Should I be buying points? Or what should I be doing to prepare?

[cornfedkiller]

Been hunting the midwest my entire life..never hunted anything out west, but would absolutely love to someday. I have a goal of someday doing some DIY hunts and staying in a spike camp out in the middle of nowhere, but I have a feeling I'll be doing a few hunts with outfitters to learn what the heck I'm doing in the beginning.

With that said, I'm several years from being able to make that happen, so I'm curious what I should be/can be doing right now to help me out in the future?

Buying preference points to some CO draw units?

New Mexico doesn't have any preference points - correct?

Wyoming preference points?

Researching outfitters?

 

[dble07]

Getting in shape would be where I would personally start. I've hunted Illinois my whole life and I can tell you from experience that it's a different world in the mountains.
If your goal is to go DIY then go DIY. I'm sure that one could learn alot from an outfitter but with all of todays resources you can learn enough to get you started(most of it right from this site).

 

[provoflyfisher]

Points in Colorado and Wyoming are cheap and well worth it. Start building points now, it will provide you with options in the future. With that said, start researching units that you can hunt every 2-3 years and go hunting. Don't stockpile points for too many years.

 

[5MilesBack]

I'm curious what I should be/can be doing right now to help me out in the future?

Get points and hunt OTC in the meantime.

 

[Rizzy]

Try an outfitted hunt in the middle fork zone (frank church wilderness). This will be unit 27 or 28 in Idaho and it's OTC for deer, elk, bear, wolf. It's the middle of noware and a tough hunt, this will satisfy the hunger for a true wilderness hunt.

 

[katdaddy2013]

Wyoming has points you can buy. Montana does too, but you must apply for 2017 or you lose the point.

Been hunting the midwest my entire life..never hunted anything out west, but would absolutely love to someday. I have a goal of someday doing some DIY hunts and staying in a spike camp out in the middle of nowhere, but I have a feeling I'll be doing a few hunts with outfitters to learn what the heck I'm doing in the beginning.

With that said, I'm several years from being able to make that happen, so I'm curious what I should be/can be doing right now to help me out in the future?

Buying preference points to some CO draw units?

New Mexico doesn't have any preference points - correct?

Wyoming preference points?

Researching outfitters?