Out of state boondoggles?

timekiller13

Old Mossy Horns
Just fly out, we’ll take my truck.
Don’t tempt me. I’ve got enough airline miles to fly to Denver and back for free.

I’m gonna think on it for a little bit. Right now I’m saying I’m not going out there this year. But as time gets closer I might get the itch that I just have to scratch.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
drew antelope tag for area 61-1, will chase antelope and Sage Grouse with the drahthaars
drew mule deer tag - Area K (landowner deal - swapped pooling points for access to primo private land)
and then already have my Area 007-1 elk tag, gonna hunt private there as well (paying for that one)

looks like from 20 Sept to 7 Nov (ish) i am in Wyoming chasing game except for a week break to help run a dog hunt test here in NC,,,
 

Randy

Ten Pointer
Sounds like your only worries during this fall will be meat storage, freezer space, and taxidermy bills.

I hunted 7 for elk in 2019. There's a pile of them in that unit.
 

Fatkid

Eight Pointer
drew antelope tag for area 61-1, will chase antelope and Sage Grouse with the drahthaars
drew mule deer tag - Area K (landowner deal - swapped pooling points for access to primo private land)
and then already have my Area 007-1 elk tag, gonna hunt private there as well (paying for that one)

looks like from 20 Sept to 7 Nov (ish) i am in Wyoming chasing game except for a week break to help run a dog hunt test here in NC,,,
I’d like to take my pup out there and chase birds when we are deer hunting. But I know she won’t like me leaving her while we are out chasing deer.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
I’d like to take my pup out there and chase birds when we are deer hunting. But I know she won’t like me leaving her while we are out chasing deer.


yeah, it takes some planning and can take away from the big game hunt some, but it's worth it to me - I got them dogs to hunt and hunt we will

plus they are used to spending time in their kennels as much as we travel - also have option to stake them out - all depends on the where (tent site, etc)
 

Buxndiverdux

Old Mossy Horns
drew antelope tag for area 61-1, will chase antelope and Sage Grouse with the drahthaars
drew mule deer tag - Area K (landowner deal - swapped pooling points for access to primo private land)
and then already have my Area 007-1 elk tag, gonna hunt private there as well (paying for that one)

looks like from 20 Sept to 7 Nov (ish) i am in Wyoming chasing game except for a week break to help run a dog hunt test here in NC,,,
Our antelope units border each other...
 

timekiller13

Old Mossy Horns
drew antelope tag for area 61-1, will chase antelope and Sage Grouse with the drahthaars
drew mule deer tag - Area K (landowner deal - swapped pooling points for access to primo private land)
and then already have my Area 007-1 elk tag, gonna hunt private there as well (paying for that one)

looks like from 20 Sept to 7 Nov (ish) i am in Wyoming chasing game except for a week break to help run a dog hunt test here in NC,,,
Now that’s what I call living the dream!!

You got some great tags.

I have struck out on everything I have applied for this year. Still debating about dealing with OTC masses in Colorado or just taking a year off.
 

np307

Ten Pointer
Didn't put in for any but looks like we will be able to skate by point creep next year for our first mule deer hunt. Can't believe the antelope unit I first hunted will almost certainly take 3 points next year.
 

Buxndiverdux

Old Mossy Horns
In most cases, at least on the units I've drawn in the past or continue to try to draw, point creep is roughly 1/2 a point per year. In some states/units, it's 1 point per year.

I've been in some draws now for 20 years and will likely never be in the max points pool. Will have to draw in the random to ever get a chance. Obviously it can be done ;) , but it's a long shot.

When a state changes the draw process, or the point process, it never expands opportunity for the hunters that have been applying and building points for decades. It always benefits the Game and Fish bottom line and opportunity for the newbies just getting in the draw.
 
Last edited:

Castle Oak 2

Six Pointer
My crowd put in for points only in all of our regular states in anticipation of drawing in a 0 pt unit in Colorada. Well, we did not draw with 1 point. It appears applicants for that unit blew up last year thus screwing up the draw odds. We booked with the outfitter last year with hopes of hunting his area this year. The outfitter is screwed as only 20% of his booked clients drew the elk tag. I'm glad we paid our deposit last year because we had first refusal for his area in the adjoining OTC unit. It's amazing how popular archery elk hunting has become. Our favorite unit in MT was so crowded last year we have decided to not go back. The draw odds in AZ, NM and WY have gone to crap for nonresidents due mainly to how those states "subsidize" outfitters. In addition, more regulation is on the way to reduce nonresident tags in WY and give them to the outfitter pool.
 

Buxndiverdux

Old Mossy Horns
My crowd put in for points only in all of our regular states in anticipation of drawing in a 0 pt unit in Colorada. Well, we did not draw with 1 point. It appears applicants for that unit blew up last year thus screwing up the draw odds. We booked with the outfitter last year with hopes of hunting his area this year. The outfitter is screwed as only 20% of his booked clients drew the elk tag. I'm glad we paid our deposit last year because we had first refusal for his area in the adjoining OTC unit. It's amazing how popular archery elk hunting has become. Our favorite unit in MT was so crowded last year we have decided to not go back. The draw odds in AZ, NM and WY have gone to crap for nonresidents due mainly to how those states "subsidize" outfitters. In addition, more regulation is on the way to reduce nonresident tags in WY and give them to the outfitter pool.
One major reason archery hunts are getting hard to draw is people have figured out they can archery hunt 2 or 3 times in the span it takes to draw a rifle tag. People just want to hunt.
 

timekiller13

Old Mossy Horns
I think we are going to see this bubble burst in the next 3-5 years. Lots of people dumping points. They are either aging out or realize they will never draw that top tier unit so they are dumping on lesser tags to get to hunt. Just look at the Colorado draw recap. Quite a few people in the 6-12 pt range applied for tags that historically take 1-4 pts.

Also, applications are down across the west this year. The COVID boom was a real thing. Rising gas prices and slowing economy is making people pump the brakes a little.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
I've been in some draws now for 20 years and will likely never be in the max points pool. Will have to draw in the random to ever get a chance. Obviously it can be done ;) , but it's a long shot.


I have 20 (21 going into 2023) sheep points in Wyoming,,, one year out from the "front" of the point bubble,,, got my fingers crossed than folks ahead of me bail due to inflation etc,,,

one can hope anyhow,,,
 

Buxndiverdux

Old Mossy Horns
I think we are going to see this bubble burst in the next 3-5 years. Lots of people dumping points. They are either aging out or realize they will never draw that top tier unit so they are dumping on lesser tags to get to hunt. Just look at the Colorado draw recap. Quite a few people in the 6-12 pt range applied for tags that historically take 1-4 pts.

Also, applications are down across the west this year. The COVID boom was a real thing. Rising gas prices and slowing economy is making people pump the brakes a little.
No kidding. I did the math for the fuel on the antelope hunt and at Shaggy's pricing, it's going to be roughly $2500 for a week of hunting and travel. That is some serious cash....

Trumps gas price would be roughly $1250 or less. Build back better they say.... Bull :poop:
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
No kidding. I did the math for the fuel on the antelope hunt and at Shaggy's pricing, it's going to be roughly $2500 for a week of hunting and travel. That is some serious cash....

Trumps gas price would be roughly $1250 or less. Build back better they say.... Bull :poop:

I am sorta glad I planned this year for two major Western "sweeps" - gonna spend 3 weeks or so in UT and WY then come home for a week(ish) then back to WY for elk in early NOV then likely hit somewhere (Kansas, Nebraska, ND) to chase birds,,, still doing final planning on that

then staying in NC, SC, and LA chasing stuff till Jan/Feb when I head to NM and (maybe) AZ or TX

that's about it for this year,,, unless a Desert is in my future (bwahahahahaha),,,, cause I'll have about wore out my bank account by then,,, glad I got a tent!
 

Packfan

Eight Pointer
Let down once again. Got denied on a late season Iowa ML tag. It should have taken two points to draw and I had the points. My buddy that was going with me got drawn with the same number of points that I had. I guess he will ride by himself come January….guess I’ll just stay in NC.
 

appmtnhntr

Twelve Pointer
I think we are going to see this bubble burst in the next 3-5 years. Lots of people dumping points. They are either aging out or realize they will never draw that top tier unit so they are dumping on lesser tags to get to hunt. Just look at the Colorado draw recap. Quite a few people in the 6-12 pt range applied for tags that historically take 1-4 pts.

Also, applications are down across the west this year. The COVID boom was a real thing. Rising gas prices and slowing economy is making people pump the brakes a little.
I hope so. The crowd we saw out there last year made me not want to go back to an otc unit.
 

QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
Let down once again. Got denied on a late season Iowa ML tag. It should have taken two points to draw and I had the points. My buddy that was going with me got drawn with the same number of points that I had. I guess he will ride by himself come January….guess I’ll just stay in NC.
You can do group draws.
 

mjbrady

Twelve Pointer
Drew a late muzzleloader tag in Iowa.

Finally, a draw went my way!!

My wife manages some branches out there and I got permission to hunt a small farm (115 acres). It’s located 5 minutes from 3 WMAs so it gives me plenty of options.

Food is king during that season, if you have food you have the deer if you don’t it can be a tough hunt. You may benefit from asking the farmer what it would cost you to buy 2ac standing corn or beans in a strategic location or 2 for that timeframe.
 

Helium

Old Mossy Horns
drew antelope tag for area 61-1, will chase antelope and Sage Grouse with the drahthaars
drew mule deer tag - Area K (landowner deal - swapped pooling points for access to primo private land)
and then already have my Area 007-1 elk tag, gonna hunt private there as well (paying for that one)

looks like from 20 Sept to 7 Nov (ish) i am in Wyoming chasing game except for a week break to help run a dog hunt test here in NC,,,
Area 7 will cost ya BUT it will pay off
 
Top