Concur, Pretty much my favorite Unit. Point creep for elk is rough though. Getting to be some big moose in there too. I pretty much grew up in 78. My family hand built a cabin up there in the 70’s. I changed my sheep strategy up once they opened S31 up to non res. Good luck look forward to the adventure pics.

Welp, looks like I’m going to be chasing mountain goats in WY this fall:

Heck yeah Nogalus, congrats! You coming up to scout this summer?

Yessir probably so.

Congrats.... but I struck out on both goat and sheep. 0 for 11 and counting this year on tags.

That’s all of us most years. It’s a long game endeavor on those OIL tags. This one was a bolt out of the blue for sure.

You can’t sit with us

You the Man. Take advantage of it while you can. Luck and problems run in streaks. If
I was you I would book a flight to Las Vegas.

Thanks Don. Still kinda not sunk in yet. Several have told me that on Vegas.

As for you tt85 - haters gon’ hate.

Dang you Clay! First a moose, and now a goat, oh let's not forget that Arizona desert!!! I tell ya, some guys have all the luck! Congratulations man that's awesome.

Thanks AJ! It is crazy, I admit. Very grateful.

FYI, CO draw stats are now out. With the change from paper to online apps and the elimination of upfront fees, CO just went from probably having the best chance to draw a nonresident OIL tag to one of the worst. Maybe THE worst.

NR sheep applications up from 3728 total last year to 14,134 this year.
NR Mtn. Goat apps up from 1951 total last year to 11,054 this year.

I wish they would go back to the old way.....kept a lot of people from applying.


Glad I have my west texas lease......may be awhile before I draw a mule deer tag in CO

It’s irrelevant for the next two years. After the additional 11k plus people hit Max point it will sux.

Yeah but two years isnt' that long....I plan to still be hunting then



May have to find a new state to hunt in.

I agree, talking to a guy with max plus around 10. Was about to get good for me if I wanted an archery tag.

It’s all long term planning anyways, anything I can’t call in isn’t a priority for me at this time, so it’s really just a noble Wildlife donation. In grand scheme if you really really want to hunt bighorn sheep and dont want to spend a ton of money, you can hunt sheep every year in Montana until you kill one.


Don’t discount raffles either. Actually some of the best odds can be raffle tickets. Idaho actually has some of the better sheep and moose odds, because of how they separate them out.

You throw the Unlimiteds out there like it’s an option for everyone. The Unlimiteds are low participation and low success for a reason. Not a viable option for 99% of folks, no matter how badly they want a ram. For a whole bunch of reasons. Ruggedness of country for one, few sheep for another, time for another. Most folks have regular jobs and can’t devote their lives to chasing sparse numbers of sheep over huge areas for months at a time and years on end.

Kudos to those that can, but it ain’t many.

Yes, some of the raffles are best kept secrets.

Stats on the MT Unlimited Units. Keep in mind that only the hardest of the hardcore even bother to pull a permit, about a third of them end up not even hunting it, and of those few who commit to do so success rates are abysmal.

Low participation rates? In 16 ‘ They issued 262 unlimited tags... only issued 126 ram tags is normal PP units.

Seriously??? It’s not viable because it’s tough hunting and not 100% success? It’s hunting, not shooting.

If you want to hunt big horn sheep, and can’t afford BC and entered drawing game late in life, and If you identify as sheep “hunter” why wouldn’t you?

Brandon is young, in shape and looking for an adventure. Why wouldn’t he?

Montana isn’t as high elevation as CO. So if you have hunted above tree line a bunch in CO, 8-12’ isn’t that big of deal. Steep is easier to deal with then steep and thin air.

Bobo I’m worries about the odds of just drawing deer tags now.

Every Tom, dick and harry is gonna be applying now

The “why you wouldn’t” is clear. The stats above speak for themselves. Anyone who knows the first thing about sheep hunting knows the deal on the Unlimiteds. You have brought them up before as though they are simply another option for anyone. That is like saying “If you want to run a 4:00 mile, just start running and do it.”

It’s silly.

I’m not wanting to argue (particularly with you), but folks need to know the facts when they read forums like this. The facts are the Unlimiteds are only an option for the most hardcore folks with a lot of time - and even for them they are a sucky option if one really seeks to kill a ram.

All your arguing to the contrary won’t change that.

If Brandon wants to hunt them, kudos to him. But, like anyone, he deserves to know what he is getting into on any hunt he may be thinking about doing. And, like anyone, he deserves the facts (see chart above), not simply off the cuff internet talk.

Yes but.... it’s CO there isn’t a unit you can’t kill a 180” deer. No reason to ever go more then 5 pp on mulies.
Most those people applying will either do PP or historically famous unit.

Elk is a little different but non the less same principles.

Truthfully when it comes to Elk the high PP units are limited draw because terrain is easy. Lots of big bulls still in the mountains.

But I want to draw deer tags with 0 or 1 PP....

One day when you grow up you will understand why we are upset