If you were 24yrs old with a decent wage two weeks of vacation yearly and a capable archery and gun hunter what tags are you for sure putting in for/States you are buying points for/Adventure your saving money for. This Yr i applied for Everything Utah, Deer in montana(hunt it every yr with my dad good oppurtunity state), Put in for everything in wyoming as i am a resident of the state, and i always put in for a north dakota deer tag (where i grew up). But i guess what im asking is if you could of started buying points at a young age what are your for sure bucket list hunts a guy should buy points and save for.
The "Have to" Tags for a new western hunter
- Thread starter Boehunter
- Start date
Retterath
Veteran member
Musket Man
Veteran member
Especially for a resident I think WY has the most to offer of any western state. I would put Colorado deer at the top of your list. Not the hunts that take alot of points but there are some good bow and ML hunts you can have for 5 or less points. NV and ID have some very good hunts but not so good draw odds. I wouldnt get into to many places you cant draw with 5 or less points. Chose areas you can hunt every few years.
I agree with MM. If you can get a NV bull tag your in for a good hunt but takes a lot if points. I think you've got the rite idea and track your on.
swampokie
Veteran member
NM unit 2b. If you have light feet then the jan archery season can produce bucks like no other place on earth. O yeah and you don't have to worry about calculating points because nm doesn't play the point game. Only downside is the odds at around .02%.The light feet will come in handy in the crunchy snow.
Musket Man
Veteran member
Thanks for the feedback guys, musket man i agree with you i feel that even in lesser trophy states montana for instance if you spend enough time hunting and learning the area the oppurtunity for nice deer and elk are there for sure. Especially if you get to know some good block management areas. I think i will put in for an idaho sheep tag just for the fact its a luck of the draw state and ive also thought about new mexico elk for the same reason. Ikeepitcold and swampokie ill have to look into nevada.
swampokie
Veteran member
Yep mm you would be right but Rio arriba county has produced more b&c entries than nearly all states and its only 1 county. That being said most of the bucks are native Colorado deer!
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Musket Man
Veteran member
I know it produces alot of B&C bucks but if you cant get a tag and cant hunt there what does it matter? Unless you have another use for the license (I dont apply there but I think you have to buy a license to apply?) its a waste of money IMO. Im not sure if 6% DIY NR tags is a joke or an insult but it really gives me the idea they dont want NR hunters to hunt there. Its just not worth it to me with that low of draw odds. For just a little more money I can get a tag in ID of WY and hunt every year if I want to and I want to hunt every year, not put money into a tag I will probably never draw.
swampokie
Veteran member
Right on all accounts exept for the fact that you get the liscense fee back if you choose a refund. Its 65$. When nmdgf dropped the nr diy tags down to 6% it did say a lot about their feeling about nr diy hunters. Just like the court ruling today on sheep tag allocations. This will only add to the slashing of nr tags in this state.
swampokie
Veteran member
It may be easier to catch these deer in Colorado high country before migration in unit 73. The only problem is that most of them are on the indian reservation in the south part of the unit.
Musket Man
Veteran member
Thats not so bad. I was thinking it was closer to $150-200 and didnt know you could get a refund. I have never applied in NM because of the low draw odds and its pretty far away for me.
Hilltop
Veteran member
In your shoes I would start a good savings account for a top notch Alaskan moose hunt... Save $2,500 a year and go when you have enough. You didn't mention a wife and kids so I assume you don't have much for expenses. Once married, the challenge of affording that type of hunt is unrealistic for most of us. You will be able to hunt the lower 48 species the rest of your life... do those dream hunts as early as you can pull them off.
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
There are lots of great deer in 73 that are NOT on the reservation or on Mesa Verde NP, problem is most are on private property. North of HWY 160 holds some great bucks, you just have to know someone or do a lot of research on how to access the BLM that has very limited access points. I live there and do hunt some of the BLM with the aid of a good GPS with the landownership chip. Lots of public access land has been posted. I have had several "discussions" with private landowners who posted adjacent public land and even had a discussion or 2 with a sheriff deputy that was called. Generally it really is not worth the hassle.....unless you know of a toad that might be available.
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Umpqua Hunter
Veteran member
I'd recommend saving your money on Idaho sheep unless you plan to use the hunting license to hunt OTC deer or something like that. Very few people truly understand how poor the odds really are in that state due to the non-resident cap. Your odds of drawing a random sheep tag in Wyoming are as good or better in many units. My wife and I apply heavily for sheep, and I've probably only applied in Idaho 2 or 3 times in the past 30 years, and I went into it knowing my odds were poor.
You live in what is the best antelope state, and certainly one of the top elk states. Statistically you can draw units every three to four years that rival some of the best elk hunting available anywhere. Region G deer hunting now rivals some of the best hunts you would ever draw out of state, and you can do that every year. If it were me I would use your vacation time learn your own state well, few states can compete. Maybe even buy some stock and learn to hunt the backcountry, or backpack and use a packer.
For out of state, definitely buy deer points in Colorado.
If I were you, a young guy living in Wyoming with great hunting opportunities, rather than apply out of state, I would save my money for a hunt up north (Canada or Alaska) or some quality landowner tags down the road.
Just my thoughts.
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Musket Man
Veteran member
If I had the extra money and wasnt applying for deer/elk/antelope I would apply for moose in northern Idaho.
Topgun 30-06
Banned
I've helped a buddy on two November rifle hunts in 2b in the last 4 years and it is way overrated now compared to what it was in the past. Everyone I've read that has posted about the unit on different sites is saying the same thing that unless you hit it real lucky on that late hunt that you aren't going to see much in the way of horns. There are lots of deer, but unless you would hit the rut just right and the weather was perfect most agree that hunt isn't worth it any more. With everything closed off from Rosa Road going west to the lake you just about have to backpack into the area to get far enough from truck traffic that is constant with all the well pads and compressor stations out there. That may be doable earlier in the year, but there is no way I would try that in January out in that country because they might be looking for you come June when you get stranded back in there. It is some really neat country though. I think a local guy that could constantly scout might do okay, but those short 5 days hunts we were on just don't hack it.
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HuskyMusky
Veteran member
part of me at this stage says save your $$ for a sheep/moose/goat hunt, and build points for everything else...
the 1st 2 tags I ever applied for were NV elk and MT sheep.
the 1st 2 tags I ever applied for were NV elk and MT sheep.