% of Hunt Success on LE Hunts

littlebighorn

littlebighorn

Long Time Member
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Since its Application season, here's a "Reality Thread" for optimist's looking through Rose colored glasses.
Overall, what percent of success have you had on LE Big Game hunts?
I know hunt "Success" is relative but lets define it as coming home somewhat satisfied with the animal you harvested. (Let's rule out meat bucks and not successful if you passed or didn't harvest). Let's also rule out antelope hunts, since almost all are relatively successful and fun for sure.
I'm old and I've had way more opportunities than many MMers, but here's my list:
13 deer (11 as a NR) 3 Successful
2 elk, One successful
1(NR) Bighorn, Successful
1 Desert Bighorn, Successful
2 Stone Sheep, 1 Successful
1 Dall Sheep/Caribou, Successful
1 (NR) Moose, Successful

21 Hunts=43% Success
 
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2 for 3 on deer (accident cut unsuccessful hunt short)
3 for 3 on elk
1 for 1 on moose
Extremely satisfied with all but am no longer planning to build points that long as I would rather hunt more often.
 
Here are the results for hunts I have had that would be considered LE. Using the "somewhat satisfied" standard, deer in UT, NV, WY are mature 170"+. Deer in CA and OR are mature 150"+. Elk is mature 6 point+.:

3 for 5 on LE deer in Utah
3 for 4 on Deer tags in NV
1 for 1 on Elk in NV
0 for 2 on Deer in Wyoming
2 for 3 on Deer in CA
1 for 2 on Deer in OR

17 hunts with 58% success.

I've never had any sheep, goat, moose, bison, or any other cool tags like that. Also never drawn a good bull elk tag anywhere besides NV but I do have points in a couple states. Other than those listed above, all of my hunting has been general season/OTC stuff. ------SS
 
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I am pretty picky. All hunts except one Nevada archery deer tag I had opportunities but passed.
5 deer (4 NR) 2 successful
1 (NR) elk, 1 successful
1 Moose, unsuccessful
1 (NR) Desert Bighorn, successful

8 hunts=50%
 
Based on the "somewhat satisfied" clarification, mine are:

1/1 LE Utah Deer
2/2 LE Utah Elk
1/1 OIL Utah Bighorn Sheep
0/1 OIL Utah Moose (killed a small bull, drew with zero points the same year I got married in August 2000)
1/1 LE Utah Bear
1/2 WY Elk
0/1 WY Deer (killed a decent buck)
2/2 CO Deer
1/1 AZ Deer

12 hunts = 75% (9/12)
 
0 for 3 on limited entry in WY deer
All but 1 on LE elk in WY. About 10 of 11???
1 for 1 on sheep in WY
1 for 1 on moose in WY
About 5 or 6 out of 20 on deer in CO (many archery and muzz)
0 for everything in UT, 19 years and no license yet.
1 for 1 on deer in MT
1 for 6 on deer in NV (mostly archery amd muzz)

But I can say, I"d only categorize about 3 of the unsuccessful hunts as flops. Most of the ones where I didn't kill anything, I could have shot bucks but chose not to. I can go hunting, come home empty, and still have a great time.
 
This should be a great thread!!
It should also include general hunt where a trophy was taken.
 
100% 1 LE elk and 1 LE deer both great monsoon years. The elk I was most satisfied on. Don’t get me wrong the deer hunt was a fun one just the 2 deer I missed prior to taking my decent buck were haunting. I was on cloud 9, it was a fun hunt I killed on water which can test your patience and is a very cool experience. The elk hunt that was a whole other level of excitement. Big 5 with huge 3rds and turn down fronts I couldn’t be any happier I just wish I could do it next year. And something I just thought of on both hunts my family was their no friends just family I think that adds to how special those hunts were.
 
16 for 17 on deer
5 for 7 on elk
1 for 1 Shiras moose
1 for 1 mtn goat
1 for 1 BH sheep
1 for 2 dall sheep
1 for 1 Bison

The only LE deer tag I didn’t fill was a WY tag that I had to cut short due to my hip. If I didn’t hike out they would’ve had to come get me with a helicopter the next day.
So 87% success.
 
4-6 LE deer (not general season) general season Utah 1-20. Passed a lot of bucks. Lifetime license.
4-6 LE elk UT, WY,ID
1-1 Moose
1-1 Montana Bighorn
3-3 speed goats

13-17 is a guess. LE
1-20 general deer.
 
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This is interesting when you start thinking about it.
2/4 Wy deer
4/4 AZ deer
1/1 NV deer
3/5 CO deer
1/3 ID deer
2/3 SD deer
3/3 UT deer
1/2 UT elk
1/1 UT bighorn
2/2 UT desert bighorn (I won a raffle ticket for the second one)
1/1 UT buffalo
1/1 UT mountain goat
0/1 AK grizzly
0/1 AK dall sheep
2/2 AK caribou
24/34 = 70%
 
1 for 1 on LE Buck Deer
1 for 2 on LE Bull Elk (although the "unsuccessful" hunt was the best hunt I've ever been on)
2 for 2 on Bear
 
2 LE deer both CO- Successful
1 Moose wyo- successful
1 elk UT- successful
1 mountain goat UT- successful
1 bear ut- successful
1 cougar UT- successful
1 sandhill crane 🤣🤣 wyo- successful

Someday maybe ill draw a wyo or utah LE deer tag haha.
 
My list:
1/1 LE Utah Archery Deer
1/1 LE Utah Archery Antelope
3/3 LE Utah Archery Elk
1/1 OIL Utah Moose
1/1 LE Utah Archery Bear
1/1 LQ WY Elk
1/1 LQ WY Deer
2/2 LQ WY Antelope
2/2 CO Deer
1/1 AZ Deer

I’m sure my expectations are lower than a lot of you but I have found success on all of my LE/LQ tags. I target good representative bucks and bulls for the unit I’m on.
 
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Sparks Shooter said:
Here are the results for hunts I have had that would be considered LE. Using the "somewhat satisfied" standard, deer in UT, NV, WY are mature 170"+. Deer in CA and OR are mature 150"+. Elk is mature 6 point+.:

3 for 5 on LE deer in Utah
3 for 4 on Deer tags in NV
1 for 1 on Elk in NV
0 for 2 on Deer in Wyoming
2 for 3 on Deer in CA
1 for 2 on Deer in OR

17 hunts with 58% success.

I've never had any sheep, goat, moose, bison, or any other cool tags like that. Also never drawn a good bull elk tag anywhere besides NV but I do have points in a couple states. Other than those listed above, all of my hunting has been general season/OTC stuff. ------SS
Click to expand...
You've been on 5 LE deer hunts in Utah.??! Thats an average of like, one LE tag every 5 years since they started them (I think?)... wow.!!
 
Az elk: 0/1
NM elk: 0/1
Nv elk: 1/1
Wy elk: 3/3
Nv deer: 1/3
Ks deer: 1/2 (muley; no on the whitey)
Ut deer: 1/1
SD deer: 1/1 on a whitey
Iowa deer: 1/2 whitey
Co deer: 3/4 (1 whitey)
Wy deer: 2/4
Wy moose: 1/2
Wy sheep: 1/1

61%. Shoulda and coulda on a few of those hunts..
 
AZ deer: 1-1
NM Elk: 2-3
WY Deer: 2-2
WY Elk: 0-1
WY Moose: 1-1
CA Elk: 1-1
UT Elk: 0-1
UT Deer:1-1
CO Elk: 0-1
CO-Deer: 2-2
NV Deer: 1-2
AK Caribou: 1-1
 
I see lots of Canadian and AK hunts listed. How is an OTC guided hunt an LE hunt?

I guess we have our own definition of LE. To me its a hard to draw tag with expectation of killing a big animal. I've only had a few of those, and filled them all.

I've had a lot of easy to draw LE tags over the years, and filled most all of those as well.

The ones I didn't fill, I didn't expect to. Easy to draw, hard to hunt areas, or short range type hunts. I don't know how you guys keep track of all that stuff. I used to hunt about 4-5 different animals a year. I'm more than satisfied with all the hunting I've done and have taken a lot of really nice animals over the years, with lots of great memories made. Now on to phase two, with my kids. We got an "LE" caribou tag this fall, I really want to see my son shoot one. Then next year we'll be hunting sheep! Can't wait for that.
 
NM Oryx 1/1
CA Antelope 1/1
WY Moose 1/1 area 27
WY mule deer 1/1 area 128
Utah Rocky 1/1
NV Desert 1/1
CO Mtn Goat 1/1
Utah Elk 1/1 San Juan late
WY Antelope 1/1 area 61
NV Antelope 1/1 unit 35
AZ 1/1 Kiabab late
MT moose 1/0 nothing big enough
OR antelope 1/0 Beaty Butte -
work (only 3 days to hunt)
vehicle problems, very smoky
from fires. Passed really good
buck first day
Over 2 dozen P&Y Blacktails OTC
tags
3 B&C Blacktails OTC tag
1 very heavy NT Blacktail OTC tag
 
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