Western Point Draws When are you Done
General Topic
When do you stop applying and contributing to govt budgets?
My own quick story is 18 years applying in 3 non-resident bonus or preference point states and I’ve drawn 1 NR moose tag in MT. My home state of NV is similar but I’m up to max points on several species. I’m probably in the average.
At what point is enough enough?
Thrill of the chase , I guess
After you draw the tag you are building points for or you are broke. Whichever happens first.
Building points until I can't hunt out west.
It will soon be impossible to hunt the west without points. I’m in and will continue to apply for hunts that I can draw with less than 8 or 10 points.
I am almost there. I will be applying for higher odds less desirable hunts but I am becomming more pragmatic. If I had thrown the money I waste on tags/licenses in dogecoin I could have had a stone sheep hunt. If I put the same amount in s&p 500 index funds I can do a fully guided hunt about every 5 years.
It's a scam and everyone knows it. You have 3 choices, play, hunt OTC or don't hunt at all. Look for OTC opportunities to decrease in the next decade or so. There's revenue being lost in OTC units.
I only enter in Ak or ID occasionally. No point stuff for me
For me it's debatable whether to keep spending on apps and raffles. The best logic is for a chance at a DIY hunt for some of the highest demand species like sheep or moose or mt goat. If going DIY is an important goal, and you can't move to AK or Canada, then applying everywhere out west is logical. But it's worth considering that, if one can muster the finances, he could hunt all 29 NA species without paying for a single state application. This even includes quite a few species unguided.....mule deer, blacktail deer, sitka blacktail, elk, pronghorn, whitetail, coues deer, black bear, lion. But where the rubber meets the road, I just can't bring myself to pull out of the running for some of the glory hunts like San Juan Elk and Breaks Sheep and North Park Moose. The gambler mentality is tough to shake.
I seem to know guys every year that the luck comes thier way and they pull a great tag or two. I’ve been at it 17 years and have pulled some good Az elk tags and a good Wyoming tag and Colorado tags. I’m getting close to 50 and have a lot more time and money ahead of me as life and the family are slowing down. I’m looking forward to pulling more and enjoying the chances I get very soon
I drew Vermont moose, stopped applying. I drew NV elk, sheep and deer and also stopped applying. I Dropped out of a few draws in AK and likely will not apply there anymore starting next year. Utah once I draw elk & bison I will most likely stop applying. I might hold off for 1 other tag, I will check the other odds after I draw elk & bison.
Assuming WY keeps NR draw as is I will draw moose and sheep in the next 2-3 years then I am done for those 2.
It is getting REALLY bad. I can afford it and higher prices increases my odds but I will never say it is fair. 90% of my hunts are on national forest where I get 10%of the tags.
fortunatley, I have pretty much covered all my "wants" in bowhunting. Many, long b/4 points were required in areas needed now (yes, I am friggin OLD). I did my last points Antelope with my son in Wy in 2019 on a DIY, tenting, public land. He took a decent Buck so "I am done"with all points..
I'll probably be done when I die. I'm like sticksender, I can't give up the chance of some of the glory hunts.
And I will never be able to afford a Mexico desert sheep (or if I could, I'd rather hunt something international with that money), so if I want to do some of these hunts, I have to play the game. I'm not really checking things off a list, I just want to hunt everything. EVERYTHING.
I can see myself dropping out of some states if I ever draw some of the OIL tags. Nevada is bonus points, you always have a shot, I'd probably keep applying there forever. If I ever draw AZ sheep and elk, I can see myself dropping out there. Same kind of thing with UT.
I'm old & started the points game years ago. Drew some really good tags & a couple great tags over the years. This year I decided Idaho wasn't worth the cost to me so didn't apply there & it was really tough for me to apply for sheep in Montana but did so at the last minute. Great sheep are hard to resist. Next year I'll have to decide again what's realistic for the cost of applying in each state. Good Luck to everyone in the draws & your upcoming hunts!
Also, I've never really bought into the idea that skipping the draws and saving the money spent on draws to pay for that trip outright is a workable thing.
Number one, I don't have that type of discipline. And I think the hunt account would be raided for emergencies before the household account. Need a new roof on the house? Raid the household savings or the hunt savings? I'm irresponsible as a rule, but I think I'd feel an obligation to raid the hunt savings first.
Number two, I can't buy into the math. Granted, I'm not a math guy and haven't crunched the numbers, but I just can't buy it. Currently I'm spending about $300 a year to apply in 4 states for bighorn sheep. That's just the cost for bighorn. How many years do I have to skip the draws to afford a Canadian sheep hunt? I just did the math. . . 100 years. It would take me 100 years to save for that by skipping the bighorn sheep draws.
And I'm not just putting in for sheep. Costs me what $80 for a UT license to put in for draws? And then $15 a point for 3 types of sheep, goat, moose, bison, elk, mulie and antelope.
Maybe some math and statistics whizzes out there can prove me wrong, but I just can't buy it.
I put in for 5 different states every year, drawn a number of mediocre tags and I don't plan to stop any time soon. Now that I'm up to double digit elk points in a couple states, I may not jump back in after burning those. But with not focusing on the "premier" units, you can still draw a decent deer/antelope tag on a regular basis if you play the game in a few states.
Bake, I think the idea is if you completely ignored all draws and invested the money wisely for a number of years, you could buy one of those high dollar hunts. However, as you mentioned, the marginal cost of a sheep application is typically very small if you are already putting in for other species. I personally couldn't stand not hunting every year, so I will continue to play the game.
The path we are on right now, with demand increasing @ break-neck, is gonna lead to much future frustration for the tens of thousands of guys relying/hoping on the western draws to pull great tags. Better develop some alternative plans. Like Good Uncle Charlie says...."it's later than you think".
I’m glad I never started out West! Only lottery hunts I put in for are rifle/Archery Elk in Pa. Used to cost like $12, now it’s up to like $32?
Almost...Few states left!
I was fortunate enough to draw the OIL Rocky in Idaho 30 years ago. Still have a few things going on in AZ, WY and Colorado, always a chance.
Started 25 years ago and have 20+ points in 8 states today. Over that time competition has gotten exponentially higher thanks to technology & information. The values have dropped every year. Opportunities declined despite me having more points. As states have morphed their programs to collecting funds rather than distributing tags, I have dropped out of many states/critters. I have exited several that have just gotten worthless to participate, abandoning many of my accumulated points. These include Montana, Idaho, Kansas, WY sheep & moose, Vermont moose, New Hampshire moose, and the most recent Oregon (burned 22 pointsx3 & ran!) I dump the ones with the worst NR values, and hang on in the others. At 61 my wheels are falling off and I want to exit as many as possible. As the glory units become unreachable despite my point increases, I have begun lowering my hunt quality standards to burn these. It's the only way I see a way out. If I do burn points for one species in a state I still apply for, I drastically lower my hunt quality for that species to a more general hunt type choice. Even with all these moves, I still draw far fewer and lower quality hunts today than I did when I began on the ground floor in the 1990's with paper applications. Competition has gotten that bad. I can't even imagine a young guy jumping into the game today. No doubt in many cases they are Just making donations, but don't realize it. I am disappointed by the proliferation of hunting publications that promote some states which should not even be considered by ground floor applicants, due to the dismal draw odds (such as Oregon's 2.5% NR quota & poor quality).
The only high demand hunt I am accumulating for is AZ elk. I'll tag along with Bowboy sometime soon and see if it's worth another 10-15 years of trying. Otherwise I just try for easy to draw tags. I prefer to go hunting than collect points.
I would like the system to be a simple exchange - I pay a state the cost of a tag and they give me a hunt at a future date based on the number of people who have paid for their own tag. That way, I don't have to piss around with the cost and hassle of drawing and can properly plan for the hunt. Simple exchange and no stress - otherwise, its not worth it to me at all.
It's just money either way. I will be out of specific draws when I no longer feel they are worth the investment. I am selective of where I apply and have realistic odds of drawing some tags in the future due to already having many points. Got to Pay to Play. Some hard to get Species I have been lucky to have already drawn so have stopped applying in many places. Some good tags I have drawn- Colorado Shiras Moose, California Tule Elk, Colorado Bighorn Sheep, Arizona 13 B deer, Arizona 23 Elk, Utah Wasatch Elk, Wyoming 101 deer, to mention a few....
My situation is very different than my kids and their generation though. Some tags are unfortunately unrealistic to ever expect drawing for them. However if you out live everyone in your point cohort there is a chance (at least in states that have guaranteed tags). Need to come up with a personal strategy based on your time, money, goals etc.
Oregon archery elk is still otc for most units but that changes next year. Some poo poo Oregon but at least you would be hunting in some beautiful country .
I'm glad that I am not the only one who scratches their head every year. This is the first year since 1997 ( I was 21) that I did not apply for Idaho Sheep. At this point even though there are no points ( which I like) the cost outweighed the odds.
My point totals across the west would go toe to toe with anyone, I only apply for archery tags unless it is something like sheep where they are general tags where I would show up with a bow ( I don't own a hunting rifle).
In the last 25 years I have drawn an WY Moose permit( Max Point Holder) and a Utah Nannie Mountain Goat. They were both great hunts.
It is not fun anymore, I'm tired of the applications the endless changes to the systems, the " Services" and magazines that are part to blame, and the rejection notices. At this point If I am being honest the money isn't even a factor, It is that I can do math and don't like what has happened. BUT I actually tried to sell sperm in the early 2000s to send my CO Sheep app in. Unfortunately I was denied at that as well ( I'm almost a midget) back then it was a big deal to come up with the money.
I'm sure like many of you I feel a little trapped. It appears that you are so close on some of these tags. You are either in the max point pool or one off ( we wont even talk about hunts that once were OTC and are now 12 point units) Even then the odds just get worse every year.
I am fortunate to have hunted in some amazing places with great people. The current generation of bow hunters will be lucky to experience half of what I have. With that said save your money boys buy some bitcoin or gold and pay for your hunts you will be further ahead.
Hey we still have NV , CA and AZ to look forward to................ Luckily I never fell for OR
I started applying in Mt. for Non resident tags in 1975. I've applied there for Sheep, Moose & Goat for 47 years. I've drawn one sheep tag plus lots of elk & deer tags in Mt.
For 30 plus years I've put applications in for at least 10 states.
Pre, Hunting fool it was fairly easy to draw tags. I've drawn my share of tags over the years. But I've also banked a lot points. Things are changing fast.
Within 10 years I'm guessing there will be no quality over the counter tags in any Western States! With Boat loads of people moving to Western States, this not only reducing your odds of drawing. But with mass building on winter ranges, plus all the the other problems that increased populations have on big game. It will have an adverse affect on populations! If you want to hunt in the future you best be looking ahead not worrying about today!! As for me I'll be applying till I tip over!!!
Mark
“It is not fun anymore, I'm tired of the applications the endless changes to the systems, the " Services" and magazines that are part to blame, and the rejection notices.”
Haha this pretty much sums up my attitude as well. Used to enjoy strategizing and the excitement of drawing a special tag. But today the whole process is just a burden and I’m gradually losing interest. The fun is being drained away. Corrupt politicians & outfitter welfare being the latest scourge. These days I find myself postponing applications right up to the deadline just because I don’t care anymore.
One of the biggest bitches I have is, they change the rules on you in the middle of the game, such as what Colorado did just a few years back.
Yes, Colorado has made a few changes that have hurt non-residents. When I begin putting in for elk there, figured it would take me 8 years to draw a unit 2 tag. I now have 28 points. When I started, Colorado's unit 2's quality was phenomenal. Now it's no better than what a OTC tag in Idaho was 28 years ago!
I got in early and have drawn some awesome tags, bighorn, Shiras , primo elk and deer tags. But others I’m into 27 years on desert bighorn in a couple of states and odds don’t look a lot better than they did 20 years ago.
I’m going to keep applying until I don’t think I can physically do a hunt if I draw
I've only been building points for 6 years. I'm not banking points for deer, elk, or pronghorn (except Utah) only the "once in a lifetime" type of species. I do at least 2 hunts a year and hunt OTC or low point units for deer or elk. I feel like I need to be in the game for deer and elk, as OTC is already limited and I see it going away completely before too long. I don't think someone starting in the last 10 years really has any hope of drawing the primo deer and elk tags, especially in pref point states. I do think there are quite a few 0-5 point units that can be quality hunts. That's where I'm focusing.
For OIL species I figure "why not" since I'm already applying for deer and elk in the same states and adding on a OIL application generally doesn't add too much to the cost.
I put in about 40 applications per year in 13 states. I don't have more than 10 points anywhere, but I already have 2 LE tags this year and probably will draw Kansas and there's still several draws to take place yet.
If you only apply for breaks sheep and San Juan elk, etc,... if you're only willing to apply for the best that a state has to offer, than you're just flat out going to draw less tags than if you put in for at least some tags that aren't #1.
When it comes to giving up, I've dropped out of a few draws: WY moose/sheep as the odds are just ridiculous for the price. I put in for tags with worse odds, but I have a cost:odds ratio that I'm not willing to pass.
I also have some draws that I won't apply for out of my indignation for the ridiculous cost of the tag, like AZ bison. I can afford the tag, but I refuse to pay for it and I don't believe that blue collar hunters should be priced out of DIY hunting. This is also why I didn't apply in ID for sheep this year for the first time in nearly a decade. I'll probably apply next year, but it was my way of protesting the non-refundable price hike.
Last thought, I really wonder what the landscape is going to look like in even 10 years with regard to odds. Most of these point systems came into existence between 1993-2003 when Baby-Boomers were in the prime of their hunting years when it comes to health, the age to apply (not too young, not too old), and had the money to go on out-of-state hunts.
I don't want to sound disrespectful or callous, but a lot of the guys with the most points are getting in to their 70s now and Paul is not your average hunter. I predict that there's going to be a lot of high point holders pass away or just get too old to mountain hunt anymore. Many will also need to use a gun instead of bow which will ease pressure on archery-only tags.
To answer the OP's original question a little more precisely, at 61 years old, my hope is to get lucky and burn points to where I could exit 2 or 3 states of my remaining 8 within 5 years. Then assess my physical condition as to what I want to do going forward. All those systems will be overhauled to further devalue my points by then so it doesn't do any good to plan any more than that.
I’m really close to premium elk and deer tags in a couple of states. If and when I draw those l’ll assess where I’m at physically and decide if I want to continue to apply for sheep in those states. At 56 there’s little chance of building enough points to draw another good UT or AZ elk tag before I’m unable to use it.
My biggest factor on how long to keep applying is my age. I'm 60 but most people guess that I'm in my late 40's. I feel like I'm still in my 40's and like I could hunt the mountains for another 20 years plus, but I also realize that things can go downhill fast. I hunt solo a lot and always DIY so being able to pack out an elk is a major factor.
Last year I cashed in my Colorado elk points realizing it's probably the last "good" Colorado elk tag I'll have in my lifetime. This year I cashed in my Arizona elk points and drew a tag. The only state remaining where I have multiple elk points is Utah and I'll work on drawing that in the near future.
Moving forward I'll continue to buy Colorado elk points and play it by ear. In Arizona I'll apply for top units and hope to get lucky. I'll continue to build enough Wyoming elk points to draw general tags. I'll drop out of Utah elk after I draw a tag. I have deer and antelope points in a few states and I'll continue to buy more but I need to start putting a plan together to burn them.
If I take a few preference points with me to my grave, so be it, I enjoyed playing the game...
Spending the whole season in the unit you had in Colorado last year mike, and getting it done on the last day I’d say you got a few more mountain hunts left in ya. It is very disheartening for my kids coming up. I’m glad I got them in the game 8-10 years ago in some states. They might have a chance while I’m still upright
Luckily I never entered the sheep/moose PP game. (Although I was eyeing up a cow moose tag in WYO years ago. Now it is over 10 PP!)
I have drawn a couple of good elk tags. I hope to draw a few more. I am 55. Some states/systems are a sucker bet for the most part and I don't apply in those.
Others have mentioned this. If you are in the game long enough, the rules will change. And not in favor of the DIY NR. Be prepared for the line to be moved.
If you want to consider these apps a "vice", this is my one vice. I don't smoke, go to bars, go to casinos, etc. These apps are my lottery. You only go through life once. Just minutes ago, our copier guy (62) walked into my office and told me he is terminal (Cancer-6months). We all have an expiration date. We don't know when it is. If I die with preference points, so what. I will have logged adventures that most folks dream about.
I play the point game in 4 states. I’ll continue playing the game as long as I can physically hunt the mountains unless the probability/cost gets too far out of proportion for me personally.
Some good opinions on here. Seems like age is a contributing factor on hunters applying for tags. Money was a the biggest thing to worry about 30 years ago & now it's time that dictates more for me. I still apply in most Western states & have hopes to someday draw a Desert Sheep tag. The draws have been good to me & I always look forward to the results. Good Luck
I'm out of Utah if I ever draw an elk and deer tag or when they raise the price to play, whichever comes first. Same with Nevada.
I'll continue to buy points in CO for elk and deer low point units, WY elk, deer, lopes, and AZ elk until I die or they become unaffordable.
I will continue to buy points in my home state for moose until
1.) I get one 2.) White privilege people get 1 tag a year like the indigenous residents.
Agree with many above. I'm close to done. I dropped my CO sheep draw after nearly 40 years of disappointment, point creep, and fee creep. I will likely still apply for CO deer and ELK but I passed this year. I'm still in on Arizona Elk and Iowa Deer for points. About the only state that I will continue to apply religiously to is Kansas deer.
I have the wyoming elk draw this week and only have arizona left. after using a calculator on the draw odds and fee calculations, i dropped ten other draws i was going for and some i had 15 to 17 points. it is just cheaper for me to buy tags and bypass the drawings. I hope to draw AZ in 3 to 5 years and that will be it.
Thanks Shedhead, I hope you're right! Don't know if I'll ever catch up with that unit again...
I feel I am past the point of getting out in Utah. With the hunting license structure and low app fees I will stay in till I draw.
Next year will be the year I burn my Colorado points for elk and deer. After that I doubt I put in to acquire points. If I put in it will be a tag I know I can draw with zero points.
I want to hunt Arizona elk at least one time. So in a few years I should have the points to draw and then I will be out.
I’m in pretty much anywhere a Desert Sheep tag can be drawn. I put in for everything that makes sense in those states and any tag I draw will be a good one and a great bonus. I’ve drawn a Rocky tag but am trying for another so treat those states similar. I put in for Alaska draws when I have a license or will need a license for the following year. I don’t see my strategy changing other than finding a good way to hunt mule deer a couple times each fall as I burn out my deer points.
I’m phasing out. Idaho is a random draw and they effectively don’t have OTC elk anymore because it’s a draw just to get in line for quota cut NR tags that sell out in seconds (whereas 3-6 years ago it took months). Went out on a high note last year! I’ll miss Idaho. Letting my 10 deer points in CO collect dust and not adding more. They moved the goal post on deer for sure. Once I cash out 13 elk points in WY next year, will be done there.
My kids are 16 & 13 and I will not be putting them in for points anymore. Statistically it’s not worth it. We’ll make the most of any general tag we can get moving forward.
Never give up!!! I put in for animals here for up to 30 years. The excitement when you finally get drawn is hard to beat especially when it’s a desert bighorn.
For me there are too many good OTC hunts if your not into trophey animals. Some of them can be crowded but some really aren't that bad just depends on state and season. I am tires of getting disappointed every year after the draw so I'm pretty much done with the western draws, shoot I can't even draw special deer hunts in Ohio anymore and I used to draw two or three a year. I'm going to Colorado OTC elk this year and I know I probably won't shoot one but I will have just as much fun and can go anytime I want and not have to wait on some government to tell me I can. I still get why guys and girls are applying and there are still awesome hunting opportunities out there but I am personally done.
Further evaluated after getting shut out in Nevada & Wyoming yet again. Not likely to have any western state tag in 2021. Just a few long shots left, including one that has gone from 70% odds to 4% in just three short years. So much for that off-the-radar backup plan!
Stood back and took another look at my calendar and must say my time is actually transitioning over to spring turkey and fishing walleye runs. And local Illinois deer hunting. Despite 20+ points in 7 of the 8 states I apply in, I draw far fewer tags than I did with 0-5 points back in the 90’s. The information super highway has paved right over the premium hunts I used to get routinely. Took a closer look at my most recent western tags and noticed my last six were in fact preference lotteries where I was in line. Last random tag of any kind was 2012 NH moose, which wasn’t even western! Everyone knows where to apply now and they do it at the encouragement of multiple app publications. So despite all my watered down 23-25 points I see myself burning those on lesser units or just going AJ’s route of meat hunting.
From some of the punishments given to poachers it will be cheaper to go that way & hope you get away with it..
^^^ You’ll be the exception…
Never, if I want to hunt deer in my own state I have to apply every year. I will probably only get to hunt elk in the unit I live only once more in my life. How many of you have to apply to hunt deer in your own state?
Pretty soon we'll have to burn points to draw a cow/calf/doe/fawn tag.
Seriously.
I like to hunt Elk/Antelope/Deer; won't ever be done with points. Partner's whining about not being able to hunt other states but the only points he has are the ones I've bought him. If you want to hunt more than crowded otc areas, buy points. They're cheap.
I’m slowly dropping out. Burning points as I go.
I’m slowly dropping out. Burning points as I go.
I’m slowly dropping out. Burning points as I go.
You guys ought to be looking at more 'exotic' destinations. Like upstate or western New York! ;-)
Nah, Connecticut is where is at!
lmao! ;-)
(Actually there are a lot of deer in CT, but the regs are twisted. Yeah, no surprise there ;-) )
I was late to the game getting into the point systems in WY, MT, and CO for elk and deer. I’ve got enough I should draw when I apply in the respected states for the species I’m holding out for there. Hopefully I can get my business stabilized enough to start hunting versus buying points.
With all that said, I’m glad I’m not in like a lot of you guys. Because I’d feel obligated to keep chasing that rabbit. Instead, I hope to do trips to Alaska for things like spring bear, Sitka on Kodak, etc..... versus trying to hunt out west every year.
I’ve come to grips that I’m not going to hunt sheep anywhere. I’m ok with that too. I just can’t see where opportunity is going to over lap into actual hunting anywhere except Alaska. With any consistency. So, in 5 years, that’s my goal posts. Be hunted out of points in the west and hope the opportunity’s in Alaska are still available.
I have 8 pp's in Colorado and 10 in Wyoming , when i draw elk tags for units i want to hunt in those two states i'm done. Going to hunt Montana this year.
I'll likely be playing the points game until I can't draw a bow any longer. Bought my first western points in 1999. Have drawn 19 tags in 22 years...including WY Shiras moose, CO bighorn sheep, Dall sheep in AK, popular Type 9 elk tag in WY, both LE elk and LE deer in UT. Last year, drew a Kaibab deer tag in AZ. That said, I typically don't hold out for the top premium units. Still apply for a few lottery odds tags too. You just never know...
I was never a points fanatic. I always admired the bulls Big Dan killed and he almost got me putting in for Arizona, Nevada and others. But the only ones I’ve ever out in for were Montana deer, Colorado deer, and Wyoming elk and deer. I walked away from my Montana points because I’m a planning fanatic and so the fact that your points are bonus and not preference means you can never calculate your odds turned me off.
I am in no hurry to burn my Colorado points. I want the best buck I can get when I hunt. Currently sitting at 10 and it never even dawns on me to see where I might be able to draw.
So the only state left is Wyoming. Once I cash in my deer points I’ll keep buying them but not saving them for a top region. Instead I’ll hunt 3-4 points ones where the hunting can be just as good as 7-8 point spots. As far as elk there..... that’s my one and only that I’ll never bow out of. In addition to buying my own point each year I have friends who are once or twice in a lifetime elk hunters who also buy them for hunts we’ll do together at some point. A few are great friends from Ontario and New Brunswick who will enjoy our time together as much as the hunting and after the political virus BS I’ll certainly be glad to see them eh.
Cashed 11 elk points in Colorado for a unit that took 3 points last year (5 this year) because I’ll never draw an archery tag in the units I was chasing. I had friends with 5-6 points so we applied as a group and are going hunting. Will never purchase another point in Colorado. Cashing in Wyoming points next year. Will probably continue to accumulate points in Wyoming to get general tags but won’t go past that. The only points I will accumulate are in Arizona and my home state of Nebraska. I see no value in other states.
I’ll stay in as I have on most states east to west since 1998. I’d rather spend my money on having the chance each year than not being in the game. I’ve drawn many tags over the years as have my two sons. The mathematics of the situation indicate it won’t get any easier, but at least we have a chance. Often we can use our points for mid level areas and keep hunting each year.
I’ve been buying points for premium hunts for a long time and never planned on buying them for so many years but Game Depts are not your friend when they change the rules on their draw and point systems putting you from just about there to now taking another 6 - 8 years just to get back to where you were when they changed the system. If your going to spend that much money over 20 years just by a premium LO tag and get it over with. You might not live long enough to cash your points in.
I enjoy applying for the draws & have drawn some great tags over the years. I've dropped out of a few like Wyoming Moose & Sheep as well as Colorado Sheep after I drew those tags. I used 21 deer points in Colorado this year for a tag & will cross that off my applications next year. The pure preference point states are tough for guys just starting out & also tough for guys getting up in age! Good Luck
I’ll stay in as I have on most states east to west since 1998. I’d rather spend my money on having the chance each year than not being in the game. I’ve drawn many tags over the years as have my two sons. The mathematics of the situation indicate it won’t get any easier, but at least we have a chance. Often we can use our points for mid level areas and keep hunting each year.
I've got Wyoming elk and pronghorn points. Probably 1 more hunt for each and I'm out. Going to focus on critters I can just go hunt. Deer, bear small game mostly. Few guided dream hunts sprinkled in as well. I've given enough of my money dreaming of going hunting instead of actually going hunting.
I have near max points for elk and deer in Wyoming to go along with my 9 antelope points. I plan to use them up in the next 5-6 years and then I am done applying out of state and will only hunt my home state of AZ. Have family in Nebraska and may hunt some WT and turkeys there but that will be it for me. I have always dreamed of hunting bear in Canada but not sure if that will ever happen. I dropped out of Nevada and Colorado years ago and have no regrets.
Good question and good responses. I feel the pain as many above. For me it becomes a choice between some potential quality bowhunting verses overcrowded dwindling otc tags. I will continue to weigh value on a case by case basis and continue with some and not contribute to others. Let's see what the future has in store for us such as more limited entry for Colorado elk.
