17 points or more?

[rugerman]

I knew my 16 points wouldn't get me into the bonus for 23N early or 9 muzzy, but I had to take the chance of getting lucky. It's hard waiting when you know you could have any archery tag you wanted.

I just cannot take the full 2 weeks for the archery hunt off. So I wait.......how many folks have 17 or more points and are in my shoes and feel the pain?

[rugerman]

oh and good luck to you lucky ones

[bonecollector777]

I always get drawn before I get above 7 lol but now that you have waited this long don't give in! My friend had 12 and was tired of not hunting and put in for a late tag in some crap unit and of course got drawn and wasted them all.

[bowhunter4life]

I cashed in 13 points for my archery 9 tag. It is very tough to wait, but you are so close. You should wait for the best that AZ has to offer!

[bonecollector777]

I cashed in my 7 points for the archery tag with the lowest draw odds of any archery hunt in the state (23N 2.67%) So you just never know when it's going to happen so hang in there. But was just checking and you're only 2 or 3 away till you're the bonus pass for 23N early rifle. From what I saw you need 19. I'm sure 9 muzzle loader is right in there somewhere so just stick it out a couple more years! Then you'll forget about all these years of not hunting when your 370"+ bull goes down.

[rugerman]

I cashed in 13 points for my archery 9 tag. It is very tough to wait, but you are so close. You should wait for the best that AZ has to offer!

This is the plan. Didn't start out that way though. Couple of years of no cow tag.....maybe I'll put in for a bull tag......couple years of that maybe I'll put in for a better unit for bull......couple more years maybe I could draw this muzzy tag......hey now I'm in it for the duration......

I should post pics of my hair color from when I started the process until now

[muledeerarea33?]

I'm up to 16 now, unit 1 early rifle bull has been my first choice the past few years or, 27 early rifle too (no early hunts this year for rifle) and 3B muzzle loader 2nd or third choice. I'm gettin close to those tags, I hope?

[rugerman]

wow I would have thought you would of drawn that 3B tag 2nd choice this year????

[bonecollector777]

I'm up to 16 now, unit 1 early rifle bull has been my first choice the past few years or, 27 early rifle too (no early hunts this year for rifle) and 3B muzzle loader 2nd or third choice. I'm gettin close to those tags, I hope?

No disrespect but I would hold out for a better tag than 3B with that many points. A couple more years you can have whichever tag you want.

[Apatkelley]

I'm at 14 points and counting, I plan to wait for the early rifle bull tag in unit 1. What I worry about is that things will change somehow with the whole draw process and I'll end up getting the short end of the stick. At least I can buy an over the counter bull tag here in Idaho every year, but it's nothing like Arizona hunting. When I left AZ two years ago, I bought a lifetime hunting license and someone said that because of that the 10% non resident rule doesn't apply to me. Is that right? I still have to select non resident on my application, so I'm not sure?????

[Lv2hnt]

With your lifetime Arizona license, the non-resident stipulations for the draw do NOT apply to you. However, if drawn, you'll pay the non-resident tag fees ...

[muledeerarea33?]

I'm tryin to hold out for unit 1 early. 27 early rifle had been my first choice but it wasn't offered this year. 3b 1 and 27 are the only elk units that I know, 27 and 1 I know well. I do 3b because I want to beat my dads 400+" 7x7 from the mid 90's hahaha!!! I'm not sure if that quality of bull is still there, other than on private lands or in neighborhoods.

[muledeerarea33?]

And after my "once in a lifetime" bull, I won't be so picky, any late cow or bull tag will be fine by me.

[COOSEFAN]

I knew my 16 points wouldn't get me into the bonus for 23N early or 9 muzzy, but I had to take the chance of getting lucky. It's hard waiting when you know you could have any archery tag you wanted.

I just cannot take the full 2 weeks for the archery hunt off. So I wait.......how many folks have 17 or more points and are in my shoes and feel the pain?

 

Just food for thought, based off my experiences, I would rather have 1 week on the archery 9 hunt than 1 week on the muzzy 9 hunt!

 

Lots of people think that just by getting an early firearms tag in a premier unit you are almost guaranteed a really big bull, that's not the case and it's risky waiting almost 20 years thinking it'll definitely pay off with a really big bull! There is typically some serious pressure by archers prior to the early firearms hunts and those older smarter bulls can disappear, get killed or have enough points or beams broken to kick em' off the "shooter" list. Lots of the "premier" units, especially 9, are bordered by "no trespassing" areas and that's one of the reasons those units produce bigger than average bulls, those bulls have "sanctuaries" where they can escape to and ultimately reach older age and grow to full potential. By the time the early firearms hunts arrive, lots of those older bulls that have dodged the arrows have been pushed into their sanctuaries. They sometimes come back during the early firearms hunts but it's definitely harder to find them after 2 weeks of pressure by the archers.

 

I'm not saying the early muzzy or rifle hunts are bad, they are blast and it is easier to kill a bull obviously with a firearm, but you'll have a better chance at a really big bull during the archery hunt, even with only 1 week to hunt IMO. JIM>

[Flatlander]

Good advice Jim. I think I would just rather hunt with a bow than a firearm.

 

MD33 - Did you apply for 3B early in 2012? If it was your second choice you should have drawn it. You would have been in the max point pool for that tag. That tag cannot be drawn as a third choice regardless of points.