New "private land only" OTC rifle units for 2025?

[intunegp]

Looking for verification that I'm reading the regs right and conversation about whether I just missed the memo or this is new for 2025...it didn't make it onto the "what's new" page at the beginning of the regs. I know some guys that hunted OTC/public land in one of these units last year and they definitely wouldn't have done so if they knew the tags were for private only- *EDIT*- I was incorrect about this, they did indeed draw for tags in 2024.

According to page 40 of the big game brocure, it looks like OTC rifle bull tags for 2nd/3rd season in units 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23, 24, 131, 211, 214, 231, 301 and 441 are valid on private land only this year.

I completely missed any talk of this or announcements regarding it if there were any. I'm sure this is in response to the winter kill a couple years back and low herd numbers in the area but I didn't notice this change until today.

 

[cnelk]

2025 and 2024 Regs

 

[Deerhunter6250]

Looking for verification that I'm reading the regs right and conversation about whether I just missed the memo or this is new for 2025...it didn't make it onto the "what's new" page at the beginning of the regs. I know some guys that hunted OTC/public land in one of these units last year and they definitely wouldn't have done so if they knew the tags were for private only.

According to page 40 of the big game brocure, it looks like OTC rifle bull tags for 2nd/3rd season in units 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23, 24, 131, 211, 214, 231, 301 and 441 are valid on private land only this year.

I completely missed any talk of this or announcements regarding it if there were any. I'm sure this is in response to the winter kill a couple years back and low herd numbers in the area but I didn't notice this change until today.

You can hunt bulls if you apply for the tags during the draw during second and third on public.

 

[intunegp]

2025 and 2024 Regs

Thanks for that, I didn't have the 2024 reg handy. I had asked one of the guys I know that hunted there last year and he said he was unaware of the change which led me to believe they still bought OTC, but when I talked to the "leader"/planner for that group he confirmed they did draw for bull tags last year. A few didn't get them in the primary draw but did get them in the secondary.

You can hunt bulls if you apply for the tags during the draw during second and third on public.

I understand that, I just wasn't aware that those historically OTC units had gone to the draw. When I have hunted that region in the past I applied for first choice point second choice cow and bought an OTC bull and always got the cow tag as well. I'm guessing the change is all a result of the big winter kill in that region/herd a couple years ago.