No Big Game Tags Drawn, is this normal?

[ddd-shooter]

Maybe people will start figuring out ‘why’ they aren’t drawing tags.
Your YouTube and Podcast boys ain’t helping you.

Yep, you can thank all the people who made YOU a hunter. There’s a whole lot of recent “adult onset” hunters. And they think they can shoot a bull elk every year like Rogan.

 

[butcherboy]

Don’t count on drawing a tag every year in the west to put red meat in the freezer every year. If you want that then buy a beef. It’s pretty common to not draw a tag every year. I haven’t drawn a mule deer tag in my own state for 24 years now.

 

[manitou1]

Both of those states require a knowledge of how preference/bonus points work. If you applied for units that typically need more points than you had (I’m guessing were 0 or 1), your chance of drawing a tag were almost nil, especially if they were sought after hunts. Read up on the point systems and be ready next year.


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Look up the draw odds.

Also:
If all the first choice applicants in a draw area exceed the quota that means there are no tags left for the second choice applicants, which is the norm in most areas nowadays.

And no, it is entirely possible not to draw with zero or just a few points... and it likely won't get any better in the future.

Again, look up the draw odds.

 

[displacedtexan]

Yep, you can thank all the people who made YOU a hunter. There’s a whole lot of recent “adult onset” hunters. And they think they can shoot a bull elk every year like Rogan.

They absolutely can.

With Rogan's budget.

 

[OXN939]

particularly if you're ok with cows and does.

That category is going to look very, very different even just a few years from now. Probably a lot like the above

 

[displacedtexan]

Did you put a highly desirable unit for all your first picks?

Bold strategy.

 

[realunlucky]

Did you put a highly desirable unit for all your first picks?

Bold strategy.

Nevada goes though all 5 of your choices before moving on so shooting for the stars with choice one and two is a fairly common practice there.

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[IDVortex]

I think the CIA is behind people not drawing tags. I guarantee that's why I didn't draw my MT goat tag. Only logical thing.

 

[RockAndSage]

Hello, I am somewhat of an "adult-onset" hunter and last year was the first year I hunted any big game.

For this year, I applied for a lot of tags (Deer, antelope, bear, and turkey) in my home state of Nevada, both any legal weapon and where possible, muzzleloader, and I also applied for antelope tags in Wyoming, both buck and doe.

I put hours of research into which units to apply for, since both states allow more than just a 1st choice, I picked a highly desirable unit as my first choice (in terms of average number of points people who drew tags for that unit last year had), but was careful to pick some units that seemed more realistic as my alternate choices.

I knew my chances of drawing a tag in any one unit for any particular species were obviously below 100%, but with the numerous units and species I applied for, I had been optimistic I would get at least one tag for something somewhere.

But Wyoming antelope draw results came out today..... and I was totally unsuccessful in both state's draws.

Is this normal these days to be unable to hunt a deer or any other big game animal annually?

Of course there is fishing and some small game that doesn't require tags, but before I started to get into hunting, I was under the impression a big game hunter would be able to get a deer or other big game animal at least once a year, and keep red meat in the freezer that way.

Is that notion totally outdated now the human population has grown a lot and wildlife habitat decreased?

Or did I just get really unlucky this year?

We're lucky to live in the place we do, and with luck you can nail a premium unit no points at all - this just isn't possible in a lot of the West, where point-creep has a lot more impact. Our system gives more room for luck, without shortchanging those with lots of points either. I personally think it's extremely fair.

That said...

Plan on it taking 5 years to draw most tags.

Not joking.

Plan on 5, so...3-4 if you're lucky or are prioritizing hunting absolutely anywhere, but 5-7 if you're trying for any of the more desirable hunts, which generally includes anywhere within driving distances of most population centers of note.

This is not a state where you're going to hunt enough to really learn how to do it well, unless you're jumping in with friends and family regularly who get drawn and essentially hunt with them, minus the gun. If you have some cash, you can get some landowner tags for several thousand dollars in less desirable units. Otherwise, plan on hunting out of state if you want annual.

Someone above mentioned hunting CA over the counter - you can do that, just know that it's Blacktail, in some extremely tough geography, and is not like mule deer. More like whitetail hunting. CA's X zones have muleys, and it's anywhere from 4-7 years there too.

 

[Timberline001]

Hello, I am somewhat of an "adult-onset" hunter and last year was the first year I hunted any big game.

For this year, I applied for a lot of tags (Deer, antelope, bear, and turkey) in my home state of Nevada, both any legal weapon and where possible, muzzleloader, and I also applied for antelope tags in Wyoming, both buck and doe.

I put hours of research into which units to apply for, since both states allow more than just a 1st choice, I picked a highly desirable unit as my first choice (in terms of average number of points people who drew tags for that unit last year had), but was careful to pick some units that seemed more realistic as my alternate choices.

I knew my chances of drawing a tag in any one unit for any particular species were obviously below 100%, but with the numerous units and species I applied for, I had been optimistic I would get at least one tag for something somewhere.

But Wyoming antelope draw results came out today..... and I was totally unsuccessful in both state's draws.

Is this normal these days to be unable to hunt a deer or any other big game animal annually?

Of course there is fishing and some small game that doesn't require tags, but before I started to get into hunting, I was under the impression a big game hunter would be able to get a deer or other big game animal at least once a year, and keep red meat in the freezer that way.

Is that notion totally outdated now the human population has grown a lot and wildlife habitat decreased?

Or did I just get really unlucky this year?

In a lot of states they check everyone’s first choice first the 2nd and so on. So after your 1st choice your odds decrease dramatically. Not the case in every state but a lot of them are done this way and may be one of the reasons you didn’t draw any tags.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

I get it…when you watch hunting shows they draw every time. I’d be confused too if I just started…

 

[Tom-D]

obviously sounds like the system over there can be frustrating but the whole tag system set up does sound like it would add a bit of extra fun into hunting . Like winning the lottery to find out what you get to go after that year

 

[Boarmaster]

All this is much different from my world of OTC , liberal bag limits and very long southeastern whitetail seasons. Very interesting for me to read and listen to western hunters and their challenges and strategies for getting tags. I hope everyone that wants to hunt can find a way.

 

[FLS]

All this is much different from my world of OTC , liberal bag limits and very long southeastern whitetail seasons. Very interesting for me to read and listen to western hunters and their challenges and strategies for getting tags. I hope everyone that wants to hunt can find a way.

I can’t image being a western resident not being able to at least get an antlerless tag.
We are definitely spoiled. I can hunt deer from August 15 to Jan 1st. Throw in a month long bear season and pigs year round.

 

[Wyo_hntr]

Antelope and deer numbers are down still from the 22-23 winter kill. You should've applied for a type 6 cow tag. Much easier to draw.

 

[Traveler]

Bad luck can happen. There was one year where I applied for two tags. For those with my points the odds of success were 80% for the first and 98% for the second. I didn’t draw either…

 

[BeerBugler]

You need to cast a much wider net. Read up on each states draw process. Hunting is a year round endeavor, take application season just as serious as shooting, gear, exercise, and scouting. 2nd draws are coming up, get yourself ready and good luck.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

I drew antelope 3 years in a row. Random luck. I put in for myself and my 2 kids. Since my 3 in a row, we have all been 0/14. I drew an elk tag my 2nd year of hunting, first time applying, which was unfortunate b/c I didn't know what I was doing and it's a really good unit. Since, 0/7 between my son and I.

 

[WCB]

Nope. There's almost literally every state, east of the Mississippi to fill your freezer with Whitetail.

I don't know why hunting only seems to be a one way migration from east to west. There is a BUTT load of fantastic public land, OTC options in the Midwest, South & Southeast. Almost all of it is OTC for non residents & chances are, it's barely more expensive than most westerners are paying for resident tags. You may not be able to put 400lb of elk in the freezer, but in a decent week of TN whitetail, I can still get 400lb of venison.

Why would a guy in the West want to come to the Midwest or especially the east to hunt whitetails unless they are looking for a trophy whitetail. Think about the "upper west/western midwest" parts of ID, MT,ND,SD,WY,NE,CO,KS...I'm sorry but the overall whitetail hunting is better imo and easier than coming further east into the central midwest or east where it is more heavily timbered with less and less public land essentially as you move east. And in many of those states guys aren't getting denied tags if they just want to hunt. Now go back to wanting a Trophy. In reality, (I know big bucks get killed "everywhere", Your list of states gets limited pretty quick, basically IA, IL, MO are known to the masses because of media.

I think the OPs problem and many peoples' (especially new hunters) is YES the "norm" is changing AND they don't understand draws and still essentially complain about not drawing "desired" tags and also not realize 2nd choices are now "desired".
Also, in general if a guy is just looking to get some meat the states around the ones listed have plenty of opportunity to just get a tag when you add in cow or doe tags.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

All this is much different from my world of OTC , liberal bag limits and very long southeastern whitetail seasons. Very interesting for me to read and listen to western hunters and their challenges and strategies for getting tags. I hope everyone that wants to hunt can find a way.

I hunt Western. I don't have the same struggles as most. I put in for tags but more than happy to hunt general OTC. General OTC, if you really learn the unit year after year, can be as productive as a controlled tag in which you don't know the unit or rarely hunt the unit. Controlled tags are great but most of the time you are going into a unit that you don't know. The main benefit of controlled tags for me, at least the one I put in for, is reduced hunters in the field. I love my hunting brothers/sister but I don't like to see them in the field. LOL

The OTC until I'm learning for the past few years, I get into elk every single year, my onX map is tagged with lots of waypoints where have found elk and mule deer. At this point, it's starting to feel like a controlled hunt.