Post by: aorams on November 28, 2022, 07:10:06 PM
I started buying elk points a few years ago in Wyoming, Colorado and Arizona. I also have been buying preference and bonus points in Montana and plan to play the random draw game in New Mexico and Idaho on some years. I’ve been hunting elk almost exclusively in Western Washington, buying access permits for tree farms and taking advantage of walk in areas on the coast, but next year I’ll start hunting out of state in earnest. I’ll be starting with Montana (going in with 2 preference points) and will hunt archery and rifle season. Probably for 5 to 7 days each time. I plan to buy a B tag too since my primary reason for hunting is to fill the freezer. I’m not sure which state I’ll chose in 2024, but I’ll have enough points for a good 1st rifle permit in Colorado. Wyoming will probably be the next State. Arizona is obviously a long term plan.
What I’m hoping to learn from those of you with out of state hunting experience is: how much better is it? What should my expectations be relative to the hunting here in WA? I’ve killed a few elk here and feel like I’m a decent hunter. I can hike and am well set up for backpack hunting but also have a nice wall tent and stove set up for colder months. How excited should I be?
Post by: WAcoyotehunter on November 28, 2022, 07:19:36 PM
Post by: Magnum_Willys on November 28, 2022, 07:25:12 PM
Post by: KFhunter on November 28, 2022, 07:58:05 PM
Encounters is what makes you an elk hunter, more encounters you have the more you learn with each one.
"you can't train a bird dog if you don't have birds" holds true with us too :tup:
Post by: blackveltbowhunter on November 28, 2022, 08:03:20 PM
Knowing an area is most important. There is more elk in other states, but also more country. Finding them and learning is still important, and at times difficult. The thing I notice and where you should get excited, is its worlds easier to avoid folks. It does not feel cramped, more room and longer seasons make avoiding other hunters a walk in the park compared to Washington.
Post by: Stein on November 28, 2022, 08:05:14 PM
Every year I see dudes from all over the country moping around slow crawling the gravel roads and they go home with a pristine $1,000 tag in their pocket, so it is hunting after all and you need to know how to hunt and be willing to get out, learn and area, work and have a bit of luck.
Spring bear, antelope, bison, lots of stuff out there you can't hunt here as well.
Post by: idahohuntr on November 28, 2022, 08:30:21 PM
Post by: Caseknife on November 28, 2022, 08:40:58 PM
Post by: Naches Sportsman on November 28, 2022, 08:55:17 PM
Post by: Mulie87 on November 28, 2022, 09:36:59 PM
Post by: Ridgerunner on November 28, 2022, 10:30:52 PM
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Post by: Mulie87 on November 28, 2022, 10:34:03 PM
Post by: KFhunter on November 28, 2022, 10:34:06 PM
I we t out of state for the first time (MT) in 2016. That hunt immediate ruined this state for me. You will (hopefully) experience what hunt should be. Be excited!
:yeah:
Kinda like the first time I fished the ocean and pulled out a 32# king and Halibut around 40# and more yellow eye than I could shake a stick at!
I was ruined on fresh water fishing for years after that :chuckle: :chuckle:
Post by: boneaddict on November 29, 2022, 04:47:14 AM
Post by: Bob33 on November 29, 2022, 07:01:09 AM
Is it worth all the hype? That’s a tough question to answer. It depends on many factors, including your expectations. The idea that you can hunt out of state and bag a trophy elk or deer every year is unrealistic in most instances.
My approach for big game in a few states is to hunt for antlerless / doe animals while building points. That puts meat on the table and allows you time to become familiar with an area, and possibly meet some landowners to open up private land hunting opportunities. When you draw you have a head start.
Good luck in your pursuits.
Post by: Machias on November 29, 2022, 12:23:38 PM
Post by: Twispriver on November 29, 2022, 12:31:59 PM
Post by: aorams on November 29, 2022, 06:53:05 PM
Post by: huntnnw on November 29, 2022, 10:27:43 PM
Post by: Skyvalhunter on November 30, 2022, 06:37:51 AM
Post by: Stein on November 30, 2022, 08:10:56 AM
Thank you for the encouraging replies! My hope is simply food on the table and a nice “calm” experience. I’m sure someday age and antlers will become more exciting but for now it’s not the goal.
The challenge for meat hunting out of state is the cost. With the MT combo over $1,000, not many guys want to hang that tag on a spike or doe.
Look into doe tags if that is what you are doing, the cost is way less and you have more opportunities to fill them.
Post by: dreadi on November 30, 2022, 10:47:27 AM
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Post by: Chesapeake on November 30, 2022, 12:05:16 PM
Seems they have some convoluted system where if you don't apply on the second year you lose them, and you cant have more than 3 points. I don't think you can just buy points for 2 years.
From Gohunt:
As of 2022, preference points are now $100 each and applicants must apply every other year or the state will zero any accumulated preference points. No one may hold more than 3 preference points.
As to the question. Yes, I think living in Washington its better hunting in many of the surrounding states.
Post by: aorams on November 30, 2022, 06:58:28 PM
Shorter answer, depends on the state.
Whats the long version?
Post by: aorams on November 30, 2022, 07:01:32 PM
Does the OP still have his Montana points?
Seems they have some convoluted system where if you don't apply on the second year you lose them, and you cant have more than 3 points. I don't think you can just buy points for 2 years.
From Gohunt:
As of 2022, preference points are now $100 each and applicants must apply every other year or the state will zero any accumulated preference points. No one may hold more than 3 preference points.
As to the question. Yes, I think living in Washington its better hunting in many of the surrounding states.
Yes! I have one point now. Next year I’ll buy a second and apply with two.
Post by: Gentrys on November 30, 2022, 10:39:57 PM
Post by: huntnphool on November 30, 2022, 11:19:02 PM
YMMV :twocents:
Post by: Skyvalhunter on December 01, 2022, 07:02:02 AM
Post by: opdinkslayer on December 01, 2022, 07:12:05 AM
Post by: nwhunter on December 01, 2022, 07:19:23 AM
I echo the depends on your expectations crowd. I’ve hunted a few different states off & on for over 30 years with varying results. That said I always enjoyed the trip with friends & family no matter what the results. The difficulty today is the rapidly rising costs from tags to fuel, larger numbers of applicants/hunters & the inability to draw tags from year to year. Those things have changed my opinions of it the last few years. Good luck in your endeavors.
Opdink lets be honest ....have you really ALWAYS enjoyed the out of state hunts with friends and family...???
Post by: boneaddict on December 01, 2022, 07:58:57 AM
Post by: mburrows on December 01, 2022, 08:10:06 AM
Is the hunting better in most other states than WA, absolutely. Is general season or otc still a zoo in other states, yes.
Post by: opdinkslayer on December 01, 2022, 08:18:18 AM
Post by: Goshawk on December 01, 2022, 09:55:40 AM
Hey there forum!
I started buying elk points a few years ago in Wyoming, Colorado and Arizona. I also have been buying preference and bonus points in Montana and plan to play the random draw game in New Mexico and Idaho on some years. I’ve been hunting elk almost exclusively in Western Washington, buying access permits for tree farms and taking advantage of walk in areas on the coast, but next year I’ll start hunting out of state in earnest. I’ll be starting with Montana (going in with 2 preference points) and will hunt archery and rifle season. Probably for 5 to 7 days each time. I plan to buy a B tag too since my primary reason for hunting is to fill the freezer. I’m not sure which state I’ll chose in 2024, but I’ll have enough points for a good 1st rifle permit in Colorado. Wyoming will probably be the next State. Arizona is obviously a long term plan.
What I’m hoping to learn from those of you with out of state hunting experience is: how much better is it? What should my expectations be relative to the hunting here in WA? I’ve killed a few elk here and feel like I’m a decent hunter. I can hike and am well set up for backpack hunting but also have a nice wall tent and stove set up for colder months. How excited should I be?
It most sure can be. Not too much options for moose, goat, sheep, pronghorn, etc. in Washington. Consider this too. A lot of other states have limited numbers of tags to regulate the herds and keep them at healthy levels. In Washington, they sell as many as they can regardless of heard conditions or numbers. Out of state is almost always been a better experience for me.
Post by: WAcoueshunter on December 01, 2022, 10:34:38 AM
Post by: Magnum_Willys on December 01, 2022, 11:19:36 AM
Post by: kselkhunter on December 01, 2022, 12:12:22 PM
Post by: Buckjunkie on December 01, 2022, 03:06:26 PM
There have been some stinker hunts and some great ones. The difference can be blamed on my lack of research one year and getting it right in others. Research, research, research. You will have less crappy hunts.
Not wanting trophies gives you a big advantage. Good units take years if not decades to draw. You can have a very successful hunt in a non trophy unit every year.
Post by: jstone on December 04, 2022, 07:51:45 PM
Post by: dilleytech on December 05, 2022, 08:22:03 AM
Price per pound is up there if that is a primary goal. Calm experience……hmmmm well it can still be a pumpkin fest. I don’t want to pump sunshine and rainbows.
Last I checked elk venison is about 30$ a pound to buy. So you can say it “can” be a pretty cheap way to procure wild meat. Considering an elk is worth about 8k. White tail start looking pretty expensive.
I like out of state hunting more for the adventure and the extra animals I can take any given year then for how good the hunting can be. Any hunt can seem really good when the right animal ends up in front of you even in Washington.
Post by: follow maggie on December 05, 2022, 09:21:16 AM
Heading to an Arizona OTC tag this week. Let you know if it’s a success or bust
Good luck!
Post by: aorams on December 05, 2022, 11:08:56 AM
Price per pound is up there if that is a primary goal. Calm experience……hmmmm well it can still be a pumpkin fest. I don’t want to pump sunshine and rainbows.
Last I checked elk venison is about 30$ a pound to buy. So you can say it “can” be a pretty cheap way to procure wild meat. Considering an elk is worth about 8k. White tail start looking pretty expensive.
I like out of state hunting more for the adventure and the extra animals I can take any given year then for how good the hunting can be. Any hunt can seem really good when the right animal ends up in front of you even in Washington.
Thank you for this. I like then perspective. Saving money is definitely not a goal. We have acquired a taste for elk though and a full freezer is at the end of the day the most important thing. All of the other elements of hunting are also very important to me.
Post by: aorams on December 05, 2022, 11:10:01 AM
Heading to an Arizona OTC tag this week. Let you know if it’s a success or bust
Good luck! Can’t wait to hear about it
Post by: elkboy on December 05, 2022, 12:22:20 PM
https://www.mtnpursuit.org/latest/the-gohunt-effect-reflected-in-nonresident-elk-tag-applications
Post by: Jimmy33 on December 05, 2022, 12:43:00 PM
Interesting article here. What do you all think of the proposed "Gohunt effect"? The article claims we don't have more hunters, but we do have people purchasing more tags per person than ever before. For full disclosure, I am probably part of that trend, as I have been buying Idaho whitetail tags since 2015, in addition to my Washington tags.Since Go hunt has become popular, it has been harder for me to get tags in the west for sure.
https://www.mtnpursuit.org/latest/the-gohunt-effect-reflected-in-nonresident-elk-tag-applications
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Post by: Chesapeake on December 05, 2022, 02:02:49 PM
Used to be you had to go to fish and game websites, call biologists, ect... to research all this stuff. Now you just pay a few bucks and its delivered to you on a platter.
The latest ground zero for the bomb that is Gohunt was Alaska. Just before that was cow tags.
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to go back to before the advent of the consumer grade handheld GPS, smart phones, and Tag services? The good old days when most folks were afraid to leave trails and roads and you could still do some research and find a diamond in the rough draw tag that was under-utilized.
Post by: Jimmy33 on December 05, 2022, 02:36:52 PM
As I recall Eastman's started it with their draw reports that were in the back of the magazine. Then other outfits sprang up like Hunting Fool ect... Then maybe Toprut and then Gohunt. Not sure on the entire order of things.Yes!
Used to be you had to go to fish and game websites, call biologists, ect... to research all this stuff. Now you just pay a few bucks and its delivered to you on a platter.
The latest ground zero for the bomb that is Gohunt was Alaska. Just before that was cow tags.
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to go back to before the advent of the consumer grade handheld GPS, smart phones, and Tag services? The good old days when most folks were afraid to leave trails and roads and you could still do some research and find a diamond in the rough draw tag that was under-utilized.
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Post by: jjhunter on December 05, 2022, 03:04:08 PM
Been pretty tough the last few years between tag competition and mature mule deer numbers across the west. Hate to do it, but I think I’ll heading north or south of the border in 2023….
Post by: fishngamereaper on December 05, 2022, 04:33:32 PM
Post by: Karl Blanchard on December 05, 2022, 04:51:30 PM
The internet is/ has been the downfall of OTC opportunities... :twocents:thanks AL Gore :chuckle:
Post by: fishngamereaper on December 05, 2022, 04:54:09 PM
The internet is/ has been the downfall of OTC opportunities... :twocents:thanks AL Gore :chuckle:
Ouch...
Post by: Sneaky on December 05, 2022, 07:24:47 PM
Post by: Mulie87 on December 05, 2022, 07:26:20 PM
The internet is/ has been the downfall of OTC opportunities... :twocents:
:yeah: truth
Post by: HUNTINCOUPLE on December 05, 2022, 08:05:40 PM
As I recall Eastman's started it with their draw reports that were in the back of the magazine. Then other outfits sprang up like Hunting Fool ect... Then maybe Toprut and then Gohunt. Not sure on the entire order of things.
Used to be you had to go to fish and game websites, call biologists, ect... to research all this stuff. Now you just pay a few bucks and its delivered to you on a platter.
The latest ground zero for the bomb that is Gohunt was Alaska. Just before that was cow tags.
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to go back to before the advent of the consumer grade handheld GPS, smart phones, and Tag services? The good old days when most folks were afraid to leave trails and roads and you could still do some research and find a diamond in the rough draw tag that was under-utilized.
Hit the nail way to squarely on the head. It's the facts. :yeah:
Post by: Stein on December 06, 2022, 06:15:11 AM
Post by: blackveltbowhunter on December 06, 2022, 08:15:09 AM
It's a double edged sword for sure. Personally, I would like to go back to the years where OnX was out there but nobody knew about it. Man, I had a bunch of honey holes that were never hunted.
Buying the chips for individual devices was likely a control mechanism for sure. Once it went app on mobile devices, it was over.
Post by: bracer40 on December 06, 2022, 10:04:57 AM
The internet is/ has been the downfall of OTC opportunities... :twocents:
:yeah: truth
As we all commiserate on an Internet forum over fewer opportunities… :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle:
Post by: boneaddict on December 06, 2022, 11:12:23 AM
As I recall Eastman's started it with their draw reports that were in the back of the magazine. Then other outfits sprang up like Hunting Fool ect... Then maybe Toprut and then Gohunt. Not sure on the entire order of things.
Used to be you had to go to fish and game websites, call biologists, ect... to research all this stuff. Now you just pay a few bucks and its delivered to you on a platter.
The latest ground zero for the bomb that is Gohunt was Alaska. Just before that was cow tags.
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to go back to before the advent of the consumer grade handheld GPS, smart phones, and Tag services? The good old days when most folks were afraid to leave trails and roads and you could still do some research and find a diamond in the rough draw tag that was under-utilized.
💥
Post by: idahohuntr on December 06, 2022, 11:21:28 AM
As I recall Eastman's started it with their draw reports that were in the back of the magazine. Then other outfits sprang up like Hunting Fool ect... Then maybe Toprut and then Gohunt. Not sure on the entire order of things.Yea - it is definitely more than just GoHunt or any one or two companies...it's the entire industry including the content producers that have created the hype and the tools to enable folks to participate. It is unsustainable...states will continue to cut NR opportunity to the bone...and R opportunity will also take hits as populations explode in western states. :twocents:
Used to be you had to go to fish and game websites, call biologists, ect... to research all this stuff. Now you just pay a few bucks and its delivered to you on a platter.
The latest ground zero for the bomb that is Gohunt was Alaska. Just before that was cow tags.
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to go back to before the advent of the consumer grade handheld GPS, smart phones, and Tag services? The good old days when most folks were afraid to leave trails and roads and you could still do some research and find a diamond in the rough draw tag that was under-utilized.