Overpriced applications/tags. The grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence.

[rbutcher1234]

Hunting out of your home state is a bit like playing Rolex AD games.

Better to just bite the bullet and book a badass hunt even if the tag is through a guide, you could’ve had the amazing hunt in that state while continuing to hunt your own state already.

 

[MuleyFever]

I’m going to play devils advocate here. As much as I want to shoot a big animal, it’s the whole adventure and experience that keeps me in the point game. I really enjoy hunting and exploring new units and states. Figuring out how to fill my fall schedule and burn points has led me on some incredible adventures and lifelong memories with friends and family. As opportunity hunts continue to shrink and go away…I do like the option of having points in different places so that I don’t miss out on a hunting season due to lack of a tag.

If I lived in a good deer hunting state like Dioni…this would be a different story most likely.

But damn it is getting freaking expensive to keep up with the point racket across the west.

I get the adventure thing. I love hunting all over the place. I think the sentiment here is not banking points waiting for that great tag. I plan to draw WY elk this year. I have to make the decision to jump back into the point game for bulls or just hunt cows and have great adventures and experiences with family and friends.

 

[Dioni A]

Hunting out of your home state is a bit like playing Rolex AD games.

Better to just bite the bullet and book a badass hunt even if the tag is through a guide, you could’ve had the amazing hunt in that state while continuing to hunt your own state already.

If you add up all the fees I've paid I could have bought multiple land owner tags or a guided hunt. That was part of my thought process that led to this. Just save that money and do something cool in a few years.

 

[Dioni A]

I get the adventure thing. I love hunting all over the place. I think the sentiment here is not banking points waiting for that great tag. I plan to draw WY elk this year. I have to make the decision to jump back into the point game for bulls or just hunt cows and have great adventures and experiences with family and friends.

Absolutely that's my point. If there's a 0 to 3-point hunt you're after go for it. If not. Spend more time energy and money on fewer hunts closer to home. I wanted to go to all of the historic big buck areas. I had hoped systems would change or something would get better. I'm not anti out of state hunting I just think it's absolutely pointless pretending that I have a chance at some of these better hunts. Yeah we all hear about the guy who drew it with almost no points but that's the same foolish thinking that makes people lose fortunes on the powerball.

 

[Thejet]

I'm going to cash in my WY points and then only hunt MT until the kids are grown.

I'd rather kill a big buck close to home and then help my buddies out and stack whitey does rest of the season, tbh

I do think we are experiencing the peak in popularity of DIY Western hunting, and it'll settle down in the future. Social media convinced a lotta guys it was easy, which it of course is far from...and not many fellas have the fortitude to fork over big money multiple times to get worked over in the mountains.

Id love to hunt some of WA state's mid tier quality units, but its 100 bucks per species and you have to buy a non-refundable elk and deer license to play....absolutely stupid, I refuse to support that kind of racket

WA is on the edge of not worth it as a resident let alone a non resident. The top end of Washington’s units are on par (maybe) with Wyoming residents otc tags.

 

[180ls1]

just hunt cows and have great adventures and experiences with family and friends.

This is the ticket. I'm growing very species agnostic. I had the time of my life recently running ridges and covering miles with a box call for turkeys almost like an archery elk hunt.

I am also pretty fortunate my investments in career growth + normal investments are outpacing tag increases by a fair margin. More people should focus on these.

 

[HighUintas]

I think this year is 17.

You're due! I'll do a dance to the point gods for you.

 

[Lawnboi]

The price increases are frustrating. But the constant rule changing and moving of the goal post is the most irritating.

I’ll play the game as long as I can. Be interesting to see where it is in ten years.

I also find it kind of crazy how much money the states are collecting for essentially nothing (points).

 

[WBT]

I've also come to the conclusion chasing points is a fool's errand. It's become nothing but a lottery with terrible odds. Quite frankly, the cost of hunting in North America has become outrageous and from a value perspective, it just isn't there. I've made the decision to focus on cow elk and hunting abroad. You can still get all of the adventure you want in Asia for the cost of a crummy bull elk hunt.

 

[wapitibob]

If you’re unwilling to adapt to the changing draw landscape, expect to spend significant money and get nothing in return.

 

[kswaterfowl]

I only buy points for two states, because I refuse to spend thousands every year on points, license, and fees. And Ive never been a trophy hunter, so I have no problem buying cow and bear tags to get out in the mountains.

 

[Mish-pop]

I had planned to start buying points/look at out of state hunting once my school loans were paid off in two years and my daughter was a little older. But seeing the price increase along with time to acquire a tag I will stick with my home state. I can hunt antelope, mule deer, and whitetail in my home state every year with a bow and every other with rifle in the counties/units I hunt.

What i was looking at for NR was elk hunting mostly and maybe a great mule deer or antelope unit. Seeing the time/effort/investment vs return on those I will have to likely pass. I will likely only draw one any elk rifle and one any elk archery tag in my home state in my life and then try and get lucky with random cow tag. It's what it is. One thing I have done is getting a group of friends and family to start applying for random cow tags in state in hopes that someone gets a tag and then I can still get out and help someone even if I dont have a tag. Started really looking at draw odds 3 years ago and now 2 out of 3 years someone has drawn a cow tag so its still an adventure and different hunting experience

 

[TimberRunner]

It’s amazing how many people will drive across the country to hunt a draw tag that’s the same or worse hunting than the OTC in their own state.

I get your point, but I can't hunt elk/pronghorn or mule deer in my own state.

For a while I was going west every year. I haven't gone in 2 years but will be back this year. In the interim years replaced with a canada duck/goose hunt, an Alaska fishing trip and lots of doe culling at a buddies lease. My close-by waterfowling is most of my hunt time.

I have a pretty good pot of WY points. Probably need to burn some over the next 5 or 6 years and just go.

 

[proslogion]

This is my first year really looking into how points work in different states, and it has been overwhelming. I haven't been able to make the monetary value add up with the experience, so it is nice to see others sharing similar sentiments.

 

[RockAndSage]

I'm entirely done with Nevada though. A guy has to wait a decade to still have crap odds on a hunt that's no better than what you could get in a different state with low or no points.

And it's not much better as a resident. Not applying for difficult tags, and still haven't been drawn here in 7 years.

 

[MuleyFever]

I often think we live in a country of status. People will live in trailers or crappy apartments and drive luxury cars for that status they project. I often feel people put in for multiple states for the status they can portray on forums yet have no idea what they are actually doing.

 

[Thejet]

I get your point, but I can't hunt elk/pronghorn or mule deer in my own state.

For a while I was going west every year. I haven't gone in 2 years but will be back this year. In the interim years replaced with a canada duck/goose hunt, an Alaska fishing trip and lots of doe culling at a buddies lease. My close-by waterfowling is most of my hunt time.

I have a pretty good pot of WY points. Probably need to burn some over the next 5 or 6 years and just go.

That was not pointed at everyone, lot of people have to hunt out of state to target different animals than what their state allows.

 

[BRTreedogs]

@Dioni A

I mite have a couple wy points to spare this year.
And I’m ok with shooting the 2nd biggest buck.

 

[Thejet]

I'll still go have adventures. I'm just done stacking up points. I'll use my points for a hunt that will take way less than what i have. After that I won't build them I'll just hunt 0 point hunts or build up a couple and stop until I'm ready to go again. I'm entirely done with Nevada though. A guy has to wait a decade to still have crap odds on a hunt that's no better than what you could get in a different state with low or no points.

The only way to make NV a must apply is if you dream of hunting sheep. That state gives more NR sheep tags than all the rest combined. If that matters to you then adding the rest of the animals is easier to swallow.

 

[ianpadron]

WA is on the edge of not worth it as a resident let alone a non resident. The top end of Washington’s units are on par (maybe) with Wyoming residents otc tags.

I've seen the biggest deer, consistently, in WA. More than MT or ID

First time a buddy drew a quality tag my jaw was on the ground all week haha, its a sleeper, but I ain't ever hunting it again at this rate