Beginner western hunter. Help needed!

Joined
Dec 15, 2018
Messages
35
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GA
My fiance and I are moving to Oklahoma in may so this year will be my first year hunting out west. We will be living in the panhandle so hunts in colorado and New Mexico are very easily accessible. I have planned a mule deer hunt in southern Colorado and a OTC Aoudad hunt in New Mexico. Im looking to plan something else in New Mexico ( Deer or Elk ) but I have missed the application deadline. I'm not fluent enough with the system yet but I was wondering if I am stuck until next year or if there is a secondary draw I can get in on. My understanding is that New Mexico does not do deer/elk OTC. Any help is appreciated!

Thanks in Advance!
 

gabenzeke

WKR
Joined
Oct 28, 2015
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1,117
OTC elk in Colorado. Or landowner tags if you have the cash.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk
 

CJ19

WKR
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Nov 25, 2018
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353
Squirrels are what i have told to hunt as a non resident. Probably would work for you too. Some great pine squirrels in northern co and wyo. Could take a week trip up there and buy an NR license to harvest a few to fill the freezer.
 

stonewall

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Jul 29, 2016
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TX - Texas
Nm doesn’t have a second draw. I’ve never looked at deer odds, but elk odds are so bad you didn’t really miss anything. Just saved yourself $100 by missing the draw deadline. Just apply in co and call it a day. Hunt otc if you don’t draw. The states publish last year draw results, that will give you an idea of what is drawable
 

Northpark

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Mar 8, 2015
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NM has gotten to such low draw odds that it might be cheaper to just pay for a landowner tag in the long run. CO OTC is a joke. Way too many people hunting it. Unfortunately I can see western big game hunting turning into a rich man’s short before our eyes.

Don’t want to discourage you but I’ll be honest I literally end up going east to hunt as a westerner at this point.
 

CJ19

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Nov 25, 2018
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Ill be honest, i think its pretty selfish of you to even consider taking a tag away from any of the residents of those states. Most of the time they are restricted to something like only 10 to 15 big games tags as a resident depending on which state. You do realize with out those tags most of the folks in those states cant feed their families? I have a buddy in wyoming that was only able to get 3 elk, 3 deer, and an antelope in the freezer this year. I think maybe you should think less about yourself and more about the residents of the states you are trying to exploit.
 

GSPHUNTER

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Jun 30, 2020
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Cal. has a bull Elk hunt, not sure if it's a land owner tag or not. But it goes for $35,000.00. About $32,500.00 out of my comfort zone.
 
Joined
Apr 3, 2021
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Ill be honest, i think its pretty selfish of you to even consider taking a tag away from any of the residents of those states. Most of the time they are restricted to something like only 10 to 15 big games tags as a resident depending on which state. You do realize with out those tags most of the folks in those states cant feed their families? I have a buddy in wyoming that was only able to get 3 elk, 3 deer, and an antelope in the freezer this year. I think maybe you should think less about yourself and more about the residents of the states you are trying to exploit.

I’ll have you know that some of us residents were forced to fill our freezer with tag soup and Costco meat…

OTC spring Turkey is a thing. OTC spring Bear tags?
 

CJ19

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Joined
Nov 25, 2018
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353
I’ll have you know that some of us residents were forced to fill our freezer with tag soup and Costco meat…

OTC spring Turkey is a thing. OTC spring Bear tags?
I put a ton of hot saouse on my tag soup. Really covers up the taste. And i eat alot of it.
 
Joined
May 10, 2015
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Timberline
Trying to keep it relatively affordable. Was hoping to get on a second draw somewhere if there was one.

I meant for cow elk, not bull. NM doesn't have any bull (quality) worth $10,000+ and the "affordable" pieces of ground doesn't have a bull worth $3,000. I know many will disagree, but a lazy rich fat cat doesn't even know the value of an elk anyway.

Most cow elk LO vouchers can be had for somewhere in the ballpark of $600, and then your NR tag fees will total it $1,000 at the end of the day.

This year may be differnt though, after all, them LO's need to keep up with inflation because those vouchers are costing them an arm and a leg these days...:rolleyes:
 

jimh406

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Feb 6, 2022
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Focus on one state that has plenty of time for you to hunt. Or, save money this year and hunt Oklahoma and go further West next year. Keep in mind that you'll likely be nonresident in Oklahoma until at least 6 months after you move, so you could spend that money on a different state or learn Oklahoma.

Just fyi, if you are like most people, you won't have a lot of time to hunt as a Newlywed unless she's a hunter, too.
 
OP
G
Joined
Dec 15, 2018
Messages
35
Location
GA
Focus on one state that has plenty of time for you to hunt. Or, save money this year and hunt Oklahoma and go further West next year. Keep in mind that you'll likely be nonresident in Oklahoma until at least 6 months after you move, so you could spend that money on a different state or learn Oklahoma.

Just fyi, if you are like most people, you won't have a lot of time to hunt as a Newlywed unless she's a hunter, too.
She will accompany me on every hunt as well as have some of her own hopefully. I got a good one!
 
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