Contributors to this thread:
9 LE points for elk and deer. Will a non resident at my point total ever catch the bonus point group for a mule deer hunt? Vernon is taking 14 now! It was 8-9 about 5-6 years ago. Am I reading this right and point creep is running about a point a year? I gotta be lotto lucky in Utah it seems.
Seems like the only elk hunt that I even have a chance for is the Wasatch.
You are correct. Many have realized this years ago and stopped playing the game. The other option is to take the long term view, hope the rules don’t change, and plan on out living the rest of the people ahead of you!! At least there is a random chance, whereas like CO there is no chance at many units.
Other option is to plan on moving to Utah some day and get resident odds. The huge reason Non-residents are loosing tags in Utah is that all the HuntExpo tags and auction tags are taken out of the NR quota, appeasing the resident voter block, and generating the $$$ for SFW and cronies Peay to buy political power.
Your SOL especially as a NR for deer. Utah is the worst as far as bonus pool allocation. I have 9 or 10 for deer as a resident and said screw it. Leaving them sit and applying for elk. I seriously think if you want a Utah mule deer consider general units and have at it. I stalk bomber bucks every year (but I don’t kill them!!!)
For elk you are close to one of the three tags you’ll ever get a chance at in a bonus point pool.
Pretty cheap to apply in Utah. You never know how the draw might change in the future? You always have a slim chance at a random tag for now.
Luck can happen for sure. I drew an LE elk tag as a NR with 4 points. However, nobody is going to change the rules in favor of cost or odds. Virtually every state has changed the rules to make it cost more each year with lower odds. Point creep just amplifies the odds. If anyone reading this thread is thinking of getting into the point game, focus on general units you can spend time in.
I am sitting on 8. I haven’t thought much about if I draw to be honest.
If it wasn’t so cheap I would have gotten out awhile ago.
When I started I wanted to hunt the Book cliffs. Didn’t really care about huge bucks. Just wanted to hunt a unit that had a ton of nice bucks.
One of the funnest hunts I have ever had was hunting the La Sals on a general tag.
Seen a few nice bucks and plenty of does and small bucks. Had a fun hunt and ended up killing my first muley sitting right in camp with a day to go of my hunt.
Yeah with Utah you’re not gaining any ground in the bonus points system, that’s become obvious. I have 8 general deer and 6 dedicated hunter points. I guess it’s gonna be a general play and hope to catch the Wasatch for elk.
If my money tree shakes loose I’m buying that oak creek archery deer LE tag - that would be epic.
Yup there’s so few DIY NR tags left after SFW is done skimming & scheming I am disinterested in checking my points and draw stats until the deadline. 24 or 25 deer points now but only one tag peels off the top each year and that usually goes to a point saver dropping in. May bail on the Pauns and just do a San Juan rifle or something just to exit the system.
Well as I am sitting at 21 NR points. Why quit now?
Did something happen in 2019 as the amount of points it took for the archery LE mule deer hunts spiked 3-4 points on the south slope and Vernon.
All it takes is one or two point builders to cash out for a tag to raise the ante. Maybe one or two retired or came to the epiphany that it wasn’t going to get any better and were done chasing points?
We keep trying to get them to Combine the points on Deer (Preference for Gen deer and Bonus for LE Deer) as ya gotta Draw to hunt so combine 'em.....
Anyways my Rant is over
Apply for a unit with at least 2 NR tags and go for it Tony!!!!
Good luck, Robb
If we could somehow get them to change it back to only being able to apply for one species, that would help a bunch! Residents can only apply for one species. That is one reason their odds are so much better to begin with.
I know why they screw us on odds by letting us apply for all species: money. But why not let us apply for only one hunt, and apply for points on all other species? That way they get their money and we get better odds.
With no chance at any good bonus licenses, my son & I apply for long-shot hunts and hope for power-ball luck in the random draw for LE deer. The point is not to worry about it much, since there are so many other places & options to hunt mule deer every year.
Txhunter, you can apply for points only for every species now.
I just play for the long shot win. Not too worried about not drawing. I will draw one or two decent tags in Utah, eventually!
I chased Utahs point creep and finally drew the mediocre Book Cliffs deer with 16 fricken points. Our good days are numbered... Burn them and hunt... Ed F
I am not sure there are so many places to hunt mule deer anymore. Maybe there are a few, but how many non-resident options can you say you can hunt every year or every other? I know of one or two but I wouldn't take any of this for granted anymore. The changes I have seen in the draw over the last decade have been not favorable for the NR traveling hunter and only going to get worse in my opinion. Enjoy while you can fellas!
