Moose tag non-resident

Idaho offers decent odds for moose tag if willing to hunt a very marginal unit. I did draw one of the worst units and no question was very lucky to get a nice bull and would have been satisfied to go home empty handed versus shooting small bulls that were easy enough to find.

A consideration is how many days can you hunt if draw a marginal unit. I never would have applied if unable to put in mega time in a unit 9 hours from home on a low success odds hunt. Took every bit of 27 days hunt time. Extremely challenging finding a mature bull and the bull,I killed was the only one I for sure called in so not a lot of action as compared to effort and easily could have never killed or called one in.

Up front I was OK with the reality of the poor success odds so I rolled the dice. I do think some folks would be challenged to say they enjoyed a 27 day investment, and nearly $3,000 tag fees, plus a another $1,000 in failed-to-draw fees over a few years. Simply suggest being realistic in what you want and how you will “feel” if get tag soup and few moose spotted. And if only willing to accept a better quality hunt and tag, ID is a place you could spend a LOT of $$ on failed draws over many years.

So, if just want to hunt moose, and accept fact may well get skunked, ID offers decent draw odds in poor quality hunt areas. Still may never draw and at nearly $300 in nonrefundable fees each year could still be a lot of $$ down the drain.

 
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How many years can I plan on applying for a moose tag before I would be successful in getting one being a non-resident.
I have 26 points and about 2% draw odds but hey I've got the 3 preference and the rest are just fluff so it could happen anytime so they say but I will tell you I'm not holding my breath on that garbage.
 
I have 26 points and about 2% draw odds but hey I've got the 3 preference and the rest are just fluff so it could happen anytime so they say but I will tell you I'm not holding my breath on that garbage.
yep pretty much the case for Colo bull except max points is 22+3, which my wife has as a resident. tuff draw.
 
Definitely can't afford a guided Moose hunt especially if there $45k as stated above. Have been looking at DIY for Alaska figuring on $8-$10k for that hunt but that's 5 years from now and I'm sure it will go up
dont know your money situation...you can get a moose in the yukon for 28k...i went in 09 for 10.3k...out of 14 hunters i was the only one that didnt kill!. i did kill black bear and a record book caribou...if i had 28k id go with the same guy...name is widrig outfitters...greatest hunt/adventure ive ever been on...by the time igot to camp id been on 6 planes from Albuquerque...i had a 58" bull at 160 yards and the guide wouldnt let me shoot, said we would get a bigger one, never saw a bigger one...the smallest one in camp was a 58"... float planes, horseback, cabins, and tents on my hunt...the country is unbelievable and huge...i never saw one moose that the guide didnt show me...diy would not be on my radar unless you hunt from a boat...if you get one of those alaskan/yukon moose down you better be in super shape....new foundland moose are tiny compared
 
dont know your money situation...you can get a moose in the yukon for 28k...i went in 09 for 10.3k...out of 14 hunters i was the only one that didnt kill!. i did kill black bear and a record book caribou...if i had 28k id go with the same guy...name is widrig outfitters...greatest hunt/adventure ive ever been on...by the time igot to camp id been on 6 planes from Albuquerque...i had a 58" bull at 160 yards and the guide wouldnt let me shoot, said we would get a bigger one, never saw a bigger one...the smallest one in camp was a 58"... float planes, horseback, cabins, and tents on my hunt...the country is unbelievable and huge...i never saw one moose that the guide didnt show me...diy would not be on my radar unless you hunt from a boat...if you get one of those alaskan/yukon moose down you better be in super shape....new foundland moose are tiny compared
Thanks for the info 👍🏻. Definitely can't spend 28k on a moose hunt either, going have to wait on enough PP for Colorado
 
I'm a Montana resident and have been applying for moose for about 40 years, never have drawn a moose license. I have maximum bonus points, and my odds of drawing are still slim, in all units. So I'd say that the odds of a non resident drawing are probably not good.
 
I get my name in every moose hunt in the lower 48 except VT. My best chance was NH about 8-10 years ago when I had about a 1 in 30 chance of drawing. Since then I up to about 1 in 120 in NH with the tag cuts.
My chances of lower 48 tag is slim, not quite none, but damn close to none at this point.
Now that said I have bowhunted moose in Canada 4 times and have my 5th hunt booked … also have hunted Alaska as well. If you’re on a tighter budget then a Canada hunt is the way to go. Send a deposit and start saving
 
Moose is second only to Antelope.
im not an authority on game meat but ive eaten a load of it so....nm oryx is first by a long shot followed by young white tail then moose or caribou then yearling elk...antelope is good if they havent been eating sage...50% pork shoulder sausage can fix about everything rutty and old...i killed a big antelope in eastern nm that i had been watching on the train for 2 years...he was 18 3/4 long with 22 1/2 spread...couldnt even eat the loins, that was the toughest meat ive seen...finally fed him to the cougars at the zoo...thats the only game ive killed and not eaten it...im old and have killed probably 15 elk, 20 mulies, 5 whitetail, 5 antelope, 2 oryx, 2 javelina, 1 caribou over 55 years of hunting....AINT BRAGGING just one mans opinion
 
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The smart move is to DIY Alaska or book a hunt in Canada. Think of it this way, Idaho has the best non-res odds in the lower 48. Let’s just average them at 5%. I think the non-refundable portion in Idaho this year is 330.00? So 20 apps before you “beat the odds” = 6600.00+ the 2626.00 when you do finally draw= 9226.00

Prices are going to go up in the 20 years of applying also so that let’s just say 10k (probably way low) Sure you could draw it your first year but there is a 95% chance you won’t.

Prices have gone way up but in ‘17 a buddy and I DIY’ed Alaska for less then 7k each and both killed bulls although we payed mightily in sweat and fat reserves lol.
 
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And NR have to buy license to apply then pay $230ish in nonrefundable "convenience fees" for that up-to 10% but none guaranteed tags. Kind of a scam unless your one of the few who can afford ridiculous app fees for terrible odds like a few have done.
convenience fees are more like $90, not $230. does cost close to $300 in nonrefundable total expense to apply though. Pro Tip….find an ID resident and you can save the convenience fee when application is submitted in person and a vendor or IDFAG.
 
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I’m planning a DIY Alaska moose hunt with a few buddies in 2-3 years. Read as much as you can and consider watching as much video as possible (limitless outdoorz is a good place to start). Will likely add a wolf tag onto my moose— need to do it while still young, healthy, and strong like bull. 😎

That said, we have no interest in playing the lower 48 point game.

Good luck!
 
im not an authority on game meat but ive eaten a load of it so....nm oryx is first by a long shot followed by young white tail then moose or caribou then yearling elk...antelope is good if they havent been eating sage...50% pork shoulder sausage can fix about everything rutty and old...i killed a big antelope in eastern nm that i had been watching on the train for 2 years...he was 18 3/4 long with 22 1/2 spread...couldnt even eat the loins, that was the toughest meat ive seen...finally fed him to the cougars at the zoo...thats the only game ive killed and not eaten it...im old and have killed probably 15 elk, 20 mulies, 5 whitetail, 5 antelope, 2 oryx, 2 javelina, 1 caribou over 55 years of hunting....AINT BRAGGING just one mans opinion
elk taste better than whitetail
 
I always think it’s a bit funny. I see 5% draw odds and then get depressed when I don’t get a tag. Am I the only one? I guess when it comes to hunt applications I am definitely a glass half full type guy.

Good luck to everybody…just hoping for better luck for me and my son.
 
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