How Do You Determine What Units You Apply For? (w/ points)

[COelk89]

Hi All,

New to the forum but I have looked from time to time and enjoy reading peoples stories. I am between hunts and so hyper engaged already researching for next year. I live in Colorado and am blessed with a lot of opportunity to hunt around me so I have not really looked much out of state the last few years as I accrue points in other states. I put in for points in AZ in WY for a few species, and of course have my tactics here in state as well. I have the most points for deer in AZ at 7, so I have not been at it for terribly long but I am seeing those draw odds inch up a little each year. Since AZ allots tags for non max point holders on some hard to draw tags, I want to get a little bit more engaged in what more I could be doing apart from running through gohunt filtering. And I am talking trophy hunting here not just a chance to go hunt.

So what do you do to decide on applying to a harder to draw unit? Word on the street (buddies)? Driving down the highway and think it looks good? Reading magazines on the hottest units? Analytics using gohunt or other means? Wildlife department/biologists? Rainfall/drought monitors? Hire an outfitter?

There seems to be so much information out there that it is almost too much, and a lot of it for sale.

Thanks!
Wes

 

[gabenzeke]

I am mostly an opportunity guy. I apply for points with the intention of cashing them in ASAP for the most part. With point creep, the prospect of saving up for a unit and then potentially never catching up makes it tough to justify saving for a glory tag.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[Rich M]

How do you decide which toothpaste to use? 4 out of 5 dentist recommendations?

Deciding on the units is half the fun and most of the challenge. How many points, success rate, access, roads or no roads, etc,

That being said, i chose my antelope unit and was told about my muley unit. Both worked out well. Going guided next do no choice, go where the guide says.

 

[JasonWi]

I actually prefer a mixture of strategies to apply for tags. Depending on the season(s) and weapons you’re comfortable with using….or if I already have a hunt booked, or a guaranteed/OTC unit in my home state that I know the dates unavailable before other states application season.

I will consider my point options for the dates I enjoy hunting the most (archery and early ML), and try to apply for all those hunts in that timeframe…so regardless if it’s NV,UT,WY I will have the time off pre approved from work and then whichever tag I draw will go to that state. I’ve never drawn tags at the same time in different states and typically apply for about 25 hunts a year for over a decade.

With you living in a wonderful deer state, I’m sure you have your preferred season you enjoy hunting. Look at the other states seasons to compliment your fall hunts and allow yourself sufficient time to focus on each tag and do them proper justice.

 

[Fitzwho]

Similar to Jason.

I have long term plans (trophy hunts) and short term (opportunity hunts). Basically all of Utah, except general deer and antlerless, and Nevada is all trophy/long term status, putting in for “big time” units.

I’m at the same point level as the OP for AZ deer, I’m saving points for a good mule deer tag, but I also don’t want to wait forever because I would like to chase some more Coues deer.

I’m 5-7 points in most states, plenty of opportunity at that level. And having that many points in 10 states gives me lots of options.

I try to hunt around the new moon (for superstition if anything) and try to have one hunt per month. So just look for species/season dates that match that as best I could.

 

[COelk89]

Thanks guys for the input. That's a good point on success rates, but generally I am pretty skeptical of those stats, especially on draws with fewer tags so fewer responses. I definitely use the public land filter to filter out private units. I am not really saving up for a particular unit or a for a max point hunt, just hoping to have some less crowded hunts with decent trophy opportunity at some point.

Jason, I do live in a great deer state where a B&C buck could be shot in any unit. But high pressure from elk hunters have made those tags not super fun in the units I have hunted. That and high cwd and everything else going against mule deer. Hoping to draw a pretty good tag next year during 3rd with 3 points as a resident, but there will be otc elk hunters there so who knows.

I'm pretty lucky with my job since most of us in management hunt and things really slow down around October so getting time off for tags, especially limited draw, is not an issue.

Another thought that runs through my head a lot is that a unit that is really good now may not be in 10 years when I could draw. Alternately habitat could improve in the years after a fire. Anyways thanks again for all the input

 

[Mojave]

I put a map on the ground and throw lawn darts at it.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Thanks guys for the input. That's a good point on success rates, but generally I am pretty skeptical of those stats, especially on draws with fewer tags so fewer responses. I definitely use the public land filter to filter out private units. I am not really saving up for a particular unit or a for a max point hunt, just hoping to have some less crowded hunts with decent trophy opportunity at some point.

Jason, I do live in a great deer state where a B&C buck could be shot in any unit. But high pressure from elk hunters have made those tags not super fun in the units I have hunted. That and high cwd and everything else going against mule deer. Hoping to draw a pretty good tag next year during 3rd with 3 points as a resident, but there will be otc elk hunters there so who knows.

I'm pretty lucky with my job since most of us in management hunt and things really slow down around October so getting time off for tags, especially limited draw, is not an issue.

Another thought that runs through my head a lot is that a unit that is really good now may not be in 10 years when I could draw. Alternately habitat could improve in the years after a fire. Anyways thanks again for all the input

Lots of units give you what you are looking for. Can’t really predict the future, but most of the units that tend to be better give less tags out in general for that species which is why they are really good ex: 201/10 for elk. I would find an area that you like and get to know it and go hunt.

 

[southLA]

I watch Newberg videos then pause and zoom in really close when they show their punched tags on animals then go to those units.