Elk Tag Lotteries
09-18-2008, 06:10 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location:
Posts: 82
Elk Tag Lotteries
I've wanted to go Elk hunting for a long time out in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah or where else. Now how do I enter the Elk Lotteries? How do they work exactly and how much does it cost each year??? If you dont get picked to you get a partial refund or soemthing? Can someone with experience or knowledge please help me out? I would love to take my brother and father out also, so is there a way to do "multiple" requests or something? Thank.s
09-18-2008, 06:46 AM
#2
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location:
Posts: 120
RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
In Wyoming you can actually draw online. You have to do it between May1-May31. I am not sure of the cost without looking it up for non resident. Here is Wyomings webpage you can get all the info you need http://gf.state.wy.us/index.asp Also you can draw as a party and yes you get your money back if not drawn.
09-18-2008, 07:54 AM
#4
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location:
Posts: 82
RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
Nevermind, just read its all about points. So i guess each year you apply you get a point? Plus you can pay for ponits? Correct or no? Have to print out the guide and browse through it. thanks.
09-18-2008, 08:31 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Posts: 1,401
RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
In most of the states you can have a pretty good chance at drawing a general elk tag, but drawing odds for some highly sought after hunting districts can be as low as 1 or 2 percent. In Montana you have to get the general elk tag first and then apply for the special area and so your odds are actually even lower than that for the special districts.
Montana's Deer/Elk Combo license has drawing odds of about 50% the first year and if you pay for the preference points your odds go up to about 75% the 2nd year and over 90% the 3rd year. The license costs $643 and a preference point costs $20. The license includes an uplandgame bird license anda fishing license as well.
Wyomings Elk license is $577 and a preference point costs $50. It also includes a fishing license. The drawing odds last year were 15% without a preference point and 91% with a preference point for the regular priced one. They have a "special" license that costs$1,057 and the odds last year on it were51%without a preference point on it and100% with a preference point. The interesting thing about Wyoming is that you can buy a preference point until September 30th for the next years drawing. Wyoming has some crazy rules on requiring a guide in some areas so take that into consideration when applying.
Montana and Wyoming have outfitter and landowner licenses that you can buy through an outfitter or landowner if you are going to hunt with them that both have about 100% drawingodds. Of course you will have to hire the outfitter or pay the landowner a fee to hunt on their property and generally the license is only good on that landowners property or with that outfitter so you can't get a license that way and then back out and hunt somewhere else. An outfitter can charge anywhere from $2,500 - $10,000 with the price typically based on demand and reputation of the outfitter.
I believe for general areas you can buy a license for Idaho over the counter with no drawing and I know you can buy a general license for Colorado over the counter with no drawing. I've never checked on those prices though but I would assume they are about the same.
In most states if you don't get drawn your money is refunded with a nominal drawing fee of $5 - $15 withheld. Most states do have group drawings where everyone in the group is drawn together. It doesn't really help or hurt your chances but it is an all or none situation. Some folks prefer to apply individually so then it is almost a lock that one or two folks out of a group will get drawn and then the other guys tag along to help out but just don't have a license.
Each state has all the information you would need online and most allow online applications. It just takes some footwork to figure it all out. Or you can subscribe to something like Eastmans Hunting Journal and they have a special research supplement that gives a summary of each states information. (at least that's what they say on their TV show, I don't subscribe to their journal) There are also several places that will do all the applications for you for a fee. If you are 16 or under several states have special youth licenses that have lower prices and better drawing odds as well.
And remember getting a license is the easy part! Knowing where to hunt and getting one is the fun part and after that it is work!
That's my free lesson on what I know.
Montana's Deer/Elk Combo license has drawing odds of about 50% the first year and if you pay for the preference points your odds go up to about 75% the 2nd year and over 90% the 3rd year. The license costs $643 and a preference point costs $20. The license includes an uplandgame bird license anda fishing license as well.
Wyomings Elk license is $577 and a preference point costs $50. It also includes a fishing license. The drawing odds last year were 15% without a preference point and 91% with a preference point for the regular priced one. They have a "special" license that costs$1,057 and the odds last year on it were51%without a preference point on it and100% with a preference point. The interesting thing about Wyoming is that you can buy a preference point until September 30th for the next years drawing. Wyoming has some crazy rules on requiring a guide in some areas so take that into consideration when applying.
Montana and Wyoming have outfitter and landowner licenses that you can buy through an outfitter or landowner if you are going to hunt with them that both have about 100% drawingodds. Of course you will have to hire the outfitter or pay the landowner a fee to hunt on their property and generally the license is only good on that landowners property or with that outfitter so you can't get a license that way and then back out and hunt somewhere else. An outfitter can charge anywhere from $2,500 - $10,000 with the price typically based on demand and reputation of the outfitter.
I believe for general areas you can buy a license for Idaho over the counter with no drawing and I know you can buy a general license for Colorado over the counter with no drawing. I've never checked on those prices though but I would assume they are about the same.
In most states if you don't get drawn your money is refunded with a nominal drawing fee of $5 - $15 withheld. Most states do have group drawings where everyone in the group is drawn together. It doesn't really help or hurt your chances but it is an all or none situation. Some folks prefer to apply individually so then it is almost a lock that one or two folks out of a group will get drawn and then the other guys tag along to help out but just don't have a license.
Each state has all the information you would need online and most allow online applications. It just takes some footwork to figure it all out. Or you can subscribe to something like Eastmans Hunting Journal and they have a special research supplement that gives a summary of each states information. (at least that's what they say on their TV show, I don't subscribe to their journal) There are also several places that will do all the applications for you for a fee. If you are 16 or under several states have special youth licenses that have lower prices and better drawing odds as well.
And remember getting a license is the easy part! Knowing where to hunt and getting one is the fun part and after that it is work!
That's my free lesson on what I know.
09-18-2008, 08:33 AM
#6
Typical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: NOVA
Posts: 780
RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
in Wyoming its best just to buy a point, then try to draw for the next season using that point you purchased. using a guide will help too. In colorado there are areas where you can buy over the counter. Some places you have to have a ton of bonus points before you even attempt to draw. It just depends, I would narrow down when and where you want to go, and start from there. Some states are easier then others.
09-18-2008, 08:43 AM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Posts: 1,401
RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
P.S. - Utah, New Mexico and Arizona all have great reputations for trophy elk but they are generally considered to be even harder to draw for than the big 4 elk states I mentioned above. They may have better odds if you go with an outfitter but I've never looked into that. Nevada also has huntable elk populations as well as Washington and Oregon and I believe North and South Dakota. Of course Alaska and Canada have huntable elk populations as well.
Another interesting thing is that some of the Eastern states are really coming on with huntable elk populations on public land. Pennsylvania and Kentucky have huntable elk populations and from what I understand it is real hunting on public land, not like hunting on a game ranch or something like that.
Another interesting thing is that some of the Eastern states are really coming on with huntable elk populations on public land. Pennsylvania and Kentucky have huntable elk populations and from what I understand it is real hunting on public land, not like hunting on a game ranch or something like that.
09-18-2008, 08:54 AM
#8
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: IL
Posts: 6,575
RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
Wyoming, Colorado, Utah or where else.
Colorado does have OTC rifle tags, but in limited areas, not sure how their bow tag works exactly, but I'm builing pts in CO, actually in all 3 states.
All states work the same just about on principle, you apply, when you don't draw you get a refund, some states cost more than others, and that can vary immensely on up front fees, which may be out of your hand for a number of months...
I'd suggest applying/building pts at least in Utah and WY of those 3.
One suggestion I'd make is New Mexico, its very cheap to apply, but there are no pref. pts, therefore everyone has the same chance whether they've been applying for 1 year or 20yrs. So you can get lucky with an awesome tag your first year. Also if you're going with an outfitter, your odds are even higher, but you'll need his outfitter # before applying I believe.
Idaho has some OTC tags too, not sure exactly how they work.
WY!!! You may still be able to purchase a elk pref. pt this year....get online now and goto wyoming game and fish and try to buy a pref. pt. it'll be well worth it.
So depending on what you're looking for, trophy vs. just any elk may affect which states you want to go for. But none the less you should goto websites and reasearch state info. And at least build pts in states where you want to hunt, whether it be states that produce trophies, or just somewhere you can draw and hunt an elk soon.
for $100/yr you can subscribe to the hunting fool magazine, they'll go in depth over all the various states, etc...
so what I suggest, is look to WY, Utah, and NM. Buy that point in WY if you still can, be quick because the deadline may be close or over.
Utah would be my dream trophy elk state,
Wyoming as my quality elk trophy after a few years for applying etc...
NM as the wild card, could draw any year a great tag
So you'll have short, mid, and longterm covered....and eventually you'll be hunting elk in 3 states! and learning alot along the way!
hope this helps.
Colorado does have OTC rifle tags, but in limited areas, not sure how their bow tag works exactly, but I'm builing pts in CO, actually in all 3 states.
All states work the same just about on principle, you apply, when you don't draw you get a refund, some states cost more than others, and that can vary immensely on up front fees, which may be out of your hand for a number of months...
I'd suggest applying/building pts at least in Utah and WY of those 3.
One suggestion I'd make is New Mexico, its very cheap to apply, but there are no pref. pts, therefore everyone has the same chance whether they've been applying for 1 year or 20yrs. So you can get lucky with an awesome tag your first year. Also if you're going with an outfitter, your odds are even higher, but you'll need his outfitter # before applying I believe.
Idaho has some OTC tags too, not sure exactly how they work.
WY!!! You may still be able to purchase a elk pref. pt this year....get online now and goto wyoming game and fish and try to buy a pref. pt. it'll be well worth it.
So depending on what you're looking for, trophy vs. just any elk may affect which states you want to go for. But none the less you should goto websites and reasearch state info. And at least build pts in states where you want to hunt, whether it be states that produce trophies, or just somewhere you can draw and hunt an elk soon.
for $100/yr you can subscribe to the hunting fool magazine, they'll go in depth over all the various states, etc...
so what I suggest, is look to WY, Utah, and NM. Buy that point in WY if you still can, be quick because the deadline may be close or over.
Utah would be my dream trophy elk state,
Wyoming as my quality elk trophy after a few years for applying etc...
NM as the wild card, could draw any year a great tag
So you'll have short, mid, and longterm covered....and eventually you'll be hunting elk in 3 states! and learning alot along the way!
hope this helps.
09-18-2008, 10:07 AM
#9
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location:
Posts: 82
RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
Wow. Thanks everyone for all your input and advice. I wouldnt be going any tiem soon as I'm stuck on the East Coast and would have to probably go with an Outfitter, so I guess if I went that route I most likely woulnd't have to worry about the drawings huh? You guys are great and so knowledgable!
09-18-2008, 10:40 AM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Gleason, TN
Posts: 1,327
RE: Elk Tag Lotteries
Haven't heard anyone mention South Dakota yet, I'll share my experience with that area since that's where I've done all my elk hunting, in the Black Hills region.
You apply online just like Wyoming, you pay the price of the tag and check online to see if you got drawn. If you didn't, you get a refund in the mail.
I always hunted the experimental forest area, around HWY 385, kind of between Silver City and Rochford. There's a ton of elk in that area, just watch out for mountain lions.
You apply online just like Wyoming, you pay the price of the tag and check online to see if you got drawn. If you didn't, you get a refund in the mail.
I always hunted the experimental forest area, around HWY 385, kind of between Silver City and Rochford. There's a ton of elk in that area, just watch out for mountain lions.