What, specifically, defines "decent success possibilities"? Taking an animal? Or taking a trophy?

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point-of-view), any time we hunt country unfamiliar to us, we're in a sense handicapping ourselves. Different game, different habits, different terrain, different rules, etc. To some hunters, those issues alone are enough to challenge them to try. To others, they'rea source of frustration. Of course, one can reduce the disadvantage (or challenge) by hiring an outfitter.

And we're not immune from being locked-out of prime hunting lands here in the West, either. Profit-minded landowners and outfitters have pretty much shut all of us out of most of the private land that used to be available to hunt, forcing the pressure onto readily accessible public land, andsignificantly reducingyour chances of taking a "trophy" animal (not manyanimals survive their youth to become "big'uns").

With most of the nonresident draws in the states you mention done already for the year, there's not a lot you'll be able to do in the short-term. Be ready for next season, request the regulations from the states you wish to try (or hit their websites) far enough out to get your applications in.