10 year plan

Willy_P · Feb 6, 2008

Well I have a plan. It might suck but I have to start some place. It goes like this. Antelope hunt over around Douglas the years I don't draw either an elk or mule deer tag ( it is 100% draw right now ). I have one point on deer going into this year and put in for 87 since I know it fairly well from the old days when I USED to be able to get a tag there, from here out I will put in for G if I have a point or buy a point if I don't have one. The years I buy a deer point I will try a Gen elk tag and years I am trying to draw the deer tag buy a point for elk. While the 10 years go by I should know the areas in G deer that I hunt for either elk or deer and will get in some antelope chasing over at Douglas. In the end of the 10 years I'll be 62 and who knows what shape I'll be in to go to the WY mountains after that so I'll most likely just chase the antelope if I can still do it by then. The grandson has another 8 or 9 years before I can start him out there. Maybe I can horse pack for him then while he hunts. Any thoughts on this???? Suggestions ???? Hey it is raining ( for several days on end ) and really crappy here so I guys mind wanders to better times I guess.

Cornhusker · Feb 6, 2008

Sounds like a brillant plan to me but I'm certainly no expert. I'm kind of doing the same thing but in different states. Build elk, deer, antelope in Wyoming,Colorado. Draw antelope every 4 years in Ne. and an archery deer or muzzleloader then rifle in Ne. Then an occasional trip to Montana. I like your plan better but I don't have the time right now to get to Wyoming or Montana every year. GE elk in Colorado always got to crowded for me even if I thought I was a long ways off the trailhead. I'm hoping for Wyoming antelope this year with 2 points just trying to decide where.
Best of Luck

Califelkslayer · Feb 6, 2008

Man's gotta have a plan & a lot can be said for learning a unit rather than waiting many years for a real quality tag and then scrambling to learn the unit. I've kinda come up with a similar plan for Co. deer. Instead of waiting another 8 years to draw, apply for a unit that takes 1-2 points. Buy LO voucher 1st year, hope on the draw the second year and if unsuccessful buy the LO voucher and draw the third year. Re-evaluate after the 3 year plan.

2 point unit LO vouchers are cheaper than 8 point unit vouchers.

Wiszard · Feb 6, 2008

Same boat here...I am 37 and have only hunted in Calif. and Wyoming. I want to expand my hunting options but am tired of waiting to draw. I have 4 point in AZ, 5 in Nevada and 6 in Utah. Each of the next 3 years, I will use these points on areas I WILL draw a tag. I'll do my research and have a successful hunt....hopefully. The most important thing is that I will be hunting instead of waiting! If I wait, I'll be 47 before I can hunt these states. It is not worth the wait. I like hunting deer, not looking for trophy deer that I may not find.

Your plan sounds good. I hope it works out for you.

Steve

Willy_P · Feb 7, 2008

It's the best plan I can come up with for now, anyway. I really like hunting WY and have been going there off and on since the very early 80's ( when not that many folks were hunting Ferris ) I love that place but smart money is on me leaving it for G. The antelope over at Douglas are not all that big where I hunt but if I can arrow a 14+ or 15 inch buck I will be tickled to death!! Now all I have to do is get some meat packing lined up in the next few years and I will be able to get an elk out of the General area I'm going to learn. I do have a backup plan for archery elk in N. Idaho but who knows if that will work out. The guy I am trying to get together with up there is stuck in Iraq for a while longer.

Califelkslayer · Feb 7, 2008

LAST EDITED ON Feb-07-08 AT 11:23PM (MST)[p]Wis, since you've been in the game for awhile, I would play along in certain states for certain species and find a place/state you can hunt regularly when you don't draw.

I like Idaho's draw because if you draw and it conflicts with another hunt, you don't have to buy the tag. Co will let you keep your points if you're willing to part with the tag fee. Just something to think about.

Wiszard · Feb 7, 2008

I've never looked into hunting Idaho. That is a good option to have though if you get drawn there and somewhere else for the same season. It just gets so frustrating wanting to hunt good areas and having to wait so damn long. With more states making you buy a license just to apply, it gets a little tight on the pocket book. Right now, I buy a license in AZ, Nevada and now with the changes, in Utah as well. By the time you get drawn, you've got more than a thousand bucks into it...at least! I've got 4 kids and I just can't do it anymore. There has been no return on that money and it will be several more years until there's a posibility of that return (the tag).

Steve

Wiszard · Feb 7, 2008

LAST EDITED ON Feb-08-08 AT 01:11AM (MST)[p]I don't ever go without hunting deer cuz I always get 2 A Zone tags here in Cali and get drawn for Region D in Wyoming most of the time. If we don't get region D, there are always Region J tags left over (east of Glenrock) that we get. The AZ, NV and Utah tags are what I've been waiting on and it just hasn't happened yet. I'm not sure what I'll do or how much longer I will hold out for that primo tag.

Steve

Willy_P · Feb 8, 2008

There are a lot of folks in the same boat as you all! Just think if every one of them all quit sending in tag money that the wildlife department got to keep and draw interest on for months on end till they give the draw results out!!! Now we know that isn't going to happen but if it could there would be some changes. The agencies could raise the tag fees to cover losses and then not require tag money till you draw out but that is going to hit the tag holders in the pocket as opposed to spreading out the pain between us all.

Wiszard · Feb 8, 2008

LAST EDITED ON Feb-08-08 AT 10:56AM (MST)[p]There is no perfect solution. I'm sure the system will remain the same for a long time. I'm surprised it took Utah this long to start making applicants purchase a license as a requirement for applying for a tag. I liked only paying $5 for a bonus point. That has been the best $5 investment I've made the past 5 years!

Steve

And, yes, I did pay the license fee this year!! I'm such a sucker!!

Willy_P · Feb 8, 2008

We aren't suckers. We just are folks that have to fund the means for our passion! Look at it like this. If I just backpack or photo hunt I can go any place I want ( with little exception ) any time the weather and my skills allow! Many places I don't have to pay another dime to use the land that we as hunters have to pay a pretty penny to pursue game on during a restricted time frame allowed to us. WY for example will not let me hunt wilderness areas that as a hiker I can learn like the back of my hand but when I take a gun with me they think I some how lost my sanity . That just kills me!! Why do I need a guide to go some place that X number of hikers go wandering all over without anyone knowing rather they have good sense to not, get in trouble or how to get out of trouble if it just happens for a reason not due to them in some way. Suddenly I feel a soapbox under my feet. I'll shut up now

Foxbow · Feb 8, 2008

Keeping nonres. out of wilderness areas in Wy. is a hoax.
The only reason is the outfitters want to force hunters to use their services to hunt there.
The Wy. outfitters association has some pull within the state.

Willy_P · Feb 8, 2008

LAST EDITED ON Feb-08-08 AT 06:42PM (MST)[p]I agree foxbow. I also think there are enough "dudes" to go around if they were secure enough to allow it. I am not sure however if there are enough tags to cover the DIY folks and the "dudes". We came back to money again didn't we ??!!
I also know however that if I could get in a wilderness area I could see fit to scrounge enough money for a pack in and out so someone like me might keep the horsepackers in money to cover the year. I can't feed a hay bag to only use it a month out of the year!