Help with info on points and applying
Moose
I hate to ask because I know the information would be available if I do a little research. Unfortunately, I am in the middle of a ton of stuff at work and really don't have time to check into and the deadline to apply is fast approaching. I have 15 points for moose in Utah. I am wondering if there is any unit I may be able to draw in the foreseeable future? Am I just wasting my time accumulating more points or is it realistic that I could draw in the next 10 years? I am 60 but in fairly good shape but, of course, things change. Thanks for any input that anyone can give.
My son & I are in the same point pool as you. We don't expect, realistically, to ever draw. But the short answer to your question is that you'd be 40 or more years away from drawing in the bonus pass, if you could live that long. So even if you were in you're twenties instead of 60, you might never draw in the bonus round in your lifetime. Unfortunately, there's only one NR moose hunt that offers a license in the bonus round (Wasatch), and it will take 24 or 25 points to guarantee draw this year. That goes up one point every year. The other moose hunts available to NR's only give one license each, and are therefore randomly awarded. There are more than 15000 NR's with moose points, and 7 licenses available each year at the present time. And there are 930 NR's with
more than 15 points. More than 200 of those have between 21 and 27 points. The Utah moose draw, for most, is nothing more than an extreme long-shot, that we only apply for because it's cheap, and "there's always a chance".
You have slim to almost no chance to draw a moose tag in Utah. Your 15 points is of no consequences these days. Points are only good for the bonus draw, that is tags that are available to the person with the most points. of the 5 units that had a draw for NR last year, only only unit had tag available in the bonus draw and that went to someone who had 23 points and at that he had 33% chance to draw. So you are quite aways from securing a bonus point tag as there are 213 other NR with 15 points and 935 with more than 15 points and with moose tags on a declining trend across the west, you would'nt see any improvement to you drawing a bonus point tag for a few hundred years OR BE HONEST A THOUSAND YEARS!!!
the other 4 units each had 'ONE" tag available in the random draw. Yes just one NR tag each for each for those 4 units. Each of those tags goes to a lucky recipient in the random draw . those odds are as follows: 1 tag in 1,121 applicants, 1 in 1,476 applicants, 1 in 1,419 applicants and 1 in 1,346 applicants. OH ya that first unit mention also has random draw tags available which your eligible to be in the draw for even though you didn't have 23 points to draw the bonus tag, the random tag draw for that unit was 1 in 3,135. WHOA!!!
so there was 8,497 NR applying Utah's moose draw last year and every year that number grows. so you see your odds of every drawing a NR moose tag is horribly tiny.
ahh! Alas, it is only $15 if you already are applying for something else in Utah, so big deal. If its the only species you are applying for then you have to ante up the $72 license fee every other year. not that that will get you much closer to the end game of drawing a tag in THE foreseeable future.
most other states have similar odds. Idaho bull moose odds maybe the most favorable of the western states for a bull moose tag. as they have no point system, so every year, all applicants are in the draw at the same level. Be prepared to pay a hefty annual license fee that is around $185 a year for that slim chance to draw.
Check the P&Y range map for Shiras moose as some areas just north of the border in Canada have been listed as Shiras moose areas in years past. An outfitter may be available to get you on to a moose in a few years.
Will any moose do? Then, if you like to be in a moose hero photo in the foreseeable future Canada, Alaska or Russia is your quickest route to go. Newfoundland moose hunts look reasonable compared to Yukon, Alaska or Russia. my suggestion for you to go on archery moose hunt in foreseeable future, would be to contact Bowsite sponsor Mikes Outfitting, he has high success for moose of the Alberta variety..
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Thanks for all the detailed answers folks, I really appreciate it. It is kind of what I expected to hear. I will make it a little easier for the rest of you to draw since I am going to discontinue applying. Good luck to those of you who are staying in the game. I was lucky enough to draw a LE elk for the Wasatch a couple years ago so I will just leave it at that and be satisfied.
Dan, In my opinion you are making a big mistake. Maybe because I was one of the “randoms” last year. Lol. I’ve always put in for the OIL tags because I’m getting points for deer and elk already paying the license fee, so why not. Chances aren’t good, actually they are pretty bad but you know what they say... “you can’t win if you don’t play”. Good luck.
DJ
