Where best to build points for Moose or Goat?

hello, i am sure this question has been asked in different forms many times so my apologies for asking...but If I wanted to try and hunt Moose or Mountain Goat in next 10 years, do I have a reasonable shot of drawing a tag for either by building points? If so, what state is best? What if I expand to 20 years? THanks. Interested archery too if that matters.

Reasonable no(10 or20), go north or hope to win idaho lottery

The best thing to do if you really want to hunt moose and goat in the next 10 years is to save a couple hundred bucks per month and go to Alaska. Moose is available for nonresidents without a guide, so you can get it done for a reasonable price. $6000+/- is a figure that has been floated here for a DIY moose hunt in AK. Goat hunts require a nonresident to go guided but hunts can be found for less than $10,000. Shoot for $20,000 and save $200/month. You’ll be ready to do both in 8 years. You’ll get no such guarantee in any of the draw states.

Idaho has the best odds for moose of any of the lower 48, but it's a random draw and you'll never be guaranteed a tag. Your chances are the same this year as they will be in 20 years. Odds were pretty good (relatively speaking for moose) in CO but they changed it this year to where you don't have to front the tag fees. The number of apps will likely explode and odds will tank there too.

If you really want to hunt Mountain Goats I would suggest saving up for a hunt in Canada or Alaska. I think it would be cheaper in the long run unless you are really lucky and draw in the 1st few years. Odds are bad all over for mountain goats: <1% in NV, WA, OR, MT, ID, and UT; <2% in WY and CO with odds likely about to get a whole lot worse in CO.

Good Luck!

Your best option for Moose is to go north! Canada you can get in pretty easy but you need a guide to hunt in Canada for big game. Alaska you don't need a guide for a moose hunt so you can plan a DIY hunt but you will still be spending some coin to hunt. My advice is to start saving and in no time you will have enough to go. If you want to hunt in the lower 48, I suggest you read this Moose Hunting Overview. It gives you pretty good information but remember it was also written over 5 years ago.

I had a great guided hunt in Newfie for less than $6000. Saw probably tons of moose in 5 days and several nice bulls save your bucks and go there my advise. Goats well same advise pretty much or play the odds games. You could draw first year or it (more likely) will take a lifetime if your lucky enough to ever draw in a western state.

Idaho has decent odds for moose. Problem is the license and app fee is about $200 a year that you don't get refunded. Idaho goat odds average about 2%. Your best chance is probably to apply for moose in Idaho and save up money for a goat hunt. If you don't draw a moose tag in Idaho then after your goat hunt go do a moose hunt when you have the money saved up for that.

I myself used to apply for goat tags in Idaho but I think I am done now. I would really like to hunt one so I'll probably have to go to Canada or Alaska to hunt one. Moose I feel like the odds are good enough in Idaho to apply for them. It looks like there was over 30 hunts last year that had 10% draw odds or better for moose in Idaho according to toprut.

Goodluck. Never know you might draw your first year.

Idaho has some great opportunities for moose. Some of the units in the panhandle break up their seasons and odds are sometimes above 25% for a bull tag. It is thick country, but if you put in the time and miles you have a decent chance at a bull. The Canada option is good too. Some of those hunts are priced well.

There really aren't easy goat tags to get. I drew my fourth year putting in for Colorado when I was 22. Since then I have put in for Montana, Utah and Colorado. I am 34 and would consider myself very lucky if I ever drew again for goat. But someone has to draw.

Guided mountain goat hunts are priced really high. I would rather take the money to Asia for ibex.

Best of luck whatever you decide.

The $200 a month savings play for 10 years should result in enough for a guided goat hunt but may be too little for a guided moose hunt. You will also be placing significant pressure on yourself when pull that money out and hand to a guide or start the process to go self-guided.

Are you looking for a hunt that represents the West? If so, some options.

An aoudad hunt in NM on public land for wild, free-range rams is something you should be able to draw if apply as NR in the DIY pool for a decade. You will get your money's worth, see the Old West, and will cost less than a purchased goat or moose hunt. If you harvest a mature ram then the horns are as heavy as most bighorn ram horns out West.

Applying in AZ for deer should get you enough points for the December Coues buck rifle hunt which is early rut. If you live in snowy country then Dec in AZ should provide some sun but might snow on you. A Coues hunt might be the most challenging hunt in the West.

A later summer pronghorn hunt in WY can be drawn in a very respectable unit if build points for 10 years. The most striking big game animals in the West. Is not the hardest animal to harvest though are warier than most moose and mountain goat. If you are trying to put a stalk on just one particular buck then can be a challenging hunt as those critters are fast when spook and are prone to spook unless you are sitting on water in a dry year.

Of course, the MT unlimited bighorn ram hunt is always on the table if you have plenty of time on your hands and are in well above average physical shape and mentally are prepared to glass for 100 hours without seeing a ram.

My favorite hunts have been where am enjoying scenic country while being physically and mentally challenged. Often the hunts are solo and in wilderness where had to hike in for a spike camp. My all-time favorite hunt was a guided hunt on horses in rut for mule deer at eastern edge of Yellowstone. Sure, I was more of the shooter than hunter but dang that was pretty country and checked every box on my dream hunt other than was not a solo hunt.