BigHornRam
Well-known member
No kidding! It took me 2 years to draw!
How long does it usually take to draw a goat tag?
- Thread starter geetar
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geetar
Well-known member
Yea shot a decent 5x5 Muley in Wyoming a few years ago.
geetar
Well-known member
Thanks for the encouragement and advice. I work on cars and trucks for a living so I totally agree. I see firsthand on a daily basis people pour money into something that loses value by the day. It’s not worth it. I try to keep my wife and kid in a nice vehicle but as for me I’d rather spend it on hunts and tags.
geetar
Well-known member
Thanks! Same to you on your hunts as well.
Mica Man
Well-known member
Moving to or applying in a state like Idaho with random draw odds will help. It has taken me 20 years to have drawn all three of my OIL tags. Moose in 99', sheep in 15', and now goat in 19'. During that 20 yr span there were 2 years that I did not apply due to school. Or you could get lucky like my 14 yr old son who has drawn and successfully filled both his moose and sheep tag on his first time applying.
lonedave
Active member
Sounds kind of like me. When I was 14, I drew goat here in Washington on my first try....of course the draw odds were a little better in 1972!
MTGunner
Well-known member
Moved to MT in 2003 and drew a goat tag in 2011, I bought the bonus points also. I have been applying for sheep since 2003, buying bonus points, and continue to do so. There are many that have been applying for years to no avail. Just the luck of the draw.
A person said he would not waste his $$$ on goat in MT. I did, was a grand adventure and would recommend to all. MTG
A person said he would not waste his $$$ on goat in MT. I did, was a grand adventure and would recommend to all. MTG
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geetar
Well-known member
There are women in Alaska but finding one that doesn't look like an old billy goat will be the hard part.
My son is 32 years old now and has 13 bonus points for both desert bighorn and mtn goat here in NV. I have the same number of bonus points for those as well, but I'm 56. I started applying him when he was 18 and he has been applying since he was about 21. While I may never draw one of those tags while I can still climb those mountains where the goats live chances are good he will draw before he reaches my age. I may just have to hunt vicariously through him and be his camp cook.
geetar
Well-known member
@jt4 I saw your question is it worth it. I kinda asked the same question earlier this year with different wording. I got some really good answers that helped me make some decisions for my future hunting endeavors for Big 3 species. Hope you get some good advice and ideas reading through this.
geetar
Well-known member
Revisiting this thread. I did scout the Beartooths with a camera this year. I saw a nice bighorn ram and 22 goats. Had a great time. I left the wife at home. Her choice. She’s not really into backpack camping and being pregnant she definitely didn’t wanna go but I had a great time.
mountain monster
Active member
It took me 29 years in my home state of Montana.
Last year when I drew I had the max bonus points.
Last year when I drew I had the max bonus points.
geetar
Well-known member
Congrats! We’re you successful in taking a goat? Do you have any photos from your trip in another thread or any you’d wanna share here? I am the OP so I have no problem with you derailing the thread from the original question with a hunting story.
rjthehunter
Well-known member
My grandpa has a north American grand slam for sheep. Seems impossible to achieve now.
buffybr
Well-known member
Not impossible if you have a fat check book. I don't.
As for drawing goat tags, I drew a goat tag the first year that I applied as a Montana resident. I got snowed out and didn't kill a goat. I drew another tag 3 years later and shot a fine Billy. I've now applied every year since for the last 41 years, and with maximum resident bonus points, without drawing. I know several people that have drawn two tags in the units that I've applied for, with fewer or no bonus points. Its all just the luck of the draw.
rjthehunter
Well-known member
He spent plenty of money on his hunts. I don't think he did any of those auctions for tags but he might have! Either way, it's a lot of money and a lot of work!
Favorite sheep he has which isn't part of his grand slam is his Marco polo sheep. Those things are absolutely beautiful!
buffybr
Well-known member
Yes, the Marco polo sheep are beautiful, and they're HUGE! And you can hunt them for less than the cost of a Stone or Desert sheep hunt.
You're also right that sheep hunts can be a lot of work, but my sheep hunts have been some of my favorite. I love hunting in the high alpine in late August and early September. I've done both backpack hunts and when I had horses I'd use them to pack my camps high into sheep country.
My goat hunts, on the other hand, I waited until late season for the goats to have their full winter coats, and those hunts were both hard work and COLD.
You're also right that sheep hunts can be a lot of work, but my sheep hunts have been some of my favorite. I love hunting in the high alpine in late August and early September. I've done both backpack hunts and when I had horses I'd use them to pack my camps high into sheep country.
My goat hunts, on the other hand, I waited until late season for the goats to have their full winter coats, and those hunts were both hard work and COLD.
406dn
Well-known member
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- Dec 12, 2019
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It took me six years to draw a goat tag,, after we moved to Montana. That was thirty plus years ago now. The hunting may well be as difficult as drawing the tag. A friend drew in the same unit, the same year. We hunted together and separately from the middle of September until late October when we both scored together on a bitterly cold windy day.
Finding a goat was not nearly as difficult as getting close enough for a shot. A person just doesn't make very good time on their home turf. On most hunts, we had to pull the plug because there just wasn't enough remaining daylight to get close enough.
If you are young and tough put in for a more remote unit. We did, the probability of drawing a tag that time was about 8% in that unit, if memory serves. The downside was it was about 3.5 miles in on foot and 3500' up to get to where the goats hung out. Including scouting trips, we each made that trek about 10 times before we scored.
That was my second goat and I've declined to put in for a tag since. Two is enough.
Finding a goat was not nearly as difficult as getting close enough for a shot. A person just doesn't make very good time on their home turf. On most hunts, we had to pull the plug because there just wasn't enough remaining daylight to get close enough.
If you are young and tough put in for a more remote unit. We did, the probability of drawing a tag that time was about 8% in that unit, if memory serves. The downside was it was about 3.5 miles in on foot and 3500' up to get to where the goats hung out. Including scouting trips, we each made that trek about 10 times before we scored.
That was my second goat and I've declined to put in for a tag since. Two is enough.
millerpaul17
Active member
Not gonna draw if you don't put in. Someone always wins the lottery but you won't if you don't buy a ticket! Good Luck
geetar
Well-known member
I’ll likely go to Alaska on a sheep or goat hunt someday when I save up for it but I also started applying for goats in Montana last year.
TheGrayRider
Well-known member
Don’t wait. The Big 3 hunts aren’t getting any cheaper. All you need is a young man’s knees and an old man’s wallet. Best of luck!
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