sick of not drawing!

[zoops]

so after seeing about what my chances for drawing a whitetail in 2c are im throwing in the towel, a buddy of mine want to go out west and chase mule deer now that the tides are turning, we both have 3 pref points, which i know isnt a lot but im trying to figure out what unit to go after that has a pretty decent chance of drawing, and its looking like 3b2, 3b3, and 4f are my best odds of drawing, im not after it to shoot a giant by any means, what im looking for from the guys who have been there done that, is there big expanses of public land, we were talking about getting way back there and tenting it if there is enough ground to hunt and is this public land actually holding a decent herd of mule deer, and before i get the guys that say dont apply in areas you dont know then, you can go right on ahead and tittysprinkle yourself cause im gonna anyway! so any info on that stuff would be awesome!

Amazing how much it has changed; hunted 2C 8-10 years ago when I went to UND when the herd was at its peak. They couldn't hardly give away all the doe tags and a buck tag was pretty much an every year thing. Now I saw the chances of drawing a buck with 0 preference points are 0.2% and even with 4 preference points only 11.4%! Wow!

 

[arrowdem]

By no means have I hunted all of the west but I've covered a lot of ground out there and I have to agree the spots to hike back in to camp are extremely limited. This hasn't gotten better with all of the oil traffic over the years. To me hiking in to camp needs to be 5 miles or so to make it worth while but that's my 2 cents. You'd also be surprised the deer that overlooked in the grasslands. I'm a firm believer that a majority of units hold quality deer just need to spend the time looking and a little luck never hurts either.

Dont rule out an out of state hunt ether, biggest drawback is the price of the tag. From where you live to western ND is already a five hour drive. What's three more hours to MT or SD and camp out to save money. I've learned a lot more about hunting when I started hunting out of state every year so when I do eventually draw a tag in ND again it may up my odds.

ya I will probably do an our of state mule deer tag in the up coming years. This year I was going to bring a flat lander buddy or 2 with me that probably wouldn't want to do the out of state stuff and it would really be fun to get them on a mule deer. Plus having never shot an ND mule deer figured I would give it a shot since drawing on the east side isn't going to happen and when the population does rebound I would like to be getting whitetail tags on the land I've been trying to whip into shape for the last 3 years. By the time I actually draw a tag that hunting ground around home should be pretty much the way I want it. I do see your point tho. And the 5 mile type hike into the back country is exactly what I would be looking to do. If I can do 10 miles in the mountains chasing elk 5 miles out there should be doable.

 

[dean nelson]

Amazing how much it has changed; hunted 2C 8-10 years ago when I went to UND when the herd was at its peak. They couldn't hardly give away all the doe tags and a buck tag was pretty much an every year thing. Now I saw the chances of drawing a buck with 0 preference points are 0.3% and even with 4 preference points only 11.4%! Wow!

Oh holy sheep shot Batman that is crazy!!! Other then 2E no other unit comes close! You know your odds suck when a buck muzzleloader tag is nearly twice as easy to draw. 1.9% success rate for drawing after including every possible year worth of preference points is insane!

 

[shorthairsrus]

I don't complain I certainly don't want the g and f to raise up lic numbers to exterminate em

 

[dean nelson]

ya I will probably do an our of state mule deer tag in the up coming years. This year I was going to bring a flat lander buddy or 2 with me that probably wouldn't want to do the out of state stuff and it would really be fun to get them on a mule deer. Plus having never shot an ND mule deer figured I would give it a shot since drawing on the east side isn't going to happen and when the population does rebound I would like to be getting whitetail tags on the land I've been trying to whip into shape for the last 3 years. By the time I actually draw a tag that hunting ground around home should be pretty much the way I want it. I do see your point tho. And the 5 mile type hike into the back country is exactly what I would be looking to do. If I can do 10 miles in the mountains chasing elk 5 miles out there should be doable.

Well if your willing to spend the cash for a res tag let me know because I'm getting far to fat and lazy to chase them in the steep shit anymore so am more then willing to put you and your buddy right into the middle of them! Plus the season is normally three times as long as the state tags so it's far more laid back which is something you never realize is so awesome until you actually get to experience it! I like most had gotten used to the craziness of deer season until I started hunting down there now I can't stand being out there when the big group is going cuz its crazy! The hardest part about hunting down there is getting your hand on the tag before it sells out . Last year the 600 tags sold out in a little less than 45 minutes and they didn't go on sale till midnight! The tags will be going on sale soon here so if you're interested you will probably have to act fast! For reference this particular shot is one of the spots I would send you to because some seriously big bucks live in there there's just a bit of a bitch to get out of those trees.

 

[arrowdem]

Well if your willing to spend the cash for a res tag let me know because I'm getting far to fat and lazy to chase them in the steep shit anymore so am more then willing to put you and your buddy right into the middle of them! Plus the season is normally three times as long as the state tags so it's far more laid back which is something you never realize is so awesome until you actually get to experience it! I like most had gotten used to the craziness of deer season until I started hunting down there now I can't stand being out there when the big group is going cuz its crazy! The hardest part about hunting down there is getting your hand on the tag before it sells out . Last year the 600 tags sold out in a little less than 45 minutes and they didn't go on sale till midnight! The tags will be going on sale soon here so if you're interested you will probably have to act fast! For reference this particular shot is one of the spots I would send you to because some seriously big bucks live in there there's just a bit of a bitch to get out of those trees.

are you talking SD here dean?

 

[NDSportsman]

Haven't had a rifle tag in 5 years. Hoping to draw a muley buck tag soon but not holding my breath. Been enjoying bow hunting, duck and pheasant hunting and plenty of fishing opportunities. Life could be worse!

 

[dean nelson]

Technically it's both but in that picture that would be in North Dakota. The first year I ever hunted down there I hunted on the South Dakota side in this draw and took a mid 150's 6x5 whitetail after all of 2 hours of hunting. The one nice thing about this draw is its the only place I've ever seen multiple bucks with multiple droptines....I've yet to get one though.

 

[Sakangler]

Yep sorry about that! Accidentally got that picture from my scouting mission with Bill and Ted confused with that particular deers great, great, great, great, great grandfather. Will say being many years apart it's amazing how similar they look and how they both used the same ground. Grandpa didn't mind posing for the camera either by the looks of this picture! And of course it's green in the background in 99 didn't you pay any attention to the great Al Gore?!?! There's no such thing as winter in the warm future we are heading for......duh!

Figured it was bs as well.

 

[fnznfwl]

And this is exactly why I think that your preference points should stay with a unit. In other words , if you wanna change units since now you have a bunch of flatland whitetail points and you figure you should use them to try and get a muley tag ?
I think it should be, Too bad, your points start over at 0 now for that new unit you applied for. I would propose that you can keep your flatland unit points for "x" amount of years without applying, but enough of this cherry picking units.

I've about had it watching guys build points in eastern or central ND then start applying for western ND when they are getting close to realistic chances of drawing a muley tag.

 

[dean nelson]

And this is exactly why I think that your preference points should stay with a unit. In other words , if you wanna change units since now you have a bunch of flatland whitetail points and you figure you should use them to try and get a muley tag ?
I think it should be, Too bad, your points start over at 0 now for that new unit you applied for. I would propose that you can keep your flatland unit points for "x" amount of years without applying, but enough of this cherry picking units.

I've about had it watching guys build points in eastern or central ND then start applying for western ND when they are getting close to realistic chances of drawing a muley tag.

 

[fnznfwl]

^ same image could be used for the original poster and title of this thread.

 

[Account Deleted]

And this is exactly why I think that your preference points should stay with a unit. In other words , if you wanna change units since now you have a bunch of flatland whitetail points and you figure you should use them to try and get a muley tag ?
I think it should be, Too bad, your points start over at 0 now for that new unit you applied for. I would propose that you can keep your flatland unit points for "x" amount of years without applying, but enough of this cherry picking units.

I've about had it watching guys build points in eastern or central ND then start applying for western ND when they are getting close to realistic chances of drawing a muley tag.

No.

 

[NDSportsman]

And this is exactly why I think that your preference points should stay with a unit. In other words , if you wanna change units since now you have a bunch of flatland whitetail points and you figure you should use them to try and get a muley tag ?
I think it should be, Too bad, your points start over at 0 now for that new unit you applied for. I would propose that you can keep your flatland unit points for "x" amount of years without applying, but enough of this cherry picking units.

I've about had it watching guys build points in eastern or central ND then start applying for western ND when they are getting close to realistic chances of drawing a muley tag.

LOL I think the opposite happens most often. Guys build points waiting on a muley tag and then get tired of not hunting and cherry pick a WT buck tag in another unit. I don't have any issue with either. I think people should have the opportunity to just by a PP rather then actually applying in the lottery. It would free up some tags that people probably weren't expecting and allow people to hunt when they want rather then the unknown.

 

[SDMF]

And this is exactly why I think that your preference points should stay with a unit. In other words , if you wanna change units since now you have a bunch of flatland whitetail points and you figure you should use them to try and get a muley tag ?
I think it should be, Too bad, your points start over at 0 now for that new unit you applied for. I would propose that you can keep your flatland unit points for "x" amount of years without applying, but enough of this cherry picking units.

I've about had it watching guys build points in eastern or central ND then start applying for western ND when they are getting close to realistic chances of drawing a muley tag.

So if everyone who wanted to "maybe someday" hunt Mule Deer had to build points only in 4 A/B/C you realize that it'd take even LONGER to draw that tag right? By doing it the way they are, there are years they'll get lucky, draw a whitetail tag on the east side and be back @ 0 again.

 

[deleted_account]

Not being able to just buy a point is baffling. Less people would enter the draw and it'd be more revenue for the g&f

 

[dean nelson]

So if everyone who wanted to "maybe someday" hunt Mule Deer had to build points only in 4 A/B/C you realize that it'd take even LONGER to draw that tag right? By doing it the way they are, there are years they'll get lucky, draw a whitetail tag on the east side and be back @ 0 again.

Not to mention that some of the eastern units are far harder draws then any of the '4' units at this point!

- - - Updated - - -

Not being able to just buy a point is baffling. Less people would enter the draw and it'd be more revenue for the g&f

Yeah it would be nice! I ended up burning a 4E buck tag a couple years ago because I didn't want to draw so put in out there and some how pulled a tag with one flipping point. If I could have payed 20 dollars for a point that is what I would have done.

 

[Sakangler]

Dean, can u show me what units out east are harder draws than 4c and 4b. I know of 3 guys who drew in these two units last fall. One with 7 points and the other two fellas with 8. I have 6 for this fall. Quite curious.

 

[deleted_account]

 

[Sakangler]

How many preference points, on average?