Which Units to Apply for???
So I recently applied for early archery season in AZ. I am a Oregon resident so of course I applied as a non resident tag. This non-resident application among others western states lends to my overall strategy on drawing worth while hunts in the Western states. I am interested in Mule Deer and Elk archery hunts. I’m not getting any younger so I decided to make the commitment of buying a nonresident license and applying for draws in each of the desirable states (i.e., Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, etc.) of the west. Yes it is an investment each year. For example if I don’t get drawn or buy an OTC out of state tag I still spend up to $500 on licenses and application fees. This is the commitment that I’ve decided I want to make so that I can enjoy quality hunts by increasing my odds of getting drawn in desirable states/units. I’m increasing my odds by applying each year and acquiring points (preference or bonus points). Bonus points have no bearing on draw odds but preference points do, and some states require 15 to 20 bonus points (15 to 20 years of applying) before draw odds turn in your favor. Of course these are the most coveted hunts statistically speaking. OTC hunts in each of the aforementioned states offer awesome opportunities for DIY hunts. One resource that I could recommend to increase your knowledge base for elk and deer hunts in the western states is GoHunt.com. This website requires an annual membership fee, but the information that they provide is awesome and saves hours of reading through each of the states hunting reg’s.