idelkslayer
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As already pointed out, probably worse by then. If you want to hunt sheep, moose, or mtn. goat, start saving your money and look towards Alaska/Canada.
Should 17 year old apply for big three?
- Thread starter Csimonds
- Start date
buffybr
Well-known member
First year applicants have drawn tags in Montana, but...
As a Montana resident with maximum "bonus" points, I've unsuccessfully applied here 45 years for mountain goat, 41 years for sheep, and 35 years for moose tags.
BradA
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What he said !
brownbear932008
Well-known member
Holy shit that’s crazy
geetar
Well-known member
I've heard you say that several times on here and I'm always surprised at those numbers. Just curious do you ever research odds to improve your chances or do you just throw your name in for which ever areas you wanna hunt regardless of odds? I've known people who did both.
If you have money to burn then go for it, but as others have mentioned you're probably better off saving up for Alaska or Canada. Starting out now your sheep odds in most states won't even be 1%, it'll be more like 0.1%, or 0.01%! You can sometimes get similar odds spending a comparable amount of money on raffle tickets. Ive got a boatload of points and my odds rarely crack 1%.
For the big 3 the best chance you've got is probably Idaho moose, with odds in the 5% range, depending on choice.
For the big 3 the best chance you've got is probably Idaho moose, with odds in the 5% range, depending on choice.
Odds are about 1 in a hundred that will happen.
3855WIN
Well-known member
That’s the answer. Especially at 17. Make the move before life ties you down.
buffybr
Well-known member
Forty some years ago F&G didn't publish the drawing odds, and I would go to the F&G Regional Headquarters near me and get the odds directly from them. Also 35-45 years ago there weren't as many people applying and hunting Moose, Sheep, and Goats, and that's when I shot mine. My first goat tag had a 25% chance of drawing.
I went on my last Unlimited bighorn hunt in 1999. On most of my previous Unlimited unit hunts I usually saw only one or two other camps. On my '99 hunt, opening morning the basin that I was hunting was full of tents, orange pumpkin suits, and an outfitter with a string of horseback hunters, and another string of horses bringing his hunters lunch. The previous day I was the only person in that basin and I had probably the biggest Unlimited ram that I ever saw, less that 100 yds from me.
I think that was also the last year that you could apply for a limited unit sheep tag, and list an Unlimited unit as a second choice. That was also the last year that I had horses. I don't think that any rams were killed in that basin that year.
So, since I did have 3 rams on my wall and I then could only apply for one sheep unit, I decided to only apply in a unit that had a history of large rams, and where I didn't need horses. Unfortunately those units have about 0.01% odds of drawing.
My goat story is a little different. The goat season opens in early September, but the hair on the goats look like they just had a butch haircut, and some are still shedding their previous year's winter coat, so I wait until November to hunt them. My first goat hunt was a half days drive from my home, and I literally got snowed out, and it kept snowing through the end of the season.
Now, I'm 45 years older than I was when I killed my goat, and the mountains have gotten higher and steeper, so I now apply for a unit that I can see from home and be able to pick a nice day to go after a billy. Unfortunately that unit also has about a 0.01% odd of drawing.
The Yellowstone wolves have just about wiped out all of the moose in the unit that I killed my 2 moose in, and that I had taken a friend in and he killed a B&C bull. And since I no longer have horses, I now look to moose units that haven't been hit as hard by wolves and has easier access. Again, those units don't have high odds of drawing a tag.
6mm Remington
Well-known member
33 years to get a mountain goat permit. 45 years in a row without drawing moose or sheep. Year 46 this year for moose and sheep! I'm thinking this year for sure i'll draw! The draw results should be out mid-May I beleive.
geetar
Well-known member
Thanks for the detailed reply. You have some great stories. I know you will make the most of it if you pull one of these tags after all those years applying. Best of luck in this years draw.
rogerthat
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I think the woe is me with multi decades of not drawing story is the norm. Nobody cares to hear those stories. It’s a little like the guy that happens to luck into a giant mule deer in Montana. Everyone wants to hear that story. It keeps the dream alive. For every lucky person that draws out there is that unlucky person somewhere that could not draw a circle with a crayon. Heck I didn’t draw a 900 archery antelope permit in Montana as a resident last year. Beating the odds in a bad way. Tred Barta would be proud.
To the op, move to Alaska. And do it asap. You can always move home later.
To the op, move to Alaska. And do it asap. You can always move home later.
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littlebighorn
Well-known member
If you apply for a Once in a Lifetime hunt you can draw this year, first ask yourself, "if I do draw, can I actually afford to go on the hunt and pull it off?"
Most 17 year olds would not be able to actually pull off an out of state first time hunt, even if they did draw the tag. Building points to draw later is another story.
As has been stated repeatedly, serious out of state hunts are expensive and time consuming and odds of drawing are terrible, so make sure you are ready and able to take that on.
Most 17 year olds would not be able to actually pull off an out of state first time hunt, even if they did draw the tag. Building points to draw later is another story.
As has been stated repeatedly, serious out of state hunts are expensive and time consuming and odds of drawing are terrible, so make sure you are ready and able to take that on.
Bambistew
Well-known member
I wish I would have done it right after I graduated from college. I don't think I could live anywhere else now.
You're young, make a plan and move up... Worst case, if you don't like it, move back.
You could get a job as a packer for a guide or a summer job for a season or two, get a feel for it if you like it or not. Go to college or trade school here? No idea what your ambitions are, but lots of opportunity here for all sorts of things. As a resident you can hunt everything either OTC or on a draw for a few animals. as a NR you can hunt all animals either, OTC, on a draw tag, some DIY some need a guide (sheep, goats, brown bears), hunts start about $20k for them now.
Odds are basically zero (que the optimists: "someone has to draw") that you'll draw a tag in the L48 for MSG. Too many applicants and too few tags, points or not, and you're 20-30 points behind everyone already. Opportunity and tags are getting fewer every year. Most guys are lucky to get one tag in their lifetime in their home state, and most of them started the game at the floor level. I'm going on my 18 or 19th sheep hunt this coming fall, and I may try to squeeze in a second if I have time. Also going moose hunting for about the 30th time. I print my tags off on my computer... no dreaming, no drawing. Just a free tag printed off on my HP.
I would look at the number of NR tags issued by state and then look at the draw system, if they have a lotto or if you have much of a chance starting out with zero points. Some have set aside random tags with odds of like 1:1000, or no points. I don't apply for anything in the L48 anymore, someone else can have my opportunity. I would also look into raffle tags, many have better odds than applying for state draws.
^^^^^ This! If I knew then what I know now I would have made the move to Alaska YEARS ago. It can be tough and expensive, and dark winter works on your brain, but find a location and get a job and the hunting and fishing will be all that you could ever ask for. Anything in the Lower 48 is pretty much out of reach point and money-wise.
Save every dime you can, research job opportunities in various areas of Alaska and in a few years you can strike out on your own and be in undoubtedly the best state there is.
Save every dime you can, research job opportunities in various areas of Alaska and in a few years you can strike out on your own and be in undoubtedly the best state there is.
TheGrayRider
Well-known member
Pure dumb luck to draw an Arizona desert bighorn sheep tag with 13 NR points in 2022. I am still thankful, grateful and blessed for the opportunity to hunt desert bighorns and for everyone and every organization that keeps sheep, mountain goats, and moose and all game on the mountain.
Of course you should apply for the Big 3 if your goal and dream is to hunt them.
Apply. Apply. Apply. You gotta believe and you gotta feel
lucky. Hard to explain. Don’t listen to the naysayers. Just believe and you’ll hit but also stash cash for the private sheep hunts in Alaska, Canada, and Mexico.Expand your horizons and learn different methods of hunting - experience trips to Africa, New Zealand, South America, and Asia. Find a job where you can wake up and work hard and have fun every day for 40+ years.
Join all of the conservation organizations that you can - DU, RMEF, NRA, SCI, DSC, HSC, RMBS, WSF, among others. Attend the meetings and conventions and volunteer with people. Research and read new and old books and articles on hunting and the outdoors.
Marathon, not the 100. Chess game, not checkers. Best of luck, don’t take no for an answer, and we’ll see you on the mountain. Happy hunting, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.
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tim629
Active member
my 2 cents:
-save up for newfoundland as that moose is going to be similar to maine but no need to apply for permits so that one comes down to save up and enjoy.
-others have hit the points pretty hard about making sure you're able to do the hunt, so I would say instead of focusing on a handful of states narrow it down to two or 3 that give you the best odds and then start investing the money while you just buy points until you're financially stable enough to go.
put $1500 in an account now, $50/month for the next 30 years at 7% that is 70K in your hunting fund. be smart with your money and $50/month won't be a huge sacrifice
-save up for newfoundland as that moose is going to be similar to maine but no need to apply for permits so that one comes down to save up and enjoy.
-others have hit the points pretty hard about making sure you're able to do the hunt, so I would say instead of focusing on a handful of states narrow it down to two or 3 that give you the best odds and then start investing the money while you just buy points until you're financially stable enough to go.
put $1500 in an account now, $50/month for the next 30 years at 7% that is 70K in your hunting fund. be smart with your money and $50/month won't be a huge sacrifice
