a license every year in AZ to apply for deer and elk correct because of the timing of the point purchase?


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[HuntandFly]

You have to have a valid license on the day the applications close in AZ yes

 

[Maverick1]

Planning 20 years out is silly IMO.

Draw changes and point creep nullify anything long term.

Thinking back to 20 years ago and little if anything in any state is the same.

 

[TheGrayRider]

Buy and apply for all the domestic Western hunts that you can while accumulating preference/bonus points - sooner or later you’ll hit a nice tag or two. However, nothing is getting cheaper or easier in Western big game hunting since the Internet appeared around 2001.

But also, if you desire, go on all the international hunts that you can. Time is your second greatest asset (behind love) and you can’t get any time back.

No points or decades of waiting and hoping required to hunt in places like New Zealand, Mexico, Asia, or Africa…only a fat wallet.

Good luck with your planning and happy hunting to all, TheGrayRider a.k.a Tom.

 

[Deerhunter6250]

Id apply in New Mexico, you have odds each year of drawing and no preference points required.

 

[HuntandFly]

Id apply in New Mexico, you have odds each year of drawing and no preference points required.

There are no good hunts in NM I wouldn’t bother

 

[adill84]

Lol I appreciate the advice but if I’m lucky enough to draw a tag in a good unit I’d prefer to pay for an outfitter hunt and reserve the one point/OTC hunts for my DIY screw everything up hunts. Being able to plan ahead and budget fits my style more as a poors.


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[IrkedCitizen]

Spend $5,000 and go to a CDL school and acquire a class A commercial driver's license. Improve yourself out of the poors.

I took these pictures in a CO unit that is 100% draw with 2pp for NR. A lot of hunters would have been better off hunting lower point units multiple times, building memories and experience, instead of collecting points for one coveted tag.



But go ahead and waste years of your life collecting points versus hunting every 2-4 years.

 

[khart_6882]

I started really building points in places 10 years ago and the plan I had then won't come to fruition because units I could have drawn 10 years ago with 5 points are now 14 points, etc. ALways behind. A recession is the only thing that slows down point creep.

Gohunt closing its doors wouldn’t hurt anything

 

[adill84]

Spend $5,000 and go to a CDL school and acquire a class A commercial driver's license. Improve yourself out of the poors.

I took these pictures in a CO unit that is 100% draw with 2pp for NR. A lot of hunters would have been better off hunting lower point units multiple times, building memories and experience, instead of collecting points for one coveted tag.
View attachment 1028412
View attachment 1028413

But go ahead and waste years of your life collecting points versus hunting every 2-4 years.

I’d rather DIY a pronghorn hunt or single point draw unit for elk or mule deer to be able to pay for hunt every 2-3 years in a better unit where hunts are going for 10k now. Especially if I can do it retired.


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[JM151]

Go hunting every year for black bear and rotate every 3-6 years for drawing elk with points in several states, as well as any random draw. Then every 5-6 years have a big hunt. 2029 is my big hunt for Kodiak Brown Bear.