Non-Res; Sheep, Moose, Goat?

[HuskyMusky]

I have 1 point for sheep, and everything I'm reading lately is of the horrible odds in WA and don't apply.
I think I saw odds at 1 in 2500, and if that's just # of applicants and not referring to bonus points, true odds could be even worse!?

How is the trophy potential?

What's max points for non-res for all 3 of these species?

I'm fairly young, so as long as I can draw each tag within 40 years that would be nice, but then again do I really want to hunt WA sheep down the road after I've taken a sheep in another state?

I have 3 options as I see it.
give up
apply for sheep til I draw it
apply for goat/sheep/moose til I draw.

 

[Musket Man]

You are a WA resident right? The way I see it is if you dont apply you surely will never draw. There are units that many people applying for them will never draw in their lifetime. I started applying for all 3 last year. Its pretty cheap as a resident and someone is going to draw the tags. My number is bound to come up somewhere someday!

 

[HuskyMusky]

I'm a non-res...

I'll probably at least keep applying for sheep, may add goat and moose this year, but not really sure.

 

[Fish]

Husky,
If I was a non res, I'd apply for moose and maybe for sheep. Most cali sheep in WA will go mid 160's to low 170's with better quality on the rocky mt big horns in the few areas that have them. Don't even bother with goats. They reduced the tags # to 20 or less for the whole state. You will most likelly be dead before you drew. What does it cost to get a point in WA for a nos res?
I got lucky and drew a goat tag in 1992, that was before the bonus point system was in place. I have 15 points and still haven't drawn sheep,goat or moose yet. I like the WY preference point system better than our bouns point system. At 62, I wonder if I'll draw a tag while still in good health.
You may want to look at Idaho for moose tags and CO and WY for goat. Good luck in the draw, you will need it in WA and then some.

 

[HuskyMusky]

$60 to apply per species.

I think I applied for sheep because they have cali's.

ID is on my to do list for sure, although I'm waiting to apply there when I actually want the tag, of course if I draw a WA sheep etc... I would make the hunt happen, but really I just want to be in position down the road.

I really do want a goat, but I'll probably draw that tag in another state much sooner.

Perhaps I'll do moose and sheep this year, I'm not sure.

When is the resident/non-resident deadline?

 

[Fish]

I believe the dead line is some time in May. the game booklets are not out yet. With so few sheep tags given out, the non res amount must be real small. Remember, you could draw with no or even one point in this bonus system of ours. They do kill some very good moose and sheep in WA.

 

[HuskyMusky]

I believe most states are heading towards "squaring bonus points" ie 15pts vs 225pts is a big difference!

Email WA game and fish every year, I'm sure they probably have a suggestion or a period int he spring/late winter where they ask for input.

I much more like squaring points than WY systems of 75/25%, ie in WY in some units non-res/non-max point holders have 0 chance of drawing that tag, squaring is much fairer, everyone has a chance, and odds are max point holders will draw the tag. A system where a new guy has 0 chance only makes a guy say why bother? ie like me in WY for sheep, I refuse to build points. I'll either get lucky and draw in the random, or not at all. When guys have 15pts and you're just starting out, how long before all those 15pt holders fill out and you catch up? answer, never!

 

[Fish]

Husky,
They do sq points in WA. Even with 15 sheep and goat and 13 moose points I still haven't drawn. There aren't enough tags given out for any of these species to get through a bunch of tag holders. Way back you had to front the cash for the tag and that kept some from applying.
I really like the WY system. Its very fair for everyone and much better than the WA draw system. WY gives out enough tags that people that have max points get zeroed a lot faster than in WA. Every draw system has its bad side but I feel WY has it right. At least you know when you will be able to draw a tag there. In WA its still a random draw or more like Lotto.
At 62 I don't think I'll be able to draw a 89 or 90 deer tag since I zeroed my points last year. I guess I can always hope to draw in the random draw. Don't know if its worth buying deer points for WY any more.
Good luck in the draw

 

[Ridgerunner]

Trophy potential is high in WA for all 3 species. The good thing about the WA draw is that everyone at least has a chance(even if very slim). I've pulled a sheep and a moose tag here recently and I was 3 points below the maximum number of points each time I drew. If you were young I would continue to apply, you never know when you might get lucky. I know people that have drawn the once in a lifetime species the first or second year they apply, it doesn't happen often but it does happen.

 

[Musket Man]

Idaho does have great odds but its alot of money for a non resident to apply. But no point creep!

 

[HuskyMusky]

looks like WA almost doubled their fees, from $60 ish to $110 per species?

odds look so bad I wonder if I should even bother, I only have 1 pt for sheep.

 

[canvsbk]

Square points - random draw - point creep - max points - A tag - B tag - bonus points - special draw......about the only thing a guy from Michigan can understand is horrible odds.

 

[llp]

I have 7 points as a NR for sheep, etc. I will probalby drop out of the draw witht he increased fees. Odds are truly horrible, with way worse than 1:1000 odds even considering bonus pionts. With max point holders so far ahead of me, I can't even contemplate getting into the system now.
So long, WA.
llp

 

[HuskyMusky]

WA should require residents and non-residents to front full tag fees to apply, $6.50 for a resident to apply means everyone and their brother will apply, and any resident who wants to hunt sheep, moose, or goat can afford the $330 tag, if you can't these people shouldn't be applying in the first place, not to mention all the anti's probably applying in the first place for $6.50?

sheep odds appear to be 1:1000 to 1:4000!