Preference Points for out of state Hunting

[catskillkid]

I've been applying for pps for most of the states for many years. Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas and Maine. Sheep, mule deer,elk & moose. Unfortunatly this is what it takes to hunt trophy areas any more.

 

Don't let my wife find out, she would divorce me if she knew how much $ it costs every year.

 

Edited February 21, 2014 by catskillkid

[dmandoes]

hey catskillkid; how many years have you been applying? how many tags have you drawn? what tags have you drawn? how much money have you spent? would you do it again if you were just starting out? I've been applying for about thirty years and wish I never started.

[pistolp71]

Price isn't bad depending on what type of caribou. I just don't have much interest in them nor the space one would take up on my wall Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I guess if you consider $6K not bad. That's the average price.

[jjb4900]

does anyplace even require building up preference  points for caribou? 

[Pygmy]

does anyplace even require building up preference  points for caribou? 

 

Not that I have heard of, JB.

 

All caribou hunting on this continent is in Canada or Alaska.

 

Most of it is over the counter, but some units in Alaska , usually the ones close to the population centers , are draw units. I think now that the woodland caribou population has crashed in Newfoundland  some tags are by draw up there..

 

I don't believe any of the draw areas use a preference point system.

[Pygmy]

I guess if you consider $6K not bad. That's the average price.

 

That's about right for a  semi-guided or unguided hunt.  Guided hunts will cost you more.

 

One exception is the drive-up hunting in northern Quebec.  Last I checked, hunt prices were less than 2K,  but it's a 24 hour drive , including several hundred miles on ice and snow.  It's basically a road hunt.  Many of the larger bulls have dropped thier antlers, so  the chance of getting a trophy bull are lower than the earlier hunts. It's also colder than a well digger's a**  in Montana.

[BizCT]

I don't have the link handy, but I think the guy I hunted lynx with does caribou for under $6k and it's fully guided and you will get one. Mountain Caribou if I remember correctly.

Corkscrew creek adventures

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited February 22, 2014 by Biz-R-OWorld

[Dinsdale]

 

One exception is the drive-up hunting in northern Quebec.  Last I checked, hunt prices were less than 2K,  but it's a 24 hour drive , including several hundred miles on ice and snow.

I know an outfitter that does semi guided out of LG4 for "early"; drive up and a short hop in a Beaver(or Otter) to camp.

I've only driven as far as LG 1 and that was enough. LOL

Took a few nice bulls way up in Quebec, damn fine country up that way. Ptarmagin,monster brookies and lakers too.

They had talk of limiting one bou' for Leaf River herd, but are back to 2.

Lots of problems with over booking camps from some outfitters up that way, best to shop VERY careful if chasing Quebec hunts.

[Pygmy]

I don't have the link handy, but I think the guy I hunted lynx with does caribou for under $6k and it's fully guided and you will get one. Mountain Caribou if I remember correctly. Corkscrew creek adventures Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's DAMN cheap for a mountain hunt, Biz... Most of them are in the 10K range nowadays.

 

Only 20 years or so ago I  could have done a moose/mountain caribou combo in BC for 3K. Shortly after that the price started going UP.

 

Not many places to hunt mountain caribou, and they are all in Canada and all guided , as far as I know.

 

Northern BC and the Mckenzie mountins in NWT...Possibly some in Yukon Territory...

 

The Mountain caribou are awesome...Big, both in body and rack size...

 

Caribou  are beautiful animals, and they live in beautiful, wild, unspoiled places...

 

They also are my favorite venison to eat, as long as you get them them before the rut, at which time they are inedible.

 

I was fortunate to be able to hunt them several times when the cost was more reasonable...I wish I could afford to hunt them again...

[Pygmy]

 

I know an outfitter that does semi guided out of LG4 for "early"; drive up and a short hop in a Beaver(or Otter) to camp.

I've only driven as far as LG 1 and that was enough. LOL

Took a few nice bulls way up in Quebec, damn fine country up that way. Ptarmagin,monster brookies and lakers too.

They had talk of limiting one bou' for Leaf River herd, but are back to 2.

Lots of problems with over booking camps from some outfitters up that way, best to shop VERY careful if chasing Quebec hunts.

 

Yeah...Easy to get burned in Quebec...

 

However you can't go wrong with Jack Hume Adventures....Honest and very well organized...

[BizCT]

Pygmy - did you see the pricing? I can't seem to get it on my phone. Regardless, Paul is top notch and his caribou hunts are very successful he told me. He said they aren't record book bulls but very good sized ones

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Pygmy]

Pygmy - did you see the pricing? I can't seem to get it on my phone. Regardless, Paul is top notch and his caribou hunts are very successful he told me. He said they aren't record book bulls but very good sized ones Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

I checked it out, Biz...

 

VERY reasonable prices for this day and age..

 

It COULD even be the outfit I checked out in '93.. 2x1  guided horseback combo for moose and mountain caribou.

 

They ride just above the treeline and glass UP for caribou and DOWN for moose.

 

I passed it up for a Central Barren Ground caribou hunt at Little Marten Lake in NWT.

 

Never regretted that choice. The NWT trip was the most awesome trip I have ever taken.

[BizCT]

Yes his prices are very reasonable. Every other lynx outfitter is like $6K. He's half the price and 100% successful. He doesn't go to hunting expo shows etc. he just has many repeat clients from over the years, maybe that helps keep pricing low

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Uncle Nicky]

Holy cow, I didn't realize how expensive caribou hunts had become!! Last time I went (about 10 years ago), HIGH end hunts were around $3,500. Pgymy is correct, awesome animals that live in some of the most remote & beautiful country in the world. Glad I experienced it while it was still somewhat affordable.

[catskillkid]

dmandoes,

 

I have been applying for about 20 years in Colorado for elk and about 6 years for mule deer.  The other states have just been about 6 years. Most of the states refund most of your $ if you just apply for the pp. I will be hunting eastern Colorado in 2015 for mule deer as it requires at least 6 pps in the unit that I want to hunt. I will cash in my points for Colorado elk in 2016 in one of the top trophy units. Unfortunalty most of the premier areas require an additional point to hunt every year because so many hunters need to play the same game. It wouldn't be wise to start applying for the pps if you are over a certain age, you will not live long enough to use them. One of my buddies has over 20 pps in many of the western states for sheep and he still has not drawn a tag! I don't think he is healthy enough now at his age to climb the mountains where they live.

[alloutdoors]

Last year I started applying for an Osceola quota hunt in FL and VT moose.

[dmandoes]

i'm a big loser.  0 fer like 30 in the draws this year.  anyone draw tags?

[Pygmy]

Yup...drew a CO deer tag in unit 61 with 11 preference points...

 

3rd rifle season...

[Bone Seeker]

I buy bonus points in Iowa for archery for a future hunt

 

[dmandoes]

congrats pygmy!  i now have 18 pts for co.  i was hoping for 21 third season.

[ATbuckhunter]

I'm thinking of starting to apply for the VT, New Hampshire and Maine moose permits.

[BKhunter]

^{I am interested in starting to do these out of state hunts but not really sure how the whole system works. I understand the more points you have gives you more of a chance of drawing a tag, but once you draw do you then have to book a guide if you so choose to go that route? Or can you just link up with a guide and avoid the whole preference point system all together?}

[jjb4900]

I'm thinking of starting to apply for the VT, New Hampshire and Maine moose permits.

you're probably better off putting $100.00 away a month with plans on going to Newfoundland, you'll have enough in about four years to go..........

[moog5050]

^{I am interested in starting to do these out of state hunts but not really sure how the whole system works. I understand the more points you have gives you more of a chance of drawing a tag, but once you draw do you then have to book a guide if you so choose to go that route? Or can you just link up with a guide and avoid the whole preference point system all together?}

 

 

That all depends on where you are hunting and what you are hunting for.  Some hunts, the guide can handle everything.  Others, its up to you to obtain the tag first.  And, you don't need a guide on all out of state hunts.  For example, once I have 3 or 4 points for Iowa, we will go without a guide and hunt public most likely.

[hunter]

Just to let you guys know Maine has recently changed their system for the Mose lottery to make it easier for those in the long run. You can buy points for years you can't go and the points increase after five and ten years. They also guarantee if you have ten points after 70

Years old I think. My trip cost less than two thousand including house rental and meat cutting. Travel was extra. Just be careful some zones do not have public land and some don't have motels or house rentals like zone 1. It was the best hunting trip of my life.