JohnCushman
Well-known member
Where's this year's whiteboard, Randy? It's always interesting to see every year.
Fin's whiteboard
- Thread starter JohnCushman
- Start date
Normally I take a photo, but this year it is a mess with all the unit numbers written all over the place and tons of chicken scratch of "what if" scenarios based on the possibility of not drawing some things that look like dead cinch locks. So this year, you get a screen capture of the worksheet I use as a reminder.
The items in red are pretty much slam dunk guarantees. The far right shows how many tags I think I have lined up, based on what the draw odds were last year, or the fact that it is an OTC tag.
Going to try do some web-only exclusives this year, so I am needing to get two Fresh Tracks TV episodes out of most the elk hunts. Also trying to fit in a hunt with Steven Rinella to make up for the one he had to cancel last year, due to Lyme's Disease. And, trying to do another episode for RMEF. Add those to the ten I need for our show, along with some web-only exclusives, and I am going to be a busy boy.
The web episodes would hopefully be three web-only hunts, but make them very informational. Probably break each hunt into two or three episodes, each being 7-14 minutes in length. If we can get those done, those will be under On Your Own Adventures.
Here is a tentative look at this time. If I draw a MT goat or sheep tag, the entire schedule gets rebuilt to accommodate the number of weeks needed to do those hunts justice, both in the field and on the tube.
My odds on CO archery elk in Unit 61 is not that great. Last year, people drew at my current point level, but every year some guys come off the "Preference Point" bench and it increases the number of points needed to draw. Always the OTC option, if I don't draw.
My UT pronghorn odds are real good. Not many of us in the max point pool and half those tags go to the max point holders. I hate the dates of mid-September. That could screw up some elk hunting.
I have max points in WY for deer. I suspect that most guys are thinking of jumping in the WY deer draw, given the laws that continue to get introduced that would change things for NRs. So, I suspect the value of max points is less and less in WY as guys stop buying points and look to cash in before the changes get implemented. If I am so lucky, I would gladly hunt there this year.
AK bear should be a lock for next spring. I also bought a left over tag in the most marginal of units in AK. I am going up in May. I hope there are bears there, as I am going to be very isolated and limited in my mobility (oar power).
UT general deer is new on the schedule this year. I am tired of building points, when I could probably draw any general unit in UT, especially for archery. I would rather hunt muleys with a bow, than any other way. So, I am going to do it. I have been working with the USFS about filming permits in the wilderness area I want to hunt, but it is not looking good. I probably need to look elsewhere.
ID is always a tough one. Their draw dates are so late, that I always have the schedule filled before the ID elk/deer/pronghorn drawings are held. I did the moose gig for many years, finally giving up on ever drawing a moose tag there. I would love to hunt there and do some episodes. The General seasons in ID are almost always in the middle of when we have limited permits in other states. Seems no matter how hard I try, things just don't work out there.
I have about zero expectation of anything in NM. Should maybe apply for deer and sheep, but I feel violated to cough up $3,000+ for such terrible odds on sheep. Deer hunts I most prefer are the January archery hunts, but those are during trade show season, so no sense in having a tag I cannot make the most of.
NV should give me a tag this year. My son and I will apply as a party. He wants rifle and I want archery. We will make the top three or four picks rifle, then the last one or two archery. Would be nice for some state to take all my desert bighorn points, but I suspect NV and AZ want me to keep building my collection of such.
Right now, all I have applied for is WY elk, AZ elk/ant, and all things in UT (other than my general archery deer). Once the WY elk draw is announced next week, along with the very unlikely AK caribou and elk tags, I can then lock in dates for any tags drawn and it will alter what I do in all the other states.
Next month is when a ton of apps get sent in and Mrs. Fin starts questioning the thousands of dollars of credit card fees for me, my son, and in some cases, for guest hunters. The board will change a lot between now and mid-June.
The items in red are pretty much slam dunk guarantees. The far right shows how many tags I think I have lined up, based on what the draw odds were last year, or the fact that it is an OTC tag.
Going to try do some web-only exclusives this year, so I am needing to get two Fresh Tracks TV episodes out of most the elk hunts. Also trying to fit in a hunt with Steven Rinella to make up for the one he had to cancel last year, due to Lyme's Disease. And, trying to do another episode for RMEF. Add those to the ten I need for our show, along with some web-only exclusives, and I am going to be a busy boy.
The web episodes would hopefully be three web-only hunts, but make them very informational. Probably break each hunt into two or three episodes, each being 7-14 minutes in length. If we can get those done, those will be under On Your Own Adventures.
Here is a tentative look at this time. If I draw a MT goat or sheep tag, the entire schedule gets rebuilt to accommodate the number of weeks needed to do those hunts justice, both in the field and on the tube.
My odds on CO archery elk in Unit 61 is not that great. Last year, people drew at my current point level, but every year some guys come off the "Preference Point" bench and it increases the number of points needed to draw. Always the OTC option, if I don't draw.
My UT pronghorn odds are real good. Not many of us in the max point pool and half those tags go to the max point holders. I hate the dates of mid-September. That could screw up some elk hunting.
I have max points in WY for deer. I suspect that most guys are thinking of jumping in the WY deer draw, given the laws that continue to get introduced that would change things for NRs. So, I suspect the value of max points is less and less in WY as guys stop buying points and look to cash in before the changes get implemented. If I am so lucky, I would gladly hunt there this year.
AK bear should be a lock for next spring. I also bought a left over tag in the most marginal of units in AK. I am going up in May. I hope there are bears there, as I am going to be very isolated and limited in my mobility (oar power).
UT general deer is new on the schedule this year. I am tired of building points, when I could probably draw any general unit in UT, especially for archery. I would rather hunt muleys with a bow, than any other way. So, I am going to do it. I have been working with the USFS about filming permits in the wilderness area I want to hunt, but it is not looking good. I probably need to look elsewhere.
ID is always a tough one. Their draw dates are so late, that I always have the schedule filled before the ID elk/deer/pronghorn drawings are held. I did the moose gig for many years, finally giving up on ever drawing a moose tag there. I would love to hunt there and do some episodes. The General seasons in ID are almost always in the middle of when we have limited permits in other states. Seems no matter how hard I try, things just don't work out there.
I have about zero expectation of anything in NM. Should maybe apply for deer and sheep, but I feel violated to cough up $3,000+ for such terrible odds on sheep. Deer hunts I most prefer are the January archery hunts, but those are during trade show season, so no sense in having a tag I cannot make the most of.
NV should give me a tag this year. My son and I will apply as a party. He wants rifle and I want archery. We will make the top three or four picks rifle, then the last one or two archery. Would be nice for some state to take all my desert bighorn points, but I suspect NV and AZ want me to keep building my collection of such.
Right now, all I have applied for is WY elk, AZ elk/ant, and all things in UT (other than my general archery deer). Once the WY elk draw is announced next week, along with the very unlikely AK caribou and elk tags, I can then lock in dates for any tags drawn and it will alter what I do in all the other states.
Next month is when a ton of apps get sent in and Mrs. Fin starts questioning the thousands of dollars of credit card fees for me, my son, and in some cases, for guest hunters. The board will change a lot between now and mid-June.
JohnCushman
Well-known member
WOW!!! I don't feel so bad about figuring out my little bit of drawing in 2 states...lol
Summitthunting
Well-known member
The hunt with Steven Rinella should be epic. Tell him to shoot the critter again before he walks up on it!
duckhunt
Well-known member
I like the Iowa deer. That would be in my neck of the woods. And I give credit to fin. If I had to apply for all that, I would have it all screwed up.
BiggWimm
New member
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2009
- Messages
- 635
Hey Randy, if you need any help in Ut let me know. Looks like a busy year!
dan.kirkpatrick
Well-known member
I dont see any oregon hunts ? otc archery rosevelt and blacktail are out here to consider maybe.
warmer
Well-known member
Previous years whiteboard mentioned SD deer. No love this year?
arffdog875
New member
Randy, How many points do you have in #61? Many people I know have drawn with 8 points.
drahthaar
Active member
Looking at that picture stresses me out. I cant imagine planning for all that. I won't even drive to another region in MT to attempt to make a good run at a hunt in places I'm not familiar, let alone try to decipher that cluster.
shoots-straight
Well-known member
Maybe start thinking about a lion hunt. There's guys with dogs, and they can be called.
Devil Diver Down
Well-known member
Didn't you draw AZ elk last year with your son? How the heck is it a "should draw" again this year?
No doubt just looking at that board - let alone assembling the moving parts and pieces going in to it - would give me a massive migraine. Sadly, I think I'm too puss-hurt to ever do the out of state hunting I want to do. Glad to see someone has the gumption and the formulas down to attempt it.
No doubt just looking at that board - let alone assembling the moving parts and pieces going in to it - would give me a massive migraine. Sadly, I think I'm too puss-hurt to ever do the out of state hunting I want to do. Glad to see someone has the gumption and the formulas down to attempt it.
Muleyfanatic
Active member
Looks good! Definitely a work in process! The attention to detail that you must keep for all the different states, different hunting partners, different species, plus filming permits makes my head hurt. It is tough enough for me with four states and the different species associated with them.
I quit applying for limited entry tags when OR raised the license fee real high and then cut back on the percentage of tags allocated to NRs. I understand why they did it, just that they lost me at that time.
As for OTC Roosies and Blacktails, I will do them some day, but most likely not on camera. Just too thick to get much for footage. There is a reason you see very few of those hunts on TV. The thick vegetation does not make for good camera footage.
I have 17 NR elk points. Don't ask me how I got to that total. I hate accumulating a lot of points, but I have never found a Colorado elk hunt within reach of my point level that I thought we be that much more fun than an OTC hunt. So, I ended with this many points more by accident, than by intention.
Yup, I did. That leaves me with my loyalty point and a hunter ed point.
I always apply for late rifle hunts or Limited Opportunity hunts (no 10% NR limit on the LO hunts). Have done that since burning my points on an early rifle hunt in 2005. Way easier to draw late hunts and the LO hunts, and NRs seldom hit the 10% cap in the first bonus pass for those late hunts.
If I have friends who I share points with on hunts, or in this case, they share with me, we can draw the late hunts and LO hunts with way fewer points than archery, muzzy, or early rifle. I want to hunt, not accumulate points, even if I am hunting seasons or units most NRs find to be unappealing.
There is no lock on this tag, but if applicants and tag numbers go similar to last year, we should be in the running.
Devil Diver Down
Well-known member
Interesting approach to AZ - you certainly can't hunt without a tag and I suspect you're confident with good reason that you'll find good elk in any AZ unit you draw. Hopefully you get good news from AZ in the form of a cc hit again this year.
havgunwilltravel
Active member
Always nice to see how your hunt schedule is shaping up at the start of the year Big Fin. All the best with the draws.
Khunter
Well-known member
Not for CO 61 archery elk, they haven't. Not for NR nor resident has not been 8 poi ts since about 2002 or so.
Randy, you just did elk in Wy. 2 years ago.I have a hard time believing you hunted a general tag there the other year.Are you changing up to general tags or I'm I missing something in my research??
Man, the amount of money for all those draws in unreal.I could only dream of having a board with all those chances
Man, the amount of money for all those draws in unreal.I could only dream of having a board with all those chances
Going special draw in a unit that was a 100% draw last year with one point,and still some good chances with zero points and in the random draw. This year, I have applied with a friend who is looking to kill his first bull. He has three points. He wants to make sure we draw, so we decided to apply for the hunt it looks most likely we could draw, rather than hoping for some luck in the Special random draw in a more reputed unit that takes more points. I've never stepped foot in this unit, so if we draw, it will be interesting. But, at least we will be hunting.
When my wife sees how much money is out there in tag apps, there is always a degree of tension when we start talking about budgets. When she tries to block out some days for a trip and looks at the schedule, the tension is raised even further.
As a strategy, I try to have some hunts that are OTC or easy-to-draw. This year being UT general deer, MT deer, CO OTC elk, AK bear (left over tag) We usually have 30% to 50% of those kind of hunts.
Then, try to have a few that guys can draw with one or two points. WY elk and antelope. CO deer hunt I like is a lock with two points, though I only have one. NM and ID don't require any points, so anything drawn there is just random luck anyone can do.
That being said, I can tell by looking at the ratings of episodes that hunts in "glory units" always have higher interest. Just a reality of what the outdoor TV audience is looking for.
In the future years, the board will look similar, with some changes for new hunts I discover, or opportunities that I unexpectedly became available. I have lots of points in CO (elk), UT (many species), WY (deer), NV (sheep), AZ (sheep and deer), MT (deer, moose, goat, sheep). I hope to someday have a state take those points from me.
My son has even more points, for more species, in those states. Odds are, he will not want to apply for hunts by himself, so I will probably get the benefit of a party app when his schedule allows for such.
My Uncle Larry pretty much saves his out-of-state trips for those hunts when I can hunt with him. He has antelope points in WY, so I will benefit from that this year. He will also burn his deer points so he can deer hunt at the same time. I will apply in a different deer unit.
