So tell me here..Is all hunting in the west by luck of the draw..
Is it all lottery only or what? I have no experince with any of
this stuff.....

Every state is different. You need to dig in, go out to each states Fish and Game web site and check out the regs. Most states have some sort of draw system for non resident hunters and yes it is expensive to hunt out of state for most critters.. add that on top of outfitter fees and you're talking serious coin.. so study carefully.

im from montana and our state has open hunting and it has a drawing system.our big bull elk spots and big mulie bucks and whitetails are usually drawing areas. there are some that are open hunting, but you tend to find bigger critters. if your looking at hunting montana, pm me and i'll give you some more details and some decent big buck/ elk spots. its all do it yourself hunts. good luck

In Colorado there are OTC tags for bull elk----both archery & rifle. Cow tags & muzzleloader tags are draw. All deer tags are draw only. Antelope are draw only. Moose, sheep, mtn goats, quality units for elk are all draw & require years of preference points. CB