Starting my research for applying out west....

[J&M Hamilton10]

Randy has the best show going, tons of info and great public land hunts

[CSanders]

I'll be following, I have a lot to learn..

[justhrowit]

People have already mentioned Randy Newberg....
He's got a new podcast out. It's a little over an hour long talking about elk hunting all the western states. NM, CO, NV, AZ, ID, WY, MT, and UT. I just listened to it. It's worth checking out. It's called...hunt elk every year. Or something like that.

Jay

Edit: here it is

https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=1012713381#episodeGuid=df1b81960c02f1050647033bb2c95d5f

[basschump]

Randy has the best show going, tons of info and great public land hunts

Randy's shows are great and give a good feel for public land hunting. Spoiler alert- he's always next to private land. His info on licensing is a must watch.

It takes time to learn the process but it ain't rocket science. Colorado has great online resources. They want you to apply.

New Mexico isn't difficult and no preference points. You can do your homework and have a great chance to get tags in less popular units.

Good luck.


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[James]

First year I was like you but now it's as simple as do not miss deadlines for each state and buy as many points as you can across the West. Some states are not worth it to me for my goals like Arizona but I am building points across the board in 5 or 6 states. It's addicting! My goal is one out of state hunt a year with Colorado as my fill in state whenever I do not draw due to the huge amount of over the counter tags and somewhat close of a drive.

[simek]

I'm subscribing this year.

https://www.gohunt.com/

[150class]

Well looks like Arizona will be put on the back burner with having to buy a license before you apply and its non refundable..... Can't swing that currently.

Elk and Lope Deadline is Feb 14th.

Have to buy a 160$ Combo License before you apply for the Draw and its non refundable as mentioned above.

Edit- Go hunt is claiming you can exclusively apply for just a bonus point but I can't find the application process for the life of me. Any help?

Thanks

[Kolpin10]

If you do a bunch of states it does get expensive I am currently doing 8 states, as you read elsewhere the points creep is a killer in most states. If you figure all your application fees you could go on a guided hunt every four years just by saving your app fees, but I am in to far to quit, and am a diy type.

[LWC]

It is a little overwhelming at first. I've been putting in for WY Elk for several years. But for the past year my brother and I have been putting in for multiple species in multiple states. I have done a lot of research and feel I have picked the best strategy for me to go on one decent/good hunt a year (DIY). My feelings are that if you are just starting to apply you will never (at least not for 20 + years) draw the very premium units in any of the states that have a point system. I plan to burn my points in every state before they get very high and go on more decent hunts. Except maybe AZ as it is more of a long term "quality" hunt plan. AZ is really not that much higher (relatively) to apply, if you apply for everything.....elk, deer, antelope, and sheep. And if you are buying a license you might as well apply for everything since it is like $13 per species. The following is my several year strategy.

Building points for elk and deer in CO and elk, pronghorn, and deer in WY. Points for everything in AZ. This is somewhat how I see my hunting for the next few years:

2017 WY MD
2018 WY Elk
2019 CO Elk
2020 CO MD
2021 WY Antelope
2022 WY Elk
2023 WY MD
2024 AZ Elk

I also apply for NM elk but I don't have that listed in the plan because I will have to get extremely lucky one year and can't plan for that.

I crossed UT and NV off the list because of cost/time to draw a good tag (probably not in the next 20 years) drive time, etc... MT and ID have some good hunting and fairly easy to draw tags. Drive time from TX has taken them off the table for now.

[LWC]

+1 on Randy Newburg. Can learn a lot from his youtube videos, podcast, and his hunttalk forum.
I also listen to several western hunting podcasts. Some good ones are full draw full time, the rich outdoors, jay scott outdoors, meateater podcast, and Randy's is called Hunt Talk Radio

[150class]

It is a little overwhelming at first. I've been putting in for WY Elk for several years. But for the past year my brother and I have been putting in for multiple species in multiple states. I have done a lot of research and feel I have picked the best strategy for me to go on one decent/good hunt a year (DIY). My feelings are that if you are just starting to apply you will never (at least not for 20 + years) draw the very premium units in any of the states that have a point system. I plan to burn my points in every state before they get very high and go on more decent hunts. Except maybe AZ as it is more of a long term "quality" hunt plan. AZ is really not that much higher (relatively) to apply, if you apply for everything.....elk, deer, antelope, and sheep. And if you are buying a license you might as well apply for everything since it is like $13 per species. The following is my several year strategy.

Building points for elk and deer in CO and elk, pronghorn, and deer in WY. Points for everything in AZ. This is somewhat how I see my hunting for the next few years:

2017 WY MD
2018 WY Elk
2019 CO Elk
2020 CO MD
2021 WY Antelope
2022 WY Elk
2023 WY MD
2024 AZ Elk

I also apply for NM elk but I don't have that listed in the plan because I will have to get extremely lucky one year and can't plan for that.

I crossed UT and NV off the list because of cost/time to draw a good tag (probably not in the next 20 years) drive time, etc... MT and ID have some good hunting and fairly easy to draw tags. Drive time from TX has taken them off the table for now.

This is what I'm trying to set up also for the long run.

I'll probably still suck up and to AZ but being 24 I'll expect to hit a nicer unit in my mid to upper 30's and have that as the "trophy" hunts for mulies and elk.

Doing mulies and elk in WY, ID, UT, AZ, CO, MT for sure with probably NM and NV thrown in also. Then Lopes for WY, NM, and CO (pending more research) and then a Hail Mary for Desert Big Horn in AZ and Rocky Mountain Big Horn in MT. So maybe when I'm around 45-50 I can go kill a ram

Want to try, or at least plan on, staying primarily DIY until I'm 40ish with at least 1 big hunt every year.

If there's any gaps then OTC tags in CO or elsewhere pending what's available

I will admit the more I read on percentages and point creep the more discouraging it gets though.

[Slick8]

Tuned in and have been thinking about this for some time.

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[krausejmk]

Thanks for all the info

[justin81]

I'm in love with idaho after my trip there for work. I'm looking into a elk/mule hunt there. It seems to be a little easier than some of the other western states.

[150class]

Man my dreams of going out west to hunt fell apart this year lol

However I️ made it out there in September to get married no hunting though