Is it worth it?

[Sioux33]

So, last year I bought my first elk preference point and was thinking about doing it again...until I saw the 2013 detailed drawings. There were nearly 10,000 eligible applicants and only 261 tags issued statewide! So now I'm considering just cutting my loss and looking elsewhere, just curious what others think about this setup they have in UT, or what I'd call the elk powerball

 

[nunt'nbutmuleys]

Always a chance to draw in UT, not all the tags go to max point holders so I personally think it is good to stick with it, got to pay to play in about any state these days and yes I think there all worth it hopefully one day ill get a tag but till then I bide my time and keep trying!!!!

 

[RUTTIN]

Power ball in Utah is about right, even as a resident it's hard to draw but I figure someone has to draw. You have better odds coming out to the western hunt expo to try and get a expo tag for the unit you want to hunt! Good luck to you.


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[WapitiBob]

50% go to the max pool guys, remaining 50% are random but apps are weighted because of Bonus Points. A little math will tell you how long it will be before you're in the max pool for a given hunt with stats staying the same. Add in the license cost and you have a dollar amount. Then look at the random side and if you're lucky, you draw the first year. If your luck sucks, you're in it till you draw in the max pool.
Only you can decide if it's worth it.

 

[Musket Man]

Only you can decide if it's worth it.

I agree. What is worth it to 1 might not be worth it to another. When I started getting points a few years ago I decided UT was not worth it to me. A lot of my decision was because I decided to apply in NV and I didnt want to get chasing tags in to many places that take alot of points to draw. Nothing wrong with putting in for long shots but I wouldnt do it in to many states because you could end up with alot of points, no tags, and still be a long ways from drawing the way point creep is going in alot of places.

 

[Shooter]

If you are only going to apply for elk then I don't think it's worth it. But if you are going to apply for elk, deer, pronghorn, general deer, and OIL tags then I think it is more than worth it.

 

[Sioux33]

Yah, the biggest issue I see is becoming a max point-holder is never going to happen in my lifetime. I'm guessing I have 35 years of hunting left in me and currently there's 1,500 some in the 5-points bucket alone. If they're giving out only 2-3 tags in the premier units each year at a 50/50 clip to max points and bonus points, those are insurmountable odds if you ask me, especially if you're competing with a few thousand other guys for 50% of the 2 or 3 tags. So that leaves me with settling for a mid-range unit, which I know is still probably better than most tags in other states, but if and when I get it I'd have to go alone. So for me to drive all the way to UT (from MN) by myself for a non-premier zone and wait 7-10 years, I'd rather just say the heck with it. Don't want to be too gloomy, but that's how I see it.

 

[lang]

Your deciding factor might be your budget. Really nothing to loose, but a little money each year. How important is the chance at a little larger bull. Lots of otc areas in multiple states will give you great hunts and some of the private landowner tags sound like they can be just as good or better than the le tags without the circus of the draw.

 

[Elkhunter96]

It may be a powerball, but the last Eastman article summed it up. No other state gives you as good as opportunity for a b&c bull. Just saying.

 

[Lab]

35 years is a long time. Apply Apply Apply half thos applicants or more will be dead or done hunting in 35 years.

 

[Umpqua Hunter]

I have a rule when it comes to applying for tags, and that is I invest in tags and I won't gamble.

FYI, here is my simple rule of thumb:

Determine my draw odds, lets say they are 1% (1:100).

Determine my total costs to apply, lets say $50.

Divide the costs by the percent to draw ($50/0.01) = $5,000.

As a rule of thumb, when applying I want to spend about 1/2 the price (or less) than what it costs to "buy" an equivalent hunt (guided, landowner tag...etc). Could I go out and "buy" that hunt for $10,000?

Although this is just a rough estimate, it's close enough to give me a feel if it is worth it. I also need to determine if I will catch a max point tag as that is a big factor.

A lot of app services say things like "someone has to draw" to entice you. They are in the business of making money. I personally think that is a crazy way to look at it. It's like buying lottery tickets to make money. The odds of making it financially are stacked way in favor of those who apply themselves, work hard, and handle their money wisely.

 

[Muleys 24/7]

I see umpquas point, for some species I hunt a lot of general areas And can hunt every couple of years. Since I'm already buying the license for that purpose, it's not much more to jump in the lottery for some of the other species. But for the sole purpose of buying a license for lottery tags/points. I'm not sure how worth it it would be.

 

[MountainHigh]

I have a rule when it comes to applying for tags, and that is I invest in tags and I won't gamble.

FYI, here is my simple rule of thumb:

Determine my draw odds, lets say they are 1% (1:100).

Determine my total costs to apply, lets say $50.

Divide the costs by the percent to draw ($50/0.01) = $5,000.

As a rule of thumb, when applying I want to spend about 1/2 the price (or less) than what it costs to "buy" an equivalent hunt (guided, landowner tag...etc). Could I go out and "buy" that hunt for $10,000?

Although this is just a rough estimate, it's close enough to give me a feel if it is worth it. I also need to determine if I will catch a max point tag as that is a big factor.

A lot of app services say things like "someone has to draw" to entice you. They are in the business of making money. I personally think that is a crazy way to look at it. It's like buying lottery tickets to make money. The odds of making it financially are stacked way in favor of those who apply themselves, work hard, and handle their money wisely.

This makes a lot of sense to me, I have always thought of the monetary aspect it takes to apply for "X" amount of years as opposed to buying a guided hunt to have the chance at the same type of hunt you may desire. This helps me decide if it is worth it or not.

 

[lang]

One thing about Utah is the liscense is for 365 days, not a calender year. So if your a nr and aren't planning on hunting just getting points this year 2015 get your liscense at the end of the application period next year put in at the earliest date and you only have to buy the liscense every other year. It's only $60, but Utah has plenty of my hard earned money already.

 

[NDHunter]

One thing about Utah is the liscense is for 365 days, not a calender year. So if your a nr and aren't planning on hunting just getting points this year 2015 get your liscense at the end of the application period next year put in at the earliest date and you only have to buy the liscense every other year. It's only $60, but Utah has plenty of my hard earned money already.

This is an important point. Only buying the license every other year helps out a bit.

Don't get caught up in thinking about being in the "max point pool". Yea that'd be nice to be in that position but I'd much rather hunt every 5-10 years in a state rather than once in my life.

Like others have said, if you plan on applying for deer and sheep and goats then it might be worth it. For just elk, it is more questionable. I figure it's going to be a 10-15 year draw for me to pull a decent tag but when I draw it, it should be a very solid hunt.

Also, how much elk hunting experience do you have? Or do you think you'll elk hunt in other states before you think you'd pull a UT tag and how good will your hunting skills be? For me personally, I haven't elk hunted much yet and need to go on 4-5 hunts OTC hunts to get some better elk hunting skills before I pull one of these really good tags. I don't want a great tag right now and then go hunting and be walking around with my head up my a** because I don't know what I'm doing.... Just a few things to think about.

 

[NDHunter]

One other thing is have you shot many elk yet? If you defied 1 in 10,000 odds and drew the BEST tag in the state next year with a chance at 400" bulls, would you be able to pass up a nice 300" 6x6? I know for me, passing up any nice 6x6 right now would be very tough which is just another reason I'd rather wait a few years to get one of those better tags.