Tag season is here-What are your plans?
Elk
Just curious what everyone is planning on for September?
As of now I will be putting in for WY and NM but don't have a lot of faith in drawing.
I have also considered biting the bullet and trying to get a landowner tag.
I have also considered a guided hunt but really don't want to drop that kind of coin.
More than likely if I want to play in 2025 I am going to have to pay.
I have a NM elk land owner tag in the works. Will be applying for Wy antelope. Will buy Ks “hunt on own land tag.”
My plan is to pull a few great tags in NM (elk, barbary sheep, and deer) in the NR-unguided pool, and probably draw AZ in the random pool too. Not sure I'll even apply to WY this year- just can't do that many tags justice! :)
I'm doing the same, NM and WY. I'm working on unguided private access in the East Region of WY. Got an outfitter in mind if diy falls through. NM is a guided hunt if I draw the tag. Could get a landowner tag but that doubles the cost of the hunt. Hope to hit one or the other.
Probably start drinking heavily, so as to soften the blow of not drawing any tags again.
Moving target this year. Pretty confident on drawing Wyoming and Montana elk/deer. Will Play the game anywhere bison is available as well as nearly everywhere bighorns or shiras are in play. Alaska draws won’t affect my plans this year unless I end up with an unexpected bonus hunt/tag. 2024 was a rocky year for me but 2025 is poised to be one of the best ever.
Scoot,
I wish my fall was going to be like yours, but I will probably be more like Brotsky. Lol!
Heck Mark, I was being optimistic. I usually just plan for disappointment!
Before too long a Wyoming general will be a OIL hunt.
Should (?) draw LE in colorado this year.
Setting on 5 points in WY, will most likely just let those go to dust due to back and knee issues. Can no longer do the steep mtns where we hunt there.
Where I hunt in Colorado isn't nearly as steep, so no issues there.
I honestly have no idea what I want to do this year. I should have enough points to draw Wyo gen elk tag, very close to drawing AZ elk but may swing for the fence there. I still have max points for deer and lope in Wyo but don't want to burn those quite yet until the populations rebound a little more. I may just swing for the fence again in Wyo and hope for a 2nd choice or RP cow tag. I want to really focus on Iowa whiteys this year.
Well 2024 sucked for me from a hunting standpoint. And I started a new job 4 months ago, so my time will still be limited for 2025. But I simply HAVE to hunt something in 2025.
I’m hopeful of finally drawing AZ elk. I don’t even care if it’s drought and their antlers are tiny. I need a hunt.
Otherwise, swing for the fences for sheep, moose and goat in all other states and hope to get lucky
Nick,
You are retired now. Every day is a hunting day. Do all of those hunts. :)
Applying for Wyo reduced price cow tag which I will draw and a Type 1 elk with zero points, probably still around 2% chance.
Bighorn Sheep and pronghorn are the only things I'll apply for in Sept.
Apply for everything I can in Montana and most likely end up hunting with my general tags for September through November. It's a win or win bigger situation
Applying for WY elk I think. My son and I have 7.5 points between us. Most likely just going for general tag. Unless someone knows a unit where 7.5 points will be better than a general tag. Thanks.
Put in for all kinds of stuff and end up disappointed.
All NM tags. Maybe CO elk since I have 16 points.
Already have Idaho tag in hand. But that won’t stop me from low odds/high demand applications in Wyoming (done), Arizona (not yet submitted), and NM low odds units (which describes every NR unguided unit quota). If lightning strikes and I draw one of the low odds tags, I will turn back Idaho.
PP only for elk and deer in CO. PP for WYO antelope and bonus point for ND antelope. (Also planning for when I pull one of the Big 3 OIL tags in my home state. But at 18 years and counting, not requesting PTO quite yet)
This year was busy Africa in summer, NM coues in Oct, CO mule deer in Nov, WY cow elk in Dec, along with plenty of whitetail hunting in OK/TX from Oct-Jan. Looks like I'll have a newborn come July so this year is gonna be a little slower.
Already have a couple outfitted hunts setup including AK deer, and TX mule deer. Only leaves time for one or possibly two shorter DIY trips this season. Applied for a general elk tag with 2 points hoping to get lucky in the random and decided to forgo the usual type 6 tag. Will apply for pronghorn and elk in AZ swinging for the fences and expecting nothing. Apply as usual in NM and hope to draw a amazing tag but will be happy with drawing my deer tag for a 3rd year in a row. Colorado is probably a no go this year burned my pronghorn points last year and deer points this year saving my elk for a outfitter hunt and already full this year. So unless I get really lucky and pull a moose or sheep tag don't see hunting Colorado in 25. Would also be great to finally draw the Custer SD bison tag . I've got the points for WY deer and maybe pronghorn (definitely if I spring for the special) could do one or both of those. Also could get a SD blackhills whitetail and/or west rivet deer tag make a western whitetail hunt out of it. Other draws later including SD pronghorn, OK, TX, AZ deer, javelina. I'm sure I'll end up with a tag or two as usual just not too many or the wife will change the locks when I'm gone.
Will put in for multiple elk tags out west and hope to beat steep odds to draw one of them.
Backup plan is a Missouri Squirrel Hunt.
I never started the tag applying game, so my hunts are whatever i can come up with on my own. Coues deer in Mexico in January. Aoudad in Teas in March. Pronghorn in CO & NE in August/September. Whitetail & Mule deer in Kansas & NE in October/November.
What ever Trevor is doing is my plan !! Less than 9 months !! Hunt
OR I can draw Antelope but I hate the area, and the monster crickets. Will do Archery Elk most likely. AZ going for a random Elk tag. WY Antelope, partner is set on a difficult area so I'll try for a random (I drew last year), he should get it. WY Deer and Elk are locks. UT random Elk, still a few years away on points.
I plan on hunting elk and deer in Colo and Wyo. Undecided about pronghorn in each state
My plans are to draw more tags in MT, AZ, NM, UT and NV than I can deal with. The reality is the depression will set in sometime in mid to late May after Nevada and Utah results are released and I’ve only got a cow elk and maybe a deer tag in a lower tier NV unit to look forward to.
S&S Spring bear in Canada DIY, Antelope 8 points WY, and try for random Gen, Nice draw Elk unit in CO, Whitetails in two states, Winter in the Caribbean /Latin America, and hopefully more time than not in BC all summer and depending how LEH goes we shall see.
Spring turkeys in Nebraska and Colorado. Archery elk in the Flat Top Wilderness area which I will draw that tag for sure. Maybe Nebraska whitetail tag. and then back to duck hunting in the Fall.. I still have 300# of moose meat and some left over elk to digest. Life is good.
Living in AK and especially moving to the interior has really changed my application plans because I have great hunting all year on OTC tags. Even the AK draw doesn't matter as much to me anymore.
So I still do 14 states, but mostly swing for the fence and build a lot of points for pronghorn whereas I used to have a mix of hard to draw and easier to draw tags. Anything I draw would need to get fit in or I'd have to cancel tentative plans for it.
Anything I do draw in the lower 48 will have to be good enough to pull me away from something here because I have amazing sheep/goat/moose/caribou hunting without even drawing a tag.
August and September are just not long enough.
May - kill t-Roy’s water buffalo before he gets there.
Sep 1-9, elk in BC. Might add on a few days of muley or goat, depending what permits are approved.
Late Sep - mule deer back in Saskatchewan. Possible antelope draw, been in the A pool for 3 years now.
October - depends on moose draw. 50/50 chance.
Oct/Nov - whitetails around home.
I'm just waiting for my Billing cycle to end on my C-card, then I'll convert my 2024 points into cash/Direct Deposit into my Hunt acct. so I can apply for Wyo Elk--0 points & Region G muley.
Then Az. Elk 4 pts (hunter Ed, Loyalty and normal points) This would be my 9 or 10th Bull elk tag if I draw again.
Point on Az Antelope as I'm saving them ( like I do in Nv & Wyo too) for when I'm too old and wore out to hunt elk and sheep.
Play it by ear on other states as those dates come around.
Good luck, Robb
Have a Newfoundland hunt already booked for moose and caribou in October so will have to dance around that a bit.
Will be going to see my boy in Alaska and am thinking to at least go for brown bear with him late August early September.
With those hunts already up, will most likely be points only for deer, elk, and antelope across the western states.
I will be focusing my applications on sheep, goat and moose tags around the dates I already have planned.
Wyoming and New Mexico elk
If I respect the odds, it'll be crickets on both :^(
Colorado is my sure thing but will apply in NM and Wyoming for shits and grins. Will most likely end up OTC in Co.
Have an Africa trip this year. Actually afraid to apply for anything. This would be the year to get a few tags.
Hunt with my boys .....bears, turkeys, deer and elk! Have enough to draw where I want in WYO for elk, almost there on deer. Will just buy pts there and in AZ. I drew special tag last year and didn't get to hunt with my boys enough so we'll be hunting together either on general tags or if they draw something special. Can't wait. Lots of fun to be had. We'll be picking antler soon and then it's off to the races.
family elk hunts in September in MT, spring gobbler in PA, Wyoming elk (hopefully) and fall bowhunt PA in November
Applying for WY and NM elk. Thinking I have good chances of drawing a general tag in WY. Hopefully can draw archery antelope again this year for MT.
Big year of planning in my house this year! I will hunt archery, tag will be based on if I draw 1st season rifle or not. I will also put in for an archery buck tag and see if I can get lucky with that. Kids will hunt for the first time, so will be planning around them moving forward. They aren't archers yet, so 2nd season will be the plan unless one of them can grab a 1st season in the secondary draw. We will all head to Minnesota for a deer hunt with family in early Nov. Might plan for a MT cow hunt with my brother around Thanksgiving.
See how it all pans out over the next couple of months!
Montana general
New Mexico gila
Just got on a lease in Kansas/Oklahoma
Probably won’t end up going anywhere because I just bought another horse for my kids. Hopefully they graduate soon.
My C-card billing cycle just ended so I put in the transfer points to Direct Deposit $$ this early AM.
I'll get Wyo elk done tomorrow morning and then Az. elk as soon as it opens up to apply.
Good luck, Robb
I’m going to Africa this year so that cuts into the time and money budget this year, if I can I’ll be applying for the new traditional archery thousand lakes mule deer unit in Utah. Other than that I’ll be building points and putting in for some great NM random tags
in a dilemma ...
I bought a 2025 Arizona tag and going with Wards in August. That's a 10 day vacation
I'm 56 this summer- I really want to do another DIY elk hunt - and I have 5 PP for elk so I could draw.
and I didn't draw Kansas in 2024 ... I've love to draw and go to Kansas again
can I swing 3 hunts ... 8-10 day'ers ..... I don't think I can
WY antelope
Points for the rest
Mexico Coues next week then grizzly in the Brooks Range in May!
WY Turkey KS Turkey WY Elk CO Mule Deer KS Whitetail
Will be praying to the Draw Gods for tags!
