18 Quality Deer Points..... Where would you go?

[Karl Blanchard]

Guys:

Thanks for all the help.  With that advice, I think I'll start building points in Montana.  Will probably just buy a point in Montana this year.  Maybe I'll go with Plan B and go hunt late Whitetail in the Clearwater region with my cousin.  Apparently there are some tags left in a few of those units.

solid plan and good on you for taking the bull (or buck  ) by the horns. You are the master of your own destiny. Tons and tons of killer muley tags left in idaho so don't think whitetail are your only option. Also id apply for MT, not just buy a point. You've got 50%+ draw odds so why not 

Lastly, MT combo draw preference points have an expiration date. You can only buy points for 2 years without actually applying. 3rd year you will lose em if you don't use em. So consider that if you just do a point this year.

[Igor]

 Also id apply for MT, not just buy a point. You've got 50%+ draw odds so why not 

Lastly, MT combo draw preference points have an expiration date. You can only buy points for 2 years without actually applying. 3rd year you will lose em if you don't use em. So consider that if you just do a point this year.

A MT deer hunt is just not economically feasible for some.  Two day drive to get to Eastern MT, hunt five days, two day drive back.  By the time you buy your tags, gas, food, lodging for 7 days, you are probably looking at $1500+.

[Karl Blanchard]

 Also id apply for MT, not just buy a point. You've got 50%+ draw odds so why not 

Lastly, MT combo draw preference points have an expiration date. You can only buy points for 2 years without actually applying. 3rd year you will lose em if you don't use em. So consider that if you just do a point this year.

A MT deer hunt is just not economically feasible for some.  Two day drive to get to Eastern MT, hunt five days, two day drive back.  By the time you buy your tags, gas, food, lodging for 7 days, you are probably looking at $1500+.

but he said he is gonna go and also stated he planned to do idaho.  Sounds like he has some funds for a trip


Also, food IS NOT a trip expenditure. You are eating food whether you are sitting on your couch at home or 3 states away on a hunt. If one chooses to not plan for normal food consumption on the road, that's either poor planning on their part or they are ok with spending the additional money on eating out and gas station grub.

[Igor]

 Also id apply for MT, not just buy a point. You've got 50%+ draw odds so why not 

Lastly, MT combo draw preference points have an expiration date. You can only buy points for 2 years without actually applying. 3rd year you will lose em if you don't use em. So consider that if you just do a point this year.

A MT deer hunt is just not economically feasible for some.  Two day drive to get to Eastern MT, hunt five days, two day drive back.  By the time you buy your tags, gas, food, lodging for 7 days, you are probably looking at $1500+.

but he said he is gonna go and also stated he planned to do idaho.  Sounds like he has some funds for a trip

Fine with me.................just something to keep in mind if you haven't done it before.  A few years ago our party spent around $1750 each for 9 days......so it's not exactly cheap.

[Karl Blanchard]

Thats pretty spendy. Hotel i assume?

To put that in perspective, if he hunted super far away, say Coalridge area, thats 982 miles away. There and back and add an absurd amount of extra driving once there, say 500 miles, is a total 2,464 miles total. Old Ford only averages 12mpg so he is gonna burn 206 gal of gas. At $3.00 a gallon thats about $619 (high side). Eat your own food and tent it. Add in your $700 in license and thats about $1,320.  Take a buddy and split gas and that knocks $300 off of that. Thats $110 a month or if you take a partner its less than a bill a month if you plan to save up for it a year out.

[Karl Blanchard]

Not everyone wants to do it that way but it can be done. I try and hunt 4 states a year. I do not make a ton of money but i find ways to make it affordable. Its not always the most comfortable or ideal but it can be done if yoh want it bad enough.. The "extra" stuff adds up but besides vehicle/gear failures, those extras are self inflicted 

[Alan K]

Not everyone wants to do it that way but it can be done. I try and hunt 4 states a year. I do not make a ton of money but i find ways to make it affordable. Its not always the most comfortable or ideal but it can be done if yoh want it bad enough.. The "extra" stuff adds up but besides vehicle/gear failures, those extras are self inflicted 

 

Where there is a will there is a way!

[bobcat]

But Montana is one of the more expensive options. That's why I haven't done Montana yet, other than antelope 20 years ago. I get more meat per dollar in Wyoming, so I've been going there every year. Montana is definitely better if you're after antlers, but I hunt for meat.

[Karl Blanchard]

Let's get even crazier. Let's go somewhere even more reasonable like Lewistown. Lets take 2 buddies with us and lets get out of the truck and actually hike so we only drive 200 extra miles while we are there. We pack our own food and sleep in a tent. Thats 670x2+200 for a total of 1,540 miles. We drive cousin Toms slightly newer f150 and we average 15mpg. We only burn 103 gallons at $3.00 a gallon for a total of $309 on fuel. So each guy has to fork out $103 for gas, $700 for tag, and toss in $100 for a meal or two and snacks on the road. Thats a $903 week long vacation AND you bring home meat that you don't have to buy at the store which absolutely counts for something.

Like I try and tell people, you can plan a trip out almost down to the dollar if you are honest about what you want and need out of a hunt. Im ok with being uncomfortable to save a buck but if I go hunting with my dad I am gonna plan to fork out the money for a hotel and a few dinners out because he likes those things. Theres no wrong way to do a hunt except for not going hunting 

[WSU]

But Montana is one of the more expensive options. That's why I haven't done Montana yet, other than antelope 20 years ago. I get more meat per dollar in Wyoming, so I've been going there every year. Montana is definitely better if you're after antlers, but I hunt for meat.

If you are just after pounds of meat per dollar, it's pretty hard to beat hunting in state.  It's not that hard to kill a deer every year and be consistent with elk as well.  For a couple hundred bucks I've been getting hundreds of lbs of meat a year each year for a long time.

That said, I'm going to Montana this year for the first time.  I'm ready for a new experience and don't care about the cost vs. lbs of meat.

[fishngamereaper]

Man I'm lost..

I thought this was about how to burn 18 points in wa...

 

[BULLBLASTER]

Man I'm lost..

I thought this was about how to burn 18 points in wa...

 

Get with the times! Obviously the best way to burn wa points is to spend $2790 to go hunt out of state because cheap meat! 

As long as im reading correctly.

[fishngamereaper]

Man I'm lost..

I thought this was about how to burn 18 points in wa...

 

Get with the times! Obviously the best way to burn wa points is to spend $2790 to go hunt out of state because cheap meat! 

As long as im reading correctly.

Sorry, my bad. I apologise. 

Carry on.

[WSU]

I think the point is there is no reliable way to burn 18 points in wa because you can’t draw anything.

[Skyvalhunter]

I haven't looked at the stats but sure Bob has to see how the point break down for hunters and their points.