No tag 39 years and counting

DeerHunter53 · Jun 16, 2020

Well I know now how Elk feels I have been putting in for Antelope in California for 39 years way before the points. I have max points and still can't draw an Antelope tag. Now my son and I are in limbo no place to hunt no tags not sure what to do.
This was supposed to be the year then the pandemic and now no tags.

264mag · Jun 16, 2020

Next year ?

BradA · Jun 16, 2020

That’s rough, and I was complaining at 17 years. You will push the draw and be forced to draw in the next couple years for antelope. Have you ever drawn sheep in those 39 years ?

Hntndux · Jun 16, 2020

I was at 32yrs for antelope before I got mine...39 has to be a record!

Blueduck17 · Jun 16, 2020

Been puttin for California antelope since you put in on a post card an it cost 6cents 1 cent for card 5 cents to mail it

DeerHunter53 · Jun 17, 2020

I have max points for Sheep Elk Antelope and Deer. I have not drawn a tag in over 20 years in California. Still pissed I can' believe it I figured for sure this was the year.
Now with the pandemic and already taken off months not too sure if we can go out of state at this point. No sure what we are going to do......

marburg · Jun 17, 2020

DeerHunter53 said:
I have max points for Sheep Elk Antelope and Deer. I have not drawn a tag in over 20 years in California. Still pissed I can' believe it I figured for sure this was the year.
Now with the pandemic and already taken off months not too sure if we can go out of state at this point. No sure what we are going to do......

I would change the unit you are applying for. I too went decades without drawing antelope, changed to a difft unit, boom drew first year. Changed my dad over the next year, he also had not drawn in his life. The very next year, at 67 years old, his first antelope tag.

We both had great hunts. I have hunted antelope in other western states, probably taken over 20 of them through the years, and the quality we had in Cali was better than any other state we have hunted. Quantity was not comparable, but quality was top notch.

jester · Jun 17, 2020

I drew(way fast stinkies) twice..my son twice..marbles mtn Bull once..
Just lucky I think.
Jester

XZone · Jun 17, 2020

I see how long people wait for Sheep and Tule Elk, but Pronghorn can be hunted just about every year in Wyoming as an example. If you add up the fees over decades of trying to draw a North Cal tag, just go hunt. I hate the preference point system, once you draw back to the bottom you go. Yeah people get lucky in the random draw, but i would rather hunt. I have had friends on more than one hunt take 80 plus scoring goats. We have taken many that score 75-80 over the years. I feel for you waiting 20, 30 plus years

cacklercrazy · Jun 17, 2020

DeerHunter53 said:
Well I know now how Elk feels I have been putting in for Antelope in California for 39 years way before the points. I have max points and still can't draw an Antelope tag. Now my son and I are in limbo no place to hunt no tags not sure what to do.
This was supposed to be the year then the pandemic and now no tags.

I know your pain. Not sure to be happy there is someone out there just like
me or just start crying for the both of us

DeerHunter53 · Jun 18, 2020

marburg said:
I would change the unit you are applying for. I too went decades without drawing antelope, changed to a difft unit, boom drew first year. Changed my dad over the next year, he also had not drawn in his life. The very next year, at 67 years old, his first antelope tag.

We both had great hunts. I have hunted antelope in other western states, probably taken over 20 of them through the years, and the quality we had in Cali was better than any other state we have hunted. Quantity was not comparable, but quality was top notch.

I've tried to do that did it this year but still no luck. I think they have me pegged to not get any tags in my state because I don't agree with the way they run it. Our Governor if he had his way would stop all hunting. His Dad and him both are the ones who stopped the mountain lion hunts and after that the tag numbers just started to decline.
One of these days I just hope it is before I die.....

YBO · Jun 18, 2020

Beat 51 years of applying before drawing a speedgoat tag here in Calif. The draw only started two years before that! I believe it was free to apply. Oh, I did draw NE elk this year with max points.