Pucky Freak
Well-known member
I don’t think COVID created an unnatural bump in applications. I think increased demand is here to stay.
$100 for a couple of type 6 doe tags is a bargain western hunting adventure where you see animals and get to take home some meat. Expect WY to take notice and double the price or more.
In regards to all big game hunting opportunity across the west - when states cut tags for self-guided public land NR hunters (NM elk/MD, SD MD, WY MD/antelope), jack prices (CO, UT, ID), cut OTC opportunity (CO archery elk) and increase the fee to obtain points (CO), hunters look “elsewhere” for an affordable hunting adventure where you have a good chance of getting a tag. Combine this with more and more new people wanting to hunt big game in the west.
It’s not all bad news, as there is new land opening to public hunting all the time, some tag allocations increase, and some game populations expand and recover. However, these positives are often small, isolated, and don’t nearly counterbalance the forces of dwindling opportunity and increased hunter participation in western states.
GoHunt effect or no, I think we set ourselves up for disappointment when we do the following:
-box ourselves into one species in one state
-compare current and future hunting opportunity to past glory days (before OnX, before Fresh Tracks, before the wolves came back, before my hider-hole got “discovered”, etc.)
-Focus on the negative of what we can’t do, what’s becoming harder to do, bad trends, etc.
Personally, I’m happy with a WT doe tag in my pocket and any weapon in my hand. Opportunity for this is infinite, so no matter what the future holds I’ll never be any less happy.
I also look into many other game species in many different states as an opportunity to increase my fun. While there are no secrets anymore, there are still units across states that turn up zero hits on any internet search, and have zero discussion in any online forum, and haven’t been featured in any hunting media. These places might be favored by locals, or not produce trophy animals, or they’re small or have low game densities. But as of today they might be a little undersubscribed and they make my short list of hunts to research.
Bottom line - you can always be more creative, more versatile, work harder, scout more, more mobile, and get a tag and kill an animal.
Mostly gone are the easy days of easy tags, easy and cheap western big game hunts, little research, little preparation, and little effort. But what are we, a bunch of schlups? Maybe we can hold a funeral if that’s what’s needed.
I’ve got a backup hunt to every tag I don’t get, and a backup to every backup down the line so I always have something fun to plan and look forward to. It’s all in our heads.
$100 for a couple of type 6 doe tags is a bargain western hunting adventure where you see animals and get to take home some meat. Expect WY to take notice and double the price or more.
In regards to all big game hunting opportunity across the west - when states cut tags for self-guided public land NR hunters (NM elk/MD, SD MD, WY MD/antelope), jack prices (CO, UT, ID), cut OTC opportunity (CO archery elk) and increase the fee to obtain points (CO), hunters look “elsewhere” for an affordable hunting adventure where you have a good chance of getting a tag. Combine this with more and more new people wanting to hunt big game in the west.
It’s not all bad news, as there is new land opening to public hunting all the time, some tag allocations increase, and some game populations expand and recover. However, these positives are often small, isolated, and don’t nearly counterbalance the forces of dwindling opportunity and increased hunter participation in western states.
GoHunt effect or no, I think we set ourselves up for disappointment when we do the following:
-box ourselves into one species in one state
-compare current and future hunting opportunity to past glory days (before OnX, before Fresh Tracks, before the wolves came back, before my hider-hole got “discovered”, etc.)
-Focus on the negative of what we can’t do, what’s becoming harder to do, bad trends, etc.
Personally, I’m happy with a WT doe tag in my pocket and any weapon in my hand. Opportunity for this is infinite, so no matter what the future holds I’ll never be any less happy.
I also look into many other game species in many different states as an opportunity to increase my fun. While there are no secrets anymore, there are still units across states that turn up zero hits on any internet search, and have zero discussion in any online forum, and haven’t been featured in any hunting media. These places might be favored by locals, or not produce trophy animals, or they’re small or have low game densities. But as of today they might be a little undersubscribed and they make my short list of hunts to research.
Bottom line - you can always be more creative, more versatile, work harder, scout more, more mobile, and get a tag and kill an animal.
Mostly gone are the easy days of easy tags, easy and cheap western big game hunts, little research, little preparation, and little effort. But what are we, a bunch of schlups? Maybe we can hold a funeral if that’s what’s needed.
I’ve got a backup hunt to every tag I don’t get, and a backup to every backup down the line so I always have something fun to plan and look forward to. It’s all in our heads.
