WA Raffle or Permit Elk

WAmuleyHunter · Dec 28, 2005

Hey guys just curious about some of the WA elk hunts. We always hear about the late deer permits or the auction and raffle deer but what about the Elk. I was just thinking about the raffle elk or those late malaga or peshastin hunts. There must have been some nice ones taken. Just curious if anyone on here had one of those tags or knows of any.

Garrett

Craig · Dec 28, 2005

I have never had a raffle elk tag but I drew a late Peshastin elk permit a couple years ago. Had to be the hardest hunt I have ever been on. I did have a lot of fun.

low elk numbers, The elk move quite a bit, a lot of private property, the elk are hunted from Aug through Jan, half the roads only get plowed(sp?) to the last house so it's long walks in some deep snow or a snowmobile.

I started looking the area over in late Aug just to see what I was looking at and the unit is Steep up and down. I scouted 10-15 days and hunted about 8-10 days and never seen a elk.

I got some information on were the elk were and made a long walk through knee high snow to the top of a ridgeline and by the time I got there the elk were leaving the area and seen two bulls. The first elk the whole time. I went up the next day and i found a herd of elk. I watched them for about 20 minutes and I could not see the big bulls and ended up shooting a small 5X6. after the shot about 10 bulls that were on the other side of the hill came out of the trees. This was my first bull so I was happy.

I had a lot of help from people and without that help I'm not sure I would have ever found the elk.

view of the area from the top

seen more nice bucks then elk

my 5X6

the herd after i shot. The bulls coming out from the trees down low.

in the truck

YukonDall · Dec 28, 2005

MAN, YOU REALLY WORKED HARD FOR THAT BULL/ NICE JOB. MUST BE A FIREMAN, I WAS FOR 30 YRS/RETIRED FOR TWO. YD.

ramslam · Dec 28, 2005

I have not heard about the raffle hunter. The auction hunter had not hunted yet as of a week ago. I do believe, however, he was planning on hunting this week.

slider · Dec 28, 2005

Beautiful Country!!! Right out my back door!!!

ridgerunner · Dec 28, 2005

I'm surprised we don't hear more about these elk tags. Would be nice for a change. I promise all of you if I draw next year you'll hear about my hunt, lol.

northwesthunter · Dec 28, 2005

While we are on the topic of premium elk units what is the opinion on the best units to put in for with a reasonable chance to draw. I ask because a buddy of mine is going to get 15 points for turning in a poacher and he wants to put in with me ( 7 points) for a draw. We bow hunt and live on the west side but want to pick a unit that has trophy potential worthy of the points we will have . Tks nwhunter

Mule_Deer_Crazy · Dec 29, 2005

NWH,

Unfortunately the really cool hunts are still a long shot with 11 points (half of 15+7). And you have to eat an eastside elk tag to do it, so then you're stuck trying to archery hunt spikes for the most part.

NoBark · Dec 29, 2005

while we are talking points here, What is the highest point total possible (excluding gimme points from the dfw) for someone who has been saving up? I was thinking about 9 was about the highest.

Why would 11 pts be a long shot? Are there many with more? I understand how they work and know that there is no guarentees, but 11 points is a good place to be in my book.

Also, wouldn't it be nice if we had the stats that gave us the REAL odds of drawing? You can't tell anything other than how many other hunters are trying for an area. I'd like to see how many total chances there are in each drawing. Of course, that would be depressing seeing those huge numbers but at least you'd have a real idea of your chances.

Mule_Deer_Crazy · Dec 30, 2005

You're right, max points is somewhere around 9, but take an eastside unit that only has just a few tags for example. Even if you have 11 points (squared) it just puts you in the draw more times, it's not like "X" percent of the tags go to the highest point holders.

Lump that in with the fact that ridgerunner can draw his fifth choice before someone else draws the same unit on their first choice (all elk hunters are drawing against each other from the same pot, not just for that one hunt - that's what allows one guy to draw their fifth choice over someone elses first choice). The few units I really researched had nearly 1:200 chance of draw to begin with.

Don't get me wrong - 11 points would be great and some poor guy is gonna get a tag, but even with those extra chances in the pot I bet your chances are still at least 1:150 on drawing one of those tags! And those aren't very good odds if you don't want a eastside spike tag when it's all over.

Bob D. · Dec 30, 2005

If I remember correctly, the point system started in 1996, so maximum points right now should be 10. Not sure how a guy would have 11???

Bob D. · Dec 30, 2005

No Bark, I think calculating the draw odds would be just about impossible because of the way the drawing is done. For one thing you'd have to know how many points each applicant for each particular permit had. How many choices they listed and in what order would also have an influence. Just way too many variables.

wamuledeer · Dec 30, 2005

Bob D,
He is saying 11 points because when you go partners with someone on a hunt, I believe they average the points between the hunters. So if the guy had 15 points for turning in a poacher and his buddy had 7, then they would average 11 between them

NoBark · Dec 30, 2005

Ya'll are right about the complexities of getting a true read on one's chances. While it may seem like I'm complaining, I actually prefer our system to Colorado's. I like the fact that even someone with no points still has a chance. I think states like Utah that split the pot and give half the tags to guys with most points and then randomly select the other half is a pretty fair system too.

Well I have 6 pts and that will give me 37 numbers come this draw but that doesn't look so good compaired with someone with 11 points. That's 123 numbers. 4 times my 37...8^(

Bob, In the original post he mentioned his buddy turned in a poacher and is supposed to get 15 points. I thought the reward was 10 points for that but hey, at least there is one less poacher taking our game.

ramslam · Dec 30, 2005

He probably already had 5 points.

Buckblaster · Dec 31, 2005

I drew the Peshastin "any elk" permit during the 3rd week of Sept 2004 during the elk rut. It was a tough hunt for me as well since the place had been hunted hard for a month before I got there. Even when the bulls should have been bugling, I had a tough time locating them because they weren't talking. Then one night after dark, one crossed the road into the unit just bugling his heart out. I went after him the next day and ended up taking him just before dark about a mile below the road where I was parked. Without a chance to size him up, I shot him at my first chance and it turned out too be a 7x7 that grossed 345. I just got lucky, but hey, that's part of hunting.