Tag app strategy for in and out of state hunts

[canyonhunter47]

When you apply for draw hunts there is almost always a scale of draw odds vs “quality” (area, timeframe, weapon, trophy genetics, etc.). Residents also have an advantage as most draw tags are allocated to them over non-residents.

Do most guys put in for the top tags in your own state with resident draw odds while putting in for “realistic” hunts out of state? What about applying for in state hunts that are easy to draw and only putting in for the best hunts in other states (playing multiple states hoping you can hunt regularly)? I assume most shoot for somewhere in the middle (?)

Just curious about everyone’s rationale for their general strategy

 

[Felix40]

Just depends on the year. I have two out of state and three in state tags this year. I already told my wife I probably won’t go out of state next year since I spent so much on those tags this year.

So for next year I’m going to make sure I draw deer, elk, and sheep in my home state and shoot for the moon in a couple other states.

Then the next year hopefully I’ll have the points for a good tag in Colorado. Then start the process over again.

 

[Rich M]

Do your research and figure out what works for you.

I'm on a 5-7 yr plan for WY, have a 3-5 yr plan for my home state and it's limited opps. My CO hunting is a 1 yr plan due to the unit we have hunted.

There is no secret formula anymore. There was 1 WY unit that got like 1,000 apps this year thanks to an online subscription folks paid for. LOL

It ain't easy, just know that every unit has decent critters if you can find em before the other guy. Good luck!

 

[wapitibob]

I apply for the best hunt I think I can draw, for a given state, when I decide it's time to hunt that state.

 

[BluMtn]

well I have been putting in 21 years for a branched antler tag for my corner of the state. So the in-state thing doesn't count for me very well.

 

[Wrench]

well I have been putting in 21 years for a branched antler tag for my corner of the state. So the in-state thing doesn't count for me very well.

You're my closest competitor. I have never drawn a bull tag in Washington. I've tried every year.....and I've been hunting for 30 years. It's so bad now I don't apply for bull and quality bull in the same year because I'll likely draw both and have to burn one.....which will send me over the edge.

 

[BluMtn]

Two years ago a friend of mine did just that. Had to waste a tag.

 

[Wrench]

I'd be on the news....

 

[FLAK]

Apply, cross fingers.
I've drawn exactly one Elk tag in nearly 20 years of apps.

 

[plumber75]

i drew my first time and then nothing

 

[WRO]

I watch the progression and adjust my draw choices accordingly.

Once I have a good tag in my pocket, I start shooting for the moon.

Home state was always a guarantee for poor opportunities that I always tried to capitalize on.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[Fitzwho]

I’m in TX, there are draw hunts that I apply for in Texas, but the draw odds are terrible. I’ve never drawn anything here. So the resident state doesn’t have much bearing on my year to year.

I apply for everything that I can in 10-11 states. I usually start out applying for whatever I think I can get. As I draw tags through the spring I adjust my applications for the next states so that I hopefully don’t have overlapping tags. That may mean shooting for the moon on lower odds/better hunts, but I try to have only one hunt per month, hopefully with 2-3 weeks in between each hunt.

The max points I have in any one state for any one species is 6 (AZ sheep, including my loyalty point). I ended up with 3 tags this year. Utah doe pronghorn, New Mexico mule deer, and an Arizona Elk Tag.

New Mexico has been good to me as far as drawing tags, 1 tag each of the last 5 years.

Since 2016 I’ve had:
3 Coues deer tags (AZ, AZ, NM)
3 mule deer tags (NM, CO, NM)
3 elk tags (NM, WY, AZ)
2 Utah doe pronghorn tags
1 Utah doe mule deer tag
1 draw bear tag (CO)
3 pronghorn tags (NM, CO, WY)

 

[Huntinaz]

Strategy depends largely on what you want to accomplish but understanding every state's draw process and projected odds are the first step. So many people don't understand the draw process and it causes them a lot of frustration

 

[TXMT]

TOPRUT .....there, I said it. But there are more good states out there...and use a good calendar system to eliminate overlap hunts...

 

[Wilderness Disciple]

I only apply for tags that I'll get or I'll do OTC. I don't get buying points and applying for years. I want to hunt and so I'll apply for my best chances every year.

 

[roadrunner]

Depends on the state. There is no rhyme to reason for the hunt choices in a completely random draw state like NM no matter how much you pretend there is.

The only "strategy" is to put in for choices that don't tend to fill up as quickly as in the hunts that have the most 2nd and 3rd choice applicants being awarded tags.

 

[Billinsd]

In my home state of California with max points, I applied for the easiest to draw desert bighorn hunt and with a 1 in 250 chance I drew. For Tule Bull Elk I applied for the easiest to draw muzzleloader hunt and got drawn with 3.5% odds. In Utah I drew early Wasatch rifle bull elk with 18 points. My two elk, and desert bighorn hunts were fantastic and I killed mature animals, the Utah elk almost made B&C!! I never apply for hunts with less than 1% chance of drawing except desert bighorn, which was an exception. About 20 years ago I started the bonus/preference point pyramid climb and started on the ground floor in some states. Now I am focusing on mature mule deer. I just applied for a Nevada Guided deer hunt with 10% odds. I should draw the best California deer hunt in a couple years. I got almost max points in AZ for deer, but don't like the 2nd tier hunt. Seems like I have about 3.5% for the strip. I'm close to drawing a great AZ elk tag. Sooo Az I'm continuing buying points.....I got plenty of points in Colorado for deer and will get on an outfitters waiting list for plains mule deer. I'd like to hunt mule deer in Canada too, so I'll get on a guide waiting list. I may apply for Idaho mule deer and/or New Mexico in the future. I'm late to the game for Montana and Wyoming, I started a couple of years ago. At 58 or if I was 20 I would not start in Wyoming, Montana, Az, Ca, Ut, etc. buying points for a top tier hunt. I would and am considering buying points for a low or mid tier hunt that's good quality and will take a couple/few years to draw, because it's got mostly private property and I'd need to hire a guide in Montana or Wyoming. Wyoming and Montana are undergoing rapid game management structural changes and I'm watching to see how it pans out. Could be great opportunity for non residents with funds to hire a guide in Wyoming or Montana. However, I got a couple points in each state and am on the fence about buying more until after the dust settles. Getting older I've accumulated wealth as my body has deteriorated and look at utilizing extra tags set aside for guides or hunts that are too expensive for most instead of places that are too tough for others to hunt.. I subscribe to Gohunt and get a wealth of information there as well as here. This is what I do. Cheers Bill

 

[Billinsd]

Depends on the state. There is no rhyme to reason for the hunt choices in a completely random draw state like NM no matter how much you pretend there is.

The only "strategy" is to put in for choices that don't tend to fill up as quickly as in the hunts that have the most 2nd and 3rd choice applicants being awarded tags.

I couldn't disagree more. Or I don't understand you. There absolutely is rhyme and reason for hunt choices in NM. For instance the very top 2 hunts for deer are extremely tough to draw. Lessor hunts are obviously easier to draw. However, I'd imagine mostly private land hunts could be good and easier to draw. If you research the hunts well you can determine hunts you'd like that are easier to draw. NM has excellent elk hunting, but with the big draught I'm certainly not going to hunt deer there now. But that's me. There is most definitely rhyme and reason for all states. Everyone needs to figure out what kind of hunt they want and can afford and draw. It's as simple and hard as that