Desert big horn application thoughts.

mevertsen · Feb 16, 2012

Ok, I have a quick question, and I see some what of a "debate" on it here every once in a while.

I currently have 7 points for Desert big horn here in NV (6 for mt goat, and 2 for Cali and Rocky). I want to hunt sheep and be able to get a shot at it again before I get too old.

I have applied the last couple years for an area that produces smaller sheep. They are part of the original "mini" sheep here. I have been in the area, and seen some sheep, though no mature rams yet. I like the area, and think I could be successful hunting it.

The bonus point information came out, and compared to the last few years, the average is right about 10 to 1 draw odds compared to 35 to 1 for the state average. The average size of the sheep for this area is about 140 ish.

What would you do - apply for the area with better draw odds (I know I could end up not drawing as well), and LIKELY be able to hunt sheep in the next 5 years or so, and be able to apply again before getting too old, but have a chance at mature sheep that will top out at around 150. Or apply to the areas that have been known to prodcue top end rams of 170+?

I am only 28, but I do have health issues that may affect my hunting in the future (age 50+). I will keep applying for goat, and the other big horns for the odd shot that I actually do draw, but desert is the one which I obviously have the best shot at.

Thanks,

Marcial

BigPig · Feb 17, 2012

Go hunt sheep! Score be damned! The experience of hunting sheep far outweighs the number of inches at the end.

Zeke · Feb 17, 2012

>Go hunt sheep! Score be
>damned! The experience of
>hunting sheep far outweighs the
>number of inches at the
>end.

Exactly the correct way to look at sheep hunting!
Draw, hunt, shoot an old ram, be happy!

Zeke

littlebighorn · Feb 17, 2012

The way Nevada's preference points work, you could theoretically never draw any unit, regardless of how many points you have. So I am with BP and Zeke! Take the best odds you can, especially if you are familiar with the unit and try to draw that tag.
It is quite likely you will draw sometime soon with those odds, but you never know. I know a Vegas resident that has as many points as you can possibly have in Nevada, and he has still never drawn in Nevada, yet others have drawn multiple tags.
You just never know---good luck!

treedagain · Feb 17, 2012

for what it is worth i had one less than max here in UT which put me in a position to TRY to draw one of the better units in the state, i could have been guaranteed to draw one in 5 or 6 yrs...i chose to DRAW a "lesser" area last yr.....you never know with sheep....I say put in to draw and go HUNT a mature ram and be VERY proud to have had the chance

PleaseDear · Feb 17, 2012

What might be considered a small Ram in one state could very easily be consider a dang good Ram in another state.

Where you are appling at ressy fee'$$ and have the luxury of being able to hunt/draw again (28 years old--you are still a pup!)

So like the above experienced/ole sheep hunters have advised ya--

GO HUNT A RAM!!

Robb

dwalton · Feb 20, 2012

Marcial,

I wrestled with the same thing when I was a Nevada resident. I picked an area that offered better draw odds. End result: I went on one of the most memorable hunts I've ever been on. My ram was only 150pts, but I remember it like it was yesterday.

I'd say hunt an area now, instead of chasing the Booner areas that have tough draw odds.

ElmerFudd · Feb 21, 2012

Doesn't the NV draw look at all five choices in order moving to the next application? For sure put s dream hunt or two as your first choices, and best draw odds as last... But don't be decieved by draw odds. They just show how many put it as first choice and successful applicants. Usually close for the toughest hunts to draw, but bet draw odds are really much worse than it appears for the easier to draw units, as many use the same strategy...

Zeke · Feb 23, 2012

You're right Mr Fudd, it's the "applicant" that gets drawn. I'd bet the "lesser" units are actually just about as tough since NV runs through all 5 of the drawn applicants choices.

Oh well, apply anyway. Someone has to be the winner.

Zeke

mevertsen · Feb 24, 2012

Thanks for the thoughts guys.

I have also looked at the bonus point information and harvest statistic information. By looking at that, there is only a very small percentage of people (maybe 10% or so) that draw a sheep tag beyond their first choice. I will just put down the areas with the best draw odds first and hopefully hunt sheep sooner rather than later.

Happy hunting.

Marcial

ElmerFudd · Feb 24, 2012

Good Luck... But how can you tell which choice successful applicants used from the data NV puts on the web? They show unsuccessful first choice applicants and suscessful applicants (regardless of choice) for each point level on each hunt. I see no way to tell what choice the suscessful applicant used for the hunt or what choices he/she put ahead... Maybe you see something I don't, but I assume draw odds for the apparantly easier to draw hunts could/should be much worse than it appears.

mevertsen · Feb 24, 2012

The bunus point information shows total people that drew a tag with how many points (regardless of which choice it was), and people who were unsuccessful with that unit as their first choice.

The hunt statistics / draw odds shows total number of 1st choice applicants, and total number of tags issued.

For example, in the bonus point information one area might show 8 tags drawn, and 75 first choice unscuccessful applicants. The hunt stat information might show 82 total 1st choice apps and 8 tags issued. That is a difference of one tag, meaning 7 people who had that as their first choice drew, and 1 other person drew it as other than first choice.

http://www.ndow.org/hunt/resources/odds/pdf/2010/bighorn hunt results 2010.pdf

http://www.ndow.org/hunt/apps/bonus/2010/2010_Res_Desert_Bighorn.pdf

For example, unit 268 was showing a total of 776 1st choice applicants. The bonus point information shows 758 people who did not draw with that as their first choice. There were 17 tags, that means only 1 person drew unit 268 beyond their first choice.

You can go all through that information, and find only a few units for sheep where it is the case that someone drew beyond their first choice. Bull elk is quite the same, and at a quick glance, I could only find area 111-115, 221-222 E and L had a difference of 2 tags each.

At least that is how I see the information, and I figure your best shot at drawing a tag is with your first choice.

Have a good one.

Marcial

3tags2010 · Feb 28, 2012

Marcial,

I found your last post to be really interesting! So i wanted to check to see if it worked. I drew a 2010 desert sheep tag in unit 212. It was my 5th choice.

But when you apply the rational of the hunt stats / draw odds info it doesn't make sense.

Example for unit 212: The bonus point data says that there were 57 first choice applicants and 5 tags for a total of 62 first choice applicants. And the 'hunt stats' say there were 62 first choice applicants.....but I drew a tag as my 5th choice. I'm not sure the people putting these documents together are completely accurate or I might be missing something here?

What are your thoughts?

J.

ElmerFudd · Feb 28, 2012

My guess is that column 1 is the unsucssful first choice applicants plus susssful applicants from the bonus point data *not enough room in the box so it gets truncated), but they make an ocassional adding error to get the ocassional tag going to a non first choice as Marcial sees the data. Reas the * note below the tables at the end on how they compute draw odds. Real draw odds are probabally not much better than the total for all hunts for the species for the state for any hunt when you count that five choices are used...