Applying in Utah and New Mexico. In this episode we talk through our outlook on application season. Utah and New Mexico are upcoming as well as the Nevada guide draw. We talk through some important things to remember when applying in these states. If you love to hunt these are must apply for states. There are some big potential changes to be aware of good luck in the draw.
Disclaimer: this text was produced through an automated transcription service and likely contains errors. Please listen to the original audio for exact content.
00:00:00:14 –> 00:01:30:11
That’s about two months earlier than the regular draw, the end of May drawing odds are generally two four times better. We say on average, yeah, they’ve been super aggressive on the harvest and bringing those number down to think compliance and management objectives. Anything to do with Western big games. Welcome to the Epic Outdoors Podcast, powered by Under Armour. All right. Hey everybody. Jason Carter. Adam Bronson coming at you from Southern Utah. Just starting to open up a monster. Bronson, we got purple ones open right now. Yes. Yes. That’s the afternoon series. Morning, morning flight. Nothing but white afternoon, purple, gold, pink, whatever. But we’re not in a rutt. No, we’re not in a rutt. Anyway. Been a minute, Chris. Yeah, one of the, one of the last couple podcasts we did. You announced your big announcement. Congrats. Sounds you like June sometime still, but that’s awesome. So you guys, you guys still together? Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Okay. You still happy with her? Good. Yeah. She’s ecstatic with you? I think so. Couldn’t be better. Alright. We’re doing as good as I can. Yeah, for sure. Good, good. You guys are match made in heaven. Everything will be great. Do you know when you’re gonna actually seal the deal looking like about the second week of June? Yeah. Remember you’d never pinned down? No, no. No official announcement ever. Ever. Yes. Sometimes. No. There will be an official announcement. We just, just, I didn’t had to.
00:01:30:14 –> 00:02:29:29
We just want to tell the podcast listeners in case they wanna show up through a drive by, you know? Yeah. Covid Wedding Drive by. They can probably do a drive by. This might be post Covid might be one of the first, one of the first post Covid weddings. It might be. You never know. And here in Southern Utah, I mean there’s a lot of non mask wearers. I mean, it could be open to the general public. You never know. Probably will be, might have these Texans that are freezing coming to Southern. Are you gonna perform at your own wedding afterwards, like a concert afterwards? You are. No shit. We’re gonna have a big old shindig. Yeah. Come on. What? What can we bring? It’s not what kind of food? Not gonna be a normal reception. Not gonna do the land stand in line thing. Just hug and do, we’re gonna do a concert, have a bunch of music, and, and then just talk and yak. And are you gonna pay other singers to come so you don’t have, so you can be out in the audience both and then you’ll be on stage two. You probably don’t who that’s be, you probably don’t even have to pay. I’m not sure about the details yet. Okay. Mackenzie’s probably in charge of that. I knows. I know she’s got at least one signed on. One other band signed on.
00:02:30:06 –> 00:03:41:21
But she, I mean if anybody can get the job done, it’d be hers. So, so yeah. When it’s ready, we’re gonna announce that. And we might, this might be a festival of Epic Proportions Festival. Yeah, yeah. With a wedding on the side. Well, anyway, it’s pretty awesome. Gives us something to look forward to, Chris. Yeah. Be fun. We’re old enough for now. We get to live through other kids. Anyway. That’s kind of cool. Well, getting, been getting a little bit of storm here and there. We haven’t been getting hammered. Bronson’s all wound up. ’cause we don’t have six inches at our house. But we live in the valley. I’ve, I’ve, yeah, but we live and I’ve been grateful for everything we’ve been getting me for one. Okay. Which isn’t much. Well, you know what’s, you know what’s, when I drive to the office and there’s literally a 16th of an inch of snow, 16th of an inch of snow covering my truck. And Jason gets there and he’s all excited. Where have you been in the snow? I says, my house. No. Well you’d live a little higher than I do. Well, what, 40 feet? Yeah, about 40 feet. I mean, a little closer to the mountain. That’s how bad we are. It’s a, it’s less than a quarter of an inch coated onto my truck and, and Jason’s eyes light up as if there’s chia pet coming on. Hey, chia pet’s coming on. No.
00:03:41:25 –> 00:04:57:16
And I look at the radar and it’s telling me to be happy. Well, ’cause there’s lots of snow and flurries and rain in southern Nevada. Southern Utah. Northern Arizona. Yeah. Arizona as a whole. New Mexico as a whole. You’re a whole stomp around San Ron’s not bad. Even Western Colorado been having pretty good, but it feels like right here where we are in Western southwestern corner, we’ve been getting stuff underneath and over the top and we’re missed. Right, right. Anyway, but we don’t like to hunt here anyway. Well, meaning, meaning we love three points or three points, Adam. Yeah, it looks like a, it looks like a storm every single day. But we never get anything. Yeah, I know. But anyway, whatever. It’s all good. What are we gonna talk about today? I guess what’s, let’s talk about calendar. We usually, we kind of talk about imminent calendar deadlines, you know, deadlines, what’s on the calendar, what’s coming up? Well what is coming up is a, the Nevada Guide Draw B, Utah C, New Mexico. I mean there’s some things coming on the calendar. That’s right. Those are probably things we talk about. So a little excitement in the air every time we get a, you know, I mean the Arizona deadline for Elk and Antelope Cay and went, we are done filling those calls for a minute. Kind of the draw come out. People still. Yeah. But yeah, we do have the Nevada guide draw alert.
00:04:57:16 –> 00:05:56:23
We want to tell everybody, if you are a rifle hunter and you’re gonna go guided, you might as well jump in on the guide draw. You can only apply once, you know, per year for deer. So if you do the guide draw, you’ll get a point. You’ll use your points if you were to be successful in the draw. But anyway, that deadline is March 8th. So you can apply right now. Basically it was February 8th to March 8th, 2021. You would go into the guide, draw with an outfitter. We have great outfitters that we work with. We can align you, we can even help get you applied or whatever you need. And you’ll go in there. You got five choices on the application. All five are valid. All five of which if drawn will take your points. And it’s only for again, rifle mule deer. And then the main draw will be after that. So one big benefit I think people maybe forget about until you explain it to ’em and then it kind of maybe puts ’em over the edge, is when you apply with somebody in the guide draw, you’ll find out by the end of March with you draw that’s about two months earlier than the regular draw. The end of May. Why is that important?
00:05:56:24 –> 00:06:58:28
Well, one, your schedule, you can plan around it in a lot of the other states, if you do end up drawing a tag, you know, sooner and you can plan around it. But the other thing is, you book with your outfitter earlier and there’s been on occasion choice of dates. Yeah. Better choice of dates perhaps. Or sometimes when you get to be the end of May certain outfitters because of some landowner tags and the guide draw, maybe they’re close to being full. Well the main Yeah, that’s right. And they can’t book too many in certain units. In the main draw. In the main draw. So you get a, you get a book earlier. So there’s some definite benefits. If there’s a highly probable chance you’re gonna hire somebody anyway, you should do it. So give us a call if you’re interested, Devon, any of us guys here really can help you get set up, steer you to what portion of the state that probably meets your goals. If you only want the very, very best, then that might put you down in Southeastern Nevada. But if you don’t, there’s a lot of units in Nevada, Jason that have good odds in the guide draw if you just want to hunt one 60 to 1 75 bucks. Lots of good audience. There are, there are lots of them. And we work with a lot of different outfitters. So anyway, it’s awesome.
00:06:58:28 –> 00:08:04:28
They’re, the drawing odds are generally two to four times better. We say on average we just throw it out there as an average. We’ve crunched the numbers 14 different ways. And it’s, it’s the truth. They’re better as long as you’re dealing with the rifle hunts. The downside is you’re gonna have, you know, possibly some unsuccessful drive results early. I like to, I don’t know, put those unsuccessful down the road a little bit. But hey, like you said, at at least, you know, it’s just a bummer. Like I’m still batting a thousands. Okay. Alright. It’s just guys are like, I was unsuccessful and you’re like, oh, well I still have hope for me ’cause I haven’t applied yet. Yeah, but you’re odd. It’s five times worse and slightly odd. I know, but it’s still, it’s just a mental thing. Anyway, we’re, we’re big fans of Nevada. If there’s anything we do to help you, let us know. So as we keep cranking forward, and we’re just gonna skip through these quickly, you know, we have all of this information online. If you’re a member, you can log in with your credentials [email protected]. Check out the EMAC versions, get a lot of information that way you can call us, things like that. This podcast is free. You get free info. And so we’re gonna, we’re gonna just cover it briefly.
00:08:05:13 –> 00:09:16:16
But as far as the in-depth information, that’s what you get for being a member here at Epic Outdoors, which is a hundred bucks a year. All right, Bronson, start us off. Utah. 2021. Yep. The deadline to apply in Utah is March 4th. If you’re not interested in applying for the hunts this year, just wanna gain points. You have an extra two weeks on that. March 18th is a deadline for points only. Results will be out the end of May. Utah had some increases for non-residents and their license fees instead of $65, that went up to $72 for adults. Deal breaker, not two bad, but they also went up five bucks on every species. But it’s kind of interesting, we added up for some of these guys and you, you do nine or 10 species are counting general deer in all of them. It’s, it’s, we used to get, get away with talking about a Benji, now it’s a Benji and a quarter, a binge and a half, somewhere in there. Yeah. Yeah. It, it’s bumped up a little bit and, and I guess couple Hamilton’s in a Benji. You’re asking me to go back. All right, keep going. Remember presidents? No I’m not. Yeah, no, I’m not. The only one I remember is Trump. Lincoln. No, Trump Lincoln. All keep going. What’s the Lincoln buy you? I dunno, I don’t know. Okay.
00:09:16:29 –> 00:10:28:06
Well anyway, so Utah’s the fees went up a little bit for non-residents that started last summer. The permit fees also went up a little bit if you’re successful. But most people, if you’re successful drawing a Utah tag, you’re fine paying them. Utah is a general rule, have have really great quality hunts. Quality deer, quality elk. That’s why they’re very tough to draw. We don’t have enough limited entry deer units, frankly, to spread out all the limited entry deer hunters. So the odds are bad for deer and elk in Utah. They, they flat out are, they’re bad for sheep, deer, elk buys and moose goat, every thing. They’re very, very tough. Hey, what do you think? Do you think Trump will ever be on a dollar bill of some sort? I think he deserves it. Huh? Jingling around in everybody’s pockets. The DIMMs included. How cool would that be? Alright, well let’s keep going. Going, I don’t know, just a little reminder. Okay. I’m Trump. That’s what I remind. I will, I’ll bet. I will bet a Lincoln No, I’ll bet you a Lincoln. Okay, okay, okay, okay. It’s not gonna happen. I, I’m just going out on a limb. All right. Well anyway, you’re right. They’re super tough to draw. You know, the one thing about it, residents have to choose species. We can do deer, elk, antelope, and then we can choose one of the ones in lifetimes.
00:10:28:06 –> 00:11:40:04
And so we get basically two species in a general for deer. You know, the non-residents, they get do everything. Yeah. Spoil you do it makes you feel good. But everybody’s doing that, right? Yeah. Everybody’s grown points in all the, yep. There’s a lot of people with antelope points. So there never used to be a bunch of an people with antelope points because nobody would pick that when you had to choose between deer and elk, the residents, you’re not finding a lot of people with an animal points. No. They draw within five years. Yeah. And we can go to our neighbor state, you know, Wyoming, but kill ’em where they make ’em a lot of public land in Utah. Very few units on our limited entry stuff. Do you have to worry about private land being a big detriment? We have great outfitters in all units. So if that’s, if, if you’re gonna hire an outfitter full speed ahead. But if you’re a self-guided guy, lot of great opportunities. It’s probably worth mentioning. The only tags you can really plan on drawing in unless you’ve been vested for 15, 20 plus years are the general season deer tags. It’s kind of a unique system. Utah, whenever they went to a unit by unit deer approach and quit selling general season tags over the over the counter, they never merged the limited entry in general season deer points into one point system like Colorado. They got one, right.
00:11:41:26 –> 00:12:44:23
They don’t do that. So they allow you to build points for both, but they draw the limited entry deer tags first. And if you’re unsuccessful, the very last draw is the general seasoned deer. These are opportunity hunts. Having said that, we, we hunt general deer almost every year ourselves some years Jason, I guess with varying degrees of commitment based on our own schedules. And I don’t wanna seem very low commitment. I don’t wanna seem unappreciative. We’re both for, we are unappreciative, we are at times. It’s just like anybody in your backyard. We get it just the way it is. You just don’t appreciate what you got in your backyard. But having said that, we do get general tags here in Utah just to have ’em in your back pocket. And it has resulted in several 200 and steer. I mean, there’s legit opportunities, right? It is. We, we’ve got friends that’ll take these general tags over, say even a Henry’s, especially because A, it’s their backyard. B, they’re following deer year to year to year. And they know it so well. That’s right. But just the only reason I really emphasize that is a lot of people say, when am I gonna draw Utah? When am I gonna draw Utah?
00:12:45:12 –> 00:13:53:13
The answer is, you might not ever draw some of these tags, but the general season is something if you can ever work it in and view that for what it is, an opportunity, fun hunt with maybe a chance to get lucky and kill an o older deer. That’s what they’re there for. So keep that in mind. That’s kind of, that’s Utah in a nutshell. Tough drying odds, but great quality for sheep, moose, scope, bison, lots of once a lifetime opportunities. And deer and elk are obviously very well known, average to decent antelope. But how would you Yeah, I like it. I, you know what I think, and I, and we are, there’s so many opportunities in Utah and we are blowing through it. You know, they’ve given all kinds, I like to call ’em skews, I don’t know, why do we call ’em SKUs? I guess we’ve had, it’s like paying it on the shelf all. Well, there’s all these different new products coming out from the different optics manufacturers. And so anyway, new skews are excitement. Well, there’s a lot of new SKUs. Let, you’ve got bison. All these different options for bison changes all the time. How about hams for elk this year? Okay, there’s for elk, that’s a SKU and it spreads everybody out. Now you’ve got applicants and all these different things and you know that you utah’s unique. It only your first choice is the only thing that matters.
00:13:53:14 –> 00:15:02:07
And so when you go in for a particular sku, you’re not going in for the rest of the SKUs. And so it helps drawing odds when you have lots of SKUs to choose from. And I think, you know, we’ve been talking about it, Bronson, and, and you know, it wasn’t very long ago when we were kids, we had like three or four sheep hunts to choose from and, and one, you know, bison hunt or at least one bison unit with a couple of choices. Like there is not, it wasn’t that long ago. No. And things are way different now. There’s a lot, you look at bison and goats, incredible. And even the sheep, I mean moose are kind of, I dunno, they went down for a while. They’re maybe coming back a little bit now. Haven’t changed, changed collectively over time. But goats off the charts, bison spread out. Henry’s book, cliffs bursting, right? Hunter’s choice. Cow Rockies, everything. Yeah. Deserts. I mean, there’s a lot more options. And then you, like you said, you alluded to it in the elk, the deer, the one, the only real thing in the limited entry deer world that’s probably changed a lot is they are drawing what they call the late season muzz loader hunt, which is, you know, November 3rd I believe to the 11th this year. Yeah. November 3rd to the 11th. And it’s available in all of our general areas.
00:15:02:16 –> 00:16:21:24
And so now that’s a limited entry hunt in a general unit that normally on the regular general seasons is a general season preference point. A whole different draw. Yep. But to hunt a little bit later and flirt with the rutt November 3rd to 11th, that’s a limited entry hunt you can put in for ’em. Now most of ’em for non-residents have one to two tags. Yeah. Almost, almost nothing. But they haven’t really caught on super yet, but well yet. But I mean, they’re a good opportunity. They’re, they’re a notch above the general, it’s no question. Well, this year, with those late season dates going until November 11th, we’ll never see it later. And that could catch some snow and different things, Rutt and mark my words. There’s gonna be some big deer kill on these. Although we could never tout it as being a, a super high quality opportunity. Keep in mind the general season rifle hunts end on October 31st. So you’ve got, what, three days is it? It’s not, I mean, you’ve got three days in this muzzle loader hunt starting after general season rifle hunters just got done. But it does extend till November 11th. So, but I think, I think you and I have killed some big stuff over the years. And season dates have meant everything. Well, season dates, pressure, 1, 2, 3, 5 days a week. Pressure you, you’re dealing with most of these are five, 10, maybe 20 total tags. Hardly anybody. The pressure is gone.
00:16:21:24 –> 00:17:24:11
And what happens, you see it in Colorado between the second and the third pressure feel it. By the third season, they’re standing around ready to take a bullet. It feels like in 24, it feels like in 24 hours their life has changed. They’re, they’re just calmer. They come out of the woodwork and then they start to rut. And they’re really gonna be rutting on this season. And I don’t know why we’re spending so much time on this particular other than it’s something new. Well, and I think there’s some hidden, oh God, I hate the word gym, like hidden gems. But anyway, there’s, there’s, there’s opportunity there for somebody that wants to take a little bit of a chance on saying, okay, nuggets. But anyway, for somebody that wants to take a chance as 6, 7, 8, 10 points, whatever, what do you got to lose? And we throw around 10 points. Like it’s nothing, honestly, it’s nothing. It is kind of nothing in Utah. It’s nothing. It’s like 50 grand the other night on the expo tags. Yeah. 50 grand. It, everything was 50 and up. It felt like, tell me, tell me I’m wrong. It was crazy. Crazy on the prices of tags. And that’s the way we’re talking about points. I mean, 10, 15, 20 points is pretty much a regular occurrence. Doesn’t doesn’t fair doesn’t mean what it does in a Nevada or a Colorado.
00:17:24:16 –> 00:18:36:09
It does not get you, I think, I think we talked about the general, and I wanna reiterate this is how you justify the $72 hunting license and the $15 out fees or whatever. It just makes it to where yeah, it does cost you that. Yes, you can get a twofer and you can make that $72 license, go work for two application periods, whatever. But also this can justify it. You could find a private land hunt or guided hunt or whatever and come in and hunt 170 inch type deer. Maybe one eighties, one 60 to 180, let’s call it. And, and quote, make it worth it. Get a good value out of spending your $72 license fee. Yeah. ’cause frankly, there’s other states like Nevada that you’re not getting anything out of Arizona. Your license fee, at least if you want to go hunt the over-the-counter archery, get something outta that. Some states people make it maybe makes you do a apply for a state because you get something out of it every 2, 3, 5 years in Utah. If you wanna do the general, just keep it going once in a while. I think, you know, like, like Idaho for example, people try to, I wanna make good use of that hunting license. And I kind of that that little phrase of throwing good money after bad comes in mind like, okay, you wanna make good on it.
00:18:36:10 –> 00:19:43:05
So you go on an over the counter hunt and now you got a grand in groceries, gas wear and tear time off work, whatever. Just to make sure I make good on this. 150, 170, whatever hunting, you know, hunting license. So I don’t know, you can’t, I don’t know what that has to be. You can spend 150 and then to justify it, you spend another grand is what you’re saying. Just to make sure I get dang good use of hunting outta my hunting license. I don’t know the hunting license anymore across the west. That’s just the price of doing business. You’re gonna spend it, the states are gonna keep it. And, and that’s just the price of applying. So u non-residents, you get a point for everything. Us residents, we get two points. One for deer, elk, or antelope, and then one for one on the once in lifetimes, and then general, a general deer. So anyway, that’s the way, that’s their way of keeping people’s drawing ons. Good. There was some gnashing of teeth when they did, went to that change a little bit. Yeah. And it just kind of appeased the residents so we wouldn’t have us all competing with us all. Yeah. Non-residents. I think they did it. They were afraid that you weren’t gonna buy the li pay for the license if you could only get two points. They give you eight or 10 points.
00:19:43:05 –> 00:21:00:01
Kept you doing the license, makes you feel good to be stacking up points. But everybody’s stacking up points. Yeah. So anyway. And you should be too. All right, moving on. Let’s talk about New Mexico. New Mexico’s such a great state in many respects. Sound. Do we want sound compelling? I was just wondering like, okay. Yeah, well I love New Mexico. You love New Mexico. We’ve all killed big stuff in Mexico, in New Mexico, but you know, they’re being kind of run by the other political party. And right now there’s just things changing trappings on the, on the cut list. I mean, there’s some things that are, that are changing. Oh yeah. Even since, yeah, since we went to print with this magazine, what has it been? Maybe a month ago? Yeah. Yeah. Since maybe not quite, but wow, there’s a lot that could potentially change. And obviously, we’ll, we’ll maybe mention it now, realize, I think we did it on earlier podcast, but it’s just jump into it. Stuff could change, you know, the potential guide draw regular draw split right now, non-residents, I guess in essence, they’re getting up to 16% of the tags. 6%, even though residents can apply in the guide draw too. But yeah, they’re essentially, yeah, 10% set aside for guided clients, the majority of which are non-residents and then 6% in the unguided pool they’re looking to do away and just combine it to a 10% draw pool.
00:21:00:03 –> 00:22:11:27
And that’s, that, that sounds good in some regards. If you’re a resident, sounds good. Maybe not fair if you’re, if you’re a non-resident, that doesn’t go in the guide draw, you think, yeah, that’s only fair. Well now you gotta realize you got all 16, all the applicants are in one pool. So it’s, well, it really get hard to draw tax and change is hard to swallow. That’s just the plain and simple. You’ve got a guiding industry that’s made a living off of working with their clients and conditioning their clients that we apply in the guide draw. And that gives you better odds. And that’s just for people like us that, you know, are gonna go guided in my particular area or whatever. And anyway, change, change is hard and we’ll see if that shake, how that shakes out. It’s not looking super great for the outfitters. But having said that, you know, we still, you know, we’re still fans of New Mexico. What what we like is being able to go in some of these units, you can find a hidden gem, our favorite word, a hidden gem in about anywhere. Bronson like, we’ve both killed three 80 bulls in New Mexico in weird units and public land, and some of which are self-guided, some are guided guide, pull, whatever. We’ve, we’ve participated in all that Well, and, and there’s no point system in New Mexico.
00:22:12:07 –> 00:23:15:25
So we, we really, I view, and I think you do as well, we view New Mexico sometimes differently every single year when we go into it. If we feel like we’ve got a tag somewhere that’s gonna take precedent over anything we could apply for in the elk world in New Mexico that year, we swing for the fence. We only go for the best. You know, you’ve alluded to to that you’ve done that some years and you applied not even thinking you’re gonna draw. And then boom, you drew, drew something. Just you got three valid choices in the draw. They’d look at your first, second, and third choice. All are valid before they go to the next applicant, so to speak. So it makes sense to put, put a pipe, dream one down, you know, as your first choice or so on. If you get lucky, great. But we, we like it from that perspective and that everybody has a chance. I, I will get more aggressive in the years that I think the moisture is really, really good. Especially for elk. Let’s face it from an elk and a deer standpoint. It it, it crushes the state from an elk standpoint. Yeah. You know, the deer has a very few units that are really known and proven for, for great deer. But elk, when it’s a good year, it seems like all over the place.
00:23:15:26 –> 00:24:16:23
You can, you can pull a big bull from a lot of different places. A lot of different places. I agree a hundred percent. So, so yeah. It’s definitely a state that we’re looking at. We’re glad to see this moisture hitting it. Recently we went into this winter super dry and, and it appears things are changing up a little bit and we hope that continues. So anyway, you’ve got to apply. There’s no point system. Everybody’s on the same playing field every year. So we have a lot of clients that just want points some years and they’ll just opt out of for New Mexico. Like, well if, and that’s what you should do. Anybody that doesn’t really want to go there don’t apply, save the money. So anyway, $65 hunting license to apply non-refundable. And then you’ve gotta front the tag fees. So you’re, you know, before Bronson when you applied, you didn’t have to front the tag fees, nor did you even have to buy it. Yeah. Once drawn it was, yeah, that’s right. Kind of crazy. Yeah, it was weird. I I, well I drew deer tags, what was that, 12, 10 to 15 years ago Yeah. And stuff type. Well, I remember my wife and I were gonna have a baby and it was not gonna be good for me to leave right then. Yeah.
00:24:16:26 –> 00:25:21:12
And I didn’t go validate the tag and I just all you was out with a minimal application fee and they tightened that up. Well, yeah, they lost revenue. And, and I, I have taken, done that some significant tags and didn’t use them. And I’ve made some bad choices along my little hunting career. And that, and that can, that can be a byproduct of New Mexico not having a point system. You never feel like you’re protecting points. No. Like, oh, I gotta get something out of ’em. That’s good. No, you feel like I’ve got a freebie. Either I can use it or I can throw good money after bad go there, get a divorce and half my assets. You know what I mean? You just, right. So there’s no making good on all these points and, and really putting value on it. Having said that, there’s a lot of game down there that doesn’t, don’t have names. So, you know, you’ve got three 80 bulls that haven’t been seen by 14 people, you know, shed’s picked up since he was, you know, a year and a half or whatever. And so there’s a lot of surprises and, and it’s fun, man. I, I gotta tell you, like, it’s been a blast. You’ve killed a barbery sheep down there. They’ve had, I mean, we’ve applied for Orex and Ibex, never have. We’ve, we’ve threatened you and I to do a dual application this year for oric.
00:25:21:15 –> 00:26:27:24
I don’t know if we’re gonna come through on that’re working on it. We’ve never really had the major itch to do that. I don’t know why they’re kind of cool animals, but everybody says they’re incredible eating, but we just haven’t had the bug, the French love horses and I hear it’s horse meat. That’s what I hear. And they say it’s amazing, huh? I’m telling you, I ate ORs when I was a kid. Did you? Oh yeah. My dad killed one. We, yeah, it was like lion. I ate a lion. It was freaking amazing. Yeah, it was kind of like, like chicken that stag we’ve been eating. It’s bad thing’s gross by the way. But anyway, kind of a, kind of a fun, we, we really do like New Mexico. We got a lot of friends even within the game and fish. They’re super helpful and like working with them. We apply for sheep, elk, deer, antelope. It’s pretty tough. They did change some things up, split up some units which split up the tag numbers and less tag numbers. You know, basically with the guide draw kind of, it kind of made it to where, you know, if there’s less than 13 total tags, there wasn’t a non-resident. You had to plan the guide draw. Yeah. And it’s a little awkward, a bit like Arizona in terms of planning on drawing a antelope tag down there. I mean it’s, it’s tough.
00:26:28:08 –> 00:27:33:22
The elks are bad, but I’ve had a lot, there’s some youth hunts down there for deer and elk and different things, even sheep. But you know, that’s all listed in the publication and online as well for members. But anyway, my kids I’ve, I’ve had, yeah, we’ve taken our boys down there, dude. Two two, all both of your boys and my boys killed my boy’s first Buck Colton I know. Killed his first buck. I dunno about Sean was nine years old. You can, it’s any age as long as you have hunter, ed and Sean, he killed his first archery buck. Yeah. In unit two B. Yeah. I mean it’s, it’s a cool state for, that’s been good to us. And they have some really unique setaside tags. Not just reduced price, which they really don’t have reduced price. Like set aside, set aside for seasons for elk that are earlier than the regular adults earlier into October where you’re flirting with the tail end of the rutt still. As well as some late season around Thanksgiving rifle youth deer hunts in it’s kind of wrong. Really. Like the kids are spoiled. John, if John was in the room, he would, he he would have the mic right now. Well, no he wouldn’t. ’cause we’d take it from him. Well, but he, John, he has John goes against the grain on everything we talked about.
00:27:33:22 –> 00:28:41:00
Well, no, we’ve talked about the, this stuff in the, he just a little moral problem with the kid jumping in the head of a line. Okay. When it comes to hunting big game that he wants it, that John wants. I know I love John’s perspective, although it does give me a little riled up. But having said that, like, like for example, unit two B has a, a youth rifle hunt. I mean, we’re talking with dates November 20th to the 28th and they killed some freaking slugs this last year. And it, you know, you’ve got, you’ve got adults that are watching kids have cream of the crop. And I, I, you know, it’s, it’s just hard to stomach. That’s all you got kids hunting. Well, the basically one of the best units in the state in the Rutt. Not just, hey, here’s some like, ’cause there’s a lot of other youth seasons out in New Mexico and a lot of other units, but when it happens in one of their premier units, it’s just, you noticed there’s a And why give them the best of the best? Like, honestly, honestly gives them a false view of what hunting is. Daddy says, I don’t what that four point for the rest of their life. He doesn’t have eye guards. That other buck we saw saw cheaters out each side. Dad, I want him, I don’t want that. He’s a sl fool with no eye guards.
00:28:41:00 –> 00:29:48:07
I’m telling you, these kids are, we’re making ’em into trophy. And the dads are way excited as well when their kid draws like, anyway, pretty impressive. It’s fun to tease about it a little bit. We’re all about youth opportunity. Don’t want to, don’t take it the wrong way, John. We just, yeah, just don’t give them the best of the best. That’s all. Any whatever. Anyway. So there you have it. And then of course barber sheep, there’s things to apply for. Pretty awesome. There’s plenty of, plenty of opportunity down there. And then they’ve, they’ve just got some over the counter stuff too. If you found a ranch or whatever, or if you want to go, just give us a call. We can definitely hook you up. And then you’ve got IEX and, and Orex and we cover that as well. Pretty tough on especially those or, or the iex rugged, nasty training. Yeah, the quality’s come down. That stuff. Yeah. They’ve been stuff super aggressive on the harvest and bringing those number down within compliance and management objectives. And it’s the age of the old, old bullies. There’s not, there’s not, they’re not there right now. But there’s, they’re cool old, cool animals. Don’t get us wrong, but I, they’re, I hear the snakes are plenty of old down there. Well if you hunt, if you hunt October, you pro and that archery hunt and your belly crawling through rocks and stuff. Be ready. Yeah.
00:29:48:07 –> 00:31:03:03
You’re gonna see a Mojave Green. Well, I don’t know what they have down there. Nasty, gnarly. New Mexico Black. I don’t know what they call there. They just look like they’d hurt somebody. But anyway. And I don’t like surprises. I just don’t like surprises. But anyway, pretty fun, pretty pretty good opportunities down there in New Mexico. Again, no point system apply. Only if you want to tag, as we’re wrapping up that state, definitely huge fans of New Mexico. We’re, we’ve got, like I say, they, they’re supportive of us. We’re supportive of them in large part because they’ve given us good tags over the years. And there’s always some little hidden gems for everybody that applies. Every once in a while. Stuff just comes outta nowhere. Ab Absolutely. Chris, you’ve even taken in a couple of those outcomes. I mean, just kill some good bulls. That and every year’s just a new New year. No points needed. And getting lucky is all that matters. Smash and grab comes to mind when Chris goes to New Mexico. Ha. I think it’s, did you draw back to back? I did, but it’s probably my favorite elk state just because most of the other states, like how often can you actually go? Oh, I know. Well you, you’ve, you guys have each drawn, you’ve drawn about three good ones. Four. Four maybe I’ve had and some landowner tags, dude. But I’ve drawn one. But incredible one great one.
00:31:03:05 –> 00:32:21:16
I mean an early rifle first choice. It’s like that doesn’t happen, but it did. So anyway, pretty cool. One real quick shout out to one of our sponsors. Wanna do that to MOA rifles, great, great rifle builders. Bob Beck and his crew there got a six five PRC topped at the Zes V six. Love it. Check ’em out [email protected]. Or if you want to have a private consult, you’re thinking of putting something together for specific hunt. You’re, you got coming up, give ’em a call at (541) 526-1820. They also make a variety of other shooting products. Bipod, shooting rest, things like that. But MA rifles.com, if you want to get in on one of those shooting courses, they’re booking right now. They just opened up the summer. So if you want to get in, you probably better call sooner than later ’cause they fill up fast. Do you have to wear a mask and social distance? Oh, it’s outside. Outside. Oh yeah, that’s right. Yeah it is. Usually it is Oregon, so I don’t know. Private ranches out in the middle of nowhere. It’s pretty awesome experience. Really. Definitely. You’re learn a lot. Definitely not a covid rich environment. And the number again to call them on that is (541) 526-1820. Okay. Right on. Get in on a course. Get in on rifle. Anyway, you know, another shout out here.
00:32:21:16 –> 00:33:39:06
We wanna throw a little shout out to pyro putty, you know, saved your brother’s life, by the way. Yeah, I think we talked man that on the podcast. Yeah. Pretty along with their arcing lighter. Yeah. Arc little. Yeah, a little electronic. Lighter. Arc lighter versus a little flint. You know, normal cigarette lighter that when you get rolled down a river for three minutes, they don’t fly. Pyro putty. You can go check ’em [email protected]. Super good people behind the product. And incredible product as well. It’s lightweight. They’ve got the summer blend and winter blend. And I’ve got, I’ve got it in every door panel. Bronson, you know me got the epic knife, power putty and bottle of Advil and Toms. And Toms. That’s, I was raised, raised on Advil and Toms old ABT style. Yeah. But anyway, so awesome people power putty.com. You’ll need to get you some, they make great little gifts. Christmas gifts course. That’s a ways down the road. Birthday gifts or Father’s Day gifts or Mother’s Day gifts or Valentine’s Day St Day’s coming day back. They probably have a green blend. In fact they think they’d have a green blend past President’s Day. We were gonna, we were gonna celebrate Trump again. And anyway, we just blew by that way too fast. Yeah, it just kind of didn’t, it wasn’t much of us holiday for us. But anyway, pretty, pretty, pretty awesome products.
00:33:40:04 –> 00:34:59:15
And next up, Bronson wanna give one more shout out to another one of our partners here and another brand of optics that we cover. And that’s the guys at Vortex, one of our last podcast. You can dial back one, one episode I believe and listen to the podcast that we did with them about some of the new products coming out this next year. But vortex optics.com. V-O-R-T-E-X-O-P-T-I-C s.com. Great products, great price point. Got some really new cool optics gonna be released soon. That should be in our hands sued. We’ll probably do a big podcast announcement when we get it in our hands so that, you know, we got a few new things we’re gonna carry that we’ve never had from them too, in terms of glassing. What? How about some of their tripods? Oh yeah. Announce we talked about them a little bit. That’s right. So we’ll do a big announcement when we get ’em in our hands so that if you want some you’re looking to upgrade, give us a call and we’ll be right out to you. Well, about the skews man. All about the skews. We sell this stuff. Give us a holler. We’ll make you the best deal, Eva. So anyway, pretty awesome. You know what I was thinking when I’m looking at these monsters, remember it doesn’t go really well. I can’t sing it. Very good Chris, maybe you can help us out what we built this business on Monster. Huh?
00:35:00:12 –> 00:36:12:15
Say it’s, can you make it? Can you make it go Chris? I give it a try. I’m just give it. I’m not gonna try that Chris. Give it a try. You know what happened? I don’t remember that we built this place on, it’s an Rio speed wagon. And who was that? I don’t know. I don’t remember. I’d look at Chris will play it. You’re gonna people laughing at me now. I know. If it’s not them, you’re laughing and say yeah, that’s such and such. But it that, that came into my mind. I don’t know who it was. But anyway, Chris figured out, well before we built this Starship, Starship Starship. Why was I thinking REO Speedwagon? I have no idea. They’re kind of that same sound flare. Yeah. The shout out of all shout outs. Go ahead. Well yeah, we got another, you know, exciting hunt giveaway. We’re gonna be giving away some exciting hunts here in a couple of weeks. We’re getting down to the last, what is it? About 10 days of our winter. 2021 epic hunt giveaway membership drive. We’ve got a Yukon stone sheep for this fall. 2021 Alaska doll sheep for this year. 2021 Nevada Mule Deer guided hunt in 2 31 with Greg Crow, New Mexico Acoma Reservation hunt. Choose your weapon. Archery rifle or muzzle order. 2021 finishes off as well as a lion hunt with Pine Valley Outfitters. Winner of 2021. 2022. Super good guy.
00:36:12:15 –> 00:37:23:18
We dealt with him a lot and it’s incredible. We also have the Texas Barbery sheep hunt with High West Outfitters. We book for him a Wyatt Kill. A freaking giant 35 and a halfer with him. He’s got properties that are incredible. Send us pictures. Bronson just recently of just a ton of rams around like 50. Yeah, I don’t know. Anyway. And we’ve also got a wolf hunt, Idaho wolf 2021. 2022 with hard X outfitters. We’ve had him on the podcast. He’s legit basically touting a hundred percent opportunity now. I don’t know what it is about wolves. They do something to you. They’re kinda like coyotes. They’re hard to freak kill. They lose their, they’re just tough. You gotta have everything right and you gotta have your crap together. People lose their, they lose their faculties. They do. And they do when they get ’em in scope and stuff gets short on actioned hear, hearing them, they’re seeing them. Short action bullet shells fall on the floor of the magazines. That’s stuff’s coming out. That’s right. Anything you’ve heard or anything that’s happened to you that usually happens on a wolf. ’cause it’s a rarity. Actually. Get one in your scope. But anyway, when it happens, it’s kind of like, you know, it’s all gonna come, come down to some real fast either. It’s an incredible trophy. I hate ’em, but I love ’em. I’ve killed a couple Bronson.
00:37:23:18 –> 00:38:40:03
You’ve killed a freaking alpha male monster of all monsters. What an incredible trophy. I mean, it’s hard to even see ’em, let alone kill ’em. You can get, you can enter to win by either mail, phone or [email protected]. You know, we, you can join your buddy if you sponsor your buddy, you get a free ticket in for any of these hunts. Two or three friends, family, whatever. Of course you can buy your way in as well as far as one ticket’s, 25 bucks, a hundred dollars, $200 and $500 packages. And we’re giving away $13,000 in the most amazing optics ever built by humans. That’s right. It’s incredible. That’s right. Got till February 28th. So if it gets down to the wire, by the time you listen to this, you’re probably, you can jump online, like I said, epic outdoors.com or give us a call 4 3 5 2 6 3 0 7 7 7. If you’ve been listening to the podcast for months, weeks, months, years, whatever, and have never joined for a reason, maybe this, that reason. Use your name in the hat for one of those hunts and still get, you know, some February magazine out there and continue on through the rest of the state applications this year with all the state magazines. You’re not gonna miss a whole lot. So yeah, it’s coming up to a close here in about 10 days. I dunno, was this a boring podcast, Bronson? We, we went high level I guess you mean 30,000 feet?
00:38:40:04 –> 00:39:40:11
A little bit, but we go fast and, and and I think we’ve iterated why, I mean if we went line by line, unit by unit, precept code by hunt code and drawing on, by drawing on that people would tap out. That would be, you know, did we even, did we even freaking cover Oregon? No, because it’s not due until May. Oh, okay. We’ll do that later. Even though it was in this magazine. That’s right. Okay. So just so let y’all know we also covered Oregon. Yeah. And we can’s not due until May 15th. So it’s all, all as well. Don’t sweat it. Haven’t forgot you just, we got a little bit of time. We love Oregon, we love our partners in Oregon. They know it. And anyway, you can check it out in the magazine as well. But yeah, it’s not do at the moment, but we will crush it. Not the time we start thinking about it. That’s right. We’ve killed some stuff in Oregon. Yeah. Been there on a lot of different sheets. Yeah. Dear Elk, whatever. Yeah. You know, some, some not so great hunts too. I’ve had that Applegate muzzle that didn’t go. How’d that go on that one? How’d that? Then I went on an over the counter rifle in the Applegate.
00:39:41:02 –> 00:40:48:19
Anyway, tell you all about it someday you know what some guys are asking for, you know what, somebody’s a diehard mule deer hunter when they want hunt the subspecies of mule, they’re the black tail so much they go back after eating their tag. Once they go right back to try it to do it again. You know you got a diehard Mulder hunter, Jason Carter and now, and I do the research on it and it all, everything tells me I was stupid that I should have. What do you mean by taken advantage of that tag? It’s the world’s best tag for legit. You mean the muzzle loader? Yeah. Yeah. The m the most. The l most legit opportunity, let’s say. Okay, let’s just of real pure blood blacktails. Okay. And we’re not blacktail fanatics. So I know we, I might offend somebody by saying this, but had you put, they’re not big milder. Is that what you’re gonna say? Had you put your heart and soul into that and you I would’ve given overachieved, what would you have on your, what would you have, what would you be looking at every day at your house right now? Significant black. 1 25, 1 30 significant black fell. What’s that? I don’t know what I’m telling you. You are offended people right now. I know I probably am because they are as passionate. I know. Have you ever seen more passionate people, the coo, deer fanatics, the blacktail fanatics?
00:40:48:22 –> 00:41:53:12
I know they are fanatics. It’s just fanatics. They also, they get up there, they hybridize over certain do places. And so you some, I mean, I’m not saying it’s, it’s hard for us to get excited about because they look like mule Deere not a pure blood blacktail. They do do look distinctly different. They got the body of a milder and the antlers of a great big co. I don’t, I dunno. But having said that, so I’m just trying to make you feel better about we were raised wherever you’re raised, it’s what your values are. That’s right. You know, we were raised in the heart of big muer country. That’s where our values are. Yeah, that’s right. Having said that, we like to kill about everything. Anything that walks, we’re killing it. If it’s big, we like it. We’ve talked about that before. Two points and spikes. Ope get excited. Mountain goats, whatever. Dude, I was getting excited. So crushing the data for Colorado and we don’t wanna talk about Colorado. We weren’t even supposed to say the word Colorado, but Colorado moose. I’m freaking kind of halfway excited about some of the opportunities over there. Broon. I just, I got some questions for you of me in a few weeks when we talk about the Colorado overview. Your moose just don’t bears me online plus, okay. I won’t.
00:41:53:13 –> 00:42:59:01
But I just, I’d like to know if you’re still excited two weeks from now, even though today you are, I don’t know. I mean it’s just like you and you. You do some research on some, you did a lot of moose data and you added back in my moose unit. I read in Idaho read, I read you the harvest horse numbers of like 11 dead moose and about by force. I didn’t want to hear ’em. About six of them were over 45. Yeah. And then when you hit 58, I was like Huh? 53. Yeah. 50. 53 and a half. I mean, where does 58 come from? Did you just throw 53 and something? Maybe it’s 53 and some eights. I don’t dunno. Oh, but that’s a legit shiro. Okay, okay. Yeah it is. And you know, it must be just less, less wolf predation going on things like that. I don’t know. We wondered that because we saw Wolf sign when we were there in 2007. Yeah. And then it feels like, but they’ve a lot’s changed. You hunt ’em now you can trap ’em. I don’t wanna pretend, I don’t know off the top of my head the trapping laws for up there, but I, multiple slots. Oh yeah. You can trap ’em and, and not tag one. Like, like not just one a year. Like think you can. So maybe that’s having an impact I guess is what I’m saying. Lots change though.
00:42:59:01 –> 00:44:05:25
You know, these states are changing like crazy. We’ve even now to where they don’t just give over the counter deer tags, you know what I mean? Like they do, but there’s a certain amount of them, a lot of like what are you talking about Idaho? Like how would, how do you know specifically how that works and how many have gone and left? I dunno. I might have picked one up. Yeah, me too. So anyway, I’m just saying I wanna make the best use of that. I’ve heard non hunting license. I’ve heard. Yeah. So we’re gonna, we’re gonna good money after that. Buy. Buy a trail bike for 1500 bucks used on KSL. Yes. That’s a trail bike capital. Get to buy that. We’re gonna drive up there. Gas, food, groceries, all that. And we’ll be in it and a wolf tank for 31 bucks. Okay. Maybe two because there was a, if you see one, you’re gonna see a That’s right. So pretty soon, let’s just call it fif with the bike, you’re in it, you know, 2,500 bucks to make good on that hunting license. That’s right. To make sure I get the full value. Good money after bad. But anyway, having said that, it’s, it’s about the memories and experience. Oh yeah. Tell Janet that. Anyway. Yeah, there’s a lot going on here at Epic Outdoors. We appreciate all y’all out there. There’s a lot going on in the states.
00:44:05:28 –> 00:45:20:22
We haven’t, we’ve onp purposely ignored some of the subjects because they’re controversial and everybody has an opinion and well, no opinion is perfectly right. Utah. And there’s things we’ve alluded to ’em, Utah, think our Utah are right, Utah, whether it be Utah, whether it be Montana, whether it be some of the things we alluded to in New Mexico. If and when they happen and they get passed, that’s when the implicate, all right, this is how it’s gonna affect you. This is what you could be prepared for this year. There’s things that can morph. There’s percentages that can change like in the Montana bill, which already has changed in terms of being proposed. So we’ll just let see what happens, happens. And then we’ll have to react. That’s what we’re good at reacting. People do want our opinions at times. Yeah. And we give ’em when. When they ask. But you know, anyway, we will just, I dunno, you never know about some of this stuff, right Chris? That’s right. Sometimes it’s best to say nothing. Bronson. Alright, so are we gonna end with, we built this, this about an Allison Kraus song. We built this Chris play on Monster. You say it best when yous say nothing. Say you say nothing at all. No. No. So we’re gonna end on that. No. Well, hey, just stuff comes to my weird brain that built this business, built this business on.
00:45:24:22 –> 00:46:39:28
That’s our little anthem at about four 30 every morning. We don’t usually work Sundays, but anyway. Anyway. Don’t like to That’s don’t like to, but sometimes you don’t. You gotta do things you don’t like to do. All right fellas. That’s better than leaving on Allison Kraus. Nothing against her, but that’s just a little Well, she’s all right. Little flowery that song. I mean a little, we’re not playing it. Let’s put it that way. That’s right. That’s right. It doesn’t end on a good note. Okay, everybody, that’s something you play for Valentine’s Day. Not on our podcast. How was your Valentine’s Day, by the way? Good. It was on a Sunday, so it was pretty, we actually went out to sushi. Yeah, sushi on Saturday. It was great. It was awesome. Yeah. Jan and I had a great day. But anyway. Oh, y’all out to Chris? Did you have a good Valentine’s Day? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Do anything air shattering. Chris always blows us away. Thoughtfulness. I didn’t do that great. This year. Went to, well you’d already landed the proposal, what, a week or two prior? So like for all intents and purposes, you’re married now. She gets what she gets. Don’t throw a fifth. I piggybacked on the I am who I am. The engagement she, she got me some tools and stuff. She did. Geez. Yeah. Wow. She just doesn’t want you to use hers. I took her out.
00:46:39:29 –> 00:47:07:21
Yeah, I took her to sushi. Did you, do you, do you eat sushi, Chris? Yeah. No way. Yeah, when we never see you there. Well, when on Valentine’s Day. Well, good. All right everybody. Hope y’all had a good Valentine’s Day. Hope you celebrated Trump on President’s Day. And everybody needs to be applying in either the Nevada Guy Draw and or New Mexico and or Utah. We’ll talk about Oregon later. Peace out. Peace out.
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