LUCKY DRAW STORIES

[huntinguy]

Been looking at draw odds this past week for Utah and some other states. Wondered how many times people draw premium or limited units with little or now points.
Anybody ever drawn an incredible hunt or known anybody that has with little or no points? Let's here these incredible stories.

 

[critterstalker]

A buddy of mine went through hunter safety in Feb. of 09 never hunted anything in his life doesn't even own a gun.He got talked into putting in for a Desert sheep tag here in Idaho and drew! Then tries to scout but can't even get close to where the sheep do to the private land and the new wilderness designation in the Owyhee's.Anyways another friend gets him permission to cross a ranch the day before the opener they hiked over to the canyon and find 13 rams.The next day they go back find them again. They put the sneak on and can't find the rams once they get to the other side finally his luck ran out now he has to hunt like the rest of us.Wrong they stumble on three different rams and wind up shooting a 155-160 ram. The end

 

[ktg]

I had a friend in high school, back when you had to be 16 to hunt big game in Utah, who drew for both moose and bison (you could apply for both back then too) the year we turned 16.
I drew for bison the first year I applied and my wife drew a Pauns late muzzleloader tag the first year she applied. Our luck has been pretty poor since then.

 

[marley]

Most regulars on here already know this but I drew a Henry's rifle tag with 1 pt. this last season. My friend drew a really good moose tag in WY this year with 4 pts. And my other friend drew an ID bighorn tag his first time applying for it. I like these kind of stories, they always give me a little hope going into the draw. Hope my son can have a little luck..... He will need it.

 

[tyef350]

A guy i work with drew out on a moose tag first year putting in. About 3 years ago

 

[MaineFlatlander]

In 2003 I drew a CO sheep tag, MT sheep Tag, and a MT moose tag. That was a good year.

 

[PleaseDear]

I can not recall the last time I drew a tag in any surrounding Rocky Mountain state with more than 5 points.

I'm sure that streak will change as I do have a few states/species that I am in the double digit with points.

Robb

 

[littlebighorn]

A great guy named Bruce E...... drew a lottery Dall sheep tag at the 2008 FNAWS banquet. Then at the 2009 banquet they asked him to come up and draw out that year's winner. In front of 500 people attending, he drew out his own name!
But the real amazing thing was, he said, "it is just not fair for me to draw two years in a row", so he drew another ticket. This time with my name on it.
So, essentially, he gave me his Dall Sheep hunt!
Pretty amazing story and even more amazing guy!

 

[MNHunter]

I drew a MN Moose tag in the hardest to draw unit my first year applying. I drew a WSMR Oryx tag the 2nd year I put in. That is the extent of my drawing success in 7 years of applying. At least I have a pile of points out West

"Whatever you are, be a good one."
- Abraham Lincoln

 

[wymoose]

I have a buddy who drew the Manti late elk this year with 0 points, and another one who has pulled 2 manti tags (early and late) at the expo in 3 years of trying. One of my Father's colleagues drew Wyoming Mtn. Goat his first year applying.

I am still twaiting to get so lucky.

WYmoose
highvalleydesign.com

 

[buglinbilly]

I've had some really good luck on some species and some really bad luck on others.

Utah has treated me pretty darn good. I drew a Henry's buffalo tag in 1981, a Rocky Bighorn tag in 1993 with no points, and a desert bighorn tag in 2004 with max points.

Wyoming treated me very good for elk for many years, but I haven't been able to draw an elk tag there since 1996. On the other hand, I have had 5 Wyoming moose tags through the years, the last being in 2007 when I drew a random tag with 3 points. I've also done pretty well through the years on Wyoming antelope tags.

The funny thing is the year I drew my Rocky tag, it had the worst odds of any Utah tag in that year. In those years you could apply for all species but only draw one. I also applied for an antelope tag in a unit that gave 4 archery tags and had only 7 applicants. That hunt was drawn before my sheep hunt. So I missed on a hunt with better than 50/50 odds and drew my Rocky tag. Had I drawn my antelope tag, I would not have received my first sheep tag, nor would I have been able to maintain max points on my desert sheep as right after that year they limited a person to just one OIL and one LE application.

So all in all I have been pretty luck.

Have a good one. BB

 

[HuntAddiction]

I beat 1 in 4500 odds to draw the Rocky tag on Rattlesnake the first year they had the expo. Must have been a massive computer malfunction because I had never drawn a LE tag in Utah in 19 years of applying.

 

[eelgrass]

I once drew a California pronghorn tag in just 14 short years.

Eel

 

[AKHUNTINFOOL]

One year in New Mexico I drew two once in a lifetime tags and a good elk tag. I was checking the draw results and I clicked on the rocky mountain bighorn sheep and it came back successful. I knew that couldn't be true so I checked on the oryx, and it came back successful. Now I was really thinking the website was messed up. Then I checked on the premium elk tag and it also came back successful. I called the fish and game to see when the site would be fixed and the guy asked if I could hold while he checked my unusual results. That turned out to be one of the best days of my life when the fish and game confirmed how lucky I was!!!! Wish I could go back now and put in for the desert bighorn instead of the rocky since it is even harder to draw.

 

[STEELSTUD]

About two years ago, I told my wife I was going to give up hunting with my rifle & only use my camera.
Since then,I have drawn the hardest antelope tag in Arizona, a Desert Big Horn Sheep tag, a Kiabab dear tag and a House Rock Buffalo tag!

Sorry honey

 

[grizzly]

My wife had max points for a NR deer tag and was the only Unsuccessful applicant, then the same year drew a great late-season deer tag in another state.

Her odds of missing the all-but-guaranteed tag, then pulling the trophy tag were less than 1:50,000.

I drew Crawford Muzzleloader Deer the year I turned 16 with 0 points.

I haven't drawn a tag since.

Grizzly

 

[HorseCreek]

I drew Monroe elk with 7 points in 07...I feel really lucky.
Traditional only >>>------->

 

[YELUM]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-14-10 AT 04:06PM (MST)[p]In 2000 I drew the Deloras Triangle with 1 point.

This year I drew a CWMU tag as an alternate, when I just wanted to earn a point. I did have 7 points though.

My wife drew amoose tag with 2 points. My neighbors daughter in law drew a Henries rifle this year with 1 point

Yelum

 

[sageadvice]

I'm gonna have to take a raincheck here fellas and maybe report of my good fortune next year.

I do like hearing of others success though. They keep a guys hopes up that, just maybe...

Joey

 

[36moose]

i agree you guys give me hope. i play the points game in alot of states and am still waiting on the ( check draw results and tip over chair moment).

 

[cbeard]

I drew the only random tag for moose in Wyoming Area 1 in 2005. Still can't believe my good luck!

 

[Bullelk1]

I drew an Idaho mountain goat tag on my second try, a late buck hunt (with 10 tags) my second try, and a moose on my first try. Yes, I have been lucky. If only I could land a bighorn tag.....

 

[isayNUNYA]

Arizona unit 10 early rifle elk. 0 points 2004

 

[woodruffhunter]

1988 I drew a Utah LE elk (one of the hardest draws at the time)
Dad has drawn 3 Utah LE elk tags since 98 (One was an expo tag).
Wife drew a Utah LE elk this year with 2 points
I drew a cow expo bison a few years ago
I drew an oryx this year on the 1st try
I drew an ATV at a banquet a few years ago
We have been lucky!

 

[Chesterwyo]

I have had pretty good luck here in wyoming since 2003 I have drawn area 30,31 and 32 for elk. Drew area 102 for deer 2 years in a row. A 2nd choice bull moose tag. And a bison tag. Add in the good antelope tags I've pulled in that time frame and I'd say I've done OK.

 

[Silentstalker]

My family and I have been very fortunate to draw a few tags.

I have drawn 3 archery elk tags (1 expo) since 2004, 1 archery antelope tag, 1 archery Book cliffs deer tag and 1 archery bear tag.

My Dad has drawn archery elk, and archery book cliffs deer twice (1 expo).

My brother has drawn 1 LE rifle elk expo tag, 1 Dedicated hunter paunsagunt archery deer tag, Ogden moose with 0 points, and could draw LE elk and bear this year if he chooses to.

Hopefully the luck will continue for my son and friends! Good luck to you all. A great friend of mine always says "you gotta believe!"

 

[piper]

I remember applying for an elk tag once when there were 12 tags available and 13 applicants, guess who didn't draw out.

 

[Lucky340]

I drew my LE fish lake bull elk tag with zero points in 07. My first time ever putting in for anything at all. Hence the name lucky 340. Turned out to be a great hunt. We were forced to camp out on the mountain with no more water. We still had three more miles to the truck, not fun at the time but turned out to be great memories. I'm an addict of hunting now because of it.

 

[BIGOLMULEY]

I have drawn many tags, but my luckiest was drawing an AZ strip tag with 0 points. Will never happen again the way they do the draw there now.

 

[flyingbrass]

Stone Sheep in British Columbia the first time I put in for a stone, odds were 1:1000
flyingbrass
cold dead hands
NRA Life Member

 

[Aaron84]

I have yet to draw a le tag in utah. Well I did draw a pinevalley lion tag with two points and it turned out to be a unsuccsessful hunt fun, but ate tag soup and spent a lot of money I didnt have.

 

[dieseldog]

San Juan Early with 6 points. Kinda lucky