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Stacking Your Draw Odds When Applying For Western Hunts

There are many factors to consider when applying for western hunts. Utilize these tips to help make the process less burdensome.

Stacking Your Draw Odds When Applying For Western Hunts
You can only draw a premium "dream" tag by keeping your name in the hat each year. (Photo courtesy of Jace Bauserman)

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I've applied for hunts across the West for over twenty years. The "draw game" is the game, and there's so much more to applying for Western hunts than filling out the necessary online forms and submitting payment. That's what I used to do, and it got me nowhere.

Today, Western hunting is more popular than footlongs at a baseball game, and if you don't want the dice to come up snake eyes every year in every state, heed the advice to come. It has proven effective for me and will for you, too.

Pay Attention To Deadlines and Get Organized

hunter approaches downed elk
If you want to draw a limited unit with high elk numbers and low hunt pressure, find a rugged unit that isn't known for its trophy potential. (Photo courtesy of Jace Bauserman)

You likely read this headline and mumbled, "duh" to yourself. I get it. However, I've missed a pair of Western draw deadlines, and you don't get those years back. Last year, my buddy missed applying in his home state for pronghorn, elk, and mule deer because he got so busy applying in nine other states that he missed out on his home state draw. Western states can change their draw deadlines from year to year, and if you don't stay on top of them and develop an effective Draw Deadline Reminder System, you'll likely miss a deadline or two.

The first thing I do each year is list the states I plan to apply to. Remember that some states dissolve your existing preference points after some time if you don't continue to enter the draw, so do your research.

Next, I immediately visit the websites of the states I plan to hunt. Though most states I've applied in send emails and text messages about hunt draw deadlines, I always confirm online. Then, I enter each draw deadline day into my calendar and set a calendar reminder notification. Next, I set a calendar reminder notification two weeks before each draw deadline. Within two days of getting my two-week deadline reminder, I apply.

Set Reminders, Why?

grip and grin
Decide on your goals and go after them. Plenty of high-opportunity hunts are available out West. (Photo courtesy of Jace Bauserman)

First, I hate waiting until the last minute, and second, waiting until the last minute can cost you. So many people procrastinate, jumping online with hours left before the draw deadline expires and trying to apply. The online insanity has crashed state websites and caused many problems.

The good news is you can avoid this by developing a foolproof system that ensures you never miss a drawing deadline and have plenty of time to apply. I know several hunters who have applied hours before a drawing deadline, got stressed, didn't know how to operate the particular state's website, and ended up putting in for and drawing a tag they didn't want. Bad things happen when you're moving too quickly under stress. Make sure you have plenty of time to learn all the ins and outs of each state's application process and enter the right unit codes, weapon, species, sex, etc.

Also, never use a debit card as your payment method. Some states don't take the full amount of money from you at the time of application. They charge you an application fee and usually require you to purchase some non-resident small-game permit to ensure they make some money.

Many won't pull the entire amount until you draw the tag. If you have a debit card entered, and there isn't enough money in your account (it has happened, trust me), they will decline your tag draw and go to the next person.

Understanding Draw Odds

packing out a sheep
The author credits GOHUNT and his number crunching to pulling an archery tag for a Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. (Photo courtesy of Jace Bauserman)

No matter the species or the state, I start by looking at unit/area-specific draw odds. Draw odds are calculated based on the number of tags available in an area versus the number of hunters who put in for that specific tag. The more romanticized the unit/area, the lower the percentage of drawing a tag.

I look at drawing odds in two ways. First, I subscribe to GOHUNT Insider, click the % Draw Odds tab, and follow the directions. It's a simple process, and I gladly fork over my greenbacks each year to ensure I can use the platform. However, there are other ways to calculate draw odds. In addition to draw odds and state filtering research, GOHUNT insiders have access to many state specific articles.

Recommended


My good buddy, Connor Clark, started bowhunting 10 years ago. In that time, he's drawn coveted tags for Shiras moose, Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep, elk, pronghorn, and mule deer.

Clark figures percentages using online draw recap reports and other intel posted by state game and fish agencies. He also examines herd counts, male-to-female ratios, and trophy quality to further his research and find a diamond in the rough.

Proof is in the Pudding

hunter with her bull harvest
By changing seasons and using a more primitive weapon, you can hunt that coveted area you've dreamt about sooner rather than later. (Photo courtesy of Jace Bauserman)

I use information state agencies provide along with GOHUNT to determine my draw odds in given units for a particular species. Then, I look for units that promise more brutal terrain and lower odds of success but still have solid trophy potential. These units may only (species-depending) boost my draw odds between one and five percent, but that can make a huge difference.

In 2021, I drew an ultra-limited archery Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep tag. I switched from a unit that offered a 1.23 percent chance of success to one that offered a 5.8 percent chance of success. The unit that boosted my draw odds wasn't known for 170-inch rams, and the terrain was far from friendly. I drew the tag, put in the work, and killed a 173-inch-and-some-change ram.

Another thing to consider when looking at draw odds is the weapon and the season. My bride of 21 years had a ridiculously large number of elk points. She wasn't willing to compromise on the unit she wanted to hunt, and she wanted to hunt with a bolt-action rifle during a specific season.

Based on statistics, she should've drawn that tag thrice, but the point creep got her each year.

What is Point Creep?

unique antelope
The author bow hunted pronghorn on OTC tags for 23 years while banking preference points. (Photo courtesy of Jace Bauserman)

Point creep happens when a unit requires specific points to guarantee—or almost guarantee—a tag for a particular species. Then, for whatever reason—usually a gagger-sized animal getting killed in the unit the previous year—one or more individuals with massive numbers of banked preference points sink 23 points into a unit that once took 15 points to draw. This drives the point creep up in that unit.

The following year, the unit that once took 15 points to draw an elk tag suddenly required 18 points and then 19 points. It's a crazy cycle.

Due to point creep and lower-than-ever draw odds, my wife and I decided to stay in the same unit but hunt with a muzzleloader in a different season. While she boosted the unit's muzzleloader creep, the switch guaranteed her a tag. The primitive weapon lowered her odds of success, and though she could have easily killed a 370-plus-inch bull with a rifle while we were hunting, she was thrilled with the 310-inch public-land 6-point that came running to my best challenge bugle.

Never stop thinking and planning; be willing to change weapons or seasons. The opportunistic hunter will draw more tags out West. Become a student of the Western tag draw game.

Trophy Hunts Versus Opportunity Hunts

packing out a bull
If you do your homework, you can hunt elk yearly in the West. (Photo courtesy of Jace Bauserman)

When applying for draw hunts, trophy versus opportunity is something else to consider. MANY units/areas in MANY states offer excellent opportunities that require very few points. There is an elk unit in my home state that I would stack up against any other elk unit I've hunted in terms of elk numbers. The difference is I've hunted the unit eight times, and the biggest bull I've killed is a 290-inch 6-point, which is good enough for me. Screaming bulls in extreme terrain with limited people is what I'm after. Before applying for Western hunts, you must decide your goals and know what you want to experience and what will make you happy. If you take the opportunity route, you can hunt elk, deer, and pronghorn almost yearly.

Final Thoughts On Applying For Western Hunts

A buddy asked me last year, "Is putting in for premium draw hunts even worth it? I feel like I will never draw." My response to that question and others like it is: You will never draw a premium draw hunt if your name isn't in the hat. Plus, as you build up points in various states over the years, chances increase that you'll have a fantastic hunt every few years. In 2021, I drew bighorn sheep. In 2022, I drew a premium elk unit. In 2023, I hunted pronghorn in the aspens at 11,000 feet after cashing in 23 preference points. Last year, I pulled an excellent Nevada mule deer tag, and this year, well, this year could get silly if the draw odds fall in my favor.




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