Premium Tag Advice/Lessons learned

[PLhunter]

So, I got crazy lucky and drew my first ever premium tag. A muzzleloader elk rut tag in one of Idaho’s best units. I’ve helped on one quality elk draw hunt with my dad back in the early 00’s, a OIL bison hunt, and a mountain goat hunt. Each one of those hunts I learned some lessons. One of which, the bison hunt, ended up a disappointing disaster. I’d like to hear other people’s advice on what they think they did right and what they wish they’d done differently. All perspectives are welcome. Thanks!

 

[JackButler]

I don’t know if this is advice. I’m a mule deer fanatic but elk I just don’t get that excited about. I lucked into a very exclusive elk tag a few years ago, that didn’t really cost me anything. On the first day I shot a 360 bull that I could drive the truck right to. I was thrilled, tons of guys will never shoot a bull like that in their life. But every once in awhile I think of what I might have gotten had I hunted as hard and was as selective as I am with deer.

 

[PLhunter]

I don’t know if this is advice. I’m a mule deer fanatic but elk I just don’t get that excited about. I lucked into a very exclusive elk tag a few years ago, that didn’t really cost me anything. On the first day I shot a 360 bull that I could drive the truck right to. I was thrilled, tons of guys will never shoot a bull like that in their life. But every once in awhile I think of what I might have gotten had I hunted as hard and was as selective as I am with deer.

Thanks, yeah mule deer are my favorite but there isn’t much of a gap. I spend a week each year hunting bugling bulls in wilderness zones in Oregon mule packing in. I love it but mule deer are my first true love.

A 360 bull is hard to beat. But the experience isn’t quite what it could have been for you, right? More about that than the quality of the animal? Every single one of the premium tags I’ve been on ended opening day. Which, all excepting the disastrous bison hunt, was fine. We wanted more days for the goat hunt but weather forced our hand. I would like to drag out the experience but not at the sacrifice of being successful. I hate the saying “don’t pass on the first day what you’d shoot on the last day.” Stupid logic, shooting that animal on day one cost me X days in the field. Shooting it on the last day cost me none.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Most important lesson: Stop and smell the proverbial roses, take a metric ton of photos and savor every moment of the hunt, even the pack out through the thick nasty.

Second lesson: Decide if you need to punch your tag in order for the hunt to be a success. Some folks are fine with eating a tag on a premium hunt. Others are not.

Guided makes sense for some hunts. No knowledge of the unit, too far to scout, insufficient time to scout, etc.

DIY with some close friends makes sense for some hunts. They may know the local landowners, historical patterns of the game, know the unit like the back of their hand, proven lethal on consistently killing the target species no matter where they are at.

Personally did guided on a premium elk hunt and that money spent was well worth it. Made new friends, learned a lot, and got a book bull. Not a premium tag but did the same on a black bear; that was money well spent after years of being a day late and a dollar short.

Seen the DIY route. Friend had a desert bighorn tag in a top unit and everyone came to help. In theory it's good but it was way too many people to coordinate and he did not enjoy the hunt nearly as much as he should have. Had two close friends with previous experience help with an on-base oryx hunt; time with them was the real trophy. Helped on a friend's family member ibex hunt. The ibex did exactly what he said they would do.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Good advice above. Have fun with it. That’s what is most important.

 

[CMF]

Second lesson: Decide if you need to punch your tag in order for the hunt to be a success. Some folks are fine with eating a tag on a premium hunt. Others are not.

Agree with this

I drew a premium tag for my first elk hunt. I just had a goal of killing a bull. Looking back, I wish I had held out for a larger bull, even if it meant going home empty. I would have gained additional days of experience in an area where we had a chance for multiple encounters a day and maybe ended up with something great. But, it took years of hunting to realize that. I'm not sure if I went back in time, if I could have talked myself into anything different.

 

[MuleyFever]

Just make sure you are having fun. It's something that you will reflect back on a lot so make good fun memories. Also, don't let anyone else tell you how you should hunt or what kind of animal you need to shoot. Do it your way.

 

[PLhunter]

Most important lesson: Stop and smell the proverbial roses, take a metric ton of photos and savor every moment of the hunt, even the pack out through the thick nasty.

Second lesson: Decide if you need to punch your tag in order for the hunt to be a success. Some folks are fine with eating a tag on a premium hunt. Others are not.

Guided makes sense for some hunts. No knowledge of the unit, too far to scout, insufficient time to scout, etc.

DIY with some close friends makes sense for some hunts. They may know the local landowners, historical patterns of the game, know the unit like the back of their hand, proven lethal on consistently killing the target species no matter where they are at.

Personally did guided on a premium elk hunt and that money spent was well worth it. Made new friends, learned a lot, and got a book bull. Not a premium tag but did the same on a black bear; that was money well spent after years of being a day late and a dollar short.

Seen the DIY route. Friend had a desert bighorn tag in a top unit and everyone came to help. In theory it's good but it was way too many people to coordinate and he did not enjoy the hunt nearly as much as he should have. Had two close friends with previous experience help with an on-base oryx hunt; time with them was the real trophy. Helped on a friend's family member ibex hunt. The ibex did exactly what he said they would do.

Looked into guided and prices were extreme for this unit $9,500. So, that’s out of the question and I’m not sure it’s right for me anyway. The bison hunt the lesson learned was to do guided or outfitted. We simply didn’t have the man or horsepower necessary for the job at hand in very remote terrain. My dad also was in atrial fibrillation the entire hunt and having a panic attack. Too much pressure.

This hunt has better access and I feel confident in being able to find a bull I’ll be happy with. I should have a crew of at least 3 maybe 5 to join me. These are core hunting partners that I’ve endured much with and they won’t drag it down. I exploded all my hunting partners fall that’s for sure. It is a long ways but planning one or two scouting trips and am going to show up 3 days early.

Your second lesson is one I need to reflect on. I want to have my cake and eat it too. I want to savor the hunt and spend time on it but I know I also want the experience of having harvested a mature bull. I’ve harvested several rag horns and one bigger 5 (285) but never a truly large one. From other hunts I know that you need to take time to see animals soon before having a weapon in hand. Otherwise a slow starting day can spiral into thinking you have to take the next decent animal. Quickly feels like a week has gone by.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Looked into guided and prices were extreme for this unit $9,500. So, that’s out of the question and I’m not sure it’s right for me anyway. The bison hunt the lesson learned was to do guided or outfitted. We simply didn’t have the man or horsepower necessary for the job at hand in very remote terrain. My dad also was in atrial fibrillation the entire hunt and having a panic attack. Too much pressure.

This hunt has better access and I feel confident in being able to find a bull I’ll be happy with. I should have a crew of at least 3 maybe 5 to join me. These are core hunting partners that I’ve endured much with and they won’t drag it down. I exploded all my hunting partners fall that’s for sure. It is a long ways but planning one or two scouting trips and am going to show up 3 days early.

Your second lesson is one I need to reflect on. I want to have my cake and eat it too. I want to savor the hunt and spend time on it but I know I also want the experience of having harvested a mature bull. I’ve harvested several rag horns and one bigger 5 (285) but never a truly large one. From other hunts I know that you need to take time to see animals soon before having a weapon in hand. Otherwise a slow starting day can spiral into thinking you have to take the next decent animal. Quickly feels like a week has gone by.

$9.5K is steep for elk.

I'd look at doing at least two scouting trips. Grab 2 hunting partners, ones that will be hunting with you, and get the lay of the land. Maps and satellite views don't always tell the truth. Take notes. Come back and pour over everything with them and come up with several game plans. Take them back out and check out the feasibility of them. This may include splitting up and actually hitting the trails to make sure there are no major surprises. If you can swing a third scouting trip, awesome. If not, you'll be there early before the hunt.

Only you can answer about the tag soup. How often will you be elk hunting? Easier to eat a tag if frequently but once a decade and the soup may not be that good. But being out with a core group is pretty sweet. A 270" with great friends can be a better trophy than a solo 330".

 

[PLhunter]

$9.5K is steep for elk.

I'd look at doing at least two scouting trips. Grab 2 hunting partners, ones that will be hunting with you, and get the lay of the land. Maps and satellite views don't always tell the truth. Take notes. Come back and pour over everything with them and come up with several game plans. Take them back out and check out the feasibility of them. This may include splitting up and actually hitting the trails to make sure there are no major surprises. If you can swing a third scouting trip, awesome. If not, you'll be there early before the hunt.

Only you can answer about the tag soup. How often will you be elk hunting? Easier to eat a tag if frequently but once a decade and the soup may not be that good. But being out with a core group is pretty sweet. A 270" with great friends can be a better trophy than a solo 330".

I elk hunt every year and we are in elk every year. We’ve seen some nice bulls too but I’m talking 330ish nice. The elk get plenty of pressure and encounters are many and shot opportunities few. We talk to bulls everyday but bringing them in has alluded us except a handful of times in 10 years. My last bull was 3 years ago and it was our groups last bull too. What I’m looking forward to or hoping for is the opportunity to call in bulls. I’d love to pass on a handful of bulls that come in well with hopes for a better bull. That would be a dream. Just to get the whole show. I’ve only had it a couple of times.

The scouting is something I need to figure out. I have a 6 and 3 year old so hitting the road isn’t without its consequences. I’m thinking of bringing the 6 year old on the initial trip aimed at just getting an idea of the unit and terrain. It’s about 8.5 hours away from me. Also thanks a lot for the advice. Just talking it through is helpful. Ha, also doesn’t hurt to have it be someone else’s suggestion that I scout twice instead of myself when I lay out the plan for my wife.

 

[LongWayAround]

I drew a really good archery elk tag in Colorado last year and had the best hunt of my lifetime. It had a bittersweet ending, and I made a few mistakes along the way.

All in, I would say the biggest things I took away were the value of doing your research before you get there. Seeing elk is cool, but it's more important to figure out access points, game plans, and where to expect pressure.

The other big point is to give yourself plenty of time, which I'm sure will be difficult with two young kids. If you have limited time, you will feel the pressure of the clock ticking.

There's more to it than just killing a big elk. I would rather tag a good bull in the right situation with your buddies than worry about chasing the next one. Big bull opportunity is great, but don't overlook a quality experience along the way.

 

[Rich M]

You seem to want the hunt more than an elk.
Decide that up front.

Also set your size up front, in case it is a first day kind of thing. I dont get enough time or hunts to pass a quality animal that beats my minimum size.

If you are just in it for the fun of the hunt and not the kill - why bother chasing premium hunts?

 

[WRO]

$9.5K is steep for elk.

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It’s the going rate for a tag of that caliber, I’m guessing it was Hoby Gartner that quoted it, he’s a legend and I’m guessing it’d be 2 or 3 on 1.

Most elk hunts that are worth a dam or over 10k.

I’d go guided if you can swing it, I’ve killed 30 elk diy and guided a pile more, and helped on more than I can count. There’s no replacement for knowledge of the land.

You mentioned you’re 8.5 hours drive a way, 3 s scouting trips and feeding 5 of your buddies plus any help with fuel etc and you’re in the 5-6k total ballpark of costs with fuel etc.

Not to mention no stress besides financial.

Buddy killed a 394 and 404 with hobie a couple years ago.

 

[Marble]

So, I got crazy lucky and drew my first ever premium tag. A muzzleloader elk rut tag in one of Idaho’s best units. I’ve helped on one quality elk draw hunt with my dad back in the early 00’s, a OIL bison hunt, and a mountain goat hunt. Each one of those hunts I learned some lessons. One of which, the bison hunt, ended up a disappointing disaster. I’d like to hear other people’s advice on what they think they did right and what they wish they’d done differently. All perspectives are welcome. Thanks!

My best advice is to scout it out thoroughly. Know where you will camp, pick places to hunt and know the terrain. The amount of work you put in prior will pay off when the season comes.

And practice with that muzzle loader. Know the gun well and it's accuracy.

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[Marble]

Thanks, yeah mule deer are my favorite but there isn’t much of a gap. I spend a week each year hunting bugling bulls in wilderness zones in Oregon mule packing in. I love it but mule deer are my first true love.

A 360 bull is hard to beat. But the experience isn’t quite what it could have been for you, right? More about that than the quality of the animal? Every single one of the premium tags I’ve been on ended opening day. Which, all excepting the disastrous bison hunt, was fine. We wanted more days for the goat hunt but weather forced our hand. I would like to drag out the experience but not at the sacrifice of being successful. I hate the saying “don’t pass on the first day what you’d shoot on the last day.” Stupid logic, shooting that animal on day one cost me X days in the field. Shooting it on the last day cost me none.

I would drag out the experience (or extend it, I like that description better) by scouting trips and range trips.

I would galdly fill a tag opening morning after knowing I scouted a bunch and had a good idea of what to expect when it comes to the animals that will be around to hunt.

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[Maverick1]

Just enjoy the hunt. Do not put too much pressure on yourself to fill the tag, either before, during, or after the hunt. That can be stressful and remove the joy from the overall experience.

 

[PLhunter]

You seem to want the hunt more than an elk.
Decide that up front.

Also set your size up front, in case it is a first day kind of thing. I dont get enough time or hunts to pass a quality animal that beats my minimum size.

If you are just in it for the fun of the hunt and not the kill - why bother chasing premium hunts?

The fun of the hunt can have a lot more fun in it when big ole bulls are bugling and turning up day after day. That’s part of the reason to chase premium hunts. My size will depend on my scouting trips. But 350 and up is the goal in my head, But if I fall in love with a particular bull I’ll chase him to the end.

 

[PLhunter]

I would drag out the experience (or extend it, I like that description better) by scouting trips and range trips.

I would galdly fill a tag opening morning after knowing I scouted a bunch and had a good idea of what to expect when it comes to the animals that will be around to hunt.

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That’s how my dad’s premium elk tag went. We were tagged out by 10 am opening morning but the 6 scouting trips he went on left him fulfilled. It was an hour away though and we had horses back then too.

My buddies goat hunt was opening day and while we had dreams of bivy hunting them at 9000 ft for days on end a snowstorm put an end to those dreams but the scouting trips and long phone calls planning left us satisfied. Also, the pack out to base camp stretched out until 1 am so that added bonus time haha.

My dad’s bison hunt was tough. We turned up one bison on a two day scout. Got there two days early. Saw nothing. Our horses were killed in a tragic accident a month before the hunt. The rental horses were terrible and ran off hobbled 3 miles in backcountry and required the tracking job of my life to find. My dad was in afib and a snowstorm was coming. While my dad had already suffered hypothermia on a 50 degree day. (Cotton and afib). We got into a herd finally in the evening and shot the biggest one. Which ended up being a cow, legal but not the goal. I processed a bison in aspen deadfall by myself for 10 hours while my dad was unable to do anything. Almost as bad as one can go.

If it were you would and you were coming from a long ways away would you maybe do one scout trip and then come in like 5 days early to bump the experience up? That’s something I’m considering.

 

[Marble]

That’s how my dad’s premium elk tag went. We were tagged out by 10 am opening morning but the 6 scouting trips he went on left him fulfilled. It was an hour away though and we had horses back then too.

My buddies goat hunt was opening day and while we had dreams of bivy hunting them at 9000 ft for days on end a snowstorm put an end to those dreams but the scouting trips and long phone calls planning left us satisfied. Also, the pack out to base camp stretched out until 1 am so that added bonus time haha.

My dad’s bison hunt was tough. We turned up one bison on a two day scout. Got there two days early. Saw nothing. Our horses were killed in a tragic accident a month before the hunt. The rental horses were terrible and ran off hobbled 3 miles in backcountry and required the tracking job of my life to find. My dad was in afib and a snowstorm was coming. While my dad had already suffered hypothermia on a 50 degree day. (Cotton and afib). We got into a herd finally in the evening and shot the biggest one. Which ended up being a cow, legal but not the goal. I processed a bison in aspen deadfall by myself for 10 hours while my dad was unable to do anything. Almost as bad as one can go.

If it were you would and you were coming from a long ways away would you maybe do one scout trip and then come in like 5 days early to bump the experience up? That’s something I’m considering.

It depends on a few things for me as far as what I would do. If I'm hunting elevation like 9k plus, I would want 3-4 days to get acclimated to the altitude. It helps a lot. I typically elk/mule deer hunt in 10- 11.5k range. '

As far as scouting, the first thing I want is to get a lay of the land to know where everything is. Groceries, gas, stores etc. Camp is important to have figured out. That takes a few days just to get figured out so you don't burn that time when you get there to hunt. My scouting is more logistics if it is the first time I'm in an area. I've never had a problem finding animals.

If I have all the logistics figured out, then the 3-4 days I get there early I spend on glass. I'll also make the drive and sometimes the hike I plan on doing just so that when opening morning comes, there are fewer surprises.

If I'm hunting on horses, I like to give them a ride the day before just to get their nervousness out. It seems to make opening morning much smoother. Plus if you are renting stock, you can figure out what order to put them in and also which ones are easy to saddle and ride.

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[ShortMagFan]

in my vast elk hunting experience - consisting of a single hunt 15 years ago - I passed a great bull in the first 15 minutes of the hunt. Then killed a rag horn on the last day. Wouldn’t trade the much better bull for the extra 4 days of hunting I got