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State Hunter Success Statistics

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State Hunter Success Statistics

Postby Swede » 12 09, 2019 •  [Post 1]

I know there are quite a few hunters that think hunter success statistics are completely bogus. Still I use them as I am convinced they are relatively accurate and show trends. So do you use them, and if not; what all do you base your decision on when planning a hunt in a totally new area?
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Re: State Hunter Success Statistics

Postby wawhitey » 12 09, 2019 •  [Post 2]

Im more interested in low hunter density than high success rate. Figure around where i live, this unit has a lot of areas where people can road around and shoot any buck during the rut. It gets crowded. It shows high success rate, but thats because everybody just roads around blasting away at every little peckerhead buck they see. So a lot of young bucks get killed which jacks up the success rate, and destroys the buck / doe ratio and the buck age class. Its the worst unit to hunt in the region, but on paper it looks good due to the success rate. If you want to hunt in crowded land and shoot a buck that still has its milk teeth then i guess it would be a good place. If you want a quality whitetail hunting experience you would go elsewhere.
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Re: State Hunter Success Statistics

Postby Indian Summer » 12 09, 2019 •  [Post 3]

I just use them for comparison. For example one year I hunted over near the Bighorns in Wyoming. The unit had a 37% success rate. I guess that’s a pretty good number. But still.... that means if a hundred guys marched up the mountain 63 of them came back empty handed. I don’t like the sound of that. But to me it seemed fantastic because the unit I usually hunt has a rate of 17% so this one had more than double that! So in my mind I had twice as good a chance of killing a bull there and that sounded great.

On a side note I killed a bull on private land and I’m pretty sure my success on the other side of the fence would have been slim to none so beware of success rates where there’s a lot of private property.
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Re: State Hunter Success Statistics

Postby saddlesore » 12 09, 2019 •  [Post 4]

Got to watch in Colorado. The over all success rate is listed at18-20%, but that is all elk.Cows,bulls,calves, with all means of take.Archery is about12-14%. You have to dig deep in the statistic pages of the DOW website to get the true numbers,but they are only a survey with a small sampling of hunters and then the DOW extrapolate that into what they think was killed.
I have never paid much attention to the stats. with old or new areas I hunt. You statistics is are what you make them.Sort of like luck,you make your own. I have hunted quite a few units where advertised success rates were 18%+ or -, and mine were 95%+. Other units where the success rate was 50% plus, mine were 0%. Go figure.

As has been mentioned many times10% of the same hunters kill most of the elk. Lot of hunters out there just hiking around the woods with gun with no clue how to hunt.Those are all part of the statistics.
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Re: State Hunter Success Statistics

Postby 7mmfan » 12 10, 2019 •  [Post 5]

I use success stats as a starting point. I then try to dig deeper. If the info is available, seeing how many of the deer or elk were above a certain size is helpful. Idaho offers that option in their statistics. It lets you know if the unit is what wawhitey says, just a bunch of feeder bucks, or has a decent density of mature animals as well.

I then look at property distribution. If the unit has huge chunks of private, I have to decide if that plays a roll in success rates. Do all the farmers and ranchers and all their family go out and kill 40 bucks in a season and boost success rates, while the guys hunting public are scratching for anything they can find?

Last, I look at road/trail density and how many guys are just road hunting or hunting on dirt bikes/quads, etc...

My personal ideal unit has a moderate success rate, good mix of public and private, and a few areas with lots of roads and trails for those guys to do their thing, leaving the backwoods open to me to have to myself. Has worked fairly well so far.
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Re: State Hunter Success Statistics

Postby Swede » 12 10, 2019 •  [Post 6]

If you are looking at a unit with a lot of private land, and most do, then consider where the private land is situated. Many times it is at the lower warmer/drier elevations and may or may not be timbered very much. Also I have observed that most ranchers will shoot elk with a rifle. I don't know any bow hunters. A few ranches have hired hands that will bow hunt, but I doubt they effect the statistics very much. Some ranches open fire on elk in their fields on the first day of the rifle season, with all kinds of family and friends invited in on the slaughter. That can change the stats. I also know of a unit that has about 40 tags offered on a drawing, but there are a lot of landowner tags offered there too. When you have over twice as many landowner tags than those offered to the public, it is hard to say who is getting what.
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Re: State Hunter Success Statistics

Postby Indian Summer » 12 10, 2019 •  [Post 7]

I lookk for a mix of public with generous amounts of no man’s land! I’m never anywhere near private and that’s how I like it. Nice boundaries just hunt on your own terms.
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Re: State Hunter Success Statistics

Postby saddlesore » 12 10, 2019 •  [Post 8]

Swede wrote:If you are looking at a unit with a lot of private land, and most do, then consider where the private land is situated. Many times it is at the lower warmer/drier elevations and may or may not be timbered very much. Also I have observed that most ranchers will shoot elk with a rifle. I don't know any bow hunters. A few ranches have hired hands that will bow hunt, but I doubt they effect the statistics very much. Some ranches open fire on elk in their fields on the first day of the rifle season, with all kinds of family and friends invited in on the slaughter. That can change the stats. I also know of a unit that has about 40 tags offered on a drawing, but there are a lot of landowner tags offered there too. When you have over twice as many landowner tags than those offered to the public, it is hard to say who is getting what.


Right now with the late hunts and 4th season hunts ,elk are all congregated on BLM land in one-two units in NW Colorado after migration.Herds of 150-200 are common. Guys/Gals line up along roads and shoot the heck out of them. By 8 AM most have filled their tags. Easy to see 20-30 elk killed in one place. Most of those hunters are local area residents and truly use those hunts as a way to fill their freezer pretty cheap.$150 pounds of meat for less than $100.

Those are figured into the over all success rate also.Not knocking them. I would be doing the same thing if it were not 250 miles away The game department will tell you right up front,they manage elk for quantity, not quality. The chance of shooting a 6x mature bull is probably less than5%
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Re: State Hunter Success Statistics

Postby Swede » 12 10, 2019 •  [Post 9]

I agree Saddlesore. I think if you hunt otc units in Oregon your chance at a 280 B&C bull is probably well under 5%.
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Re: State Hunter Success Statistics

Postby saddlesore » 12 10, 2019 •  [Post 10]

Swede wrote:I agree Saddlesore. I think if you hunt otc units in Oregon your chance at a 280 B&C bull is probably well under 5%.


Center one on wall is the one after a long wait. Rare in Colorado except draws to trophy area. Other one on wall come every once in awhile in OTC units. .2nd photo is typical

trophy wall, downsized.jpg
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Typical raghorn.jpg
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Re: State Hunter Success Statistics

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 12 11, 2019 •  [Post 11]

Dandy wall o' trophies Vince! That middle bull is a tank indeed. I guess I personally don't pay much attention to the various state (or specific GMU) success stats. I've looked at them for various GMU's/areas but its more out of curiosity I spose. WAWhitey mentioned above "I'm more interested in low hunter density than high success rate"; I agree with that. If an area holds elk, and, is an area that doesn't have much hunting pressure... those are my kinds of elk areas. If I'm not encountering other hunters in a given elk area over the course of the season/several hunts, that's my kind of locale. Certainly this philosophy more often than not finds my skinny arse back in areas that are steep, thick, and honestly should be left to the younger, full of P and V whippersnappers :lol:. I may learn someday but probably not.... It's sure nice to get into multiple bugling bulls and not have a remote worry that other hunters are on those same elk. After all, what dummy would be down in that hell hole anyway :roll:. Oh I know, my buddy Joe and I.
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Re: State Hunter Success Statistics

Postby Tigger » 12 11, 2019 •  [Post 12]

Very nice wall Vince. I bet there are some good hunting stories from the harvest of those animals! I would love to hear some! As long as it isn't something like.....I was rolling down the road in my Ford Super Duty and this big bull stepped on to the road and I crashed into him!
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Re: State Hunter Success Statistics

Postby saddlesore » 12 11, 2019 •  [Post 13]

Thanks for the kind words.That is only one wall.Another has a 5x6 like the one shown at a right turn, only left. I have them bugling at each other, a goat, a Bighorn sheep, and a jackalope. Not intended as brag, I only wanted to show what was typical for hunting in Colorado.My garage,barn, and shed outside wall are full of those smaller raghorns
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Re: State Hunter Success Statistics

Postby Tigger » 12 11, 2019 •  [Post 14]

Post up some more pics! I love seeing mounts. From what I know of you, bragging is not something you would do! You have had a very successful hunting career and there is room to be proud of what you have accomplished and not be bragging.
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Re: State Hunter Success Statistics

Postby Indian Summer » 12 11, 2019 •  [Post 15]

Guys like Saddlesore are my idols. I hope I can still walk and hunt in elk country when I make the 70 mark. He’s a badass!
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Re: State Hunter Success Statistics

Postby saddlesore » 12 12, 2019 •  [Post 16]

I hope I can still walk and get around when you turn 70 too. :lol:
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Re: State Hunter Success Statistics

Postby Indian Summer » 12 12, 2019 •  [Post 17]

saddlesore wrote:I hope I can still walk and get around when you turn 70 too. :lol:

I thought I read somewhere that you’ll be 89 this year. :D
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Re: State Hunter Success Statistics

Postby jmez » 12 12, 2019 •  [Post 18]

I don't use them. I will look at animal density numbers. I look at the terrain and access as main features. There are elk in most every unit. Can I get to them on foot and do I like the looks of the terrain to hunt them in.
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