Unit/hunt statistics - what do you look for?

[Neckbone]

When I first started researching units and hunt to apply for I went straight to success rates and became hyper focused. I realized quickly that success rates aren't everything. If a unit has a 74% success rate and good draw odds (sounds great), but is 92% private land, that is not so great. Most likely 99% of the successful hunters were on private land or needed a guide.

So I'm kind of going over this in my head as I type... but there are so many things to consider..

Access/quantity of public land in the unit
How many hunters per square mile
number of animals harvested per square mile
Habitat vs time of year the hunt is (winter range/migration hunt)

There is so much to consider.... what do you all prioritize? Last year I chose my hunt based on an area of Montana I wanted to explore. It was beautiful country, and was successful!

 

[steelheadmike]

1. Draw odds - if I can't draw the tag, especially in a preference point state, I cross it off my list.

2. Quantity of public - If it's mostly private, all the public land hunters will be concentrated

3. Quality of habitat - Is the unit summer habitat or winter? I'm probably not going to hunt a unit in September that is all low elevation winter ground. Is the unit the type of terrain that I want to hunt or am better at hunting? Is there sufficient habitat for the species I am going after? I'm probably going to skip a pronghorn unit that has great draw odds, high success, and lots of public land if all the public is up high in the timber/mountains and all the pronghorn ground is down lower on private.

5. Road access- A little can be good....a lot can be really really bad. Is the majority of the unit accessed from only a couple points or are there multiple access points?

4. Harvest success - this is the lowest on my list because there are so many other variables that go into it. A unit may have a super high success rate on a later season hunt but is only around the state average the rest of the year. This tells me that it's probably more of a winter/migration hunt and may not be the best for early season (see #3). Harvest success also doesn't take into account public vs private.

 

[Rich M]

Pretty much what he said.

Did my first NR western hunt about 8 yrs ago. Made a table (pre-hunting apps) and used the following:

Drawable? We we gonna get the tag?
Access? Would we be able to hunt?
Success Rate? Odds of a kill?

Found 10 units that seemed to fit the requirements for antelope hunt. We used to be able to ask questions about units online back then, Folks helped too.

Chose the "best" unit and applied with a strategy - I wanted doe tags and a buck tag. Got 4 doe tags in first draw, was supposed to buy leftover buck tag. Was the first year that unit sold out of buck tags - ever. Had an experience - hunting was a madhouse - orange army - aggressive hunters - road hunters everywhere... First light had me "25" yards from a mature antelope buck (could see his eyelashes) but couldn't shoot. Saw few does but managed to get 2 - had 6 bucks in easy range.

Would like to say did something similar for mule deer hunt - guy I knew told me exactly where to go. Said hunt all day every day and you will have an opportunity. Very true - got a nice buck.

Did guided antelope hunt next. Was almost too easy but got to shoot the buck antelope this time. Was a fun hunt with 3 of us.

My advice is to figure out how much time you want to spend doing this - if you have 5-10 years to burn, run with it. If you are on the older side or just have better things to do than applying for points every year, consider a guided hunt. The golden age of hunting has peaked and is sliding - just sit back and consider what you really want.

 

[MallardSX2]

I look and see what takes 1 preference point less than what I currently have and I apply there and then I get mad when I don't draw.

Isn't that what I'm supposed to do? lol

 

[Rich M]

I look and see what takes 1 preference point less than what I currently have and I apply there and then I get mad when I don't draw.

Isn't that what I'm supposed to do? lol

I did that 3 yrs running and even tried special. Said pfff and did guided hunt. My time is worth more than watching the years slide by.

 

[MallardSX2]

I did that 3 yrs running and even tried special. Said pfff and did guided hunt. My time is worth more than watching the years slide by.

I hear that.