Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Thanks Randy, Jay Scott, Meateater, HUSH, etc. etc.

Out of curiosity josh, how many states do you apply for, for big game annually?

None... I have my hands full here in CO... especially with kids of hunting age... I guess I’m just blessed. Not sure what that has to do with anything.

One of the reasons I don’t apply... is I don’t want to pay what it costs to hunt on NR tags. If I did... I’d certainly use all available methods of research I could get my hands on... and appreciate the work guys like Randy, GoHunt, Eastmans, etc. put in to make that info public.

I guess I don’t feel entitled to any particular number of tags in any particular states.... should I?

I have no interest in building points... none. I have no interest in sheep, moose, goats, etc.... should I?

For the guys who do.... you should be ahead of the curve already.... so what are you complaining about? Do you have a right to the tags/areas... just because you’ve been applying longer, or hunting longer, or appreciate them more?

I live in a state that sees more NR hunters, and apps, than any state in the nation.... I deal with their bullschitt constantly... but I also know that’s part of the game. And I appreciate the revenue it provides... because we’ve got game and parks and SWAs and access all over the f’n place. We wouldn’t have a lot of those things without people applying and hunting here.... God knows the hikers/bikers/photographers/trail riders/horsemen/4x4 clubs/etc.... don’t pay for schitt.

I’m still trying to figure out how more apps, and more hunters, is bad for anyone except the guys who don’t draw?

I will be up hunting general season in WA for deer.... the $400+ for that tag seems quite unreasonable given the “quality” of deer hunting opportunities there vs. some other states. But..... I do love hunting blacktails... and love hunting with my buddies... so I’ll pay the piper. If I had to draw that tag... I’d probably pass.

You might want to do a little more research before making this statement which is very wrong!

So in fairness, you don't have any skin in the "game".... I hope your boy smokes a whopper on his tag this year!!

When you come over this year I'd like to have you over if I'm around, "not hunting outta state" and if you have time, everything will be on me, you have a place to stay here....later

About like the celebrities in southern Cali, where it never gets below 60 or above 80, telling us down here in south Bama to turn off our AC's and conserve energy.

Theres a spot we used to kill javelina every year from. Our buddy Newberg decided to blast it all over social media... I haven't seen a javelina in there in 2-3 years.

Maybe Im a curmudgeon, but I agree 100% with the OP.

“Fairness”.... come on Jud.... you don’t see the irony in that comment? Be up in WA for the last 3-4 days of the season. I’d love to make it down that way... we’ll be on a quick turn around to get back to CO for the 3rd Season opener.

And my bad... we did put in in WY this year... my boy drew an antelope buck tag up there... I didn’t draw schitt. I’m writing this post from our family cabin in Utah, it’s been in our family long enough to be on our second 99 year lease.... and it’s my favorite place in the entire world. I tried to draw an elk tag for this unit for 10 straight years.... before Hush, and Randy, and everyone else that’s getting “blamed” for this increase. I never drew one.... so I quit trying. I’d love to kill a bull in this mountain.... it would mean the world to me... but I’m not chasing the dragon anymore. We all hunt... so we all have “skin in the game”... some a little more than others. I absolutely respect you and ct... you’re good dudes... but I think you’re being a little short sided on this issue... understandably.

Creek... sorry, you’re right.... they do pay a nickel on my dollar. If I’m wrong.... and I’d love to be wrong... please show me where/how those folks pay anything more than a drop in the bucket. Seriously, I’d really like to know.

ct... like I said.... I hear you.... a year ago at this time I was kinda pissed too. But then I came to the realization that the only person this increased draw numbers hurt, was me (the one guy I knew who didn’t draw).... and that there’s actually a benefit to the increased numbers. You’re probably right though... if you’re not from AZ.. there is no bright side... only another hurdle.

I’m going with a selfish response to this Josh...For me as a primarily pub land hunter. When the areas I hunt get’s busier with new tag holders. It can become a schit show because they aren’t familiar with the hunting grounds and do things that run counterproductive (nice way of saying) they can fùck up my hunt by doing things that is only successfull in blowing the critters out, pushing them into deep, thick, dark timbered canyons...Or worse scatter a herd temporarily.

And they’re completely unaware of what they had just done to themselves or me because they don’t know where the beasts were holding up to begin with...

To be honest, the occasional hunts that have been Joked by new hunters are my plan C and D hunts. It’s still frustrating, especially when I’m working with only 4 days to put a critter in my freezer.

Their lack of knowledge, which is often just a case of them trying apply a tactic of hunting that they are used to doing in another part of my state which may be successful for them on the East side....But, it doesn’t translate well on the West side. But they don’t know anything different.

I was chatting with GW about the efforts we both put in to losing hunters who try to locate me, or my truck and follow me into areas while scouting...Because of this I had to make some changes including selling my once dedicated hunting rig and doing away with the vanity “Elk Up” plates.

I have picked up radio chatter when someone had seen my rig and then hearing them trying to explain where I was at to someone else in their crew...Bull season can make some people lose their minds...😎

That’s a little different Mark..... you’re talking public land, OTC tags.... and increased pressure. That schitt happens. If there were no new hunters screwing stuff up... hunting would cease to exist... we need the new ones... so do the critters.

We’re talking about areas that are limited draw... so there is no increase in pressure... as the number of tags is the same. The increased pressure is in on the tags themselves.

Here’s my perspective in a nutshell:

There’s an antelope tag not too far from where I live, that used to take 1-2 points to draw... now you’re lucky to draw it with 5. I drew it last year, finally, and killed a nice buck with my boys at my side. At that point... the years of waiting meant nothing, all that mattered was how enjoyable the hunt was and seeing the joy it brought to my sons. That mount is in my boys’ room, they see it every day and take tremendous pride in it. I’d never shoot another goat in the entire state... if it meant more guys got to share hunts like that with their kids. Maybe I’m an idiot hopeless romantic... but I hope these increased draws, mean more guys get to experience stuff with their loved ones, just like I did with my kids. I think it’s the low-road to believe it’s only Flat-Billed, Mtn. Ops fueled, Browning buckmark tattooed hunters that are snatching up all “your” tags.

You are a romantic, but the right kind IMO...I’m holding 14 points for elk in a unit that I would draw at least every 3rd year. I didn’t get it this year...The only thing that keeps me sane over the higher number of points I’ve collected for hunts in Oregon 16 now for deer and not hitting a tag is like you pointed out... I have access to a decent area that holds an abundance of good animals to hunt...My knowledge and abilities help to take a nice bull almost every year. The same goes for Blacktail which make for a good hunting season for my small family.

OF&G have started discussion on making West Bull Elk a draw at some point. This scares mostly us local boys who would eventually find ourselves without a tag if that happened. I would adapt if it did and look at other opportunities for a hunt. It would feel a lot like starting over in new territory where to get ahead of the learning curve would require efforts that I have already acquired in my lifetime in my current locale...

I’m gonna say I’m grateful that I’ve had really good years hunting some rough but extremely beautiful country. And, now at this time of my life, I’m able to explore hunts outside of Oregon that not that long ago would have been out of my reach.

I just want to hunt, and hunt with good pards over country that holds nice animals for the taking if your willing to put the time, money and effort into helping to put one in front of you...

For Clint, Jud and even you, it would be hard to realize your once successfull draws just became infrequent. Maybe it’s the way in which the discovery of the hunting unit was outted that makes it the most irritating. Via tv or social media in a way removes the difficulty our pards had to go through to find it. Research it and trial and error hunting of it until the unit became a regular producer of filled tags.

The Randy Newman show does leave a bad taste of something once worked for is now just giving away...I’m sure I’ve oversimplified this discussion to a degree, not my intention. I am stoked your ugly ass will be seen more in the Northwest. I’m sure I will be sharing a hunt with you in the future as will others who are happy you maybe coming up for a stay. 😎

If the OP doesn't like the influx of new NR hunters in AZ, maybe he should move to AZ and get in the 90% pool, or perhaps fly out sometime and take a hunter safety course to get a permanent point on top of his loyalty point.... Want to know how I know about these things? Bigfin and Jay Scott have wonderful podcasts that do a great job of explaining it.

What's your deer plan in AZ? Mule deer on the rim or chasing oct or november whitetails every year? If the plan is to hunt whitetails every year, you'll still be able to do it if you have your 2 perma-points. Don't be concerned about the new guys, they're contributing $160 every year to help the game species of the state of AZ. Imagine how much money the state is making from matching federal funds.

Is Short People the theme song?

And you can deer hunt every year in AZ with a archery tag too.

I think you are speaking of money for game management. No they don't pay into that, they aren't hunting and shouldn't have to pay into that. However they pay big time into the local economies. They travel to destinations more than hunters do and over a longer period of time. Places like British Columbia, Colorado and Northwest Arkansas can and will attest to this.

I’ve supported Randy but I think I’m done. Hunting has turned into damn clown show. Instagram hunters abound now. Sickening.. They think they’re helping, they aren’t.

Come to Wyoming! Come to Colorado! And so on.

Maybe I’m selfish, but they’re driving away guys that actually figured this [bleep] out without their spoon feeding .. hope they get it how they want it, it’s a damn joke in the hills anymore.

Haha!
“Got No Reason to Live”.....Newberg
😎

I'm firmly in this camp...

Don’t even want to start with hush! They’ve single handedly ruined a unit in southern Idaho because it all has to be on YouTube you know, gotta make that buck I guess.

Then they wonder why they get harassed by fish and game and the locals.. I’m surprised their camp hasn’t been burned to the ground yet, but sadly it’s probably going to happen.

That said they are likable guys and I don’t have anything bad to say about them personally. They say they’re helping. Helping themselves is more like it.

I’ve never met randy but have met a lot of the others on the mountain, they live and breath hunting and speak my language, I just don’t think they’re the saviors they think they are.

Did hunting need this to fight special interests? I don’t know maybe.

I do know that mine and nearly all of my friends hunting experience has suffered because of it.

Just wanted to add another scattered thought , Guys like David Long and Paul Kendal could be considered pioneers of a lot of this, but they read the writing on the wall, it wasn’t having a positive affect...Don’t hear much from those guys anymore, and it isn’t because they quit hunting.

Maybe some of the aforementioned will too, but I doubt it, it’s a business to them.

Give it a few years...

I don't think there will even be a leftover list from what I'm hearing...

Yep