Which states to start building points in?

[IdahoBeav]

I've decided to start buying points in multiple western states. I bought deer, elk, and antelope points in Wyoming last year and will do so again, but I'm curious which states are worth spending the money for a license just for the sake of buying points. I'm mainly interested in deer and elk.

Utah seems like an easy choice. It's cheap, but is it worth spending the $150 for states like AZ and NV?

Also, is it possible to buy points in MT without applying for a hunt, or is an unsuccessful draw the only way to get a point. Do they have a point-saver code?

 

[Vargasm]

What do you hunt with, bow, rifle, muzzleloader? I live in Oregon and there is a lot of good hunts you can get with three or four points. They don't expire so once you get the amount you want just hold on to them until your ready to actually apply

 

[IdahoBeav]

What do you hunt with, bow, rifle, muzzleloader? I live in Oregon and there is a lot of good hunts you can get with three or four points. They don't expire so once you get the amount you want just hold on to them until your ready to actually apply

I'm from Oregon and just moved to Idaho. Oregon is the only state I've ever hunted. I still have points there and will continue to put in, but it'll be more so to hunt with friends and family who still live there. I'm not sure that anything in the 3-5 point range would be more of an opportunity than OTC in Idaho.

Oregon has some decent hunts, has some great hunts, but the nonresident quota and point creep kills.

As far as the weapons go, I'm looking at archery for elk and rifle for deer.

 

[Vargasm]

Ya nothing in Oregon is probably as good as idaho. it's hard to beat general archery season for elk unless you have like 15 points. For deer there are a few hunts you could get that are decent. But if you ever want to hunt muzzleloader I would definitely look at the applegate tag to go after blacktail, that is a sweet hunt for only three or four points.

 

[COSA]

I would recommend starting off with WY (all 3), CO Deer, & possibly NV, since your close. You can draw good tags in 2 of these states within a few years. I'm pretty sure you have to buy the MT general licenses before applying, and then the draw odds are horrible for the limited quota hunts. I think you can return the general licenses for an 80% refund, still very pricey.

 

[IdahoBeav]

I would recommend starting off with WY (all 3), CO Deer, & possibly NV, since your close. You can draw good tags in 2 of these states within a few years. I'm pretty sure you have to buy the MT general licenses before applying, and then the draw odds are horrible for the limited quota hunts. I think you can return the general licenses for an 80% refund, still very pricey.

I'm going to mail a copy of my hunter safety card to NV so I can get into the database and then be able to purchase a license.

How about CO elk? I read that they have good OTC tags, but do they have any draw tags that are worth building points for?

From what I gathered online, the CO system is similar to what you described for MT, but they refund you the permit price minus the $40 preference point fee.

 

[Reload]

IdahoBeav, I was in your shoes 11 years ago. Being from Illinois and enjoying hunting out west, I started building points in 2006. I can tell you that I apply in CO, UT, WY, NV, AZ, and NM. I had a guy tell me that you can never start building points early enough, and to look at them as money in the bank for a future hunt. He considered it a down-payment on future hunts so to speak. My out of pocket expenses are @ $500 a year. Everyone's situation and finances are different, but if you truly want it bad enough, you will make it happen. It's been said that it's not the things I've done that I regret, but those I did not do. Today's a good day to start

 

[IdahoBeav]

IdahoBeav, I was in your shoes 11 years ago. Being from Illinois and enjoying hunting out west, I started building points in 2006. I can tell you that I apply in CO, UT, WY, NV, AZ, and NM. I had a guy tell me that you can never start building points early enough, and to look at them as money in the bank for a future hunt. He considered it a down-payment on future hunts so to speak. My out of pocket expenses are @ $500 a year. Everyone's situation and finances are different, but if you truly want it bad enough, you will make it happen. It's been said that it's not the things I've done that I regret, but those I did not do. Today's a good day to start

I'm going to start applying in NM next year or the following. From what I understand they're like Idaho, no points, so I'd be going after a hunt.

I just graduated from college and started a new career. This year I'll only have enough time off work for one trip, and I want to use it on archery elk here in Idaho.

Right now, as far as out-of-state goes, I can only work toward hunting several years out, but I don't really want to spend $100-200 per year on a state that will take 15-20 years to draw and will probably get worse every year from point creep. I'd rather spend the $2000-$5000 on a guided OTC hunt or pack mule service.

 

[wapitibob]

I buy Elk points in WY, UT, and AZ.

 

[IdahoBeav]

I buy Elk points in WY, UT, and AZ.

If you don't mind me asking, how many points do you have in UT and AZ, and will you continue to buy them after you are successful in drawing a tag?

 

[wapitibob]

I drew Utah with 5, when you could. I am off the wait period and have 1 going into this years draw. At 60 11/12 years old, I'm only doing Utah because I can span two years with the license so the cost is roughly $30/year.

I drew AZ with 11, luckily, have the hunter ed and loyalty points, going into 2017 with 5 and should draw this year or next but realize at my age the late hunts are my only real options and I'm OK with that.

If I was young I would span UT; it's the cheapest Elk app/point you can get and they're bonus points.
I would spend the money to get the AZ hunter ed point at Don's NR class and apply for a mid tier bow and late rifle combo or both choices late rifle with the plan of hunting in less than 10 years. Archery only will probably be a 7+ year wait provided you keep applying and get the loyalty point and have the hunter ed point. You'll have to watch and see how the point creep shakes out now that they're providing the NR point pool data. That could be the dagger in the heart if guys with 13-15 points realize they'll never draw their hunt and drop down a notch jacking up the points required to draw those mid tier hunts.

 

[sneaky]

You can apply for two years on the same license in AZ too, right? I was listening to an AZ outfitter on a podcast the other day and it seems like that's what he was saying. UT you are looking at a long wait to get a good LE unit, NV you can forget about if you don't want to sink good money into a general tag. I would do the guided draw in NV if you want to hunt there. Still not good odds though. Definitely build points in WY and CO.

 

[Woodsboss]

IdahoBeav, not sure what your new job allows for in vacation but as a point of reference you just moved to Idaho and would likely run out of leave before you finished a season out here. We have over the counter opportunities galore. I don't hunt other states cause frankly Idaho has everything a guy could dream of and eventually I run out of leave time. There are a few species I'd love to hunt that Idaho doesn't have and of course there is country I'd love to see for the sake of seeing but don't need to waste money on points. Call me a home body but Idaho has everything a big game hunter could dream of. Good luck with your point decisions and more importantly welcome to Idaho, the land of opportunity and no point system.

 

[IdahoBeav]

You can apply for two years on the same license in AZ too, right? I was listening to an AZ outfitter on a podcast the other day and it seems like that's what he was saying. UT you are looking at a long wait to get a good LE unit, NV you can forget about if you don't want to sink good money into a general tag. I would do the guided draw in NV if you want to hunt there. Still not good odds though. Definitely build points in WY and CO.

Yeah, with the $1200 nonresident elk tag and long waits to draw, I'm thinking that NV might only be worth it for deer, which is cheaper than Oregon.

 

[IdahoBeav]

IdahoBeav, not sure what your new job allows for in vacation but as a point of reference you just moved to Idaho and would likely run out of leave before you finished a season out here. We have over the counter opportunities galore. I don't hunt other states cause frankly Idaho has everything a guy could dream of and eventually I run out of leave time. There are a few species I'd love to hunt that Idaho doesn't have and of course there is country I'd love to see for the sake of seeing but don't need to waste money on points. Call me a home body but Idaho has everything a big game hunter could dream of. Good luck with your point decisions and more importantly welcome to Idaho, the land of opportunity and no point system.

How tough is it to get an antelope tag here, and how hard is it to find bucks?

Antelope is what got me started looking at other states. I was in Oregon where it seems that hunting them isn't too hard if you don't mind waiting 15 years for a tag, so I started looking at Wyoming and decided to buy elk and deer points too.

I'm sure I will be very satisfied with the hunting here. I was just thinking that I could work toward a few better hunts in other states in the future.

 

[Woodsboss]

How tough is it to get an antelope tag here, and how hard is it to find bucks?

Antelope is what got me started looking at other states. I was in Oregon where it seems that hunting them isn't too hard if you don't mind waiting 15 years for a tag, so I started looking at Wyoming and decided to buy elk and deer points too.

I'm sure I will be very satisfied with the hunting here. I was just thinking that I could work toward a few better hunts in other states in the future.

Antelope is unlimited controlled for archery, meaning you apply and draw. Assuming your talking about antelope bucks spend some time on the desert you'll find what you're looking for. For rifle hunts draw odds vary, muzzleloader hunt draw odds are better. I recognize I'm fortunate to live and hunt in Idaho and because of that I take advantage of it. If your willing to put the effort in you wildest dreams will come true.