MT Moose Point Choice? worst odds vs. best unit?

[HuskyMusky]

What do you choose?

Go with the worst odds from last year?

or worst odds/best unit this year?


I'm sure like many others out there, I don't want a MT moose tag this year, but if I get very lucky I'd prefer to have the best moose tag possible in my pocket vs. simply the worst odds tag...

Now I just have to review my eastmans' MRS and see which unit that is.


On a side note, I feel like it's bad for those hunters actually trying to draw either of those moose units... having the rest of us apply for those units hoping to not draw and just get another bonus point...

 

[30Hart]

I play it straight up, better to get a unit you can hunt and have good quality even though the odds suck than to try and game the system so you don't draw. By doing that you are only hurting yourself as its very rare to draw regardless of how many points you have as a NR. In MT you can apply for 40 years and never come close to drawing as a NR.

 

[medtech10]

that's not just MT that's virtually every state applying as a NR

 

[jjenness]

All in all it probably doesn't matter as your odds of drawing are not good.

 

[NDHunter]

With the way they restructured the application process there this year, I'm throwing in the towel on MT. $70 non-refundable just to apply is too much. And with a squared point system, my odds would probably be 1 in 1,000 at best. I'd agree with 30Hart though. I know what it's like to not want to draw but the odds are already so ridiculously low that I think a guy should ALWAYS be trying to draw a tag and apply in a mid to lower level unit. Drawing the worst tag there is still probably really hard.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm folding too stuck in no mans land with the cost per point going up I'm saving my money.

 

[HuskyMusky]

I assume only more people will apply... less $$ to front... up front.

What did it cost before? $5 to apply? $20 for points. convenience fee close to $60 I saw... I'm excited to not have to front $2200 etc... but more applications now I will assume...and yes more $$ to apply even if it is less up front although you would get more of that back? also I assume my "convenience fee" will go down...

My initial guess is for the 3, sheep, moose, goat... it probably cost about $90 non-refundable, now it's gonna be $210 or so...?

 

[CoHiCntry]

I'm out too... Good luck Husky!

 

[woodtick]

Yeah here is another guy thats jumping ship, 6 points for sheep and moose are a complete waist if the market gets flooded with thousands of new applicants. I never understood why people can't pay the front money but they'll pay the tag fee if drawn.

 

[CrimsonArrow]

I'm probably out too. I didn't mind fronting the $2,295 to apply for moose, goat, and sheep, since a guy gets back all but 45 bucks. Now the cost is just too much for the odds of drawing. I'm sad for my boys, who I was planning on getting them in the game when they turned 12. Add to that the ridiculous cost of the elk/deer license for NR's, and now Montana can kiss my a**.

 

[HuskyMusky]

Yeah here is another guy thats jumping ship, 6 points for sheep and moose are a complete waist if the market gets flooded with thousands of new applicants. I never understood why people can't pay the front money but they'll pay the tag fee if drawn.

I don't wanna start a flame war between residents and non-residents, but I honestly think once in a lifetime tags would only benefit both res and non-res by charging the same full non-res price for all of us.

Sure it would cost more, but like you said all serious hunters would not have a problem paying the non-res price for a sheep/goat/or moose if that meant significantly better odds for all of those who apply.


what is max points in MT for sheep,goat,moose? anyone know off the top of their head? 20pts?

 

[Bitterroot Bulls]

what is max points in MT for sheep,goat,moose? anyone know off the top of their head? 20pts?

It's 13 this year.

 

[Musket Man]

Yeah here is another guy thats jumping ship, 6 points for sheep and moose are a complete waist if the market gets flooded with thousands of new applicants. I never understood why people can't pay the front money but they'll pay the tag fee if drawn.

I dont have the money to front fees to apply for alot of tags. The only tag i fronted this year is a CO deer app. Just buying points in WY. I will apply in ID and NV and If I do draw a tag I dont mind it going on my credit card and spreading it out some if I need too but I couldnt front fees for all those tags.

 

[Montana]

Good for all of you that pulled out... enough is enough.. I get the economics and importance of the revenue but I don't think thats it. All the states, land owners, outfitters are taking the costs of hunting to a scary place. I pulled out of multiple applications as well.

As hunters we do it to ourselves we because we keep paying the fees, who knows what's coming down the pipe...

 

[Musket Man]

I stopped applying in MT since the deer/elk combos went up. It looks like alot of others did too since the odds went from 2-1 to having leftovers every year. Idaho went from selling out general tags in Dec to basically otc since most gen tags never sell out since they raised their prices. I know atleast the first year of the price increase tag sales went down so much they actually lost money. I believe OR did something similar to ID the year before but I didnt really follow that one. You would think eventually they would realize there is a limit to what we will pay but the trouble is it goes up everywhere and if you want to hunt out of state you got to pay it somewhere.

 

[MWScott72]

I've got four points for bighorns and two for mtn. goats in MT. I wasn't thrilled to pay up front, but at least I knew that most of that money was coming back when the inevitable "unsuccessful" arrived. Now that it costs $70 non-refundable PER SPECIES, MT can kiss my backside as well. I think they're screwing themselves with the significant jump in fees for deer/elk and now trophy species, but if they want to hang themselves, they can go ahead and do so. I've also sworn off NV and AZ with their "buy a $150 hunting license up front" for the privilege of gaining a point.

There is a point at which the whole points game becomes a farce, and MT, NV, and AZ have arrived there in my book. I've never applied in NM (was thinking about it a few years ago), and now I'm glad I didn't with the way they chopped the non-resident, unguided proportions. Just ridiculous.