Out of state application strategy /approach

Jgill19

Active Member
Messages
357
Hey all,

I have been packing rifle/bow since I was 12, 34 now, and was taggin along with Dad on hunts when I was nine. Grew up on wild game and in the woods chasin critters. Over the last 22 years of hunting this sport and opportunity for food has really became an obsession that seems to basically consume all thoughts and influence all decisions. Ive gotten over filling tags (kinda) and am willing to pass Deer in hopes of finding a real respectable animal. Haven't mastered passing elk yet, they eat to good. Anyways I have found myself in a spot financially that has allowed me to start doing some out of state hunting. I have been hunting my home state Oregon, Idaho and last year went to Wyoming for an antelope hunt. I've been building points in Wyoming and have four points for deer, elk, antelope. I am basically wanting to start building points in a few states (not sure how many or what is reasonable) in order to hopefully have a opportunity to go on a real good hunt every other year or so. I'm wondering how you guys decided what states, or what animals in what states, or do you just kinda pick and go. Anyways wanted to get some of your guy's thoughts on which states or why, or what you weighed into your decision when determining which states and animals that you wanted to put in for. I've been reading through the forums and have been a member for a while but havent posted much. Anyways, any questions that will help or advice is appreciated. Seems daunting when your first getting started.

Thanks,

Jgill 19 in Oregon
 
Building points is kinda like financial planning. Those who started years ago have huge opportunities throughout the west. The unfortunate thing about the states point system for non-res is that it's kinda like a Ponzi scheme where it will collapse on itself eventually. Most species guys will never draw in certain states. The lower point units will get harder to draw every year.

I'm not saying you can't put a plan together but I'm kinda saying it a little late to start In some states. Arizona for a coveted strip tag is out of the question. You can draw hunts with a few points but they are general type hunts at best. Colorado is probably the best option in just getting a tag every year or biannually. However, you are sharing the mountain with well everyone!!

Utah for building points as a non-res is fruitless.....

Nevada, well elk out of question, early archery deer yeah, antelope maybe but I'd just hunt Wyoming for them.

Idaho/NM are lottery draws, Montana is expensive but has opportunities.

I have over 100 points combined in all states and it's expensive each year to keep up on it but all this hunting stuff consumes me and most all my decisions too.

I'd recommend picking one maybe 2 states and a couple species to build and apply for. Anything outside that I don't think is a very good financial decision. Save up the other funds and use them to travel on these hunts. An out of state hunt can range from $1,000-$2,000 with the cost of a tag/license, gas, food, lodging. That's hard to spend on multiple hunts across the west.

Just my 2 cents
 
Broomer,

This is the type of insight I was looking for. My rough draft plan is continue hunting/building points in Wymoing, hunting Oreogn as a resident, put in for tags and hunt over the counter in Idaho. Sounds like New Mexico might be worth some shots in the dark when I'm feeling lucky. I would like at least one more state to build points. My original thought was Colorado, sounds like that might be best bet. Just want to try and get the best bang for the buck and get as many quality tags as I can before the sun set's, you know. The picture your painting, and I believe it to be true is a bleak future on the horizon, sounds like a guy would need to take up fishing... lol
 
>Building points is kinda like financial
>planning. Those who started years
>ago have huge opportunities throughout
>the west. The unfortunate thing
>about the states point system
>for non-res is that it's
>kinda like a Ponzi scheme
>where it will collapse on
>itself eventually. Most species guys
>will never draw in certain
>states. The lower point units
>will get harder to draw
>every year.
>
>I'm not saying you can't put
>a plan together but I'm
>kinda saying it a little
>late to start In some
>states. Arizona for a coveted
>strip tag is out of
>the question. You can draw
>hunts with a few points
>but they are general type
>hunts at best. Colorado is
>probably the best option in
>just getting a tag every
>year or biannually. However, you
>are sharing the mountain with
>well everyone!!
>
>Utah for building points as a
>non-res is fruitless.....
>
>Nevada, well elk out of question,
>early archery deer yeah, antelope
>maybe but I'd just hunt
>Wyoming for them.
>
>Idaho/NM are lottery draws, Montana is
>expensive but has opportunities.
>
>I have over 100 points combined
>in all states and it's
>expensive each year to keep
>up on it but all
>this hunting stuff consumes me
>and most all my decisions
>too.
>
>I'd recommend picking one maybe 2
>states and a couple species
>to build and apply for.
>Anything outside that I don't
>think is a very good
>financial decision. Save up the
>other funds and use them
>to travel on these hunts.
>An out of state hunt
>can range from $1,000-$2,000 with
>the cost of a tag/license,
>gas, food, lodging. That's hard
>to spend on multiple hunts
>across the west.
>
>Just my 2 cents


This is solid advice. U am building points in 2 states and try to alternate between them. You have options with your start in WY. PM me and I can offer my .02 in a more detailed way.
 
I have to say, broomer is right...but...

Utah is not out of the question. He may only have a 1 or 2 percent chance, but its still a chance. I buy raffle tickets (about 200 bucks a year) which is not as good of odds. 200 covers 3 years maybe 4 of utah on 3 species' apps.

Same for Nevada. Odds are slim but I put in for 7 states and it costs me about 700 or so. There is a bunch of 1 to 5 percent chances in there.

Idaho is random so you have as good a chance as anyone there.
 
I am in most states, however if I were to put in now, I would put in for:
1. Arizona. You will get an elk tag eventually. There are good coues hunts if you don't want to wait for a strip tag muley dream. Sheep may also be a dream but you never know. Great antelope hunting but will take a good streak of luck to draw one.
2. Nevada. I think that this might be the best state for points out there as the deer hunting is great, elk hunting (if you draw) is awesome, you will eventually draw an antelope tag, and sheep tags are a slim possibility.
3. Colorado. Deer only and find a unit you can draw every few years. I wouldn't even bother with elk points. Antelope possibly.
4. Wyoming. I wouldn't build/accrue too many points for elk. I'd buy a general tag every 2/3 years with my points. Deer, draw every 4-7 years. Antelope every 3-5 years. Wouldn't put in for anything else (not OIL tag).
5. Montana. Possibly get in there with a few elk points so I can draw a breaks elk tag archery. Maybe a bighorn ewe tag (points) if you have the sheep bug.
6. Utah. If I had extra money only as the odds are mostly bad for everything in this state.

Hope this helps.
 
This has been very helpful guy's. I appreciate the input. Soccerdude, once I do a littlemore looking and get some info together, I will be sending you a pm. Thanks again, gives me more to chew on.
 
That's a great question with today?s hunting and the fact that my older daughter would like to build points in other states also. To draw a premium tag these days isn't easy. I am sitting on 25 points in a couple of states and it still isn't easy, I hope to draw these two states within 5 years. Just make sure what ever you put in for you really do have a chance to draw, with a lot of hunt units taking 1 or 2 non residents a year with max points it's not hard to understand. I've convinced a couple of my friends with low points to save there money on applying in every state and try to book a qaulity hunt with garunteed tags every two or three years. I remember in Colorado when they started preference points and was there for the first points, it was started so we could draw the best units every couple of years. It worked for the first couple of years and you can see where it is today. Then to have max points in Montana on Sheep, Moose and Goats and have the state change the way we apply and make it so you don't have to send in the fees, it floods the market , my chances for sheep are now.o1 percent chance to hunt. Like another member mentioned, this is like financial planning, be in it for the long haul and you will draw tags.
 
Hawkbill,

If a person rotates the Deer, Elk and Antelope, I think you could be trying to draw units that are gonna fall in the 5-8 point range in their respective states. I'm not sure I have the patience to wait out the highly coveted tags, although the pictures make it appealing. Want to try and hunt every other year, hopefully every year.
 
For non res I tell people best bang for your buck is Wyoming and Colorado. Colorado is getting a little more expensive this year though. Idaho is good if you plan on always doing something OTC if you dont draw. UT, AZ, and NV are a little on the spendy side. Pick one you want and focus on it. 10 years down the road you will have more options. I have been playing UT, WY, CO, AZ, MT and NV for almost 20 years now. I added it up and I have 355 points across those states. Many tags will still be out of reach in my lifetime and I was in pretty early on most systems. The good thing is the more points you have the more hunting options you have. I always try for some of the best tags, but add in some middle level hunts that I have a good chance of drawing. I still always have one or two OTC tags in my pocket. My most enjoyable hunts have come from areas that only took a few points to draw. The more points you have invested sometimes, the harder it is to sit back and enjoy the ride after you draw.

Now after all that

Best opportunity with few or no points mule deer would be CO then probably ID. I do UT deer, but I am a resident and it is easier. Best opportunity for elk is WY, then probably CO. AZ has some good stuff after you get a few points too.

The OIL species are hard to get no matter how many points you have.
 
All right, after doing some digging, here is a revised rough draft of possible strategy. New Mexico, unless you draw is cheap, as the only part not refundable is the app fees ($13 a species). Idaho is $200 (Antelope/Elk/Deer) completely non refundable, but would probably be hunting there anyways. Colorado, unless you draw is $84 to apply for Deer and Elk as well as build points. Nevada is $187 to build points for Deer and Elk, again unless you draw. Wyoming with $169 your building points for Antelope, Deer, Elk.

I can be building points for Deer and Elk (antelope in WY) in WY,CO,NV (added antelops here), taking pot shots at ID and NM. Unless im missing something I can do all this for $679 (was $666 w/o the antelope in NV lol) out of pocket, assuming again that I don't draw any tags. Now the recipe for disaster (or hard conversation with the wife) would be if for some out of the blue reason I pulled Elk tags in say New Mexico and Idaho and then hit a different very hard to draw tag that i was not counting on in another state. Financially I could handle it, it would more be time away from work, and the wife. In all honesty I would try to drag her along probably... Either way it's a problem i'd love to have to navigate. Anybody see anything they would do differently, or sub Montana possibly for one of these states? Again this a is a Rough draft and the input is greatly appreciated. Pm's welcome if youd rather not broadcast on the Al Gores World Wide Web!!

Jgill19 in Oregon
 
I try to be careful to not overlap the seasons, if I were to draw two at once. This especially true for OIL tags.

This year I was unable to go to Kansas for my early muzzy hunt because I was in AZ the entire time helping my buddy get his archery elk.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-07-19 AT 06:52PM (MST)[p]I wish I knew about the points game 20 years ago. But, I didn't. I was always waiting on friends who always wanted to go, but never came through. I finally said what the heck and started applying for points by myself.

For me, I'd rather hunt than wait on the 20+ point OIL tags. FWIW, I have points in Iowa for whitetail, mule deer and elk in AZ, and deer in WY.

Keep in mind many states allow you to build points and hunt a second choice or OTC tag.

Anyway, pick a few states and don't overthink it.

Seems like there is some good advice on here.
 
Beware, NM holds the entire price. That was hard gov explain to the accountant why I had $1500 tied up in NM on the company card.



From the party of HUNTIN, FISHIN, PUBLIC LAND.
 
>Yer Colorado # is a little
>light.
>
>
>#livelikezac

Ive got a small game license for $56+$10 for a habitat tag, then $9 app per species. Unless you draw the tag. What am i missing, again part of the reason im throwing it out here, reading through all the website stuff can be a bit confusing at times.
 
>>Yer Colorado # is a little
>>light.
>>
>>
>>#livelikezac
>
>Ive got a small game license
>for $56+$10 for a habitat
>tag, then $9 app per
>species. Unless you draw
>the tag. What am
>i missing, again part of
>the reason im throwing it
>out here, reading through all
>the website stuff can be
>a bit confusing at times.
>

Small game went to $80. Plus theres a couple dollar S&R/wildlife ed fee.

#livelikezac
 
In today's NR tag situation it is all about statistics. You may only have a 1 or 2 percent chance to draw an individual tag, but by putting in say for 20 tags across the West with those odds...your odds greatly improve. Add in all the raffles or super tags or banquet drawing opportunities and you'll start to draw some tags. Now a days its all about more chances in the kitty equals more tags eventually. The downside is that its not cheap doing it...good luck.
 

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