How Many States do you Apply for?

[Elkhunter96]

As I finished my Co application, I started thinking about this. How many states should I be applying for? Im up to 6 nowadays. A couple of them I am just doing points to try and use later, but it starts to become a strategy to not get overlap if I were to draw a surprise low odds tag

As a disclaimer, I have only ever had one good tag in my life. Hoping all the applying will pay off in the future, starting with 2014 and a CO deer tag.

 

[CoHiCntry]

The list seems to be shrinking... I'm still in 5 but thinking another one or two will bight the dust this year. I personally don't think it's worth it anymore. Just my opinion though.

 

[Musket Man]

I have 5 including my home state. WY, CO, NV, ID, and WA.

 

[tdub24]

Just 2 for me including my home state, NV and UT.....will go to ID OTC when funds allow and I don't get too many tags in NV.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Usually 3......Calif, Wyo & here in Colo. Used to put in for Az & Ut, but not anymore.

 

[gonhunting247]

After taking a look at what I put in for I think I need to scale back soon after I draw a couple tags I have points for!
I hunt everything I can draw or OTC in OR,next special draws in AK, then it's putting in for everything in UT and NV. After that it's Deer and/or elk tags or pts. depending on the year for AZ,MT,CO,WY and ID. I'd love to hunt MZ deer across the river in WA again, like I use to, but I'm usually tapped out on time and money by the time I get down the list to it! Obviously, I have to be careful to only draw about 2-3 out a state hunts a yr.
To be honest when I draw a couple of these tags I've been building pts. for, I'll probably just do easy draw and OTC tags and spend most my time with friends and family in OR and AK and adjust other states from there!

 

[HuskyMusky]

AZ, NM, CO, UT, NV, WY, MT

Eventually I'll apply in ID.

Applied for 1 year in WA, then changed fees and with poor odds I cut my losses.

 

[Alabama]

AZ, NM, CO, UT, NV, WY, MT

Eventually I'll apply in ID.

Applied for 1 year in WA, then changed fees and with poor odds I cut my losses.

Exactly the same for me except I've applied in OR the last couple years and I'm probably going to cut my losses there as well. This was my first year applying in NM and I think I'll not be applying again unless it's for Barbary sheep in the outfitter pool.

 

[Fink]

I hunt whitetails and turkeys in KS and MO, apply for turkeys in SD, and apply for big game in AZ, CO, ID, KY, NM, UT and WY. I've been kicking around NV, but the cost, to me, doesn't justify the wait.

 

[Musket Man]

I hunt whitetails and turkeys in KS and MO, apply for turkeys in SD, and apply for big game in AZ, CO, ID, KY, NM, UT and WY. I've been kicking around NV, but the cost, to me, doesn't justify the wait.

I am curious why you think AZ, ID, UT, NM are worth it but not NV. To me NV is more worth it then any of those states. Of all those states I apply for NV and ID and Im not sure ID would be worth it if it werent close to me and I have other uses for the hunting license (wolf tag and otc deer or elk is 1 of my back pocket hunts).

 

[Elkhunter96]

I apply for UT, NV, NM, WY, CO, and ID. Az and MT are the only other lower 48 states I've thought about applying for. Not sure I want to get into the AZ game since I already do similar type draw states like NV and UT...

 

[BOHNTR]

I apply annually in the following states:

CA
NV
AZ
UT
CO
WY

 

[marcusvdk]

I put in for points in utah and wyoming currently. They put in for draws in my home state of michigan. Then for lottery draws in NH, Vermont, and Maine.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm in for wa,wy,co,ut,nv. Dropped mt and nm this year.

 

[Muleys 24/7]

I apply annually in the following states:

CA
NV
AZ
UT
CO
WY

I do these same ones

 

[Timberstalker]

OR, WY,NV Am I missing something besides Co deer?

 

[Calbuck]

I'm in for AZ, NV, WY, ID, CA, UT.. Considered MT, CO, OR, NM but couldn't pull the trigger on em. Don't ask me why!

 

[Alabama]

I noticed a trend. Everybody thinks Wyoming is a great state to hunt because everyone applies there. And everybody applies in Utah because it's cheap. Only problem is they won't draw unless it's general deer because everyone applies there lol.

 

[Calbuck]

And there's a problem with general season deer?

 

[Fink]

I am curious why you think AZ, ID, UT, NM are worth it but not NV. To me NV is more worth it then any of those states. Of all those states I apply for NV and ID and Im not sure ID would be worth it if it werent close to me and I have other uses for the hunting license (wolf tag and otc deer or elk is 1 of my back pocket hunts).

When I began my application strategy, I looked at every state, with elk in mind first and foremost.
New Mexico: because it's a completely random draw, and you get all your money back, less a few app fees.
Idaho: again, random draw, and when I don't draw, I'll hunt OTC, so I'm not really out the license fee.
Utah: costs about a quarter of the price of Nevada, when you factor in the $65 license, and the requirement to only buy it every other year. Many more available archery tags
Arizona: better season dates, more available tags, and just the desire to ultimately hunt Arizona.

For me, I'd prefer to hunt elk in the rut. I don't have much of a desire to hunt them in the late season, and since the vast majority of NV opportunity is all later hunts, I passed on it when building my app strategy.