1 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: As a guide and hunter, I've spent thousands of days 2 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: in the field. This show is about translating my hard 3 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,599 Speaker 1: won experiences into tips and tactics they'll get you closer 4 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: to your ultimate goal success in the field. I'm Remy Warren. 5 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 1: This is cutting the distance. Welcome back to the podcast. Everyone. 6 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: Now is going to be the time of year where 7 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:33,519 Speaker 1: we're planning for those fall hunts. I like to think 8 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:36,600 Speaker 1: of it as application season. Applying is as much a 9 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:39,520 Speaker 1: part of the hunting process, especially out West, as getting 10 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: into the field, because the reality is you can't hunt 11 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:44,519 Speaker 1: without a tag, so it's really going to be the 12 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 1: first step in the planning phase before we go out hunting. 13 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 1: For a lot of people, securing a tag may seem daunting, 14 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:53,560 Speaker 1: especially those that are new to it, because the draw 15 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 1: systems can be difficult to wade through an understand, and 16 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: planning for hunts can be confusing with so many deadlines, 17 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 1: different types of point systems. It's just a real process. 18 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: Lucky for you. I've been playing this game across the 19 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:08,040 Speaker 1: West for many years, so over the next few weeks, 20 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:10,399 Speaker 1: I want to bring to light the various processes and 21 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 1: break down some of the nuances of applying and securing 22 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:16,839 Speaker 1: a tag. In this week's tag draw breakdown, we're gonna 23 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: be focusing in on the basics the types of tags 24 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: and points that are available, and how point creep will 25 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:24,399 Speaker 1: affect you, and whether or not it's too late for 26 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,399 Speaker 1: you if you're just getting started. We'll also do a 27 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 1: dive into some of the upcoming state draws and glaze 28 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 1: over a couple of states, including Wyoming, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, 29 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 1: and Montana. But first, let's share a story of a 30 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:39,960 Speaker 1: hunt when I got past the point creep and cashting 31 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 1: on some preference points for California mule deer tag. My 32 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 1: first real experience with what people like to call point 33 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: creep happened on a California deer tag. Growing up in 34 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: the state of Nevada, everything that you would hunt had 35 00:01:59,880 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: to be on a draw system, so there was no 36 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: over the counter tag, So I kind of started at 37 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 1: a very young age looking towards other places the hunt 38 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 1: that were nearby, California being one of them. More places 39 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: that I knew Montana, especially because my grandpa lived up 40 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 1: there and I spent a lot of time up there 41 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 1: looking at applying in other places. So maybe if I 42 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 1: didn't draw a tag around home or in my home 43 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: state that I might have the opportunity to hunt other places. 44 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: I was looking at through the regulations some of the 45 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: California stuff. I know, there was an archery area that 46 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 1: took two points to draw, So I was like, sweet, 47 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 1: that's close enough by I can I can hunt that. 48 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 1: It seems like it could be a cool hunt. Um, 49 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:36,640 Speaker 1: I'm gonna started applying for that. So I started applying. 50 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: I finally got my two points. I was like, cool, 51 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:42,919 Speaker 1: I applied and didn't draw the tag. What the heck 52 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: happened here? And so then it was like that year 53 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: For some reason, I think it just became a more 54 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: popular unit and now needed four points a couple more years. 55 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 1: So I applied the next year with the three points nothing. 56 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 1: Finally got those four points. You know, everything looked like 57 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: it would draw with four points, didn't draw. I'm like, 58 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 1: what is going on? I couldn't figure it out. You know. 59 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: The state was on a preference point system, which was 60 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 1: completely different than the bonus point systems many other places. 61 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 1: You had to have the most points to get a tag. 62 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 1: So I applied again five points nothing. Then on my 63 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: sixth year of applying, I finally drew the tag that 64 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: when I started out only needed two points to get. 65 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: I'm like, sweet, Okay, Well, it just so happened that 66 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 1: I also drew a lot of other tags that year 67 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 1: as well. I drew a Nevada elk tag, and Nevada 68 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: analope tag, and a Nevada deer tag, all archery tags, 69 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: and then I had a Montana limited entry meal dear permit, 70 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 1: a general elk license, and then this California tag that 71 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 1: took me six years to get. But I was only 72 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: thinking it was gonna take me too, so I wanted 73 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 1: to kind of give it a good go. But I 74 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: also had a lot of other tags and a lot 75 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: of limited amount of time. All these tags were like 76 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: early season archery hunts from the beginning of August through 77 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 1: pretty much September, so I need to make good on 78 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:00,360 Speaker 1: this tag with a limited amount of time. I spent 79 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 1: quite a bit of time during the summer scouting, and 80 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: I really didn't see as many deer as I thought 81 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: I would. For waiting that long for that deer tag. 82 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 1: I thought, Okay, I've been in a lot of other 83 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 1: limited entry areas. I should be seeing a lot of deer, 84 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: and it just was not turning up the numbers of 85 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: bucks that I thought I should. I ended up hunting 86 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 1: my other uh those three Nevada tags antelope, elk, and deer, 87 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 1: and tagging out on all of them fairly early, and 88 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 1: I ended up hunting like my antelope for a day 89 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 1: and my buck might Nevada deer for two days. And 90 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:32,559 Speaker 1: then ended up having time to before the California season. 91 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: I planned to start Opening Day, but I had a 92 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 1: few days before the season to start scouting a lot 93 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 1: closer to the season, so I took that time. I 94 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 1: packed into some good high alpine areas where I thought 95 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: I might find some summering bucks. It just really didn't 96 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 1: turn up what I was looking for, so I kind 97 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:51,160 Speaker 1: of refocused my attention to a burn area. There's a 98 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: lot of little regrowth in there, says an older burn, 99 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:58,360 Speaker 1: but short little pines, And sure enough I spotted like 100 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 1: a good bachelor group of buck. Sweet, this is gonna 101 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 1: be awesome. So Opening Day rolls around, find myself on 102 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:08,880 Speaker 1: a glassing knob, turning up some younger bucks and some 103 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 1: other a lot of doughes, but not necessarily the type 104 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 1: of buck I'm looking for. I didn't really have any 105 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: size expectations. I just wanted to harvest a mature buck 106 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 1: and that was all that I thought. It would be 107 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 1: cool to get a mature deer out of there and 108 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 1: really do that tag justice, especially because I hadn't seen 109 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:26,800 Speaker 1: a lot of deer. I actually saw probably more bears 110 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:31,599 Speaker 1: than deer um. So I hunt the tag and I 111 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 1: wasn't seeing anything kind of glassing and move spots, and 112 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 1: midday I'm looking up into this place like a betting area, 113 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 1: and I see a bachelor group of meal dere There's 114 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: a couple of smaller bucks and then one nice mature 115 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 1: three by four looks pretty heavy, Like, oh sweet, that 116 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: would be an awesome buck to take, So I just 117 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:56,280 Speaker 1: keep glassing, watching, watching, and all the younger bucks like 118 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: start going down into this creek bottom and the big 119 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:02,400 Speaker 1: three by four, the buck that I was after, ends 120 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:04,880 Speaker 1: up just like peeling off and going off on his own, 121 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:08,800 Speaker 1: and I'm like, oh, yeah, this is perfect. Fewer eyes. Now, 122 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:10,880 Speaker 1: I just got to make sure that I don't lose him. 123 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 1: So he ends up going up over a ridge and 124 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 1: I'm like, it's a lot of cover over here, and 125 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:16,920 Speaker 1: I could lose him. So I end up running like 126 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 1: hustling it from my glassing vantage to another glassing point 127 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 1: where I know I'll be able to see into where 128 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: he went. And sure enough I spot him and he 129 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: starts moving up the mountain. I'm like, okay, well, I'm 130 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 1: just gonna have to follow him. So I kind of 131 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:31,600 Speaker 1: just follow him at distance where I can keep eyes 132 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 1: on him, and I just watch him finally get to 133 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 1: a place where I can get a good view of him. 134 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 1: But it's really thick, short little conifers, and he ends 135 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 1: up going behind this like just out in this wide 136 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:45,160 Speaker 1: open area, but it's just all this regrowth and just 137 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 1: plops down, beds down. I'm like, oh, perfect, But the 138 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:51,600 Speaker 1: type of terrain, it's kind of hard to actually pinpoint 139 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 1: exactly where he's at because as I'm moving in, it's 140 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:58,279 Speaker 1: all the same. It's like little tiny pine trees and 141 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 1: like this man's anita brush that's really thick and about 142 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:04,039 Speaker 1: waist high. So I started glassing in there. As I 143 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 1: get closer, I planned out my stock and luckily I 144 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: see antler tips just poking up above the man's in need. 145 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 1: It's like a big fuzzy velvet rack of a nice 146 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: mature and meal deer buck. I'm like sweet, I range 147 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 1: it and it's like a hundred and something yards and 148 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 1: I've got good wind. The winds actually blowing down the mountains. 149 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: So I figured generally the bucks that I think the 150 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: reason that buck, the bigger, more mature buck, cruised off 151 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 1: as the wind wasn't right for all the other bedding locations, 152 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: so he went off where he could lay down kind 153 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 1: of facing downhill and the wind would be coming down 154 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 1: at his back. Luckily for me, it was so thick 155 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 1: where he bed he actually didn't have a very good view. 156 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: So my decision was, instead of going in from above him, 157 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 1: I was going to sneak up from below. The trouble 158 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 1: with that approaches he's looking that direction, but I could 159 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 1: keep tabs on him because I could just see his 160 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 1: antler tips above the brush. So I creep in a 161 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 1: little shoes off situation. Pop my boots off, crawl in 162 00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 1: with my socks, leave my pack, and I'm creeping in 163 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:02,760 Speaker 1: and just like ranging. As I get closer and the 164 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: arranging points where I can get to you, just trying 165 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 1: to be super quiet through this thick stuff. The wind 166 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 1: starts to pick up, which gives it a good little rattle, 167 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 1: so I know that I'm my sound is a little 168 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:15,600 Speaker 1: bit more dampened, and I keep creeping in and then 169 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: his antlers disappears. He must be asleep, so I move 170 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:22,600 Speaker 1: a little bit faster, get into position and set up range, 171 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 1: and then his antlers come back up range thirty yards 172 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:27,920 Speaker 1: and I just keep this bush where his head is 173 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 1: so I know that I can't see his eyes, so 174 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 1: he can't see me, and he's facing me like okay, 175 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:34,800 Speaker 1: and there's this one little opening and it's just worked 176 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:38,719 Speaker 1: out perfect where his head was behind some brush and 177 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 1: his body was over here. So I get set I'm like, okay, 178 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:47,359 Speaker 1: pick my pin that I'm gonna use to think about it. Drawback. 179 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:50,760 Speaker 1: And now I'm drawing back like below the brush line, 180 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 1: but I'm gonna have to stand to shoot, so I 181 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:57,080 Speaker 1: slowly stand up. My thought was I could see whereas 182 00:08:57,120 --> 00:08:58,720 Speaker 1: he was bedded, and I knew that I could get 183 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 1: a shot of him while he was bedded. So I 184 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:04,080 Speaker 1: draw back and he's just bedded perfect. Gives me that 185 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 1: open kind of like broadside shot, nothing in the way. 186 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 1: I'm only thirty yards away. He has no clue I'm there. 187 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 1: I settle the pin and release the arrow, perfect shot. 188 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 1: The buck runs maybe ten yards I don't even know 189 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:19,720 Speaker 1: if you're running that like ten yards up the hill 190 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 1: and then disappears. Sweet. So I sit down and give 191 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:26,600 Speaker 1: it a few minutes, go look blood trail. I'm like, oh, 192 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 1: this is perfect, and walk up there's the buck. Awesome 193 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 1: like heavy three by four, gnarly little bases and just 194 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 1: a really cool, really cool buck. I was super stoked 195 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 1: take that buck, especially for the tag that I thought 196 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:41,760 Speaker 1: was only gonna take me two years but ended up 197 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 1: taking me six. You really can't talk about elk hunting, 198 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 1: mule you're hunting, antelope hunting, big horn sheep hunting without 199 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: talking first about tag draws and applications. It's kind of 200 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:05,200 Speaker 1: unique to Western big game hunting. But the tag system 201 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:07,960 Speaker 1: is just an attempt to allocate the resource of each 202 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:11,240 Speaker 1: state in what would seem like a fair way, or 203 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 1: in a way that makes sense because there's a limited 204 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:17,200 Speaker 1: number of resources and and now a growing number of 205 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 1: people that want access to those resources. Western big game 206 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:24,440 Speaker 1: hunting is often different than a lot of other maybe 207 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 1: like further East hunting or white tail hunting, in the 208 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:30,559 Speaker 1: way that we have these large tracts of public land 209 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:34,320 Speaker 1: and then we have species that maybe have lower densities 210 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:37,960 Speaker 1: than you might see in white tail areas or or whatever. 211 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 1: So we need to figure out a way that people 212 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 1: can kind of get those tags and have a hunt. 213 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:47,079 Speaker 1: But also those tags are used to manage wildlife populations 214 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:49,400 Speaker 1: in different ways. Some are used to manage them with 215 00:10:49,760 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 1: um more mature animals, Some are used to manage wildlife 216 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 1: populations like reduce the numbers. There's there's a lot of 217 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 1: different ways that tags are allocated to manage the resource. 218 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:04,680 Speaker 1: But for all intents and purposes, every state is a 219 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:07,240 Speaker 1: little bit different. But I would say that most states 220 00:11:07,559 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 1: have some form of lottery that tries to allocate those tags. 221 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:16,240 Speaker 1: And understanding those different points systems, those different systems for 222 00:11:16,320 --> 00:11:20,000 Speaker 1: every state really is the first step in obtaining a 223 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:22,600 Speaker 1: tag and understanding and kind of creating your own plan 224 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:24,480 Speaker 1: on how you're going to get a tag so you 225 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 1: can go out hunting this fall, next fall, maybe a 226 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:29,640 Speaker 1: few years down the road. So to start out, I 227 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:31,880 Speaker 1: think we really need to just break down the different 228 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 1: types of categories of points and the different types of 229 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 1: tags available. So we first off have different systems of 230 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 1: applying and I would say they're kind of all fall 231 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:45,240 Speaker 1: under one of these categories, which would be bonus points, 232 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:49,679 Speaker 1: preference points than a modified preference point, a random draw tag, 233 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: and then over the counter tags. Some states have multiple 234 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 1: of these systems, so we're gonna break those down right now. 235 00:11:56,320 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 1: Let's start with a bonus point. The bonus point his 236 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:03,920 Speaker 1: a system where the longer you apply for tags, the 237 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:06,960 Speaker 1: more favor you have in the draw. So let's say, 238 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:10,280 Speaker 1: just in a basic form, you've been applying for five years, 239 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:11,840 Speaker 1: so you get five names in the hat, and the 240 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:13,959 Speaker 1: person that's been applying for one year gets one name 241 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:16,440 Speaker 1: in the hat. Everybody's names in the hat. This is 242 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:18,920 Speaker 1: obviously computerized, but I'm just giving you an example. Some 243 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:21,920 Speaker 1: six the hand in the hat pulls out a name. Now, 244 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:24,319 Speaker 1: the person that applied the first time could get drawn, 245 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:28,520 Speaker 1: but the person that's been applying longer has more uh 246 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 1: probability of their name being pulled. Now, most states that 247 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:37,320 Speaker 1: do the bonus point, actually, like states like Nevada and Montana, 248 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 1: square your number of points, so as time goes on, 249 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:45,360 Speaker 1: your your chance exponentially increases above the person that was 250 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:47,600 Speaker 1: before you. So if you have one name, if it's 251 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:50,560 Speaker 1: your first year applying, you get that year's name that one. 252 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:52,520 Speaker 1: But if you've been applying for ten years, you have 253 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:55,320 Speaker 1: ten times ten should be a hundred plus that year's 254 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:57,720 Speaker 1: once you have a hundred and one. So your odds 255 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:01,280 Speaker 1: for applying ten years is exp initially greater than that 256 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 1: person applying for one year. However, this point system is 257 00:13:04,559 --> 00:13:08,720 Speaker 1: good because anybody can draw at any time, just with 258 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 1: a little luck. The next point system would be a 259 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 1: preference point system. There's a lot of states that use 260 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 1: this in some form or another, and a preference point 261 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:18,480 Speaker 1: what it does is it gives tags to the people 262 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 1: with the most points. And you say that that makes 263 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:22,760 Speaker 1: a lot of sense. Um, if I've been applying for 264 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:24,679 Speaker 1: twenty years, I should get a tag before the guy 265 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:27,120 Speaker 1: that's been applying for one year. So a preference point 266 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:29,199 Speaker 1: system only looks at the people with the most points 267 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 1: and then allocates the tags to those people first. Over 268 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:36,400 Speaker 1: the years, that system has kind of created some problems 269 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:39,560 Speaker 1: where new people getting into it are completely unable to 270 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 1: draw tags because of what is known as point creep. 271 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:46,720 Speaker 1: So there's a lot of modified preference systems where a 272 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:49,520 Speaker 1: portion of the tags go to those with the most 273 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:52,040 Speaker 1: and then the rest might be allocated in a random 274 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:55,800 Speaker 1: draw that either favors no one or acts as a 275 00:13:55,880 --> 00:13:59,000 Speaker 1: sort of bonus point system where somebody that applies for 276 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:01,560 Speaker 1: the first year could get lucky and draw, but a 277 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:05,360 Speaker 1: portion of the tags are given away purely on preference points. 278 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 1: The next kind of draw would be a random draw, 279 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,000 Speaker 1: and this is just where everybody's names in the hat. 280 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:12,920 Speaker 1: Doesn't matter if you've been applying for twenty years or 281 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 1: this is your first time, you're all in. It's pure draws. 282 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:20,160 Speaker 1: You know, everybody gets one name, one chance, and then 283 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: the draw is done. And that's just the random draw. 284 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 1: There's a couple of states, Alaska, um Idaho, and New 285 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:31,600 Speaker 1: Mexico are the primary states that offer random draw hunts. 286 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 1: And then there's another type of tag which really doesn't 287 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:39,160 Speaker 1: involve a draw, is what we call O t C tags. 288 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:40,800 Speaker 1: A lot of people refer to him as O t C. 289 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:43,760 Speaker 1: Over the counter um doesn't necessarily mean that they're actually 290 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:46,240 Speaker 1: sold over the counter, and it also doesn't necessarily mean 291 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 1: that they're in unlimited quality. But these are ones that 292 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 1: can be purchased often first come, first serve. Sometimes you 293 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:55,560 Speaker 1: have to log in and buy it before the next guy, 294 00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 1: or purchase it before a certain date or even apply 295 00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:01,520 Speaker 1: before a certain date, but if you apply, you get it. 296 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:05,640 Speaker 1: Those tags are the ones that are a little bit 297 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:09,800 Speaker 1: more guaranteed obviously and um a little bit more dependable. 298 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 1: But then those hunts also have more hunters and can 299 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:16,360 Speaker 1: be sometimes a more difficult hunt than other tags. So 300 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:21,000 Speaker 1: we've got all those different types of points and applications 301 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 1: for every different state. And what I'm gonna do a 302 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:25,240 Speaker 1: little bit later on is kind of go through some 303 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 1: of the main Western states that people apply for, kind 304 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 1: of give you the pros and cons the type of 305 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:31,760 Speaker 1: points that they use, in a few little tricks on 306 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:36,480 Speaker 1: maybe ways to get a tag sooner. One question I 307 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:39,400 Speaker 1: get asked a lot when it comes to applying for 308 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:41,600 Speaker 1: tags is well, if I apply as a party, I'll 309 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:44,640 Speaker 1: have a better chance at drawing a tag. And I 310 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:47,400 Speaker 1: think almost every state that you look at, party applications 311 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 1: are primarily done in the same way. How they work 312 00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:53,520 Speaker 1: as everybody in that group goes in as one application, 313 00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:56,520 Speaker 1: so it's not like there's five people altogether and if 314 00:15:56,560 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 1: one of those persons get drawn, then everybody gets a tag. 315 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:02,880 Speaker 1: It's actually everybody goes in is one application, and then 316 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:06,880 Speaker 1: if that application is drawn they're all allocated tags so 317 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:08,840 Speaker 1: long as there's enough tags remaining, so it's an all 318 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:12,280 Speaker 1: or nothing thing. If people have multiple points, like different 319 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 1: levels of points, often those points are averaged. However, every 320 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 1: state is different. So Colorado, if you apply as a 321 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:22,360 Speaker 1: party and you've got twenty points and your friend has 322 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 1: two points, you go in with the person with the 323 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 1: lowest points. So too, whereas Wyoming just averages um exactly, 324 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:32,320 Speaker 1: so you can have fractions of points um, but in 325 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 1: a preference system even just a fraction of a point 326 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:37,560 Speaker 1: puts you higher than the person with less than a 327 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:39,840 Speaker 1: fraction of a point. And then there's other states that 328 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:43,720 Speaker 1: just average them and round up or round down. So 329 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 1: that's how party applications work. When you're looking at states 330 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 1: to apply for. In units, I would say that there's 331 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:54,320 Speaker 1: two different kinds of units. There are general units and 332 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 1: then there are limited entry units. So general seasons are 333 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:00,240 Speaker 1: going to be ones that are often less can troll 334 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:02,880 Speaker 1: over the number of hunters. Many of those involved some 335 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 1: form of over the counter hunt, especially for residents, where 336 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,960 Speaker 1: maybe nonresidents have to draw that tag or apply for 337 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 1: a limited number, but you can often hunt a wider 338 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:16,880 Speaker 1: range of units. Uh, maybe multiple different seasons. It's more 339 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:19,840 Speaker 1: spread out, less controlled on the number of hunters. Now, 340 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:22,879 Speaker 1: limited tag draws or limited entry draws are ones that 341 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:25,879 Speaker 1: you have to draw in some way or severely limits 342 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:28,919 Speaker 1: the number of hunters in there. These are often gonna be, 343 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:32,919 Speaker 1: you know, hunts where you see probably higher demand for 344 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:34,640 Speaker 1: those tags that they are a lot harder to draw. 345 00:17:35,119 --> 00:17:38,639 Speaker 1: The game maybe more plentiful in those areas or less pressured, 346 00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:42,000 Speaker 1: and you'll probably see fewer hunters in the field. Now, 347 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:45,640 Speaker 1: not all limited entry units are great, amazing hunts where 348 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:48,600 Speaker 1: you're gonna shoot the biggest belolk or the biggest meal there. 349 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:52,320 Speaker 1: Some of them just restrict to the amount of people 350 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:56,240 Speaker 1: in there over general areas or restricted enough where there's 351 00:17:56,280 --> 00:17:59,119 Speaker 1: a lot of tags, but it's just you have to 352 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 1: get it through a draw system or some other thing. So, 353 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 1: now let's talk a little bit about this idea of 354 00:18:08,359 --> 00:18:11,400 Speaker 1: point creep and what that is is if you're looking 355 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:14,800 Speaker 1: at a different state that has preference points, you might 356 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:17,840 Speaker 1: see that it will show you how many years of 357 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:20,399 Speaker 1: or like what level people were drawing tags this. So 358 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:24,919 Speaker 1: might say for two points to like sweet, in two years, 359 00:18:25,359 --> 00:18:27,920 Speaker 1: I can get this tag. But then what happens is 360 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:31,760 Speaker 1: the next year, there's a bunch of people with one 361 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:34,880 Speaker 1: point that put in more than tags available, and so 362 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:37,720 Speaker 1: they all put in with two points. But then there's 363 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:40,440 Speaker 1: some people that maybe have been waiting with preference points 364 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:44,359 Speaker 1: that didn't just got points only, or who knows what. 365 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:47,119 Speaker 1: Maybe we're applying for a different areas. This area becomes 366 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:50,240 Speaker 1: more popular or another area becomes less popular, and people 367 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:52,439 Speaker 1: shuffle around units, and then all of a sudden, that 368 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:56,040 Speaker 1: area takes three points to draw, and then the next 369 00:18:56,119 --> 00:18:58,360 Speaker 1: year it takes four points to draw. In the next 370 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:00,359 Speaker 1: year it takes five points to draw, and mean while 371 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 1: you're always behind, never getting a tag that you thought 372 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:05,560 Speaker 1: you should be able to get. This has become a 373 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:08,359 Speaker 1: huge problem in a lot of these Western draws and 374 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:11,920 Speaker 1: kind of really goes to prove that the preference points 375 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:15,360 Speaker 1: system doesn't really work for people just getting into it. 376 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:20,560 Speaker 1: If you're just to get into Wyoming sheep tag and 377 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:23,159 Speaker 1: hoping to draw on a preference, it's going to be 378 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:25,960 Speaker 1: physically impossible for you to ever draw a preference tag. 379 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:27,800 Speaker 1: You look at it now, you go, oh, well, people 380 00:19:27,840 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 1: are drawing with twelve to fifteen points or something like that. 381 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:33,640 Speaker 1: But there's thousands of people in line, and you'll never 382 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 1: get through that many people for the limited amount of 383 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 1: tags available. So a lot of states have had to 384 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:42,919 Speaker 1: kind of modify their preference system and offer essentially offer 385 00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:47,840 Speaker 1: some kind of random draw in these preference points states. 386 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:51,960 Speaker 1: Because you know, let's face it, tag draw application is 387 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:55,159 Speaker 1: a huge fundraiser for most state phishing game agencies, and 388 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:58,479 Speaker 1: if there's zero chance that somebody can actually ever end 389 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:01,439 Speaker 1: up getting that tag, people are gonna stop applying. So 390 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:04,879 Speaker 1: they needed ways to make it where people can actually 391 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:06,879 Speaker 1: get tags, but also kind of make it fair in 392 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:10,320 Speaker 1: some way, um that new people getting into it might 393 00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:13,679 Speaker 1: be able to randomly draw a tag and get lucky. 394 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:16,280 Speaker 1: So when you're looking at a state that might be 395 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:19,000 Speaker 1: a preference point state, there's going to be probably in 396 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:22,119 Speaker 1: almost all of them now kind of an option for 397 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 1: a random draw, and that's probably what most people just 398 00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:27,720 Speaker 1: getting into it are hoping for. When I talk about 399 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:30,359 Speaker 1: all these things, I like to think of applying for 400 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:33,400 Speaker 1: a tag in a way of a strategy. So I've 401 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:36,720 Speaker 1: said this before, but I think that the best way 402 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 1: to apply is kind of pick different states based on 403 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:43,919 Speaker 1: the different strategy. So there's preference point states which although 404 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:45,639 Speaker 1: you might think, oh, there's a lot of point creep 405 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:47,439 Speaker 1: and I'll never get a tag, there are tags that 406 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 1: you can get with that and their tags that you 407 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 1: can kind of count on, and they're a little bit 408 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:53,840 Speaker 1: better than just over the counter tag or a general 409 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:56,639 Speaker 1: area tag that might not um you know, might just 410 00:20:56,680 --> 00:20:58,840 Speaker 1: have a little bit better hunt with a fewer hunters, 411 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:00,960 Speaker 1: but it might take a few years. So something you 412 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:04,000 Speaker 1: can plan on now. A bonus point state is something 413 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:06,399 Speaker 1: where you're gonna play the long game. You're hoping to 414 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:08,879 Speaker 1: get lucky early, but if you keep applying, you know 415 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:11,720 Speaker 1: you might get lucky over time and draw a really 416 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:13,920 Speaker 1: good tag and have a really good hunt. And in 417 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:16,840 Speaker 1: the random draw state is just everybody's on equal footing, 418 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:20,400 Speaker 1: So hey, I might get lucky just like everybody else. 419 00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:22,399 Speaker 1: The people that have done this a hundred times, and 420 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:24,320 Speaker 1: then people that's their first year, we're all on the 421 00:21:24,359 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 1: same plane. So I'd say, if you have a limited 422 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:29,080 Speaker 1: budget and you want to start applying for different states, 423 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:31,119 Speaker 1: I would look at it this way. I look at 424 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:33,760 Speaker 1: it by trying to think of three states that have 425 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:36,800 Speaker 1: different systems, one where I might be able to realistically 426 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:40,399 Speaker 1: draw a preference point tag within two to five years, 427 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:43,800 Speaker 1: one where I'm on equal footing with everyone, a random 428 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:45,879 Speaker 1: draw state, and then a bonus point state where I 429 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:47,800 Speaker 1: can kind of think, I'm gonna pick this state. I'm 430 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:50,879 Speaker 1: gonna apply over time, and hopefully I'll get lucky before 431 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:53,040 Speaker 1: I get a lot of points, but you never know, 432 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:55,359 Speaker 1: and I'm gonna keep applying and just keep after it 433 00:21:55,359 --> 00:21:58,200 Speaker 1: with that one. Then on the back burner, I'm gonna 434 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:00,960 Speaker 1: have an over the counter tag or other states that 435 00:22:01,040 --> 00:22:02,880 Speaker 1: are easy to draw, where I can pick up these 436 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:05,960 Speaker 1: overcounter the tags and plan the hunt that I know 437 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:07,800 Speaker 1: I'll be able to go on. And I think for 438 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:10,480 Speaker 1: most people we're really gonna have to focus on those 439 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:13,320 Speaker 1: over the counter tags. Um, but it's good to have 440 00:22:13,359 --> 00:22:16,239 Speaker 1: the strategy of thinking of hunts that you might want 441 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:18,520 Speaker 1: to do in the future, especially if you live near 442 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:20,840 Speaker 1: other states or might be places that you want to 443 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:22,960 Speaker 1: hunt in the future. You really got to make these 444 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:26,440 Speaker 1: plans and plan out what you're gonna do. I think 445 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:29,080 Speaker 1: if you were to look at like the point creep 446 00:22:29,119 --> 00:22:31,080 Speaker 1: in some of these states and you go, Okay, well 447 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:33,600 Speaker 1: is it too late for me? If you're just getting 448 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:35,040 Speaker 1: into it, and you say, is it too late? For 449 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 1: me to even jump in these draws, is it even 450 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:40,960 Speaker 1: worth me my time, effort, money to apply? And I'm 451 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 1: gonna say the sad reality is yes and no. So 452 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:46,639 Speaker 1: it is a little bit too late for some things 453 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:49,159 Speaker 1: but not for others. And what that means is some 454 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 1: of these top units in places that use preference points 455 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:56,480 Speaker 1: between the point creep unless you draw randomly. So the 456 00:22:56,560 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 1: yes is like, you will not draw it on a 457 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:01,920 Speaker 1: preference how Ever, you could potentially draw it as a 458 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:04,639 Speaker 1: random draw for the now the states that are offering 459 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:08,160 Speaker 1: these a few of those tags as random draws. But 460 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:11,800 Speaker 1: also there's you have to think of using those preference 461 00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:14,159 Speaker 1: points not for the top units, but units that you 462 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 1: can realistically get. So that's kind of the way that 463 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:19,359 Speaker 1: I see combating the creep. So you look for areas 464 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 1: that had less points than necessary, then you build your 465 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:24,240 Speaker 1: points up and you go to those areas. You don't 466 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 1: want to see it as wasting points. I know I've 467 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:28,679 Speaker 1: done that in the past, where I have four points 468 00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:30,800 Speaker 1: and I see an area that takes two points to draw, 469 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:33,440 Speaker 1: and I'm like, oh, but I've got two extra years 470 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:35,760 Speaker 1: invested in this. I don't want to waste them on 471 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:38,320 Speaker 1: an area that has two points, I'm gonna go for 472 00:23:38,359 --> 00:23:40,320 Speaker 1: this area that has six, and then you just never 473 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:43,240 Speaker 1: catch up and you never want to go back. My 474 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:45,879 Speaker 1: philosophy when it comes to points is just turn and 475 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 1: burn as much as you can. You're a lot better 476 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:49,680 Speaker 1: to have a tag in your pocket, be out in 477 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:52,560 Speaker 1: the field. You can actually kill an elk when you 478 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:54,800 Speaker 1: have an elk tag and you're out hunting, as opposed 479 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:57,400 Speaker 1: to having a bunch of points sitting in some imaginary 480 00:23:57,400 --> 00:24:02,159 Speaker 1: wallets somewhere not getting used, and always chasing an area 481 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:05,600 Speaker 1: that you may never uh statistically be able to draw. 482 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:07,640 Speaker 1: So what I want to do now is what I'm 483 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:09,639 Speaker 1: gonna go through a few states and I'm going to 484 00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:12,760 Speaker 1: cover say five of them this week and maybe six 485 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:16,879 Speaker 1: next week, and just some of the application periods that 486 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:19,679 Speaker 1: are coming up. Um, So we'll start. I wanna just 487 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:27,040 Speaker 1: want to cover Wyoming, Utahs, do Montana, Nevada, and Arizona, 488 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:29,920 Speaker 1: and we can kind of cover those ones, and then um, 489 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:32,880 Speaker 1: we'll cover some of the other ones next week and 490 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:35,960 Speaker 1: talk a little bit more about some of the overcounter options. 491 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:38,160 Speaker 1: But I figured if I go state by state now 492 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:40,160 Speaker 1: that you kind of have this broad overview of what 493 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:43,200 Speaker 1: the points are, then you can kind of I think 494 00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:45,480 Speaker 1: if it's just better if I kind of explain each 495 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:47,919 Speaker 1: state and some of the options there, then you can 496 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:50,359 Speaker 1: kind of figure out what piques your interest, which one 497 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:52,280 Speaker 1: of these might be a good place for you to 498 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:55,440 Speaker 1: jump in, and then kind of build your application strategy 499 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:58,560 Speaker 1: and start thinking about planning some hunts for yourself. It's 500 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:02,040 Speaker 1: definitely doable. It's not that difficult. I started figuring a 501 00:25:02,119 --> 00:25:03,840 Speaker 1: lot of this stuff out when I was a teenager 502 00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 1: and there wasn't even resources for this kind of stuff. 503 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:09,960 Speaker 1: So I think that with this resource, with what's available 504 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,680 Speaker 1: now and the ease of being able to apply online 505 00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:15,200 Speaker 1: and so much other stuff, this is something that anybody 506 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:17,440 Speaker 1: can do, and I highly suggest it if it's something 507 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:19,119 Speaker 1: that you're considering. I know a lot of people that 508 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:22,080 Speaker 1: listen to this podcast. Um I always say I want 509 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:24,040 Speaker 1: to plan my first Western big game hunt when a 510 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:25,919 Speaker 1: lot of people live out here and just want to 511 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:28,919 Speaker 1: increase their opportunities, or maybe some guys just you know, 512 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:30,639 Speaker 1: say hey, I want to find a place where I 513 00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 1: can get a bigger elk than what I normally hunt. 514 00:25:33,119 --> 00:25:36,680 Speaker 1: Were someplaces that I can apply and realistically have that happen. 515 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:39,639 Speaker 1: This is how you do it through these tag draws, 516 00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:43,880 Speaker 1: through research, and through kind of creating a strategy on 517 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:49,360 Speaker 1: your applications. So let's start with Wyoming. Unfortunately, if you're 518 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:53,120 Speaker 1: just getting into this elk, the elk draws already over 519 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:56,639 Speaker 1: for Wyoming, that happens kind of early in the year. Um, 520 00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:58,479 Speaker 1: but it's not too late to get a point. So 521 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:01,399 Speaker 1: I would suggest why don't is actually really great state 522 00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:04,400 Speaker 1: to choose for elker deer because it is a preference 523 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:07,200 Speaker 1: point state. And I might be thinking, well, preference points 524 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:10,000 Speaker 1: are bad all this point creep stuff, but that's not 525 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:11,919 Speaker 1: necessarily the case. There's a lot of areas where it 526 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:14,680 Speaker 1: might take just one point or two points to get 527 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:18,520 Speaker 1: a tagging kind of realistically plan on those areas. What 528 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:20,440 Speaker 1: I like to do is look for anything three points 529 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:24,639 Speaker 1: or less and then plan on just buying points until 530 00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:27,000 Speaker 1: you have enough that you're ready to go and cash 531 00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:30,480 Speaker 1: in and pick an area that the year prior a 532 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 1: point lower got you a tag, because then you know 533 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:34,879 Speaker 1: for sure you're going to get the tag, or have 534 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:38,919 Speaker 1: a realistic expectation unless something crazy happens, like somebody shoots 535 00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:41,080 Speaker 1: a world record elk and then that area blows up, 536 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:44,320 Speaker 1: but outside of that is a little bit easier to plan. 537 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:47,600 Speaker 1: So it's too late to apply for elk there, but 538 00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 1: it's not too late to get a bonus point. I 539 00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:53,600 Speaker 1: think the bonus points are available through September so um 540 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:55,960 Speaker 1: for all species, so you can get those now. And 541 00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:58,240 Speaker 1: actually we only kind of change the way their application 542 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 1: works where even if you apply, you still have to 543 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:02,520 Speaker 1: buy the bonus point later. Um. So you can apply, 544 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:06,080 Speaker 1: but you've got to get the preference point later um 545 00:27:06,119 --> 00:27:07,959 Speaker 1: if you'd like. And then the moose, sheep goat for 546 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:11,679 Speaker 1: wyomings do March one, and then June one is the 547 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:14,679 Speaker 1: deadline for deer and antelope, So that's if you're looking, hey, 548 00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:16,440 Speaker 1: I want to go out for deer, I want to 549 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:19,080 Speaker 1: go out for antelope. That June first deadline is gonna 550 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:22,520 Speaker 1: be your time now on that it is preference point. 551 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:25,320 Speaker 1: But there's some areas that if they have enough tags, 552 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:28,200 Speaker 1: they'll allocate a certain percentage that will go into a 553 00:27:28,320 --> 00:27:30,800 Speaker 1: random draw, So it doesn't hurt to apply for that, 554 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:33,199 Speaker 1: and then if you don't get it, go on and 555 00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:36,320 Speaker 1: buy your bonus point later. One side note to wyoming, 556 00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:39,600 Speaker 1: you only get one choice, well one choice uses your points, 557 00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:41,680 Speaker 1: so it's really going to be the choice that's looked at. 558 00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:45,760 Speaker 1: There are a few tags in the deer and antelope 559 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:48,240 Speaker 1: if you start looking that you can actually pick up 560 00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:51,359 Speaker 1: on a second choice. So what that means is those 561 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:54,640 Speaker 1: areas are not fully filled on that first choice hunt. 562 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:57,600 Speaker 1: This is a really good way to get out hunting, 563 00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:01,359 Speaker 1: but also start building points. You don't use your points 564 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:04,120 Speaker 1: if you don't draw your first choice. In Wyoming, UM 565 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:06,640 Speaker 1: I like to start looking for those units where it's like, hey, 566 00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:09,520 Speaker 1: you can draw a second choice. Many of those, though, 567 00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:12,760 Speaker 1: are available because it's mostly private lands, so you want 568 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:15,479 Speaker 1: to just definitely research the area. UM I always pull 569 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:18,240 Speaker 1: out my onyx map or whatever, see how much private 570 00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:21,320 Speaker 1: lands in there, how much public lands in their program 571 00:28:21,320 --> 00:28:23,560 Speaker 1: that I use a lot. Go hunt works really well 572 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:26,240 Speaker 1: for this too. Just like researching areas, you can pull 573 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:27,920 Speaker 1: up an area. You can look at how many points 574 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:30,359 Speaker 1: it took to draw, how many What are the odds 575 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:33,199 Speaker 1: of drawing a second choice? Is that even possible? But 576 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:35,600 Speaker 1: that's something to look at, UM and one good thing 577 00:28:35,640 --> 00:28:38,600 Speaker 1: if you're thinking about Wyoming. I definitely like that aspect 578 00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:40,320 Speaker 1: of it where you might be able to find a 579 00:28:40,360 --> 00:28:43,240 Speaker 1: cool hunt that you can do um and still gain 580 00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:45,680 Speaker 1: points for maybe one, one or two years down the 581 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:48,760 Speaker 1: road all jump over to Utah. So the deadline for 582 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:51,040 Speaker 1: that it's going to be March fourth. I've been applying 583 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:53,960 Speaker 1: in Utah for a very long time. I've got nineteen 584 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:58,120 Speaker 1: ELK points this year, so so that's quite a while. Um, 585 00:28:58,240 --> 00:28:59,960 Speaker 1: you'd be like, why haven't you drawn a tag? Well, 586 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:03,000 Speaker 1: I was chasing lower point tags and then I got 587 00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:04,760 Speaker 1: into a little bit of point creep, and then I 588 00:29:04,800 --> 00:29:07,680 Speaker 1: just started drawing other tags and kept saving my points 589 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:10,880 Speaker 1: and applying for an area that did not offer a 590 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:14,280 Speaker 1: preference point tag. So if it only has one tag, 591 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:17,240 Speaker 1: then it's all random draw, but it's kind of weighted 592 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:20,200 Speaker 1: random draw where all your points act as bonus points. 593 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 1: So for the last quite a few years, maybe ten years, 594 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:25,960 Speaker 1: I've been applying for an area that doesn't offer a 595 00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:30,160 Speaker 1: tag to the most point applicants. So I could go 596 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:32,520 Speaker 1: and just choose if I wanted to say, Hey, I'm 597 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:35,080 Speaker 1: ready to hunt Utah this year, I'm gonna go get 598 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:36,800 Speaker 1: a tag. And there's a lot of units that I 599 00:29:36,840 --> 00:29:39,200 Speaker 1: could just be guaranteed a tag in that are gonna 600 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:42,520 Speaker 1: be great hunts, Like for three hundred to three fifty 601 00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:45,200 Speaker 1: type bowls with a bow. That's an awesome hunt and 602 00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:47,520 Speaker 1: something that would be super stoked on. But I've also 603 00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 1: had some really good hunts in my life, so I 604 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:51,840 Speaker 1: really thought, man, this might be one where I've got 605 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:54,600 Speaker 1: enough points, I might try to hold out for one 606 00:29:54,640 --> 00:29:57,720 Speaker 1: of those more higher echelon type ELK tags where I 607 00:29:57,720 --> 00:29:59,520 Speaker 1: could get a three fifty type bowl. And for me, 608 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 1: this is state. If you're just getting started, it's not 609 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 1: your state for that. Unfortunately, you're gonna have to either 610 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:07,480 Speaker 1: get lucky and draw off it. I mean, you could 611 00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:09,800 Speaker 1: draw the same tag I apply for. I I've got 612 00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:12,480 Speaker 1: a friend that the tag that I apply for. He's 613 00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:15,040 Speaker 1: applied three years and he drew the tag, and I've 614 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:19,040 Speaker 1: applied nineteen years and have never drawn it. So in 615 00:30:19,080 --> 00:30:22,200 Speaker 1: that case, it kind of could be anyone's game. For dear, 616 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:24,840 Speaker 1: there's a general deer season in Utah and that's on 617 00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:27,760 Speaker 1: a true preference point system, so there's it's not weighted. 618 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:30,200 Speaker 1: It's just the people with the most preference points get 619 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:34,680 Speaker 1: allocated those tags. There's muzzleloader, archery and rifle general tags 620 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:37,480 Speaker 1: and some um ways that you can hunt it like 621 00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:40,880 Speaker 1: kind of all three seasons, but those are that's a 622 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:42,720 Speaker 1: great way to kind of just plan on a hunt. 623 00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:45,120 Speaker 1: So if you're already gonna say, hey, I want to 624 00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:47,680 Speaker 1: hunt mule deer um, Utah sounds like a good one 625 00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:50,840 Speaker 1: general tag. There's a lot more hunters on those general hunts. 626 00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:53,000 Speaker 1: But hey, you've got a tag in your pocket, and 627 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:55,920 Speaker 1: maybe being finding those areas you could get every other year, 628 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:58,760 Speaker 1: every year, maybe every third year, you're gonna be a 629 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:01,560 Speaker 1: lot more successful than waiting twenty years to draw a 630 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:04,320 Speaker 1: tag that may never come. And while you're doing that, 631 00:31:04,360 --> 00:31:06,400 Speaker 1: if you're already buying the hunting license, you know you 632 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:09,360 Speaker 1: can get in there and apply for some of these 633 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:12,080 Speaker 1: limited entry tags that you might get lucky and draw. 634 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:16,000 Speaker 1: And that's what I would suggest doing a Feutah appeals 635 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:18,560 Speaker 1: to you a lot of states. You'll notice like you 636 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:20,920 Speaker 1: have to buy a hunting license in order to apply. 637 00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:22,880 Speaker 1: Utah is a state that you've got a little bit 638 00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:25,000 Speaker 1: of a hack in here. They're they're hunting licenses are 639 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:27,520 Speaker 1: three sixty five days, so as long as you have 640 00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:30,120 Speaker 1: an eligible hunting license when you apply, it's good for 641 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:33,080 Speaker 1: that year. So you can essentially buy one hunting license 642 00:31:33,120 --> 00:31:36,280 Speaker 1: every other year as long as you apply before your 643 00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:39,800 Speaker 1: license expires, and that's something that most people do um, 644 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:41,440 Speaker 1: but there's a lot of people that don't know about it. 645 00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:44,719 Speaker 1: This year, I normally set a Google Calendar update, but 646 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:47,560 Speaker 1: I missed my deadline for that, so I end up 647 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:49,960 Speaker 1: having to buy another license this year, two years in 648 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:53,120 Speaker 1: a row, but I try to get them every other years. 649 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:55,360 Speaker 1: That's just something to think about when it comes to 650 00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:59,120 Speaker 1: elk um. There's some over the counter elk hunts general 651 00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:03,040 Speaker 1: season tags in Utah summer any bull hunts, and some 652 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:06,680 Speaker 1: are spike bull hunts in areas that are like more 653 00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:09,560 Speaker 1: trophy based. Those spike hunts can be great hunts if 654 00:32:09,560 --> 00:32:13,080 Speaker 1: you just want a good experience out elk hunting and 655 00:32:13,120 --> 00:32:16,160 Speaker 1: maybe some success. And then the over the counter tags. 656 00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:18,280 Speaker 1: You know, there's other states that have over the counter 657 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:21,440 Speaker 1: tags that are you know, maybe more popular or whatever, 658 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:24,280 Speaker 1: but it's an option where if you don't have the 659 00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:26,320 Speaker 1: tag draw you can you can pick up a tag. 660 00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:30,480 Speaker 1: New this year, actually, Utah extended that their Archery Bull 661 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:32,920 Speaker 1: elk hunt over the counter tags by five days, so 662 00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:35,800 Speaker 1: it now goes to September, which I think is gonna 663 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:39,160 Speaker 1: be huge for hitting the rust. So now it's August one, 664 00:32:39,320 --> 00:32:42,240 Speaker 1: September twenty two, So I think that's kind of cool. Um, 665 00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:45,320 Speaker 1: that's that's gonna actually make those hunts quite a bit better, 666 00:32:45,360 --> 00:32:47,280 Speaker 1: I think, because you can maybe hit some peak rut. 667 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:51,720 Speaker 1: I'll zoom down to Arizona. My overview of Arizona is 668 00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:54,440 Speaker 1: it's really a great state for elk and deer, and 669 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:56,080 Speaker 1: if you think about it, I mean, it's probably one 670 00:32:56,120 --> 00:32:58,240 Speaker 1: of the top states for l one of the top 671 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:02,400 Speaker 1: states for deer. They've got those high and elk hunts. Now, 672 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:04,480 Speaker 1: those are really good if you have a lot of points, 673 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:06,840 Speaker 1: but I think with the point creep and all the 674 00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:09,920 Speaker 1: other stuff, for most intents and purposes, those are gonna 675 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:12,280 Speaker 1: be out of reach for most hunters. There is the 676 00:33:12,320 --> 00:33:15,280 Speaker 1: opportunity to maybe randomly draw one of those, but there's 677 00:33:15,320 --> 00:33:20,000 Speaker 1: a lot of other hunts, like more opportunity type hunts 678 00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:22,640 Speaker 1: in Arizona that take a lot less time to draw 679 00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:25,800 Speaker 1: and they can be great hunts. Um. There's a few 680 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:28,080 Speaker 1: L hunts that fall into this, both the antler list 681 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:30,760 Speaker 1: L hunts as well as some bowl elk hunts. While 682 00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:33,000 Speaker 1: they aren't over the counter, there's some elk hunts that 683 00:33:33,560 --> 00:33:35,640 Speaker 1: in the state of Arizona that are fairly easy to 684 00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:38,400 Speaker 1: draw that may only take a few points, And there's 685 00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:40,400 Speaker 1: also a lot of deer tags that might not take 686 00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:43,960 Speaker 1: any points. Cou'se deer tags, rifle tags in October. UM. 687 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:47,160 Speaker 1: Some of these off season hunts, like outside of the rut, 688 00:33:47,680 --> 00:33:51,120 Speaker 1: they can be difficult, but that's how they add more tags, 689 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:54,120 Speaker 1: so there's more opportunity, but they put them in times 690 00:33:54,120 --> 00:33:56,000 Speaker 1: of the year when it's the most difficult to find 691 00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:59,000 Speaker 1: dear so it kind of keeps the numbers in check, 692 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:01,320 Speaker 1: not too many deer a shot. And then there's over 693 00:34:01,360 --> 00:34:03,960 Speaker 1: the counter archery deer tags later in the season. So 694 00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:05,800 Speaker 1: I would say this is a really good state to 695 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:08,680 Speaker 1: apply if you're looking for, um a hunt that you 696 00:34:08,680 --> 00:34:11,960 Speaker 1: could actually get into. But at the meantime, maybe try 697 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:15,399 Speaker 1: your hand at drawing one of these upper end tags. 698 00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:18,000 Speaker 1: Because you get two choices in this draw and they 699 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:20,799 Speaker 1: consider both, so I like to go for broke on 700 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:23,520 Speaker 1: that first choice. And then there's like a list of 701 00:34:23,719 --> 00:34:26,879 Speaker 1: you can kind of look up different tags where there's 702 00:34:26,920 --> 00:34:30,080 Speaker 1: a lot of like sometimes tags left over in the 703 00:34:30,160 --> 00:34:33,000 Speaker 1: second or third and fourth choices. Um, there's some of 704 00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:35,400 Speaker 1: those tags you can kind of pick up over the 705 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:37,560 Speaker 1: counter if they're left over, but last few years they 706 00:34:37,560 --> 00:34:40,680 Speaker 1: haven't really been available. However, you can draw those easier, 707 00:34:40,680 --> 00:34:42,080 Speaker 1: so you can kind of put those in your second 708 00:34:42,160 --> 00:34:44,879 Speaker 1: choice and end up with a tag, but also maybe 709 00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:48,200 Speaker 1: try for a better tag, like a dream tag at 710 00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:50,000 Speaker 1: the same time. And that's kind of cool to be 711 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:52,160 Speaker 1: able to do that. So I definitely think that's a 712 00:34:52,160 --> 00:34:54,440 Speaker 1: good state to look into as well. Um, there's no 713 00:34:54,520 --> 00:34:57,239 Speaker 1: state that I would mention that's not a good state 714 00:34:57,280 --> 00:34:59,840 Speaker 1: to apply in, but I just want to cover everything 715 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:01,640 Speaker 1: kind of give you my like, these are just my 716 00:35:01,719 --> 00:35:04,680 Speaker 1: thoughts on all these states when it comes to considering 717 00:35:04,960 --> 00:35:07,440 Speaker 1: where you want to apply. Next one is gonna be 718 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:10,680 Speaker 1: Montana that opens up March first and then the application 719 00:35:10,719 --> 00:35:17,080 Speaker 1: in April one. Montana is honestly the most confusing draw Um, 720 00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:19,240 Speaker 1: it's one I'm most familiar with, so it's not confusing 721 00:35:19,280 --> 00:35:22,399 Speaker 1: for me, but I think when most people uh look 722 00:35:22,440 --> 00:35:24,239 Speaker 1: at it, they're like, this makes no sense, and it's 723 00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:28,359 Speaker 1: because it's a terrible draw system. Um, I don't know 724 00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:32,160 Speaker 1: it needs to be changed, unfortunately, because what happens is 725 00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:35,239 Speaker 1: so Montana has preference points for the general license and 726 00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:40,040 Speaker 1: then bonus points for limited entry units. However, The way 727 00:35:40,120 --> 00:35:42,040 Speaker 1: that your draw works is you need to draw the 728 00:35:42,080 --> 00:35:48,400 Speaker 1: general license before you are put into the application process 729 00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:50,719 Speaker 1: for the limited entry units. So if you're just like, man, 730 00:35:50,760 --> 00:35:53,200 Speaker 1: I want to apply for those giant ELK units and 731 00:35:53,239 --> 00:35:56,760 Speaker 1: the breaks in Montana, that's cool. But what's gonna happen 732 00:35:56,880 --> 00:35:59,359 Speaker 1: is you have to first draw general tag and then 733 00:35:59,360 --> 00:36:01,560 Speaker 1: you're put in that limited entry chance in the breaks. 734 00:36:01,880 --> 00:36:03,279 Speaker 1: Now maybe you're like, oh, I don't want to hunt 735 00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:05,280 Speaker 1: a general unit in Montana, so you have the option 736 00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:07,759 Speaker 1: to refund your ELK tag. If you don't draw that 737 00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:11,000 Speaker 1: limited entry tag, well, you're only gonna get eight percent 738 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:13,400 Speaker 1: of that, so it's gonna cost you like three something bucks. 739 00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:16,040 Speaker 1: And um, I think if you do the combat tag, 740 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:18,480 Speaker 1: that's cost you to something. I can't remember the exact price. 741 00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:22,440 Speaker 1: Probably should have done the math. But see, it didn't 742 00:36:22,480 --> 00:36:25,200 Speaker 1: really matter before, where everybody kind of just drew the 743 00:36:25,239 --> 00:36:28,600 Speaker 1: general tagscent draw and then everyone was put in for 744 00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:31,080 Speaker 1: the other draw and then you got your refund back 745 00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:33,880 Speaker 1: and it wasn't a big deal. Now the general tags 746 00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:36,239 Speaker 1: are becoming more popular, so now there's a lot more 747 00:36:36,280 --> 00:36:38,680 Speaker 1: competition for those tags, and your preference points to draw 748 00:36:38,719 --> 00:36:41,920 Speaker 1: that general tag before you get put into that bonus 749 00:36:41,960 --> 00:36:46,240 Speaker 1: point draw for the limited entry in So, if you know, Monte, 750 00:36:46,320 --> 00:36:48,600 Speaker 1: I'm gonna just say it like this, this sounds very confusing, 751 00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:53,120 Speaker 1: and it is. So the best thing for Montana is 752 00:36:53,200 --> 00:36:55,560 Speaker 1: apply for Montana if you just want to hunt the 753 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:57,600 Speaker 1: general units and then you want to apply for a 754 00:36:57,640 --> 00:37:00,560 Speaker 1: limited entry unit while you're there. That's the best way 755 00:37:00,600 --> 00:37:03,200 Speaker 1: to think of it, because you know, doing it the 756 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:05,480 Speaker 1: other way around kind of doesn't necessarily make sense that 757 00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:06,960 Speaker 1: it's going to take you a very long time to 758 00:37:07,040 --> 00:37:09,080 Speaker 1: draw one of those limited entry tags because you gotta 759 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:11,919 Speaker 1: get lucky twice and you're gonna burn your preference point 760 00:37:11,960 --> 00:37:16,439 Speaker 1: for that general tag by attempting to draw a permit tag. 761 00:37:16,520 --> 00:37:18,920 Speaker 1: So I'm hoping that in the next few years Montana 762 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:20,640 Speaker 1: wise is up and they just change this and make 763 00:37:20,680 --> 00:37:22,719 Speaker 1: it more like every other state where it's like, hey, 764 00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:25,400 Speaker 1: if you're putting in for a limited entry tag and 765 00:37:25,480 --> 00:37:27,719 Speaker 1: you draw it, you get a tag. That's makes sense. 766 00:37:27,760 --> 00:37:30,240 Speaker 1: There's like, you know, I mean, thousands of people putting 767 00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:33,920 Speaker 1: in for some units that have one tag available, and 768 00:37:33,960 --> 00:37:37,280 Speaker 1: then it's just this really complicated system where the refunding 769 00:37:37,320 --> 00:37:39,440 Speaker 1: tags and giving them back to other people and it's 770 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:43,839 Speaker 1: just it's like a really horrible system um as more 771 00:37:43,880 --> 00:37:48,080 Speaker 1: people apply, so that's how that works. But Montana is 772 00:37:48,120 --> 00:37:50,000 Speaker 1: a great state and has probably one of the better 773 00:37:50,040 --> 00:37:52,359 Speaker 1: general elk hunts. You know, i'd put it up there 774 00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:55,640 Speaker 1: in the top states of general elk hunts or general 775 00:37:55,680 --> 00:37:58,160 Speaker 1: elk units. You know, it's got quite a few units 776 00:37:58,239 --> 00:38:01,000 Speaker 1: under that general elk tag. It's fair popular hunt. I 777 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:04,120 Speaker 1: would say between Montana, Idaho, Colorado, and Wyoming, those are 778 00:38:04,160 --> 00:38:06,799 Speaker 1: gonna be your top elk states. New Mexico is a 779 00:38:06,840 --> 00:38:09,600 Speaker 1: great state hunt, but most of those tags are on 780 00:38:09,680 --> 00:38:12,399 Speaker 1: to draw. So you know, you look at those other 781 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:14,920 Speaker 1: four states and there's areas where you can get into 782 00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:18,000 Speaker 1: every other year, every year and have a good hunt. 783 00:38:18,040 --> 00:38:20,359 Speaker 1: And so that's something like a lot of people are 784 00:38:20,440 --> 00:38:23,280 Speaker 1: very interested in, and I think there's something worth noting. 785 00:38:23,320 --> 00:38:26,120 Speaker 1: I mean, Montana's place that I grew up hunting, so 786 00:38:26,560 --> 00:38:28,880 Speaker 1: I like hunting there. But there's also great hunts other 787 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:32,320 Speaker 1: places as well. The nice thing about you know, Montana, 788 00:38:32,360 --> 00:38:36,120 Speaker 1: if you're doing that in the limited entry units only 789 00:38:36,160 --> 00:38:39,959 Speaker 1: your first choice is counted for your bonus points. So 790 00:38:40,160 --> 00:38:42,399 Speaker 1: you know, if you don't draw your first choice, then 791 00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:44,719 Speaker 1: you don't lose those bonus points, you continue to gain 792 00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:47,040 Speaker 1: those bonus points over the years even if you drew 793 00:38:47,080 --> 00:38:49,919 Speaker 1: that general preference. So there's two point systems in there 794 00:38:50,360 --> 00:38:53,360 Speaker 1: for one tag um, which makes it a little complicated, 795 00:38:53,440 --> 00:38:56,399 Speaker 1: but it is easy enough to manage, and then it's 796 00:38:56,480 --> 00:38:58,319 Speaker 1: just a It's also a really good state if you 797 00:38:58,320 --> 00:39:00,320 Speaker 1: want to try your look for moose, sheep goat because 798 00:39:00,360 --> 00:39:02,239 Speaker 1: the entry fees minimal. You don't have to buy a 799 00:39:02,239 --> 00:39:04,920 Speaker 1: license ahead of time, so it's probably the cheapest state 800 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:07,239 Speaker 1: to apply for moose, sheep or goat UM. So I 801 00:39:07,239 --> 00:39:08,680 Speaker 1: think it's a pretty good state for that, and that's 802 00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:11,439 Speaker 1: the way I look at Montana. And the last state 803 00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:13,719 Speaker 1: we're gonna cover today would be Nevada. Nevada is a 804 00:39:13,719 --> 00:39:16,400 Speaker 1: bonus point state, so everyone has a chance, but the 805 00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:19,360 Speaker 1: longer you apply here, the better your chances. So everything 806 00:39:19,520 --> 00:39:22,920 Speaker 1: is squared, your point numbers squared, so the longer you apply, 807 00:39:23,120 --> 00:39:26,200 Speaker 1: the better chance is going to be UM. You have 808 00:39:26,280 --> 00:39:28,399 Speaker 1: to buy a hunting license in order to gain a point, 809 00:39:28,480 --> 00:39:31,200 Speaker 1: so you could apply it in Nevada fairly cheap, but 810 00:39:31,239 --> 00:39:33,439 Speaker 1: you won't gain a point. And I wouldn't suggest that 811 00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:37,319 Speaker 1: because the money for the application fees the money that 812 00:39:37,360 --> 00:39:40,520 Speaker 1: you're spending on the license is kind of gonna increase 813 00:39:40,600 --> 00:39:43,719 Speaker 1: your odds down the road of obtaining a tag. You 814 00:39:43,719 --> 00:39:45,920 Speaker 1: could go in every year with just one chance, and 815 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:48,560 Speaker 1: people do that, and people have drawn it. But I'd 816 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:51,600 Speaker 1: say your your statistical probability of drawing that is so 817 00:39:52,280 --> 00:39:54,359 Speaker 1: minimal that it just becomes kind of a raffle at 818 00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:56,600 Speaker 1: that point, and you might as well just buy like 819 00:39:56,719 --> 00:40:00,000 Speaker 1: a Um, every state's kind of got like tag raffles 820 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:02,560 Speaker 1: as well. Um, you're probably better off just putting your 821 00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:05,640 Speaker 1: money in that than opposed to applying every year without 822 00:40:05,680 --> 00:40:08,359 Speaker 1: the bonus points, because over the course of time, you're 823 00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:11,960 Speaker 1: just gonna have a better and better chance of securing 824 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:14,640 Speaker 1: a tag. The nice thing about Nevada is if you 825 00:40:14,680 --> 00:40:17,120 Speaker 1: do draw a tag, pretty much every tag is top 826 00:40:17,239 --> 00:40:19,479 Speaker 1: end hunting, so you're gonna have a really good honey 827 00:40:19,520 --> 00:40:21,879 Speaker 1: experience because the tags are so limited. I would say 828 00:40:21,880 --> 00:40:25,360 Speaker 1: it's probably one of the only Western states where you 829 00:40:25,400 --> 00:40:28,480 Speaker 1: know you have a chance of drawing it your first year, 830 00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:30,759 Speaker 1: as opposed to the states that have a lot of 831 00:40:30,800 --> 00:40:34,160 Speaker 1: preference points systems in place. This bonus point system, at 832 00:40:34,239 --> 00:40:37,479 Speaker 1: least every time you apply you do have some sort 833 00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:40,040 Speaker 1: of chance or a better chance than places that are preference. 834 00:40:40,120 --> 00:40:42,799 Speaker 1: Even though they do have some random tags, there's more 835 00:40:42,880 --> 00:40:45,520 Speaker 1: tags given out. You have the option of obtaining more 836 00:40:45,560 --> 00:40:48,200 Speaker 1: tags this way, So I think it's a great state 837 00:40:48,280 --> 00:40:50,480 Speaker 1: for people to apply in. One of the kind of 838 00:40:50,480 --> 00:40:53,160 Speaker 1: tricks to this getting a tag in Nevada would be 839 00:40:53,480 --> 00:40:56,760 Speaker 1: use weapon types to have better draws. You know, archery 840 00:40:56,800 --> 00:40:59,880 Speaker 1: seasons seem to have better draws, or maybe some muzzleloader seasons, 841 00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:03,759 Speaker 1: or some offseason rifle hunts, some like October rifles as 842 00:41:03,800 --> 00:41:07,200 Speaker 1: opposed to rent rifles into BATA. You get five choices, 843 00:41:07,239 --> 00:41:09,920 Speaker 1: and all five choices are looked at before the next applicant. 844 00:41:10,280 --> 00:41:11,920 Speaker 1: So what this great thing to do is mix and 845 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:14,279 Speaker 1: match your choices. Put your first couple of choices is 846 00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:18,360 Speaker 1: just like awesome, incredible, really hard to draw tags, and 847 00:41:18,440 --> 00:41:21,640 Speaker 1: then your last three choices as ones that are maybe 848 00:41:21,680 --> 00:41:24,880 Speaker 1: easier to draw by switching up your weapon choice or something. 849 00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:27,359 Speaker 1: So it's like, hey, you've got a chance of something 850 00:41:27,480 --> 00:41:29,920 Speaker 1: really really good, but also you've got a mixture of 851 00:41:30,040 --> 00:41:32,920 Speaker 1: things that might help you get a tag sooner. And 852 00:41:33,040 --> 00:41:35,200 Speaker 1: I think that that is a really good strategy in 853 00:41:35,280 --> 00:41:38,640 Speaker 1: that state, because every stage draw system is a little different. 854 00:41:38,719 --> 00:41:41,359 Speaker 1: We really just have to talk about every single state 855 00:41:41,400 --> 00:41:43,399 Speaker 1: out west and apply for and just give you an 856 00:41:43,440 --> 00:41:46,000 Speaker 1: idea of how it works, and then kind of look 857 00:41:46,040 --> 00:41:48,719 Speaker 1: into those states and start planning your hunts that way. 858 00:41:49,080 --> 00:41:51,759 Speaker 1: I've said it before a thousand times, but your hunt's 859 00:41:51,800 --> 00:41:54,400 Speaker 1: gonna start now in planning. So what you gotta have 860 00:41:54,480 --> 00:41:56,120 Speaker 1: to do is you're gonna have to find a unit 861 00:41:56,200 --> 00:41:58,719 Speaker 1: to hunt, and that's gonna start by finding a place 862 00:41:58,880 --> 00:42:01,160 Speaker 1: or a state to apply. You can go online, you 863 00:42:01,200 --> 00:42:03,840 Speaker 1: can look up a lot of these different states, their systems, 864 00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:05,520 Speaker 1: and the tags that are available. There's a lot of 865 00:42:05,560 --> 00:42:07,759 Speaker 1: different services out there as well, but I think that 866 00:42:07,880 --> 00:42:10,880 Speaker 1: having some sort of knowledge base on your own of 867 00:42:10,960 --> 00:42:13,800 Speaker 1: how everything works and then choosing for yourself where you 868 00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:16,480 Speaker 1: want to maybe start looking into, that's a great way 869 00:42:16,560 --> 00:42:18,919 Speaker 1: to do it now. Of course, the over the counter 870 00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:20,759 Speaker 1: tags are going to be a really good option for 871 00:42:20,880 --> 00:42:23,279 Speaker 1: most people coming from out of state or just looking 872 00:42:23,400 --> 00:42:25,800 Speaker 1: to get in on a hunt this year with a 873 00:42:25,920 --> 00:42:29,839 Speaker 1: lot less future planning, and we're definitely gonna start covering those. 874 00:42:29,840 --> 00:42:31,759 Speaker 1: So we're gonna do a deeper dive into over the 875 00:42:31,840 --> 00:42:34,640 Speaker 1: counter tag options next week, and then I'm also going 876 00:42:34,680 --> 00:42:38,840 Speaker 1: to cover the draws in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, Colorado, 877 00:42:38,960 --> 00:42:43,560 Speaker 1: and California. Before we cast off, I just want to 878 00:42:43,600 --> 00:42:46,560 Speaker 1: thank everybody else. Actually cruising through some of the Apple 879 00:42:47,120 --> 00:42:51,279 Speaker 1: podcasts customer reviews, I guess and uh, it's awesome to 880 00:42:51,360 --> 00:42:54,560 Speaker 1: see so many great comments, uh and so many great ratings. 881 00:42:55,000 --> 00:42:58,200 Speaker 1: Definitely really appreciate that. I'll just actually take a few 882 00:42:58,239 --> 00:43:00,160 Speaker 1: seconds and I haven't done this before, but just read 883 00:43:00,200 --> 00:43:02,399 Speaker 1: a few of these because I just I'm just gonna 884 00:43:02,440 --> 00:43:05,439 Speaker 1: randomly pick a few here. So A X thirty says, 885 00:43:05,719 --> 00:43:08,000 Speaker 1: not just for the experienced hunter, I really appreciate all 886 00:43:08,040 --> 00:43:11,360 Speaker 1: the infra you provide for the emerging hunter. Five stars 887 00:43:12,120 --> 00:43:15,560 Speaker 1: gilb Tom says very informational. One of the best podcasts 888 00:43:15,600 --> 00:43:18,920 Speaker 1: out there regarding hunting, tips, strategies, gears, etcetera, etcetera. I 889 00:43:19,040 --> 00:43:23,719 Speaker 1: listened to every episode. Another five stars, this one's from 890 00:43:23,840 --> 00:43:27,319 Speaker 1: Timmy to fifty three says the Godfather Remy is super 891 00:43:27,400 --> 00:43:30,880 Speaker 1: knowledgeable at hunting. He can be an animal's worst nightmare 892 00:43:30,920 --> 00:43:34,120 Speaker 1: when he's hunting them. I've learned and enjoyed listening a lot. 893 00:43:34,520 --> 00:43:37,160 Speaker 1: My sister in law and I got a double spike 894 00:43:37,239 --> 00:43:39,880 Speaker 1: elk this year. Thanks to some of his tips and tactics. 895 00:43:40,280 --> 00:43:42,520 Speaker 1: Uh plucking them both out of a herd of a 896 00:43:42,600 --> 00:43:45,759 Speaker 1: hundred plus. Remy is like the master godfather hunter for 897 00:43:45,880 --> 00:43:48,480 Speaker 1: my buddy and I want to know how to hunt 898 00:43:48,480 --> 00:43:52,240 Speaker 1: animals successfully, listen, learn practice, and get her done. Remy 899 00:43:52,360 --> 00:43:56,319 Speaker 1: is the man. Hey, I didn't say it, Timmy, did 900 00:43:56,480 --> 00:43:59,120 Speaker 1: I think so? Man? That's I appreciate that comment. Um, 901 00:43:59,200 --> 00:44:01,239 Speaker 1: there's just so many great comments out here. I really 902 00:44:01,280 --> 00:44:04,440 Speaker 1: appreciate you guys listening. Here's another one from Nick Planner. 903 00:44:04,600 --> 00:44:08,120 Speaker 1: One says, awesome, great podcast for any big game Western hunter. 904 00:44:08,480 --> 00:44:10,800 Speaker 1: So much info you got to listen to them multiple 905 00:44:10,880 --> 00:44:13,480 Speaker 1: times to retain all the info. I just thank you 906 00:44:13,520 --> 00:44:16,080 Speaker 1: guys so much. I love cruising through these messages reading them. 907 00:44:16,400 --> 00:44:18,239 Speaker 1: It gives me stoked. It gives me fired up to 908 00:44:18,360 --> 00:44:21,720 Speaker 1: keep the podcasts cruising and trucking and and keep pumping 909 00:44:21,760 --> 00:44:24,359 Speaker 1: out info. So if you guys get a chance, if 910 00:44:24,400 --> 00:44:25,840 Speaker 1: you think about it, if something you want to do. 911 00:44:26,200 --> 00:44:28,640 Speaker 1: I never try to hard sell anyone on anything, but 912 00:44:29,120 --> 00:44:31,680 Speaker 1: go over there, leave a comment, give me some ratings 913 00:44:31,840 --> 00:44:35,480 Speaker 1: five stars if you'd like. I prefer that, But sweet, 914 00:44:35,520 --> 00:44:38,560 Speaker 1: whatever you guys think, and um, yeah, I just thank 915 00:44:38,600 --> 00:44:41,440 Speaker 1: you guys for tuning in and all the support, So 916 00:44:41,640 --> 00:44:44,600 Speaker 1: until next week, don't get creeped out. By the point creep. 917 00:44:44,680 --> 00:44:47,359 Speaker 1: There's still a lot of tags available and I'm gonna 918 00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:49,480 Speaker 1: teach you how to get them and get on more 919 00:44:49,560 --> 00:44:52,319 Speaker 1: hunts this fall. So until next week, have a good one, guys,