Huntin Fool Drawing & Membership Drive

gznokes

Very Active Member
Messages
1,322
Carters application raffles off 16 hunts per year. The hunts range from sheep and mixed bag hunts up North to Antelope in NM. The tickets are $50 each. The value of the hunts is $160,000. The publication says they pay full price for the hunts. The drawing is held in July and is open to the public. A few questions.

1. Does anyone have any idea on the odds for such a drawing?
2. Has anyone ever attended to see how many tickets are in for each hunt?

My intent is not to editorialize on the pros or cons of this. I would appreciate if anyone has even a thought on what the odds are for the different offerings.
 
I have donated to that cause a few times....and have asked the same question...if they pay full price for hte tickets....thats alot of 50 dollar tickets to cover that
 
I wanted to know what my odds of drawing were so called in to ask how many tickets were sold for each raffle and was told that "they don't count how many are sold" and did not know what the drawing odds were.

Well I know for sure they're counting the money and could do the math! I assume they're making pretty good money on this, as now they're having two separate raffles per year. They have some quality hunts to be given away but I'm sure the odds are staggering.
 
I think if the membership is close to say 10,000 at even $50.00 just one ticket per member they would be making $500,000 so they are having a great membership drive, on top of that there has to be new members as well, at least there is a chance at drawing a tag.
nmbighorn
 
Part of my reason for asking if anyone has ever been to the drawing is because I thought maybe someone would have been able to estimate that there were a lot of tickets in one bucket but not in another. I have to figure the long-range shooting course for example gets a lot less attention that the dall sheep hunt.

I like the Huntin Fool but I do find it interesting that a guy who makes his money publishing the odds doesn't publish his--or at least what they were in the past.

If the hunts are worth $160K that means they have to sell 3200 tickets to breakeven. So the odds on any individual ticket being drawn are at best 16 in 3200 or 1 in 40. If they sell more than that the odds are worse.
 
Dang Dude,

Just in case you didn't know it.........everything in trophy hunting is legit. Honest. Particularly if there is a magazine and/or dvd's involved.

Require legitimacy from Hatch and Doyle.......and their business'....ummmmmm......don't exist.
 
Got to figure they are making $$$ if they keep doing it. It's not some charitible wildlife goodwill cause that raffle is supporting.

I'm thinking the Mexico hunt will have the best odds this year....with the increased lawlesness and gang violence!
 
I'm a subscriber but would never consider buying into one of those raffles. There's no way they pay full price and no way "they don't count how many are sold". No way. They see the racket states got going selling dreams and want a piece of the action.
 
PT Barnum said it best...THERES A HUNTING FOOL's MAG sucker-subscriber born every minute!!!!
4a2c3c3419e430ad.jpg


rackmaster
 
gznokes, GREAT POINT

This guy makes his living selling odds, but keeps his own odds private.

Hypocrite.

Grizzly (HF member, but I will call 'em like I see 'em)
 
I pay the Carter's for 1) drawing odds summaries, 2) current recommendations, and 3) list of hunters to call who have drawn my tag in past years. Current recommendations and why is important info to know if your not well networked.

All of these are more than worth $100/year to me.

However, I ain't recruiting, ain't buying raffle tickets, ain't writing articles to win a knife or DVD. I'll leave these things to the believers.

I also don't book guided hunts with Carters......which seems to be their most lucrative business.

I've been a member since 1997, and have definitely got my money's worth. One single phone call to a competent member who has hunted your unit before can be worth $100 given the need for key info on some drawn hunts. Having said this......many of Carter's clients are dudes and complete buffoons.......many of 'em.
 
TwoDogs, Your right about the info from Carter's members but your way off base about Hatch and Muley Crazy. I think the odds ore way way worse than 40 to 1 on the drawings though. Another but is you don't have any chance if you don't have a $50 ticket!
 
I am a member and have found value speaking with Jason, Garth and Adam in the past. I've also talked with some great folks who have really helped my hunts. I think the $100 is well worth it.

That being said I think the fact that no indication of draw odds being posted should give you all the information you need. If they were fantastic odds I have to think they would be posted. I don't think you want to know how many "fools" are buying the tickets. I am not one.
 
Great question. I was wondering the same thing, and agree with the above post. They make a business of calculating odds, you can sure bet they know their own. They know that if they post the odds, ticket sales will go way down.
 
They are not posting the odds because they do not want people to see what they are making off this. I have been a member since 1997 and although I feel I dont really need them now I still pay the $100 mainly to see which units to avoid putting in for as their top units picks skew the odds. However living a long ways from most of the top states their information helped me put in for good units in states I knew nothing about. Today you can get information here and on various sites if you are helpful to others. My feeling with carters is that they have gotten greedy. Going to 2 membership drives a year put a bad taste in my mouth and I do not believe they pay full price for the hunts. They can rationalize all they want but I would bet they dont write a check for those hunts. The internet and available info out there will probably make their business mostly obsolete in a few years unless they can keep finding guys who want to give them money for these special draws. The other factor is this info was great when there were a couple thousand members but with over 10,000 members now the info is not really cutting edge any more.
 
I bet they are not paying full-price for these hunts. Probably giving a substantial advertising discount for reduced price hunts...it would be nice to know which hat had the fewest entries though.

I think they do a great job with their magazine (other than their NM odds being based on 1st choice apps) and it is definitely worth $100 to know what units they are pumping up and comparing changes from year to year.
 
My 2 cents are, I love to make as much $ as possible, so I have no problem with the magazine and it's owners doing the same. It is a great magazine, and for the quality of the physical piece itself let alone the information it is worth the $100. That being said I do not buy the tickets or utilize any hunting application service. If I were to use a service it would be them rather than Cabela's TAGS. "We front the tag fee" translates into a 80% APY loan at TAGS!
 
I really don't care what they get the hunts for. I would expect them to make what they can. They have never forced me to buy a ticket and they are under no obligation to post odds.

Its funny that they are the ones who always take the blame for the draw odds. I will agree however, the do hurt them. However, Eastman's has been doing it for years ie. region "G" lol.

The magazine is top quality, the stories are great, and the photography is top rate.

I have called them a few times for advice and they have been very down to earth and helpful... Well worth the $100.
 
Im a member and a hunt winner from last year. Its legit so I always donate a few tickets here. Its just one more drawing to get a little excited about.
 
I have been a member for awhile and I have watched their business evolve.

As a business owner myself, I am impressed how far they have come in the last 10 years.

If someone does not like their raffle do not participate. Pretty simple. I have in the past, but, will not this year because I will not be hunting out of state this year most likely.
 
>I bet they are not paying
>full-price for these hunts.
>Probably giving a substantial advertising
>discount for reduced price hunts...it
>would be nice to know
>which hat had the fewest
>entries though.
>
>I think they do a great
>job with their magazine (other
>than their NM odds being
>based on 1st choice apps)
>and it is definitely worth
>$100 to know what units
>they are pumping up and
>comparing changes from year to
>year.


BINGO! You nailed it. Carters are simply trading advertisements for hunts. I will never buy their raffle tickets, but the $100 for the magazine and member info is well worth the price.
 
All you Hunting Fools ever wonder why you can't draw a tag anywhere? Think about it when you are supporting someone that increases your odds buy 10,000 or more for their benefit so they can afford to buy their own tags. Before tags services draw every year since can't draw
 
What's the big deal. They work, I work, they spend their money on good tags, I spend my money for good tags. I drill teeth to make the money for those tags and hunts, they make a magazine to make money for those tags and hunts. Maybe you engineer something, work in sales, fix stuff, build stuff.......buy a hunt! I don't see the difference.
 
Im sure they make alot on all the stuff they do or they wouldnt do it. What gets me is that they seem to never put the units they r going to hunt as the top ones, but as next year rolls around they will have hunted and killed some monsters in units that they never mentioned to their subscribers. So our odds get all screwed up and they have some great hunts all to themselves. Anyone else notice this?
 
So what you are saying is that the Carters are the ONLY ones who know of "sleeper" units and tell us (their clients) to put in for lesser units, but tell us they are are great? It's a thought, but 99% of the info that they give to us, was given to them by you and me! I don't like it anymore than anyone else that I'm funding what they do. But just like everything else in life we pay others (for goods & Services) to live a good life. I really don't care for our government, but I want a Chevy. I have back issues back to 1994 and can assure you that most of the hunts the Carters get are ones they tell us to apply for. Maybe they are counting on the opposite to happen just as we're disgussing.
 
Because inquiring minds want to know. I'm not a Hunting Fool so I don't know what areas the true Hunting Fools are advised to put in but Public knowledge Garth has applied for Nevada mule deer the past few years in 194L and Jason unit 241 which he drew in 2009. No secrets in nevada they list both successful and non-success names.

As far as private raffles for profit. Why not support the non-profit and state wildlife raffles at least that way your money is going to help wildlife not some personal gain.
 
i bet if anyone of you guys won the stone sheep hunt you would shut the hell up. Great magazine and they have helped me. we give montana $755 for sheep in unit 680 so whats 50 bucks. one things for sure you won't win if you aren't in the draw. don't buy so i can kill me a sheep!!
 
Bonejunkie, I'm just enough of a conspiracy theorist to have that same thought cross my mind!! Its kind of funny to think that this is all an elaborate ruse to divert all kinds of attention away from the units they want to draw!! It really has crossed my mind.
 
I've been a subscriber for many years. The number one benefit to me is talking with other members about tags I have drawn in new areas. Just like any other person that is willing to share information, you get some bad, but my experience has been very positive overall. After 15 minutes on the phone, I know what I'm dealing with and just filter out the lame. I have also shared my info with other hunters and I don't hold back. The magazine is worth the $100. I like stories from average Joe hunters like me. Articles from guys that win auctions or pay for hunts I can't afford are only slightly entertaining. The people in the office have always been very helpful and given me straight answers. A lot of people think the Carters are making a killing, but if you consider the costs of their operation, production, publishing, payroll, facilities, etc, I bet they make a lot less than you think. A friend of mine guided Garth on a brown bear hunt in Alaska and said it was a very positive experience that he wished he could claim about all of his clients. By the way, my math says 3200 tickets / 16 hunts is 200 to 1. I don't buy raffle tickets from them. I'd rather build points in another state to draw a tag. Hell, if I did win a hunt, I probably couldn't afford the transportation costs!
 
Just for the nay sayers, you can go to the Nevada draw listings and SEE FOR YOURSELF exactly what hunts the Carters applied for. Cross check them with the hunts they tell us to apply for and you'll see they are spot on.
 
Really?

Garth drew area 115 for antelope.

Area 115 is not listed in the 7 rifle units or the 5 archery units they recommend.

Please explain if I am missing something.
 
I always hated the fact that NV posts your name with either your first unsuccessful choices or what you drew. Selling lists to whoever pays is bad enough, but free to see names on the internes? Why can't they keep it private log in?
 
I am a former subscriber to the Huntin Fool. I no longer subscribe due to all of the coverage that is given to these expensive sheep hunts that the average person will never in thier life be able to take part in. Also if they aren't making a profit with the business then I am not sure how a person books a 30 day sheep hunt as was done earlier this year. Usually the deer hunts list only the zones that will produce the biggest bucks. I am a much bigger fan of the way that Eastman's will rate the entire state not just a select few zones. Just my 2 cents.
 

Click-a-Pic ... Details & Bigger Photos
Back
Top Bottom