Dear Abby, I SUCK at drawing tags

TheCougar

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Jun 6, 2016
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Virginia
Dear Abby,

The last three years have been brutal on drawing tags, which coincides with when I got really serious about planning out and picking hunts. Maybe I have terrible luck or maybe I am doing it wrong. I don’t know. During this drought, I’ve still managed to kill critters on every tag I did get: OTC aoudad and archery coues, helping buddies on elk/oryx hunts, and getting random reservation tags for archery cow elk, but I am getting discouraged at my ability to get a draw tag, despite the effort and money to build points and apply. For reference, I’m an AZ resident.

2016: this year hurt. A lot.
AZ Archery Bull tag: Returned for deployment (thanks a lot Bin Laden)
AZ November Rifle Deer STRIP tag: Returned for deployment (thanks a lot Bin Laden).

2017:
AZ: 0 for 7 on tags, Including elk tag with 60% draw success at my point level
NM: 1/7 on tags (archery elk tag in easier to draw unit)
WY: 0 tags, including 100% draw antelope unit at my points for every previous year in history.
SD: 0/3 tags

2018:
AZ: 0 for 7 on tags, including an elk tag with 87% draw success for my point level
NM: 0/7 on tags
ID, UT, WY: 0 tags on everything, including a
100% antelope draw unit for 4 years running, jumped up 2 points when I applied.
SD: 0/3 tags

2019, so far:
AZ: 0/2 on tags, both elk units had 60% odds last year for my points. (Also 0/4 on tags for my wife and son).
NM: 0/7, including low demand deer hunts with 40/60% odds. 1/4 on tags for my son, he drew a 60% draw youth deer hunt.
MT: 0/1, did not draw general tag
UT: TBD, but who are we kidding?

So now I’m wondering... what am I doing wrong? Sure, a lot of my apps are for hard to draw hunts, but a lot of them should be easy to draw, and a few should be guaranteed tags. Yet here I sit, with another year of planning down the drain and I don’t have a tag.

My options remaining:
ID LE draw, then ID OTC when I fail again
SD: 60% odds for a whitetail hunt, anything else is 10% or so odds.
WY: leftover antelope, LE or General Deer
CO OTC elk
NM OTC Aoudad
AZ LE Deer and OTC archery deer
Try to get Montana returned tag for General elk and/or deer
Maybe a landowner tag somewhere, but I know zero about this option

Any thoughts on the best of the remaining options? Any thoughts on how I could not be so hapless at drawing a tag?

Tagless in Texas


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Rich M

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Jun 14, 2017
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Is the WY application period even open yet? You're not out of the woods just yet.

The tag draws suck but are part of the game since everyone is getting bumped out of their normal hunt areas. You set and make your own bed with permit choices a lot of the time. Maybe lower your expectations on one or two apps and go shoot something. You'll feel better for it.

I'm impatiently waiting on a mule deer draw. Hoping but results come too late to do anything meaningful with antelope or elk or whitetails in other states. If I don't pull gonna hunt local and then go duck hunting I guess. Wait another year.
 

cnelk

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Mar 1, 2012
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Colorado
Based on your WY draws, I think you should study up on units you CAN draw - i.e. Elk/Pronghorn/Deer
 

JWP58

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Nov 21, 2013
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Boulder, CO
Dont feel bad I'm a resident of Wyoming (native Texan) and cant seem to draw a buck antelope tag (this yr I put in for a unit overlooked by most in hope of getting a buck tag).

The only luck in draws I've ever had was a public land aoudad in Texas....as a non resident.

A hint for you, dont be afraid of "crappy" region deer tags in Wyoming....never know what you may find.....I.E. do you want a "superb tag" or do you want to hunt?
 
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SWOHTR

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At least you have been afforded the opportunity to go. I'm staring down 3-5 consecutive years of likely not being able to go. So, look at it how you want...

My guess is that you'll also have a few years where you draw a good deal of tags.
 
OP
TheCougar

TheCougar

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Virginia
TheCougar, TheCougar,

You have no complaint.

You draw what you draw, then you sit and you wait.

So listen up buster, and listen up good,

Stop wishing for bad luck and knockin' on wood.

Signed, Dear Abby.

Well played sir, well played...
 
Joined
Jan 12, 2017
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Idaho Falls,ID
I put in for easy to draw hunts in Idaho every year, haven't drawn anything since 2012. I put in for sheep last year, didn't draw of course. This year I'm not putting for anything besides Wyoming antelope....most likely won't draw. Doesn't matter to me anymore, I'll still hunt for 5 months or so on OTC tags and my son will be old enough to hunt this year so I'll have him out every second I can. I'm genuinely jealous of the Texas guys that can go shoot hogs year-round, that's fun hunting. Get your chin up, quit whining, and go enjoy the huge bounty that Texas has to offer. Grab an OTC elk or deer tag too, everyone else does.
 
Joined
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Cougar-

I'm here in TX as well. I think you are doing things just right man. Point creep screws everyone from time to time, case in point with your WY tags. I think we are going to see a ton of if this year in CO, as guys try to cash in on the good winter.

Drawing LE tags isn't a 2-3 year game plan... its a 5-10-15...hell 35 year game plan depending on what you want. So keep dropping apps on where you WANT to hunt... don't settle just to 'win'. My buddy and I are in those 'in-between' years where we have 4-7 points for lots of states and units. Gotta decide where it is worth it to cash in and where we will be holding out for the long run.

During the years you don't pull an LE tag you know about OTC already for CO, AZ, ID... and there is good stuff to be found here at home if you know where to look (or apply!).
 
Joined
Sep 15, 2018
Messages
970
I’ll give you some advice that has helped me: Lower the standards, raise your averages.
Meaning that if you lower the “quality” of tags you’re applying for, you’ll be hunting more years on average. I had to bite the bullet and cash in 11 deer points and “settle” for a tag that could be drawn with 8 or 9 points. Didn’t shoot the big buck I was hoping for but I got to go hunting and see some new country, had fun and shot a decent buck. I’m more about getting out now and putting myself in a spot to shoot a good one. Which is why I’ll have at least 4 General season elk and deer tags this year and a couple antelope tags(hopefully buck but will settle for doe/fawn tags). Trophy animals are getting killed on general tags every year!
 

Beendare

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My prediction; You kill out on multiple species in 3 OTC units and have the best hunting year ever.

Now I doubt the special forces squads will let you skip selection due to your hunting prowess....but you will know it!

When life gives you lemons bro....and thanks for your service!

..
 
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TheCougar

TheCougar

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Is the WY application period even open yet? You're not out of the woods just yet.

The tag draws suck but are part of the game since everyone is getting bumped out of their normal hunt areas. You set and make your own bed with permit choices a lot of the time. Maybe lower your expectations on one or two apps and go shoot something. You'll feel better for it.

I'm impatiently waiting on a mule deer draw. Hoping but results come too late to do anything meaningful with antelope or elk or whitetails in other states. If I don't pull gonna hunt local and then go duck hunting I guess. Wait another year.

Wyoming elk is done. I can’t do Antelope this year (made a promise to my best friend and he accidentally knocked up his wife with a 5 October due date), but deer is on the radar. As far as expectations, I’ve routinely applied for at least 1 tag per season that historically had 100% draw rates, and then another couple of tags in the 50-60% draw success. I’m not bent out of shape about not drawing a Hail Mary tag, but those “guaranteed draw” tags are giving me fits.
 
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TheCougar

TheCougar

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I put in for easy to draw hunts in Idaho every year, haven't drawn anything since 2012. I put in for sheep last year, didn't draw of course. This year I'm not putting for anything besides Wyoming antelope....most likely won't draw. Doesn't matter to me anymore, I'll still hunt for 5 months or so on OTC tags and my son will be old enough to hunt this year so I'll have him out every second I can. I'm genuinely jealous of the Texas guys that can go shoot hogs year-round, that's fun hunting. Get your chin up, quit whining, and go enjoy the huge bounty that Texas has to offer. Grab an OTC elk or deer tag too, everyone else does.

You can certainly kill a lot of stuff in Texas. If you have the land and if you don’t mind shooting animals off a feeder. I tried it once and it just wasn’t for me. I’ll take a ball-busting elk hunt any day over sitting in a blind with a Mr. Buddy heater and my kindle waiting for the feeder to go off. Maybe that makes me a fool? I do take my son a lot to shoot hogs and deer, since I want to get him as much experience as possible before he starts hunting out west. And yes, an OTC tag appears to be in my near future.
 
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TheCougar

TheCougar

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I’m done sport- bitching... Appreciate the advice. I’ll see you guys in some OTC unit somewhere in Idaho and hopefully in Wy with a deer tag in my pocket!
 

srfdmatty

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May 26, 2018
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Norcal
I agree on just shopping for those OTC tags. At the very least you get to see some beautiful country. If you go into the hunt with lower expectations you'll enjoy the hunt more. Getting out in the woods is more about the experience than anything. Taking home an animal is just a bonus.
By the way thanks for hanging it out there for us overseas. You guys never get the appreciation you deserve.
Good luck this fall!


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Joined
Mar 7, 2019
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I too have horrible luck. I hope for both our sake’s that after a while it turns around. Thank you for your service and hope you find some worthy opponents to chase OTC this year.
 
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