G3- Goodale-?????

Wiszard · Apr 24, 2016

I saw in the booklet today that there are 530'ish max point holders that put in for the Goodale hunt last year. At 35 tags allotted a year, I'm sure I'll draw within the next 20 years, eh? Can't wait!!

Seriously, I'm thinking about burning my points and hunting an X zone up near Tahoe. Thoughts?

Cancer doesn't discriminate...don't take your good health for granted because it can be gone in a heartbeat. Please go back and read the last line. This time really understand what it says.

YBO · Apr 24, 2016

Absolutely burn your points elsewhere. Goodale s so overrated. Sure, you're going to see a ton of bucks but, finding one over 170"s is difficult. I hunted there two years ago and saw only one halfazz buck. It was a 9x4 that had wall appeal but not score. It was 25"s wide and dimfrautic looking. Great conversation piece. Long story short the buck ended up being a winter kill and we found the deadhead a year later about a mile from where I hunted him. Ironically, a local informed us that he had seen that buck about 10 miles north of the northern boundary about 2 weeks before the December hunt. Crazy. Yep, X2 has way better bucks. Good luck.

oilcan · Apr 24, 2016

A few years ago I burned my max points on X5-B no regrets in fact I have drawn another X zone tag since then.

ElmerFudd · Apr 25, 2016

It looks like a 17 year stack of max point people who actually applied for G3 this year. I'm not sure how points only fence sitters and attrition wil affect the wait. It looks like maybe a 3-4 year stack in the next toughest bunch of hunts to draw. Maybe hold out for one of them? No way is Goodale worth the wait if you depend on CA X zones to hunt, but if you have a full plate of nonresident deer hunting or are happy with A, B or D hunting, maybe. Another thing for max points applicants to consider is being able to swoop in on a new hunt sometime in the future if they ever offer one....

Wiszard · Apr 25, 2016

I don't think I'll be waiting to draw the G3 tag. I am hoping to be heading to Colorado this year so I'm not sure if burning the Cali points is something I'll do this year. Although, I know we'll be heading to Wyoming next year mid October so I know I won't be heading up to one of the X zones because of the date proximity. I may need to burn them this year....

Cancer doesn't discriminate...don't take your good health for granted because it can be gone in a heartbeat. Please go back and read the last line. This time really understand what it says.

BradA · Apr 25, 2016

>Absolutely burn your points elsewhere. Goodale
>s so overrated. Sure,
>you're going to see a
>ton of bucks but, finding
>one over 170"s is difficult.
>I hunted there two years
>ago and saw only one
>halfazz buck. It was a
>9x4 that had wall appeal
>but not score. It was
>25"s wide and dimfrautic looking.
>Great conversation piece. Long story
>short the buck ended up
>being a winter kill and
>we found the deadhead a
>year later about a mile
> from where I hunted
>him. Ironically, a local
>informed us that he had
>seen that buck about 10
>miles north of the northern
>boundary about 2 weeks before
>the December hunt. Crazy. Yep,
>X2 has way better bucks.
>Good luck.

agreed

ElmerFudd · Apr 25, 2016

Well then, that makes it easy. Unless desert bighorn are on your must have bucket list and you will be applying in CA anyway.... Burn your deer points on a unit you can get for sure this year.

highsierra · Dec 5, 2023

So....I guess you changed your mind in 2023! Hope you are having a great hunt experience!

LIK2HNT · Dec 5, 2023

highsierra said:
So....I guess you changed your mind in 2023! Hope you are having a great hunt experience!

Really hard to decide what unit to try to draw and hunt with max points. Your G3 buck will most likely be the best killed on that hunt this year. The giant bucks from the 70’s and 80’s are no longer found out there.

highsierra · Dec 6, 2023

The giant bucks of the past are gone for most zones across the west…. Goodale is no different. I still maintain that you have just as good a chance to find a trophy class animal in Goodale as you do any other unit in this state…. If you’re willing to work for it. The fact that this unit is in such spectacular country, where my family has deep, deep roots is what has always tipped the scales for me. I’ve never wavered by putting in for any other zones as my "first choice"… Wouldn’t wanna kill a trophy class animal in California anywhere else.