midwestmoa
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Which states offer a lower cost non resident license /tag availability and best hunter success rates granted the hunter can hunt.
best non resident affordable tag / game states
- Thread starter midwestmoa
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I think Idaho is a good deal, i will be hunting there this year for elk and deer. It will be about $872.50 for all of the tags and license. You can also buy additional 2nd tags for deer and elk if there are tags available still at a discounted price. I am pretty sure I will kill at least one deer and one elk and have a fun time as well.
You could just do deer for 455.75 or even go for two deer for 655.75 total which would be pretty sweet as well. This is what I originally planned to do but now I think I will probably buy two deer and one elk tag
I also get to hunt deer and elk here in Oregon but just can't get enough. This will be my first time going out of state to hunt.
You could just do deer for 455.75 or even go for two deer for 655.75 total which would be pretty sweet as well. This is what I originally planned to do but now I think I will probably buy two deer and one elk tag
I also get to hunt deer and elk here in Oregon but just can't get enough. This will be my first time going out of state to hunt.
midwestmoa
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Thanks I heared idaho was decent on tag price also I heared arizona to just wanted a little more information as I am a michigander ive never hunted elk just big whitetails. I practice out to 1000 yards currently with nice groups 7mm rem mag always touching holes at 100 with stock rifle no addons mill of the run stuff with a couple of different reloads. I hope to go to idaho next year to.
Magnumitis
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Idaho's NR tag fee is low compared to many other states but you have to factor in the license fee to make it fair. When you do that, it's not. The fact that they make you purchase a $150+ non-refundable license just to apply seems wrong to me. If you're unsuccessful in the draw, what the heck are you going to do with that license? Arizona has the same criminal system.
I would plan a OTC hunt in Idaho which they have in almost every unit. You could apply for others but still do the OTC if you don't draw that way the license is not a waste. Plenty of good OTC hunts in Idaho there is really no reason you would even have to apply for a draw tag.
pete6520
Member
I did a Wyoming cow elk trip this past fall with 3 other guys... Cow/calf non res tag is $288.00... apply before Feb 2 or buy leftover tags when they become available. Guided cow hunts run about $1200 per person for 3 days... We did the entire hunt door to door for about 2200 each all inclusive. Brought the meat back to MN in quarters and cut it up here...
Oregon is in on the same scam. Have to have the $148.00 nonresident license to apply. If you don't draw, no license refund.
Well Idaho looks cheap. However you do have to figure in your license as well as the tags. However you do not have to draw to be able to hunt. There are over the counter tags and lots of public land. And you can enter the draw for a controlled hunt and if not successful hunt in the regular season.
The best deal? Wyoming. The tag is your license as well so no surprises. Lots of public land. And draw is pretty good odds. Especially antelope. And you can apply for doe tags as well as a buck.
Last year we could have taken 9 antelope among the 3 of us .
The best deal? Wyoming. The tag is your license as well so no surprises. Lots of public land. And draw is pretty good odds. Especially antelope. And you can apply for doe tags as well as a buck.
Last year we could have taken 9 antelope among the 3 of us .
dmj
Well-Known Member
I you don't mind sharing a little more info I'm curious about a few things. Did you do a guided hunt? What time of year was your hunt? Did you see a fair amount of game? Was the hunt hard? Anything info you would share would be appreciated. Not that I'd mind going on another elk hunt, but one reason I'm asking is: My wife has hunted elk for about 45 years and has never yet connected. Probably a lot my fault because of the type of country we hunt. The last couple years she has kind of given up on the hunting, she still goes, and it doesn't matter if its camping in the camp trailer or a 20 mile horse back trip, but just stays in camp. Bottom line if I could find something we could afford to give her a decent chance I'd be interested. Thank you and have a nice day
idaho elk hunter
Well-Known Member
I might be biased being from Idaho but if it is done right then there is no other place to hunt no matter what the price.
BUY the out of state tag and put in for the draw. If you do not draw you will still get to go hunting in premium areas. After the draw you can put in for a second draw for unclaimed tags, You can also purchase the allotted out of state hunter tags that were not sold (they never fill in a lot of units). You can also get landowner permits. The Fish And Game will help you get them from the land owner. You can but outfitter allocated tags from outfitters for a huge discount price if you do not want their assistance. And you can go on open hunts! YOU CAN HUNT IDAHO ANYTIME YOU WANT.
BUY the out of state tag and put in for the draw. If you do not draw you will still get to go hunting in premium areas. After the draw you can put in for a second draw for unclaimed tags, You can also purchase the allotted out of state hunter tags that were not sold (they never fill in a lot of units). You can also get landowner permits. The Fish And Game will help you get them from the land owner. You can but outfitter allocated tags from outfitters for a huge discount price if you do not want their assistance. And you can go on open hunts! YOU CAN HUNT IDAHO ANYTIME YOU WANT.
pete6520
Member
Yes, we did a guided hunt but were self sufficient as to lodging and meals... We rented a house in town on VRBO, instead of doing a hotel. That way we had a full kitchen. We hooked up with our outfitter the day before and arranged to meet him at the trailhead parking lot about 25 minutes from the house. He would be waiting for us there with the horses ready to go around 0630 each morning. Then we would ride up anywhere from 1 to 2 hours to spot and stalk elk. We had about a foot of slippery snow when we went so we had to walk the horses some. It was a good workout with most of the physical activity between 7000 to 8000 feet elevation. The trailhead was probably at 5000'.
I have done a few self guided hunts on foot. It is amazing the ground one can cover on horseback in comparison to hunting on foot. I feel like our money was well spent and will do it again. Where we shot our elk it would take one a whole day to get there on foot. And when you got there you would be soaking wet from sweat and it would be getting dark.
We would ride slowly with one of guides on point always glassing. When he spotted something we would sometimes get closer on foot... sometimes sit and wait for the elk to move. At the end of the day we would ride out in twilight, get back to the trailers after dark and head for the house... throw in a pre-planned meal in the oven, eat, go to bed and get up and do it again. Let me know if I can help with other questions!
dmj
Well-Known Member
Thank you very much for sharing. Appreciate the info. Could you please advise what time of year the season was. Again thank you
pete6520
Member
I live in Idaho, but have also been researching pretty religously in Wy as a NR.
First question, do you want to only hunt Bulls, or are cows okay?
If cows are fine, then Wy is the place. Based on your handle, I would guess that Wy is closer than ID. They have plenty of good Antlerless cow hunts to apply for, which are full price, but have many of the same units avail through their Reduced Price Cow/Calf hunts, of which many have leftover tags available as well. These can be had for $288. This is CHEAP, and many have 30%-50% success. Be careful for units there with little accessible public land.
Idaho is great for someone who wants to buy an OTC tag if you have not drawn elsewhere and want a place that has a lot of elk, but unfortunately likely a lot of hunters as well. You can hunt the same places every year if you don't draw a solid tag elsewhere.
I have little familiarity with Colo, but I hear they have plenty of tags, many don't need to be drawn, and of course they have the most elk of any state, so there is probably a bull option there as well.
First question, do you want to only hunt Bulls, or are cows okay?
If cows are fine, then Wy is the place. Based on your handle, I would guess that Wy is closer than ID. They have plenty of good Antlerless cow hunts to apply for, which are full price, but have many of the same units avail through their Reduced Price Cow/Calf hunts, of which many have leftover tags available as well. These can be had for $288. This is CHEAP, and many have 30%-50% success. Be careful for units there with little accessible public land.
Idaho is great for someone who wants to buy an OTC tag if you have not drawn elsewhere and want a place that has a lot of elk, but unfortunately likely a lot of hunters as well. You can hunt the same places every year if you don't draw a solid tag elsewhere.
I have little familiarity with Colo, but I hear they have plenty of tags, many don't need to be drawn, and of course they have the most elk of any state, so there is probably a bull option there as well.
