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

[WRO]

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.

I’ve hunted nv a few times, I’ve drawn a couple of cow tags which are fun. There’s lots of good tags to be had if you’re willing to not look at known ones, I use it as back up but I’m usually sitting on a tag or 2 by then so I shoot for the moon.

I chukar hunt there so I buy a liscense every year anyways.


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[WRO]

I cut my states way back on applications, that being said Idaho seems to jam everything into a month if you’re a rifle hunter and I like to hunt more than that.

Or elk for the kid in August

Possibily a youth antelope tag for the daughter

This year we’ll be Arizona September elk (I’ve drawn twice in the last 8 years)

Or deer

Idaho deer/elk

Sd whitetails

And tbd on draws outstanding.

I could probably kill bigger deer if I just stuck to home, but I enjoy the experience and adventure.

 

[rbutcher1234]

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.

Exactly my point. You’d have more great memories, experiences, and potential trophies AND hunted as much as you already have.

 

[handwerk]

Lots of good points brought up. I'm down to 3 western states now and I don't ever see it being more.
The other thing that is frustrating is all the stupid fees added on. I get the extra license sales to help raise P-R money but Montana for example nailing you for $100 as an application fee...what a rip off.

 

[CMF]

look at the total amount of dollars it might take you to have a chance at some of these hunts

I think a lot of people don't do the simple math to realize this. That's clear in the other thread when guys say, it's only a $75 pp fee. Yea, but It's also a minimum of five points to draw a general tag, so your total cost to get a tag went up more, and with creep, it will probably take 8-10 years to draw, so if you start today, you're in for 600-750, not counting the tag.

I'm only 7 years into the pp for some states and less for others. UT wasn't so bad when I started, but with their recent increases, the math ain't good for the ridiculous low draw odds.

The only thing keeping me in some of them is trying to kill species, like MSG and Bison.

 

[Chris in TN]

I suspect that at some point, if I can afford guided hunts, even if only 1-2 hunters have tags (right now there are 3 hunters in my home, with a 4th getting there soon), I'll begin to prefer them over the hoops you have to jump through to go race the rest of the world for access to 'cheap' hunts on public land.

A guided hunt where 1 or 2 of us have a tag and the rest can stay in a cabin on private land and sightsee or the kids take turns going out with me a day at a time, BUT WITHOUT TRYING TO OUTRUN A DOZEN OTHER DUDES AT EVERY TRAILHEAD, would be pretty fun.

 

[cnelk]

I get all the elk hunting I need between Colorado & Wyo.
I can hunt from Sept - Jan.

Add in deer and antelope it’s plenty.

Horn Porn isn’t needed

 

[willfrye027]

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.

Oh yeah. I’m in it for the 0-3 point hunts. Maybe I’ll get lucky (again) and end up with a great tag but I’m not planning on it. Probably will do well known Wyoming deer regions once or twice..but the point fee increase is really making that less appealing.

Biggest buck I’ve ever seen was in a 0 point unit…a bit bigger than the deer I killed in Nevada’s best deer unit.

I have to agree the notion of banking points to guarantee some amazing deer hunt has become a pipe dream.

 

[southLA]

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.

There's no mountains or mule deer or elk in Louisiana.

 

[bushwhacker1975]

You could always apply in msine for moose but i've put in new brunswick canada it's cheap to apply you still have to go through an outfitter but for a moose hunt it's fairly reasonable. I believe draw is still open. outfitters get a tag but this helps them get another hunter their season is only 5 days but it is by far the best chance of going home with a moose. The outfitter i bear hunt with does an incredible job and their moose hunts are booked in advance to do this gets you in earlier.

 

[Slugz]

About 10 years ago I went to a less is more mentality. Focused on 2 states to maximize the year over year experience. I'm the type that just wants to get into the woods. Never did save points and used them in mid tier GMUs so I was hunting as much as possible. That combined with getting to Alaska as much as possible keeps the year full.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Now everyone is going rush into the 3 point hunts point heavy and they’ll become 9 pt hunts

 

[Big Sky Guy]

Part of the reason I moved out here was for the resident hunting opportunities. A man could spend a lifetime hunting here and it cover it all, and I hope to do just that.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Just Irish goodbye and bow out gracefully.

Don’t point out what other people have already been doing and ruin it for us.

 

[Jon Boy]

People thought I was nuts when I said I would rather just buy a $10k land owner tag on the year I actually want to hunt… if you do the math and figure a tag will take 10 years to draw, cost of tag, interest, compounding interest, etc and then couple that with being able to pick the actual year you want to hunt, it’s not that far off.

 

[Jethro]

on the year I actually want to hunt

But the large majority want to hunt every year. That group is split in two. Those that have learned to play the systems and get a tag every year and those that complain about not being able to get a tag.

 

[KHNC]

Well, when you go elk hunting with just a cow tag, bulls are always in range acting stupid. I just cant do it anymore.

 

[Jon Boy]

But the large majority want to hunt every year. That group is split in two. Those that have learned to play the systems and get a tag every year and those that complain about not being able to get a tag.

I’ll tell you right now, I wish I would have drawn my moose tag ANY other year than last year. I was building a house and my business was going a different direction than I planned. But, I drew it out and it all worked out fine, however it was way more stressful than I would of liked and honestly took away some to the experience

 

[WoodlandCritter]

I love the adventure of hunting, but if you can't find adventure in your own state that's a you problem, not the state. If I were gonna spend the amount of money some of these guys spend on hunts I would just buy a side of beef then go on a really great hiking trip for one quarter the cost.

 

[Weldor]

I pretty much have to hunt out of state, my home state is very hard to draw any tag. Elk, deer,sheep,antelope. Even turkey's getting to be impossible.