Pronghorn application is in, now I wait

[JL]

#6929

Tag applications in Nevada closed last Sunday and now the wait starts. Now I am not complaining because there are fantastic hunting opportunities here in NV and as I am an older guy that has lived here awhile the license cost is only $13 a year and the resident tag cost, should I be lucky enough to draw one, is $60 for pronghorn. So wanting to hunt pronghorn with a bow, being retired and on a limited budget this is a good deal. There are about 30 different bow hunts to pick from, different hunt units but all at the same time. You get up to five choices, first choice, second choice, etc. I looked at all the records from two years ago, took the total number of tag applications for each area and then divided the number of tags issued by the number of applications and got the approximate draw odds. Put all of this into a spreadsheet and then weighted the draw odds with a some kill ratios, stirred it all into a cauldron and put in my applications and choices. Now comes the rub. I will not know if or where, should I get lucky, that my hunt unit is at till late May or early June! Hundreds of miles between them and no way to know if I will even be hunting, let alone where. Sure do wish that NV could do this whole routine a month of so earlier so that one would have time to plan and scout.

I drew a pronghorn tag in 2009 and as things sometimes happen I did everything wrong. Life and work issues kept me from scouting, then I only had a few days to hunt. Wasted that opportunity big time. Just bumbled around for three days without a plan or any idea at all about the hunt unit. I never will do that again! Now I am retired and plan spending as much time scouting before season as I need then I will take as long as needed to hunt. The state is large and with living in the southern part I have a solid 5 to 9 hour drive to any of the hunt units that I have applied for so scouting is a big task in it self.

So many different things to consider, hunt out of a blind, spot and stalk? What are their patterns going to be? The season here is month of August so rut will not yet have started. I just have so much to plan for and darn this waiting. I guess as a bowhunter I should patiently sit here waiting. But, I sure would like to draw a tag this year. Good luck to all of you that are also patently waiting for your draw results. I am all packed and ready to go though, just in case!

[bruc]

#57647

Good luck with the draw as well !

Bruce

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