You don’t have to buy a tag if you draw. You can just leave it unclaimed and purchase an OTC. That would be a much better option if you’re serious about making a trip west.
Funny thing is that if you are driving through, it looks like a great elk area.
The trees, mountains, couple of lakes and rivers, place almost looks like the Rocky Mountains.
But yeah, 150 people applying for 220 tags is a bad sign.
If you're looking for your best shot at killing an animal, you might try OTC blacktail deer. It's a 40%± success hunt. If you're interested, send me a PM, and I'll give you some locations where you will see animals and have opportunities if you put in the work.