I've noticed over the last week that Outdoor Channel has run commercials for a website run by this guy where you pay $350/year to him and then he manages your efforts for getting an elk tag. Once you draw a tag there are no further fees that you pay him. No hunt fees, trophy fees, etc. The longer you are a member of his "club" the more guided days he provides. This sounds like a great investment opportunity to take a $5K-$7K elk. Even at 10 years, you will have invested only $3,500 and who knows what a nice bull will cost by then?

However, this national ad campaign will certainly be a revenue stream for the outfitter but I don't think the state of Arizona is printing more tags out of increased demand. The national ad campaign will seemingly make it harder to get a tag because of more people applying.

I've never applied for out of state tags but it is something I would love to do. Just wondering if any of you are members of this club, have elk hunted in Arizona, or just have an opinion.

AZ also has a random tag allocation draw for most units. Every state is going to have posted by creep or shrinking draw odds

I have an AZ elk tag this year. Drew a late muzzleloader tag with 4 points. An elk tag costs $650 currently in AZ. Guide fees can be reasonable to exorbitant. Stev has been guiding elk for something like 30 years, maybe more. I have looked into the program and maybe should have done it two years ago when I was looking, and I would have a free guided hunt this year. Still nothing guaranteed on a guided hunt in the west and he doesn't like the unit I drew for the most part.

The most expensive part of applying in Arizona is that you have to buy a non-resident hunting license in order to apply. At $160 per year for that, then $20 to apply for elk (apply for hunt or buy a point straight up). This was my 5th year applying in Arizona, so I have about $1550 into this hunt. $160x5 years, $20x5, $650x1. In that time I have also had 2 Coues deer tags, and I am also building points for sheep, deer, and pronghorn.

Arizona used to allow nonresidents to apply for hunts without buying a license, pay an application fee and only pay big bucks if drawn.
There was huge numbers of applicants and residents had difficulty being draw.
They went to current system where the applicant must have a license and the numbers dropped dramatically. But it’s still a slim chance of being drawn, like 5% for elk.
And yes nonresident applications is a magic money machine to keep G&F running.

M

Wow, if you're saying that only one in twenty draws a tag now, I can't imagine what it will be after advertising it on TV.

AZ Pronghorn is worse, I put in every year but currently about 25 bonus points are required. I have 7
Desert Bighorn Sheep in some areas the statistics page lists as 0% !
I had a friend who applied every year for sheep, after 43 years she was drawn.

Damn, 43 years?!?! That right there makes me hesitant to invest in Chappel's program.

That's sheep. The hardest drawn in Lower 48.

Most AZ sheep units have one NR sheep tag, in fact probably less then 7 units that have more then one NR sheep tag, so there is a very limited random draw tag number for NR, basically only max NR point holders are competing against Resident Max point holders.

With that said many Elk units in AZ you can draw with less then 3 points. May not be your favorite weapon or season but it's a tag and hunting none the less.

AZ also has OTC archery rut mule deer units,

I've seen his ad for a few years now. I believe the $350 doesn't cover the other fees, so you're talking the $350, the $160 for the license, and the $20 to apply. That's $530 per year. If you're young, invest the $45 a month in the stock mkt, get at least a 5% return, and in 10 years you'll have $6988 to pay for an elk hunt.

That's still less than a Gila, 34, 36, etc LO tag.

Chappels program is actually priced pretty competitively. Similar quaily Outfitter in a premium unit is Comparable guide fee wise. Now if you just want to hunt/shoot <300” bulls a lot cheaper/less time accumulation units

That $350 is per year and the more you pay the longer your hunt time with the guide. It's a good deal if you can get drawn within a few years of paying but, like said before, you have better ways to save money. What if he goes out of business and you're out of luck on the money you've dropped. I would think it's better to wait until you get drawn and then pony up for a guide.