Planning Time

[mooretitan]

Now that application windows are coming up soon for some states I thought I could pull some insight from some of you guys who have been playing this game awhile. I max out my points this year in California and drew a great tag that I waited 14 years for. The hunt was great but trophy quality was average. If I would have not chased this hunt I could have drawn other zone probably 3-4 times by now. So with that said I am in my mid 30's and I am just getting into applying for other states and looking for that 160-180 class deer with the chance at something special. I know that's probably what everyone is looking for. I am not asking for any zones/areas just a general don't waste the money in this state because its not worth the wait for quality. I would like to do one-two out of state trips a year, possibly more if the dates would work out.

As a teacher my best dates to hunt are Labor Day , Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas break. Building hunts around these times allows me to hunt longer with out burning days off.

I have read the research book and have a good grasp of the information. Just looking for more insight from people who have been down that road. For example just to get into some good zones for Arizona it will take at least 10 years it seems and with point creep it might be more like 12-15.

I would like to possibly be able to use a hunting license to hunt upland game if I don't drawl a tag. Nevada and Idaho I could make a chukar trip out of the license if I don't drawl.

Any help. Don't mind spending money on building future hunts but want to spend it wisely. If getting a top Arizona tag is going to cost $3000 dollars in the end with the chance only to hunt one time I would rather hunt harder zones more often and get to know the area.

I already have 3 points for ELk, Deer and antelope in Wyoming and planning on making my 1st out of state trip for antelope this year with my boys 9 and 7 to get the feet wet

Hopefully this will help other hunters as well

Thanks

 

[Slugz]

MT,
For what its worth...we don't play the point game here at all in CO.....we build em but use em every 1-2 years in areas that have limited hunts. Years we don't use points we are OTC archery elk, picking up leftover tags maybe 1st rifle and most definitely late season cow hunting. As far as deer that's another story that may take a few more years....however.....I'm still in that GMU building intel while elk hunting and learning the land/animal movement.

IMO tough to beat CO for overall herd sizes, available public land, available tags and the draw system. That being said other states general tags are awesome also. Like you said about Cali....I'd rather be hunting more and waiting on tags less.

 

[7 Mag]

I think you're on the right track in wy, I would start applying for a region G tag. Don't overlook montana, tags are expensive but you can just about get a tag every year.

 

[Tim McCoy]

I think you are smart to find an area or a couple, you can hunt often enough to learn them, if your goal is 160+. There are some places you can draw every year or they are OTC, and there are some you may need a few points. If you can find 1-2-3 areas you can hunt every 2-3 years, and one or two guaranteed hunts, you'd likely meet your 1-2 out of state hunt goal easily.

Since you have started in WY, the next place I'd suggest you consider is CO, with a 160+ MD goal, rotate hunts between CO & WY possibly. Then look at "opportunity" hunts where you can draw every year if the hunts odds you have selected elsewhere say you need to, to meet your hunt frequency target. ID and MT, among others have good MD opportunities. If you bow hunt, there are all kinds of choices, including AZ late hunts. There are many other rifle options too.

My tendency as been to find an area most would not think is a good trophy area and learn it, more times than not, I'll find a 160+ candidate there about once every 3 hunts. Many many many areas, if the deer are allowed to get some age on them, have 160+ potential. You do not need to do anything but find an undisturbed area others ignore, to have a decent chance to find older bucks. That might be only one ridge from the access road everyone uses to race to where they were told the big ones are, or 5 mi. back in a roadless area.

 

[joens]

As a teacher my best dates to hunt are Labor Day , Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas break. Building hunts around these times allows me to hunt longer with out burning days off.

Thanks

The end of the General Deer and Elk gun season here in Montana is usually the Sunday after Thanksgiving so that at least fits into your holidays.