How many years?

[muzzhunter]

How long would it take a non-resident to draw a decent tag for deer, elk, and lope? I would guess the deer would be the quickest? By decent I mean a unit with good numbers of animals and a good chance at a mature buck or bull, not record book, but a 4x4 muley or a 6x6 bull or a 14 inch goat.
Thanks,
Dave

 

[vitalzone]

the rest of your life!!

 

[chase]

deer, elk, and antelope......long, longer, and longest......$$, $$$$, and $$$$$$$
good luck!

 

[chase]

.....or you could draw the first year

 

[CAelknuts]

If all you want for a pronghorn is a 14" buck, I would not waste my time applying in Arizona as a non-resident. I have 18 points going into next years draw, and my son will have 15 points, and we're sure not going to shoot 14" bucks after waiting all those years to draw.

You can draw good elk tags in just a few years, or even your first year especially if you apply for a late rifle tag. Deer, good tags you can get every year if you're not too picky about hunting early.

 

[TAGATTRACTER]

You would have a shot at good Deer and Elk tags in just a few years if you stay away from the famous units.

Antelope, not much chance. It took me 35 years to draw Antelope as a resident.

 

[OutdoorWriter]

LAST EDITED ON Feb-25-10 AT 08:03AM (MST)[p]Your mileage will vary. ;-)

It's probable you will go years without drawing an antelope tag, but deer and elk are very doable if, as someone else suggested, you stay away from the premium, much sought after hunts. And any unit in AZ is capable of yielding a decent representative head if you do your homework with good research of the unit.

That said, if all you want are respectable trophies, you should consider hunting elsewhere. A 14" antelope should be no problem on public land in WY & MT, but my choice would be NM where landowner tags are easy to come by. As for deer and elk, I would look to CO or a couple of the other states, as well.

Now, it's also possible -- but not too likely -- that you might draw an AZ permit for any of the species within a a year or two. The bonus point system is set up to work just that way; while those with the most points enjoy the best odds, stuff happens where someone with no or few points gets drawn.

Several years ago, my friend Tom Gresham of Gun Talk left AK and moved to AZ to edit magazines for Wolfe Publishing in Prescott. As soon as he became a legal resident, he applied for a desert bighorn permit with NO Bonus points. He drew it and tagged a ram.

And every year, I write articles about NR hunters who tag trophy critters after being drawn with few BPs for the premium elk rut hunts or the high profile deer hunts north of the river.

Obviously, miracles do happen.


TONY MANDILE

How To Hunt Coues Deer

 

[Elmacho]

TAGATTRACTOR- may wann change names if it took ya 35 yrs to draw that.....givin ya a hard time....

35 yrs....ouch

 

[TAGATTRACTER]

ElMacho, That name came the year I joined MM. In 2008 I drew Antelope unit 10, Archery Elk and A 13B Strip Deer Tag...... Thus Tagattracter.

 

[sirroyal]

I always believe in a paradox, But then try to back it up with facts. You can draw in 3 to 6 years for bull elk and mule deer, Antelope? Try archery to increase odds. Get the permanent bonus point which is easy now online. Then one field day.

 

[ruthunter]

I have 11 bonus this year for antelope and i have put in for archery only and still playing the waiting game maybe this will be the year..

 

[AZBuckSnort]

Tony,

Out of curiosity, approximately how many articles do you believe you've written in the past 4 years or so about NR hunters who have drawn Arizona hunts with a rifle for GMU's 12AW Late, 12B Late, 13A, & 13B with few (say 3 or less) bonus points? Can NR (true NR applicants-not those who are NR but have a lifetime AZ hunting license)applicants really draw those specific permits without max or near max bonus points?

Regards,
Jim