Controlled Hunts

Who is getting the elk this year?

Hopefully it’s me but I’m not gonna get my hopes up

Good luck to you, and everyone putting in for these hunts!

Bear Sits In The Woods said:

Who is getting the elk this year?

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Not me if history follows the norm. Nobody in Ok has more preference points than I do, yet I can't get drawn.
This year is going to be a different draw though. 1/2 of the bull and antelope tags are going to a special drawing with people that have over so many preference points. I don't remember the exact number but thinks it's somewhere like 17 or so.
That will help the odds, but I'm still not optimistic.

Good luck y’all. I have until the end of May to put in for limited quota tags otherwise I’m going with general tags.

dennishoddy said:

Not me if history follows the norm. Nobody in Ok has more preference points than I do, yet I can't get drawn.
This year is going to be a different draw though. 1/2 of the bull and antelope tags are going to a special drawing with people that have over so many preference points. I don't remember the exact number but thinks it's somewhere like 17 or so.
That will help the odds, but I'm still not optimistic.

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Hopefully that will level the field for some of you that have put in for it so many years. Seems like there are a lot of people that have put in for 20+ and never been drawn, then you hear of people getting a tag the first or second year. It doesn’t make much sense to me if you have people with so many extra “preference points” but still can’t get a tag.

Bear Sits In The Woods said:

Hopefully that will level the field for some of you that have put in for it so many years. Seems like there are a lot of people that have put in for 20+ and never been drawn, then you hear of people getting a tag the first or second year. It doesn’t make much sense to me if you have people with so many extra “preference points” but still can’t get a tag.

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These situations like Dennis is in is why I like the CO preference point system for elk/antelope/deer. The person with the most points wins. The person with the next highest gets 2nd tag, etc... At least you'd know your likelihood of drawing instead of this way which sucks because it rewards the lucky people and I'm not one of them!

I understand that life isn’t fair but that seems like a better way or break the tags into different categories maybe.

dennishoddy said:

Not me if history follows the norm. Nobody in Ok has more preference points than I do, yet I can't get drawn.
This year is going to be a different draw though. 1/2 of the bull and antelope tags are going to a special drawing with people that have over so many preference points. I don't remember the exact number but thinks it's somewhere like 17 or so.
That will help the odds, but I'm still not optimistic.

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How many you got Dennis? I believe I have 22 or 23 myself. I only put in for bull tags so I may never draw.

My hunt choices have been made. Good luck to all.

dennishoddy said:

Not me if history follows the norm. Nobody in Ok has more preference points than I do, yet I can't get drawn.
This year is going to be a different draw though. 1/2 of the bull and antelope tags are going to a special drawing with people that have over so many preference points. I don't remember the exact number but thinks it's somewhere like 17 or so.
That will help the odds, but I'm still not optimistic.

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It's 20. Those walk in hunts at Wichita though had better odds than the regular bull hunts there. The other new thing they're doing with the hunts is letting you buy additional deer hunt entries for $3 each.

pboyne28 said:

It's 20. Those walk in hunts at Wichita though had better odds than the regular bull hunts there. The other new thing they're doing with the hunts is letting you buy additional deer hunt entries for $3 each.

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I've heard the walk in hunts aren't for the weak and timid. 4 mile walk in just to the start of the hunting area so likely could be packing out a bull 5 miles and probably 2-3 trips if solo. I ain't built for that anymore! Boned-out/packed-out my share of elk in CO when much younger. Found a private lease with ATV/tractor access to better suit my current abilities.

Dang Dennis...you're way past due to draw! I guess the 1 tag at Cookson will go to someone with 20+ points. I just filled out ours and noticed the Wichita NWR only offers 1 hunt that's NOT walk-in. I think there were at least 2 hunts if not 3 that weren't walk in only. I was surprised(somewhat) to see fairly low success rates last year for elk. Bulls success was 70% for non walk in and 67% for walk in. One of the cow elk hunts was only 44% success. Someone on the Bowsite Oklahoma forum drew his bull and wife drew her cow both last year. He took the first decent bull and she never even saw a cow much less get a shot. Sure would be a bummer for a OIL tag to not even get an opportunity but that's hunting.

Wishbone said:

I've heard the walk in hunts aren't for the weak and timid. 4 mile walk in just to the start of the hunting area so likely could be packing out a bull 5 miles and probably 2-3 trips if solo. I ain't built for that anymore! Boned-out/packed-out my share of elk in CO when much younger. Found a private lease with ATV/tractor access to better suit my current abilities.

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Yep. As a much younger guy (I'm 21) I do appreciate the opportunity for more hunt choices, since they improve my odds of getting drawn, especially since I only have 7 points.

pboyne28 said:

Yep. As a much younger guy (I'm 21) I do appreciate the opportunity for more hunt choices, since they improve my odds of getting drawn, especially since I only have 7 points.

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I'm sitting on 7 points also. I put in for 2 of the walk-in hunts since I get 3 choices. If I should draw one of the walk-in, maybe it's the motivation I'd need to get in better shape?

Can you take a helper on the walk ins?

Bear Sits In The Woods said:

Can you take a helper on the walk ins?

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All the Wichita Mountains hunts strongly recommend bringing someone with you to help pack out, but the walk-in hunts there require you to apply in pairs (no individual application). The advantage to this is that it improves your odds of getting drawn since only one of the 2 members of the party need to be drawn for both of you to get to hunt.

It won’t be a walk-in for me. Maybe a few years back, but at 72, a walk-in is out of the question.
Everyone I used to hunt with has either quit hunting because of mobility issues or are dead.
The time I went as a helper for a friend, I took a cart to bring out his 440lb bull my buddy got.
All the ODW guides said it wouldn’t work, but we made it out after a 1/2 mile pull over some rough terrain.