Any info is great specifically about moose densities, trophy potential, amount of accessible public land available. Are these units glassable? Are the moose easy to call? What is the terrain like?
Thanks!
Before you dig in too deep, you might want to look at the draw statistics history for those two areas...especially Area 26. Point creep at its finest.
Drew my moose tag last year. I was two point pools ahead of you (13 points in 2013)...decided I wanted to hunt moose...and gave up on Area 26. Three guys in my point pool drew 26 tags last year, but ten others did not.
Looking back five years, nobody in the point pool in front of you has drawn a preference point moose tag in Area 26. Only four guys in the point pool in front of you have drawn Area 24 tags (3 of those happened last year).
Fact is, alot of guys buy points only, so you never know what might happen? But there are nearly 1,000 non-residents with 13 or 14 points going in this year....and another 685 with 12 points. Those two units combined only issue 10 NR bull tags per year in the preference pool draw.
Not saying don't try...but with 12 points going in this year...it will take alot of luck to pull a tag in either of those units in the near future.
Good luck. Paul
24 is likely the only one of the two that you might have a slight chance of pulling in the next few years in the preference point pool, but the 4 permits will almost certainly go to guys with 13+ points this year, and 14+ points next year.
It will likely take 14+ points to draw the 26 tag this year, and 15+ the next.
Based on last year, you also would have twice the chance of drawing the area 24 permit in the random drawing, which is realistically the only way you will draw either of those units any time soon.
If you really want to have a decent chance this year or next, look to areas that guys drew with 11 points last year. Unfortunately these areas will most likely be where moose numbers are way down, or be mostly private lands or wilderness areas where you will need an outfitter. Based on your quest for the DIY slam, I assume that's not an option. ;-)