Western Hunting losing it's appeal

[sndmn11]

Have you been to any of those units? Do they actually have whitetails on public land?

Yep! We move them around fishing on the Arkansas this time of year, and I packed a muley out overnight on a 3rd season tag to my truck in one of the feeder drainages on the Ark, only to find some whiteys in my headlights when I headed out. I saw muleys, bighorns, and whitetail all within an hour's hike from each other in a 24hr period.

 

[Felix40]

Right what? There are 18 units listed, the tags are either sex list B. What isn't being comprehended?

The page I posted a photo of where CPWD says 3 times that most of the units are private.

 

[sndmn11]

The page I posted a photo of where CPWD says 3 times that most of the units are private.

Are you familiar with any of those units? 250k, 150k, 175k....that's 575k acres of public land in 3/18 units those tags are valid in...List B...either sex...no other seasons taking place.... What is the complaint?

 

[orionthehunter1]

Wasn't talking about me, hombre. Just commenting on your blanket statement that has no real validity...

Ok hombre neither does yours complaining about a non guaranteed harvest maybe hunt a little harder

 

[orionthehunter1]

Are you familiar with any of those units? 250k, 150k, 175k....that's 575k acres of public land in 3/18 units those tags are valid in...List B...either sex...no other seasons taking place.... What is the complaint?
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You should just quit helping them let them cry and complain it's more opportunity for the rest of us

 

[Felix40]

Are you familiar with any of those units? 250k, 150k, 175k....that's 575k acres of public land in 3/18 units those tags are valid in...List B...either sex...no other seasons taking place.... What is the complaint?
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I’m just going to leave this alone after this. Yes I know some of the units. That’s the 3/18 with the most public land but the least whitetail habitat. Maybe 1% of that public actually has whitetail deer. I get that there is opportunity here but your statement that the otc units are 95% public was WAY wrong. Most of the others range from 60-90% private.

 

[orionthehunter1]

People literally do no research you can hunt bulls, cows, mule deer bucks and does, whitetail, pronghorn bucks and does, and bear every year as a nonresident with zero points. You can also draw cow moose every other year.

 

[CorbLand]

You can also draw cow moose every other year.

WTF, where?

 

[sneaky]

This thread is gonna start quite the controversy. I am from Missouri and have been hunting out west a few times. Colorado seems so over hunted on elk over the counter. Takes forever to draw a trophy unit or even a decent unit with good odds. I've been putting in for Wyoming elk for 10+ years and the with the point creep it looks like it will be over 15 before I can draw my desired unit. (My dad and his buddies uses to hunt it every other year). Wyoming keeps limiting non resident tags. Most other states are lotteries and who knows when you will draw there. Seems like to me I'm almost wasting money putting in for draws. To me western hunting has turned into a rich man/patient man's game and losing it's appeal. Makes a Midwesterner think I am better off saving up for outfitter tags, hunt Alaska, and just take trips whitetail hunting and upland bird. I know some people will tell me to stop crying, etc. I'm just stating the facts we all pay taxes for this land and us non residents are getting absolutely shafted.

It's a ridiculously small amount of your taxes that go towards federal lands

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[sndmn11]

I’m just going to leave this alone after this. Yes I know some of the units. That’s the 3/18 with the most public land but the least whitetail habitat. Maybe 1% of that public actually has whitetail deer. I get that there is opportunity here but your statement that the otc units are 95% public was WAY wrong. Most of the others range from 60-90% private.

I did qualify my percentage as a wild ass guess.

If those public land numbers are good enough to attract tens of thousands of public land elk hunters, and one can find huntable Bighorns a couple par 5s from whitetails that are on public land, what more do you want?

What majority of the listed units are mostly private land?

Do you not put in for moose/goat/desert sheep/bighorn sheep tags? Those animals typically live in small percentages of the tag's geographical boundaries. What's the difference? Prestige? Notarity? Bragging rights?

This thread started off about being disenfranchised over western hunting due to crowds and opportunity yaddayadda. Solutions have been presented, but in the face of facts there seems to be a willful blindness.

 

[sndmn11]

WTF, where?

Non-res in CO have really good odds.

 

[orionthehunter1]

WTF, where?

The hunt stats are your friend. Not many nonresidents wanna pay 2100+ for a cow moose.

 

[jmez]

The hunt stats are your friend. Not many nonresidents wanna pay 2100+ for a cow moose.

No, they want to pay $210 for solo access in a trophy unit.

 

[5MilesBack]

Ya, technically correct. Not really an opportunity without paying large fees though.

What large fees? I've hunted those WT's for just the tag cost the last few years. My uncle has gotten a couple really nice bucks as well on those same tags.

 

[Che]

We did a hunt in Nebraska this year.
It was awesome! Abundant white tail, mule deer, turkeys, waterfowl, etc.
Western hunting has allure, but there are many underrated areas that make for great hunting.

 

[Molon Labe]

Couple things...seems like people dont have patience or dont want to spend the time researching spots to hunt or opportunity hunts. Or spend the time and money putting in applications.

Cant hunt because it takes too long to draw the tags. Or the tags are too expensive. Or it costs too much money to hunt. Or there are too many hunters in the spots i want to go.

Seems to me like lots of excuses.

In the past four years Ive hunted 5 states for 11 different big game species...ate 2 tags. All DIY. All public land. Some draw tags some OTC tags. BUT i spend a lot of time researching this time of the year...a lot of time in the summer...and a lot of time in the fall.

Yes i spend a lot in travel and the total tag costs were pretty high because four tags were four digit price tags (2 of the 4 sheep were not my tags though)...NR sucks sometimes. But i got all those hunts done for less money than a couple guided elk trips.

Its all about prioritizing focusing and getting after it.

I spend less than an annual truck payment on applications, tags, total hunt costs for a year.
I spend roughly 300hrs a year researching scouting new areas and on the phone with tons of people trying to figure out spots and species to hunt DIY.

So if you can drive an old truck (saves the money)...and not watch TV (saves the time)...your lifestyle will not change and you can go on several hunts a year and its no big deal.

No excuses. Get after it and go hunt! We have awesome opportunities in this country!

 

[CorbLand]

Non-res in CO have really good odds.

I will have to look into those. I don't really pay attention to Colorado but my wifes one and only bucket list animal is a moose. She doesn't care if it has antlers or not.

 

[Fatcamp]

What large fees? I've hunted those WT's for just the tag cost the last few years. My uncle has gotten a couple really nice bucks as well on those same tags.

Ya, I'm getting that. Gonna look into it for sure as we have kids out that way.

 

[sneaky]

Luckily arrows are still readily available

Last year they weren't lol

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[Sevens]

In agreement. Used to apply for most states and species, but have dropped out of most. Declining trophy potential/Odds, competing against gang hunting when you do draw, and rising prices.
Went to Africa in 2019, that's where I'll be taking the money I save on applications every few years - much better value.

Same here!