Hunt planning question

[MuleyFever]

What state has a NR app for under $20?

 

[wapitibob]

Or $8

Scrub to mid tier LO tags in NM run from 1500 (50/51) to 4K (34/36). Gila units 5K+

 

[Where's Bruce?]

What state has a NR app for under $20?

AZ cost me $17. and got drawn 2nd year.

 

[dotman]

AZ cost me $17. and got drawn 2nd year.

For a cow or bull?

 

[tipsntails7]

AZ cost me $17. and got drawn 2nd year.

Did you not have to pay the hunt license fee upfront?

 

[ST52v]

Like everything in life there are gambles, or calculated risks!!! Diversify is the best approach!!! If you just build points for that special hunt you are setting yourself up for failure. Ten years from now you draw the dream tag ( hopefully you have not had any health issues to spoil it) the worst draught hits that unit, fire, or 2' of snow is dumped two days before the season starts. To many things can go south before the next sun comes up let alone years from now. Spend enough time on these fos and you will see it. Two years ago unit 38 got hit with snow, the same year there was flooding in Arizona or New Mexico and numerous fires every year. You can learn a lot from these forums and hunting units on cow tags or general deer tags. Those things will help you fill that dream tag when or if you get it! Two years ago I killed my first elk , in Wyoming. Saw lots of them in a easy spot to hunt. This year nothing!!!! I am glad I didn't burn my points on a bull tag yet!! Lesson learned, like most of the west weather is huge.

 

[Rizzy]

You have to buy the license in a lot of states. It is usually $100 or more. You can buy points outright in WY, but I think they are more than $20.

When I played the points game, IIRC the license in Arizona was like $150 and the Deer tag was like 250$. I did draw 17A one year, which was a tag you can draw every few years. It was fun to be in a new area, but the available quality wasn't any different than X9A. Neither of these units are going to have an edge over OTC Idaho unit 39/43 in my experience. Most guys are still going to shoot the first decent animal they see. 17A might have better potential, but you will need to spend a lot of time in it and scout it. Most hunters only have 1 week a year to spend hunting and/or scouting and are not scouting all the units they are banking points in.

The OP said 5K a year for points. Spend 1.5K on yearly OTC hunts and save the other 3.5K. You will probably be able to buy a governors tag before you draw a Henry's rifle tag

Seems like there are always left over land owner tags for 2-3K?, could be wrong though, I don't follow/keep up on it.

How ya figure? A tag app runs under $20, an OTC elk tag in places like Oregon and Utah and Colorado is like $500...and a landowner tag averages $5-$17K.

 

[Conroy]

The OP said 5K a year for points. Spend 1.5K on yearly OTC hunts and save the other 3.5K. You will probably be able to buy a governors tag before you draw a Henry's rifle tag.

Sorry for the confusion on this. I have a budget of $5,000 for points, tags, travel, and hunting. I don't plan on spending 5K a year on points. I actually want to spend as little as possible, but make the best choices for my money. As I have read the replies here and see that most people are for the OTC hunts, I am going to start researching those as well. I like the idea of getting out there right away and hunting instead of waiting for years for something that might not happen. One thing I need to consider is that even if I draw a premium tag after years of applying, I won't have any experience. My chance of success will be pretty slim. I think that by scouting and hunting sooner I will be ready later if something comes up. Besides, who's to say I won't get lucky on an OTC hunt and run into something decent. I really do appreciate everyone's input and advice, all of it is being taken seriously.

 

[Travis Bertrand]

Like Craig said, 1500$ gets me around 35-40 apps a year. And I draw/ plan on drawing 1 good tag a year. It works out well for me BUT you have to do your research to get s good tag.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Did you not have to pay the hunt license fee upfront?

I hunt AZ annually so get a license every year. Other states require you purchase a license when buying OTC (like OR)...some states allow you to enter the draw w/o a license. When applying for elk I apply for both bull and antlerless.

If there are GOOD LO tags available i would like to learn more about em but most of the decent units I have looked at were easily $5K and up (ya still gotta buy a license right?) whereas an OTC cow tag in Utah or Oregon is 1/10th the price.

 

[Rizzy]

Did you get in on the ground floor and start accumulating points when it started?

Like Craig said, 1500$ gets me around 35-40 apps a year. And I draw/ plan on drawing 1 good tag a year. It works out well for me BUT you have to do your research to get s good tag.

 

[Travis Bertrand]

Did you get in on the ground floor and start accumulating points when it started?

Nope. Maybe 5 years or so besides Nevada

 

[Rizzy]

5 years behind is about when I started, never could seem to close the gap though. WY was late to the point system, IIRC I was able to get in 1 year behind the max point pool there. For a guy starting now, I don't see how they could make up the 10+ points in there lifetime for the true premium rifle tags if that's the ultimate goal. However I agree there are other advantages to banking points and you really got to assess your personal goals with it. It's your only option if you want to do a DIY hunt in states like NV and AZ where all the units have tag quotas. Also if you archery hunt then it's a whole different ball game, lot's of opportunity still with that.

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

5 years behind is about when I started, never could seem to close the gap though. WY was late to the point system, IIRC I was able to get in 1 year behind the max point pool there. For a guy starting now, I don't see how they could make up the 10+ points in there lifetime for the true premium rifle tags if that's the ultimate goal. However I agree there are other advantages to banking points and you really got to assess your personal goals with it. It's your only option if you want to do a DIY hunt in states like NV and AZ where all the units have tag quotas. Also if you archery hunt then it's a whole different ball game, lot's of opportunity still with that.

Like Travis I started 3-4 years ago. Your right if your going for the true trophy tags and with a rifle your really just praying that you get picked in the random pools. But if you are willing to hunt archery,rifle or muzzy and your not set on hunting for 400" bulls and 200" bucks there is still value to be had IMO.

The saying you can't draw if you don't apply really is true. A lot of ppl draw great tags every year with minimal points.

Like anything else the more you put into this the more you will get out of it. Developing a plan to meet your goals is key.

 

[Rizzy]

True, someone has to draw. The random pool is a possibility, even for the long odds hunts, I got lucky and drew a mountain Goat tag last season

 

[Travis Bertrand]

Developing a plan to meet your goals is key.

Nailed it.