2015 Fresh Tracks whiteboard

[MT.PERCHMAN]

Sounds like a busy year ahead. Big thanks for all the shows so far . Waiting for special tag draws is hard on a person. Once you draw then the Mrs. comes into play . I cant wait to see all the shows for this year.

Thanks again for a great show and a great site with good people.

MT.PERCHMAN

 

[LopeHunter]

I have done the FL alligator hunt. Great conservation story. Giant lizards. Alas, mostly a shoot with a crossbow though can snag with a fishing pole using a treble hook which is a wild splash-a-thon.

Have done the AZ Coues hunt. Scenic. Would potentially be a show comparable to a physical bighorn hunt.

Oregon has Roosevelt elk hunts in the coastal jungle which are huge-bodied monsters. I do not hunt them since not a fan of constant rain.

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Any updates on the board?
Matt

 

[Big Fin]

Any updates on the board?
Matt

Right now, it looks like this, based on what we have drawn; or in some cases, what know we will draw as a result of our point totals in states that use a preference point system.



Still waiting on results from:

MT - Moose, goat, sheep, antelope
ID - Moose
NV - Deer, antelope, sheep
UT - Deer, antelope, sheep, moose, bison
AZ - Sheep
CO - Elk and deer

Having max points in UT for pronghorn, that is probably my best option of those still yet to draw. I know I will get UT general deer, given how many points I have and they use a preference point system for general deer. Same with CO deer. I will buy a CO OTC elk tag if I draw deer, given I doubt my 18 CO elk points are enough to get a tag this year.

Having 14-18 points for the various sheep in MT/NV/AZ and UT bison is hardly a statistical advantage, so not too worried about any of those tags popping up. MT goat is probably my best chance of the Big 3, given I applied in a unit with a lot of tags and I have a lot of points. Still not a slam dunk.

Will do "points only" for WY deer and antelope, AZ deer, IA deer.

 

[Southwind]

How about a real challenge?
They have something in Scotland called a 'Macnab' it is very, very difficult to achieve, let alone film (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z888vycb5FE) you have to catch a Salmon on the fly, shoot a brace of Grouse, and kill a Red Stag, a Royal Macnab is in addition to make love to a virgin, but as most of us are married and too old (speaking for myself of course!) forget that part!
So Idaho comes to mind, catch a Steelhead, shoot the grouse and kill an Elk, all within 24 hours, now that would be worth filming!
Just an idea.
Cheers
Richard

I like it.

 

[dihardhunter]

REALLY looking forward to seeing the AK deer hunt. Looks like an awesome slate as per usual!

 

[1_pointer]

Is the AK deer hunt on Kodiak or in the SE part of the state?

 

[Duck-Slayer]

If you pull a ID moose, I'll come help per my hunting schedule. I at least could do maybe some scouting for you,
Matt

 

[flyfishmadison]

I am really interested in the AK deer also. That is a hunt I have started researching and would love to do sometime.

Andy

 

[mixedbag]

All you guys interested in a POW blacktailhunt should just go do it.Its an awesome hunt if you go in August and get up in the alpine.Its more of an elk hunt then a deer hunt really and their meat is the absolute best of all the deer.I'll be looking for a partner for next august if anyones 100% sure they want to try.
That's looks like a great hunt schedule.Think you should make an episode of your fans at the annual hunt talkers Mt bear hunt.Not many down to Earth guys like yourself on TV,and it would really boost your viewers I think.How about a Neb. otc deer hunt?I really liked your early episodes where you'd get so excited over average animals.I like the shows that are easy to draw hunts that most anyone can do any year.I do understand its all about horn porn these days,but I'll always remember your early Co deer hunt and the SD deer hunt(think that was archery in freezing weather).They weren't giants but looked like a normal type hunt anyone could relate to.I CANT STAND watching all the other shows on land none of us could ever hunt or afford.Thats what makes your show the best on tv.Good luck on your hunts!!!

 

[devon deer]

I like it.

I like it too!
I am going to try it where i live in October, i will have to substitute the grouse for a pheasant though.
I guess Randy didn't like the idea as it involves fly fishing!
Cheers
Richard

 

[1_pointer]

All you guys interested in a POW blacktailhunt should just go do it.Its an awesome hunt if you go in August and get up in the alpine.Its more of an elk hunt then a deer hunt really and their meat is the absolute best of all the deer.I'll be looking for a partner for next august if anyones 100% sure they want to try.
That's looks like a great hunt schedule.Think you should make an episode of your fans at the annual hunt talkers Mt bear hunt.Not many down to Earth guys like yourself on TV,and it would really boost your viewers I think.How about a Neb. otc deer hunt?I really liked your early episodes where you'd get so excited over average animals.I like the shows that are easy to draw hunts that most anyone can do any year.I do understand its all about horn porn these days,but I'll always remember your early Co deer hunt and the SD deer hunt(think that was archery in freezing weather).They weren't giants but looked like a normal type hunt anyone could relate to.I CANT STAND watching all the other shows on land none of us could ever hunt or afford.Thats what makes your show the best on tv.Good luck on your hunts!!!

Someday I'd like to try a POW deer hunt. I had a blast on Kodiak chasing them. Next time I go I think I want to wait until the rut. I hear calling them can be crazy fun.

 

[HuntsByDesign]

It looks like you’ll be busy this year but…

If you’re set on hunting whitetails in Iowa in the future, you could actually hunt them without worrying about preference points. There are 4,500 Antlerless Only Tags issued on a first come first serve basis and as far as I know they didn’t sell out last year. These tags are county specific and quota will vary by county (The county quotas will be available in July). Likely most of the 4,500 will be allocated in Southern Iowa where our deer herd is the healthiest. Since party hunting is legal for the Shotgun 1 and 2 seasons, by hunting with an Iowan hunter with an Any Sex Tag for the same season (Shotgun 1 or 2) it’s actually legal for you to shoot a buck provided the resident is okay with you filling his/her tag. After a tag is filled both hunters could continue to hunt until their last tag is filled.

You have to be careful with this law as some people try to exploit it and get burned. The resident hunter MUST be a part of your party. Therefore, they must be in the field, gun in hand and actively participating in the hunt.

By hunting on an antlerless tag you’d actually save yourself some money as well. The required tag, hunting license and habitat stamp would cost you $353 as compared to $551 for an Any Sex Tag. As an added benefit the antlerless tag would not burn the preference points you’ve already built up. In this way you could save your preference points for bow season while still hunting Iowa with a shotgun and a chance at a buck.

Of course the catch is you need to know an Iowan deer hunter.


Btw I second Mixed bag’s statement. My favorite episodes are those hunts which are easy to draw and reasonably affordable (relative terms I know).

 

[Big Fin]

Btw I second Mixed bag’s statement. My favorite episodes are those hunts which are easy to draw and reasonably affordable (relative terms I know).

Me too. Which is why most of the hunts on the board are easy to draw and reasonably affordable. For anyone thinking that whiteboard is full of hunts for the rich and famous or for someone with dozens of bonus points, here are some details on the hunts you see on that board. Pretty attainable for most the hunting folks I bump into.

MT archery elk - Anyone reading this could buy the tag right now. Not saying the NR tag is cheap, but it is within budget of most people.

MT rifle elk - I did luck out and draw a limited tag this year, but if I had not drawn, we would have done this as a general rifle tag. In fact, guys on this site consistently kill bigger bulls on some of the MT general units than what come off many of the limited entry units. In MT, most limited entry units are not the ticket to huge bulls, rather are desired because of fewer hunters and that results in a better overall experience.

MT deer - This can be bought today by anyone who logs in to the FWP website, and can be bought as a combination tag with the elk tag listed above, or as a separate tag. The combo tag for MT deer and elk is about what you would pay for the same combination in most other western states.

CO elk - This will be an Over-The-Counter 3rd Season elk hunt. Anyone reading this could buy the tag and go hunt the public land of CO.

CO deer - The area I hunt can be drawn with 2 points. You can combine it with an OTC elk tag and have a nine-day deer elk combo hunt. To do that hunt every third years is in the budget for most guys I know.

UT deer - This is a general UT deer tag. Last year, most the archery hunts could be drawn with 0 points, with a few requiring 1 point. Only one or two of the UT general deer hunts require more than 1 point.

AK bear - The draw odds on this tag were 100% last year, for the island I applied for. Some areas are not even on a draw and some on a draw have left over tags. This entire hunt, including flights, tags, license, and transporter is easily under $2,000. Hard to think of a more reasonably priced Alaska experience than a week hunting bears for less than $2,000.

AK deer - This is an OTC tag. You can make it expensive or inexpensive. You can fly to POW, hike to the alpine, and hunt deer. You can do all of that for far less than $1,500. And maybe even toss in a wolf tag while you hunt some of the SE islands.

WY bison - This is a cow bison hunt. Last year there were more tags than non-resident apps for cow bison. This year, the odds got worse, something like 25% odds. The cost is $1,100, which is not out of hand for what most will find to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It is all public land, can be done by staying in a motel. You will get about 300 pounds of bison meat. To buy that at the store will cost more than the tag. And it is some of the best meat you will ever eat. I understand that some would only go if they could shoot a bull bison; not me, I want to hunt/eat them and a cow bison makes both much more affordable and attainable.

NM pronghorn - There is no point system in NM. This is just the luck of the draw. It does cost a $60 license fee that is fully refundable if you do not draw. The tag is about $280. Add all of that together and you get to chase some of the biggest pronghorn in all the world, for less than $350, plus the gas to get there. We will be camping on BLM and eating out of coolers.

Except for the NM elk hunts, which I will not be a hunter, rather a helper, every tag on that board is well within the reach for anyone who has few points and a few bucks saved. I know there are always some people for whom even a couple hundred bucks is "make or break." Yet, I would guess that 95% of the people on this board can afford any of those hunts above with a little thought and priority. Anyone who is subscribing to a cable package and watching our show is probably shelling out $600-$1200 per year on a cable/satellite TV subscription. If they can afford that TV package, they can afford any of the hunts listed above.

 

[HuntsByDesign]

Haha...well it seems a lot simpler when you put it that way.

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

I like the way you lay these hunts out for us. Most of them I can't physically do anymore but really like to read about them from you and other Hunttalkers.

 

[genesis273]

Randy,
Most people don't realize just how doable these hunts really are. I didn't myself until joining this forum a few years ago. This site along has changed the way I hunt, which all of the reading paid off last September with a nice archery bull elk. I had always assumed that I would only be able to hunt eastern states for whitetail. Not anymore! Information like the post above has changed that for me!

 

[ida homer]

Unfortunately the whiteboard is missing one thing.

Other than that, solid.

 

[duckhunt]

Have you ever thought about a NM Aoudad hunt? I think that would make for a good tv show.

 

[Kiwi]

Very interesting Big Fin. I have very much enjoyed reading your info and it has fed my new addiction of tag research in the western states