Top 3 most difficult

[solocam_aggie]

I've been thinking lately about how cool it would be to assemble a trophy room of all DIY, free range animals that are found in North America. I really enjoy this aspect of hunting (not in any way knocking those who hunt otherwise).


Those of you who are privy to hunting out of state, hunting different species, and the difficulty of getting a tag for certain species, how would you rank the top 3 most difficult animals to get? I dont have the knowledge to make a legit list, but my hand grenade effort at it would be:

-Bighorn sheep
-Mountain goat
-Dall sheep

At 32, Im only now beginning to immerse myself in the world of drawing tags for other states, and it doesnt look pretty for the aforementioned species. So how would you rank the top 3 most difficult DIY, free range animals?

[elliscountyhog]

300" Public Land Colorado Elk (Heck any elk for that matter in Colorado)

[diamond10x]

If it’s all DIY of North America I would have to say toughest to get tags IMO:
1. Desert bighorn

Many of the species are very easily accessible depending on which state you reside in.

Polar bear and Quebec-labradoran are impossible to get DIY even as a canadian

[jaker_cc]

I’d say a lower 48 moose for a non resident is pretty dang tough to get. Any of the sheep species are a tough draw, unless you win one at sheep show haha.

[tigerscowboy]

Bighorn

[44mAG]

If money wasn't an issue, I would say:
1. Desert big horn
2. Rocky Mountain Big Horn
3. Mountain Goat

I have a plan close to this, but I know financially I am out of the sheep game. If I can go one day, it will be a hunt I pay for and not have to draw a tag. I am going to focus more on the antelope, elk, and mule deer. I want to one day have a pronghorn from TX, NM, WY, CO, and Montana. I want to have a mule deer from TX, CO, WY, and Montana and an elk from NM, CO, WY, and Montana. So far I have down the NM pronghorn, TX mule deer, and I am hopefully getting a WY elk this fall.

[MadHatter]

It would have to be the sheep imo. They are in a category unto themselves.
Next I would say Moose, Cougar, & possibly Wolf.
Lump all the rest together and take your pic.

[Etxnoodler]

Number 1 is Dall Sheep for sure. Can’t do diy unless you have a dad or brother in Alaska. So really not even possible.
2. California bighorn
3. Rocky Mountain bighorn.
2 and 3 aren’t because of a hard hunt but because of drawing a tag.
1. Ironically its the easiest and cheapest tag to get but require a guide.

[Johnny44]

Shooting a Cougar with a paintball gun would be at the top of the list.

[Deers & Beers]

1) Desert Sheep
2) 350"+ Elk
3) Decent Moose, any kind
4) 125"+ Coues

My passion for just about everything else has died off...

[duckmanep]

#1 has got to be an east TX black panther.

[Lynn21]

200 inch Alberta whitetail
200 inch Iowa whitetail
200 inch Illinois whitetail

[BuckSmasher]

There is tag difficulty and then there is hunt difficulty. What are you going for?

[tigerscowboy]

#1 has got to be an east TX black panther.

^^^^^
That trumps them all. Most evasive species ever. So evasive that you don't need a tag. State Dept knows there is no chance.

[breadman]

south texas Chupacabra has gotta be on the list.