To be or not to be? That is the question!

Regarding landowner tags.. I've not reseached costs for LO tags in CO, but take New Mexico for example.. You can pick up a LO tag in some of the mediocre units for about $1,500, plus the cost of the tag.. So, for a tad over $2k, you can hunt a unit every year with similar quality as several OTC CO or ID units. A LO tag with good elk quality will most likely cost you $3k (if I remember correctly from last year) plus the tag.
My total out of pocket expenses, after getting fees back, is approximately $425 this year, for 18 hunts. With about half of those hunts being hunts I will draw within 10 years. The other half are long shot elk odds, or impossible to draw sheep/goat hunts, that cost an additional $7.5-$10 to apply.

$425 to not hunt is a bunch of money, but when you spread it out over as many hunt possibilities, its not as bad. $1500+ for a LO tag buys a bunch of points, for quality that can probably be found OTC in several states, or be drawn every year on the special WY tag.

You can archery hunt a good Utah unit with 10 points, hunt AZ late season every 5 years, and hunt WY GEN every year.

Utah has just opened a new OTC area I believe this year... Montana, Idaho, WY offer yearly options for OTC or GEN Hunts which can be good if you meet the right people, do your homework, go to the right areas, and work your butt off. I apply NM every year because if you draw (which is getting to be nearly impossible) you'll probably get a chance to harvest a big bull, and it doesn't cost but a few bucks if you're unsuccessful.

This is likely to be my modus operandi for the foreseeable future

I like to hunt so I apply a to mainly Wyoming and Colorado for areas that require only two or three points so I can go every year. I have a friend the max points in Wyoming for almost everthing including sheep and about seven points for deer and elk in Colorado. He sits at home every year holding out for that special tag, while I am out there every year having a great time with memories. So if I die tomorrow I will have lived and if he dies, he just has a bunch of dreams unfilled.

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Originally Posted by bdjmtn

I like to hunt so I apply a to mainly Wyoming and Colorado for areas that require only two or three points so I can go every year. I have a friend the max points in Wyoming for almost everthing including sheep and about seven points for deer and elk in Colorado. He sits at home every year holding out for that special tag, while I am out there every year having a great time with memories. So if I die tomorrow I will have lived and if he dies, he just has a bunch of dreams unfilled.

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Seems kinda crazy to sit at home, just because you didn't draw a coveted tag, doesn't it?! I'll continue to apply and build points for better trophy quality, but 'when' I don't draw any of them, you'll find me in an OTC unit, continuing to learn it.

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Originally Posted by Fink

I'll continue to apply and build points for better trophy quality, but 'when' I don't draw any of them, you'll find me in an OTC unit, continuing to learn it.

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That is my plan also. I started building points in 5 states 2 years ago. Some I plan to build to hopefully have a shot at a trophy unit in 15 years or better and the rest I plan to try and draw every 2-3 years. If I don't draw, then OTC it is, starting this year. I haven't been yet for other reasons but it starts this year. You gotta get some experience somewhere. Especially being from the south.

I have been lucky enough to hunt on the Jicarrilla Apache Reservation. There is more game there than any place I have been. $8000. and less will get you a good elk hunt with a chance at a huge elk. Land owner tags I have priced for deer have been $6500. A deer license on the Jicarrilla is 15,000.00 Just over the border in Co the cost is $354.
Since a lot of my hunting is about shooting, I can shoot a lot of paper and use my camera to hunt in the best units. I doubt I try for more points. I have had some awesome back country experiences and was able to be hunting in the old days.

I can tell you this, I've been lucky enough to hunt it some of the best units available anywhere, where you trip over elk walking out of camp, and even called a few nice bulls within bow range of the campfire. One night I'm pretty sure a loco bull tried to breed a couple of our horses in the middle of the night and I thought I was going to get trampled in my tent. I've also hunted some leftover OTC hunts that were supposedly Decent, where I hunted an entire week sun-up to sun-down, glassing for hours and hours, covering miles and miles and saw 1 cow with a calf and a crapload of moose. It's a tough call.... It's a lot of time and money! I think I just need to move west and increase my odds!

I will not donate money to any state for 20 years maybe to draw 1 tag! I would rather spend my money in states I can actually hunt in. I look for good areas I can draw with 3-6 points and hunt 2nd choice or OTC in between.

There isn't a good cheap way for non-residents to hunt anywhere in the west. If you are serious, pick up a bow, it opens a lot of land and seasons rifle only guys don't have access to, and draw odds are much better. I do both, and have some decent OTC archery back up hunts I can do every year that are a ton of fun and cheap. So I put in for the premium tags and see if I get lucky, if not, I go on my back ups, but I can go every year on 2-3 different week long out of state hunts.

It takes a few years and some research to find these opportunities and areas, but that's what I'd suggest. Spend time in CO or MT and get some good back up areas that you can go every year and still have an enjoyable hunt, but still put in for premium tags where you can afford it.

You are only going to get so many seasons and so many tags in your lifetime. Its not going to get any cheaper at any point than it is right now unless you get residency in a particular state. I used to struggle with the cost, then I took a step back. Its what I like doing, it helps keep me in shape year round, it provides good groceries, and the trophies and memories are what I'm going to look back on when I'm too old to get around the mountains any more. You can't put a price on living a full life.

That said, put your family first, like don't spend JR's college fund on some res hunts- but after that, who cares. Some guys drive nice cars, some guys go to vegas a lot, some guys play golf, I hunt and make no apologies or justifications, its who I am.