Out of state boondoggles?

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
I’m sort of in the same boat. Sitting in the weird spot with points. I don’t want to burn points for a muzzleloader hunt in an OTC archery unit. I will be spending the next year or two sifting through draw odds trying to decide where I want to dump my elk points.

concur on that (not doing an OTC archery unit)
how many points you have now?
 
I've never hunted in the west, but like most here, I've always wanted to. I've never been able to afford it until more recently. Unfortunately I never started accumulating any points either. I want to do some physically challenging hunts while I'm able. I had booked an elk cow hunt for this October in Wyoming. Unfortunately I didn't draw a cow tag. The outfitter said that there are leftovers on most years. There were none in 2020 for that unit, so I'm doubtful there will be this year either. I'm still considering putting in for an antelope tag in one of the 0 pt (undesirable) units. I really want a true mountain hunt though. I'm less excited about antelope.

This whole preference point game is very disheartening. I think I may start looking at spring spot-and-stalk bear hunts in MT and BC as this seems to be both cheaper and less in demand. I'm not interested in shooting a bear over bait or with dogs.

I plan to do an AK salmon trip in 2022 with some family.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor

timekiller13

Old Mossy Horns
I've never hunted in the west, but like most here, I've always wanted to. I've never been able to afford it until more recently. Unfortunately I never started accumulating any points either. I want to do some physically challenging hunts while I'm able. I had booked an elk cow hunt for this October in Wyoming. Unfortunately I didn't draw a cow tag. The outfitter said that there are leftovers on most years. There were none in 2020 for that unit, so I'm doubtful there will be this year either. I'm still considering putting in for an antelope tag in one of the 0 pt (undesirable) units. I really want a true mountain hunt though. I'm less excited about antelope.

This whole preference point game is very disheartening. I think I may start looking at spring spot-and-stalk bear hunts in MT and BC as this seems to be both cheaper and less in demand. I'm not interested in shooting a bear over bait or with dogs.

I plan to do an AK salmon trip in 2022 with some family.
Colorados left over list will be out soon. There will be plenty of tags, both bull and cow on that list that you should draw. May even be some leftover mule deer tags. Or just grab an OTC elk tag. You want a rugged mountain hunt there are plenty of places in Colorado where that can be done.
 

appmtnhntr

Twelve Pointer
Colorados left over list will be out soon. There will be plenty of tags, both bull and cow on that list that you should draw. May even be some leftover mule deer tags. Or just grab an OTC elk tag. You want a rugged mountain hunt there are plenty of places in Colorado where that can be done.
And rugged doesn’t always mean steep.
The two truly desert hunts I’ve been on are intense.
We’re going back though
 

timekiller13

Old Mossy Horns
And rugged doesn’t always mean steep.
The two truly desert hunts I’ve been on are intense.
We’re going back though
I’m digging the high desert. There is something about it that really intrigues me. Have you read Edward Abbey’s “Desert Solitaire”? Great read. Not hunting related at all, but still good.
 

appmtnhntr

Twelve Pointer
I’m digging the high desert. There is something about it that really intrigues me. Have you read Edward Abbey’s “Desert Solitaire”? Great read. Not hunting related at all, but still good.
Nope. I have a legit case of ADHD. Adderal calms me.
I have never read anything longer than a scientific publication brief other than a couple Rinella books and The Great Gatsby

I’m the classic voracious consumer of encyclopedic facts.
 

appmtnhntr

Twelve Pointer
Nope. I have a legit case of ADHD. Adderal calms me.
I have never read anything longer than a scientific publication brief other than a couple Rinella books and The Great Gatsby

I’m the classic voracious consumer of encyclopedic facts.
I’m a jeopardy man, not a debate man.
 

ncstatehunter

Twelve Pointer
Got the Wyoming deer application in. I’m gonna look over the list for Colorado for the secondary draw and then again when the leftover and returned tag list comes out. On the lookout for archery or muzzleloader elk (outside of the recent OTC turned draw SW units) and then 3rd season deer or elk I guess (good luck I know lol).
 

timekiller13

Old Mossy Horns
I'm hoping to pick up a cow tag on the secondary draw. We will see. If not then I may just pick up an OTC bull tag later down the road.
 

Castle Oak 2

Six Pointer
My buddy and I drew MT General elk tags and originally planned to head west on Sept. 8 per our normal schedule. The NM draw happened the week after we drew MT. My lucky buddy drew one of only two once-in-a-lifetime first season archery elk tags for the Valle Vidal in northern NM. Looks like we'll be cavorting all over the western US in September.
 

timekiller13

Old Mossy Horns
My buddy and I drew MT General elk tags and originally planned to head west on Sept. 8 per our normal schedule. The NM draw happened the week after we drew MT. My lucky buddy drew one of only two once-in-a-lifetime first season archery elk tags for the Valle Vidal in northern NM. Looks like we'll be cavorting all over the western US in September.
A Valle Vidal tag!!! Holy cow! That is the Jurassic Park of elk hunting. I would be someones pack goat, camp chef, ATV driver, dish washer or whatever else help they needed just to be a part of a hunt like that.
 

appmtnhntr

Twelve Pointer
My buddy and I drew MT General elk tags and originally planned to head west on Sept. 8 per our normal schedule. The NM draw happened the week after we drew MT. My lucky buddy drew one of only two once-in-a-lifetime first season archery elk tags for the Valle Vidal in northern NM. Looks like we'll be cavorting all over the western US in September.
Lots of pics for us!!!!
 

Ceehawk37

Ten Pointer
My buddy and I drew MT General elk tags and originally planned to head west on Sept. 8 per our normal schedule. The NM draw happened the week after we drew MT. My lucky buddy drew one of only two once-in-a-lifetime first season archery elk tags for the Valle Vidal in northern NM. Looks like we'll be cavorting all over the western US in September.

That’s an awesome draw! I’ll be road tripping through NM and CO in a few weeks for vacation. That area is definitely planned for one of our stops just to hike around out there.
 

ncstatehunter

Twelve Pointer
I didn’t draw a buck antelope tag but evidently did draw 2 doe tags.
Crazy they cut antelope tags and guys didn’t draw buck tags yet drew doe tags. I’d rather you and those guys have one buck tag each instead of two doe tags with the lower herd numbers but I’m no biologist…
 

Randy

Ten Pointer
I applied for does in one of areas that had no reductions. However I thought I had just as good or better odds to draw buck tag in the special draw. I’ll be interested to see what the draw odds were.
 

ncstatehunter

Twelve Pointer
Gotcha. I checked them out for deer and was surprised, especially for my second and third choices. Those always had leftovers but this year all tags went 1st choice. Crazy in my head.
 
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