How do you decide which western state to hunt in?

[AK7AN]

I know there are a lot of you members that live east of the Mississippi that come out west to hunt big game. I am fortunate enough to live out here (Utah and formerly Colorado) and enjoy the hunting opportunities. But that got me wondering. How do you decide which State and where that you come to hunt? Is it price of the tags? Or maybe the best chance to draw or even but an over the counter license?
I have lived in Utah for 6yrs and have not hunted locally because I don't have a portable tree to take with me to sit under.. :lol: , although there are some areas I would like to check out where the competition for hunting spots is not as great as right around where I live. My wife Kelli and I still go back to Colorado to hunt, mainly because it is familiar, we have hunted a lot in Units 80, 76, 551 and 68, although many things have changed in theses area, such as hunter #'s and major wildfires that have redrawn the landscape for hunting. We are now applying for Elk in Unit 67, but will have to wait a few years for the preference points to build.
So what brings you to your favorite spots and why?
Take care
Ed

 

[SJB358]

I will pretty much hunt any state that’ll let me draw a tag. Need to get into Colorado, NM and Montana one of these days. Wyoming, Oregon and Idaho have been great to me in the past.

 

[Guy Miner]

Another Westerner here. Of course I hunt my home state, Washington. And here I can buy "over the counter" tags for deer, elk, black bear and cougar. We have two species of elk, and can hunt three species of deer. Our premium tags "once in a lifetime" are mountain goat, bighorn sheep and moose. Those three species are thriving thanks to careful management.

I also hunt Wyoming, and have for 17 years, about every two or three years. I like Wyoming because it affords a decent chance at a viable tag, particularly for mule deer & antelope. A fellow could wait a decade for an Oregon antelope tag, or buy one every year in Wyoming.

Idaho and Montana tempt me, but so far I've just done a little fly fishing in those wonderful western states.

Guy

 

[hunternyny]

MONTANA----good friends

 

[.300winmag]

I will pretty much hunt any state that’ll let me draw a tag. Need to get into Colorado, NM and Montana one of these days. Wyoming, Oregon and Idaho have been great to me in the past.

Scotty you get a tag on the western side of Colorado and I’d help you out as much as I can! I have a couple buddies that wouldn’t take much arm twisting at all to get out there for another hunt either!

 

[tim629]

I live in NY, grew up in PA so that is my hunting vacation

hoping to talk the wife into letting me keep my PA hunt and add a week out west:

idaho: option for me since brother-in-law moved to the boise area (can't talk wife into hiking the mountains and bringing along a book to read while her brother and I chase elk/deer)

wyoming: looks like good antelope hunting, easy draw, "easier" hunt (can't talk wife into going for hikes with me maybe shootingsomething)

montana: been in contact with an outfitter that does hunts in the fall guided pack trips in the summer (reduced rate for the summer if you book a hunt... may be my best luck at talking the wife into letting me do the hunt then us go back together for the pack trip)

 

[c. schutte]

Mostly Texas which has many regions. A little in the east, some in the west, plenty in the panhandle and tons in the hill country & trans pacos.

Also have hunted both eastern and western Oklahoma and Colorado. So far Colorado on the west side and going to the north west corner this week! Making plans to get Wyoming in the mix and possibly South Dakota & New Mexico in the next few years.

 

[SJB358]

I will pretty much hunt any state that’ll let me draw a tag. Need to get into Colorado, NM and Montana one of these days. Wyoming, Oregon and Idaho have been great to me in the past.

Scotty you get a tag on the western side of Colorado and I’d help you out as much as I can! I have a couple buddies that wouldn’t take much arm twisting at all to get out there for another hunt either!

Let me know where to apply for Brian.. been looking for a good reason to get into Colorado. Insider intel won’t hurt my feelings a bit.

 

[SJB358]

I live in NY, grew up in PA so that is my hunting vacation

hoping to talk the wife into letting me keep my PA hunt and add a week out west:

idaho: option for me since brother-in-law moved to the boise area (can't talk wife into hiking the mountains and bringing along a book to read while her brother and I chase elk/deer)

wyoming: looks like good antelope hunting, easy draw, "easier" hunt (can't talk wife into going for hikes with me maybe shootingsomething)

montana: been in contact with an outfitter that does hunts in the fall guided pack trips in the summer (reduced rate for the summer if you book a hunt... may be my best luck at talking the wife into letting me do the hunt then us go back together for the pack trip)

Wyoming should be your number 1 choice for Elk. They really have some easy to draw units and they are pretty helpful to non residents.

 

[1100 Remington Man]

Me and my Friends take turns picking our hunts. Where to go and what to hunt. I my self like to see new country and experience new things.
If it were up to me living in Iowa I would go every other year alternateing between Montana & Wyoming.
Why drive time from Iowa is closer the time to Idaho was a killer as was southwest Colorado, while both were nice country the drive was to much till I retire, then I won't care as I will not have to get back to work. I would like to try southeast Utah someday for Mule Deer. I would hunt Canada but I like hunting without a babysitter-Guide and Canada does not allow noncitizen to do this as they want the Cash. Some day I will do a Caribou hunt and most likely will have to use a service as the country is remote and to get the game out.
For what It is worth I have planned most of hunts and did the research as where to go. Lots of phone calls to Game Wardens, Wildlife Biologist, Locker plants, packers with horses,ect etc. but not half of our hunts.
All our hunts are DIY camping in National Forests to backpack hunting miles from the road or trail head.
There is a lot that goes into planning a hunt when doing it your self and it takes time to research.

 

[Elkman]

I do a fair amount of research on where to go. To me timing is important. I will not duplicate applications for a specific time frame. For example I will not put in for a hunt in Oregon, and Nevada during the same time period. If you draw one, the other has to go and that's $600 down the drain. In addition you loose the preference points, so you have to be careful there. Distance is important so for me Colorado is out, but the rest of the western states are a two day drive, which I can manage. I would also look at success rates, hunter numbers, and herd populations. There is lots of data on line when one starts to dig. I live in Washington, but seldom hunt there. The hunter numbers are very high and it takes a long time to build preference points. In addition the cost is astronomical for the out of state hunter. Success rates for archers are usually low in most states, but its sometimes easier to draw a tag. One also has to really be realistic on what they want to hunt. For instance if you want to draw a trophy bull tag in NE Oregon, as a non resident it will most likely take you 16 years, and $500 a pop for a license, you get a lot of money for a tag. Wyoming for example has in the past (because of last winter, these tag numbers will most likely be reduced) offered a "reduced price cow calf tag. This has been costing $300 for no residents and is an excellent hunting opportunity, fop those who just want to hunt (like me). Lots of other issues are public land access, road densities, wilderness/non wilderness and the like. Its not easy but if done right, one can improve their chance of success.