Tag strategy

[Paxton2208]

Hey everyone,

I live in Iowa and have been wanting to get out west to hunt Elk next year 2021 and beyond. I don't know anyone interested in this style of hunting or with experience in getting tags etc. I was wondering what I should plan on doing for getting tags.

I will have 2 points in WY in January, I was planning on waiting until I have 5-6 points to put in for a draw there. Since that is 4-5 years away for me, I figured it would be a good idea in the meantime to try and go on some OTC hunts in CO or ID over the year to gain experience for the WY hunt when I eventually draw.

Is this wise, or are there better ways to gain experience etc?

I'm planning on rifle hunting and have no partner or anyone I need to plan around. I do a lot of bird hunting with my dogs here in Iowa and Whitetail hunt during the shotgun season in December. I'm a late onset hunter at 25 (started at 22) and have loved every minute of it.

TIA to anyone who shares a bit of wisdom!

 

[Boiler]

Might be a good idea to see if there are cow tags in the unit you are interested in wyoming. Then you can practice and scout at the same time.

 

[Paxton2208]

Might be a good idea to see if there are cow tags in the unit you are interested in wyoming. Then you can practice and scout at the same time.

Had another guy say the same thing! I'm looking into that right now, trying to narrow down a unit that I won't need a guide in. Thanks for the help I appreciate it!

 

[MountainTracker]

Are you trying to draw a specific unit in WY that requires 5-6 points? I ask bc if your goal is to obtain elk hunting experience you have a shot at drawing a gen tag in WY with the points you have. As far as learning about drawing tags there are some good podcasts which breaks down every state and the process. After listening to all of that, I’d then decide how much $ you are willing to donate to the cause every year. Based off of that you can decide which states you can put in for regularly and draw. For me I can get an OTC every year in my home state, and then I try and hunt one other place if possible. Some states I can reasonably hunt every year or every other. Other states I’m looking at years of applying. Another thing is what seasons do you want to hunt? That’s a factor that you need to weigh for drawing tags. If it was me I’d be putting in for tags I could draw on a regular basis and then supplement with OTC on off years. Also, make sure if you apply for a cow tag in a state you don’t loose your elk points you’ve accumulated if you draw, bc that’s a thing. Welcome to the rabbit hole of tags.


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[Paxton2208]

I don't have a specific unit in mind at this point. Just from what I heard I figured 5-6 points would get me a good chance at a nice bull down the road.

So far my plan is to apply for a draw in WY with a second choice cow tag and hope that I can get the cow tag to start gaining experience chasing elk. If I get neither my plan is Leftover or OTC Colorado, again just to get my feet wet hunting elk and being in the mountains for extended periods of time. I have read and found out if you get a cow tag you don't lose points in WY so I can keep building while also hunting and learning.

At this point I think I've got a decent plan nailed down so far, and it is a rabbit hole haha. Just wanting to get out and have a decent chance at bringing home meat.

Thanks for the help!

 

[MountainTracker]

I don't have a specific unit in mind at this point. Just from what I heard I figured 5-6 points would get me a good chance at a nice bull down the road.

So far my plan is to apply for a draw in WY with a second choice cow tag and hope that I can get the cow tag to start gaining experience chasing elk. If I get neither my plan is Leftover or OTC Colorado, again just to get my feet wet hunting elk and being in the mountains for extended periods of time. I have read and found out if you get a cow tag you don't lose points in WY so I can keep building while also hunting and learning.

At this point I think I've got a decent plan nailed down so far, and it is a rabbit hole haha. Just wanting to get out and have a decent chance at bringing home meat.

Thanks for the help!

Sounds like a solid plan. Good luck on your endeavors.


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[SummitsCalling]

For WY general elk tag, with 2 pts you are behind the guaranteed draw pool by 1 pt I believe. The pt creep keeps going up year after year, with no end in sight. You would think covid it would have damped down some demand but it hasn't. I expect '21 to get worst with CO cutting down numbers, along with ID no longer being friendly to NR. A multi state strategy is what everyone is doing now, so if you don't live in a state with elk, get a bunch of friends together and hopefully baring OTC tags between the few of you you'll have an opportunity every year from draws. Or pay for private land tags, but those prices I predict will be going up soon enough as they've already been trending upwards.

 

[Paxton2208]

Yeah it looks like I missed it by a year unfortunately. I don't really have a pool of friends so I'll just kinda be mimicking MountainTracker's plan and going for draws that I might be able to get and doing OTC when I dont get em.

Thanks for the help!

 

[jmez]

You have a good plan but need to consider point creep. If you are looking at a unit that took 5-6 points to draw this year, in 4 years when you have that point total that same unit will likely take 8-10 points . You will still be behind the 8 ball. Point creep is real and gets worse every year.

I'll give you my example. Good friend of mine lives in WY. He hunts the same unit every year. Told me to start applying for that unit, I'd need 3-4 points to draw it. I started buying points. When I got to 5, said unit took 10 to draw. Had to come up with a new plan as I was never going to catch up in that unit.

 

[Paxton2208]

So should I focus now on a unit that will only take 2-3 points to draw? That way I can be more or less caught up with the drawing? I have interest in unit 85 and I believe it was only a 2-3 point unit this year but I can't remember off the top of my head.

If that's the case I may have less time to prepare and learn than I thought.

Thanks for the response!

 

[SummitsCalling]

So should I focus now on a unit that will only take 2-3 points to draw? That way I can be more or less caught up with the drawing? I have interest in unit 85 and I believe it was only a 2-3 point unit this year but I can't remember off the top of my head.

If that's the case I may have less time to prepare and learn than I thought.

Thanks for the response!

I'm all about tags not units. I think you might be disappointed in some units that take 5-10 years to draw the way things are going. Especially with the ever changing political climate some F&G departments are up against. My buddy and I have never hunted the same unit, ever across the west. Let that sink in. We are batting 85% or success rate, hunting different places against different strategies makes you a better hunter. Being able to pick apart a unit quickly will separate you, that along with pure determination.

So with that, my advice to you is get a tag and go. You might not be successful for a few years while you cut your teeth, if you are determined enough you'll outlast many of the 1st weekend warriors who go home after the first sign of rain or snow. Going further and deeper is no longer a strategy, since it's just as crowded back there then 1-2 miles in as well

 

[Paxton2208]

Okay that makes more sense, just pick a tag that I can draw and go. I figure my first few trips would be unsuccessful hence the want to build up points but if the creep is so bad that it won't really matter then I'll just try and draw a tag sooner rather than later!

Thanks for the help!

 

[MountainTracker]

So should I focus now on a unit that will only take 2-3 points to draw? That way I can be more or less caught up with the drawing? I have interest in unit 85 and I believe it was only a 2-3 point unit this year but I can't remember off the top of my head.

If that's the case I may have less time to prepare and learn than I thought.

Thanks for the response!

If you purchase the more expensive tag you have a chance to draw that tag. I also like to have more tags in my pocket. Some people say having too many can cause problems but having none sucks more. I list my tags in order of most desirable, for example if I drew a NM, WY gen and had my local OTC, I’d drop my local tag in order to be sure to hunt NM first and then WY. If the stars ever aligned like that, you couldn’t get me stop smiling. It does happen though.


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[Bull_n_heat]

Okay that makes more sense, just pick a tag that I can draw and go. I figure my first few trips would be unsuccessful hence the want to build up points but if the creep is so bad that it won't really matter then I'll just try and draw a tag sooner rather than later!

Thanks for the help!

At this point in Wyoming, there would be little appeal to me to apply for anything other than general tag if I was a non-resident. Limited quota licenses are typically much more difficult to draw and don't necessarily have any higher quality hunts. In general units, you'll compete with the masses, but at least you get to hunt.

In reference to a particular unit, 85 should be a general tag for bull licenses, and there's probably no shortage of cow tags anywhere in the state. So, if just elk is your goal, throw your name in the hat there!

 

[Paxton2208]

At this point in Wyoming, there would be little appeal to me to apply for anything other than general tag if I was a non-resident. Limited quota licenses are typically much more difficult to draw and don't necessarily have any higher quality hunts. In general units, you'll compete with the masses, but at least you get to hunt.

In reference to a particular unit, 85 should be a general tag for bull licenses, and there's probably no shortage of cow tags anywhere in the state. So, if just elk is your goal, throw your name in the hat there!

Awesome, thanks for the help! Looks like that is the best option so far, I'll definitely be throwing my name in the hat this year for a tag!

 

[Jethro]

Decide what states you are interested in and learn the draw process. Study a few years of what it takes to draw the units and watch the way the points creep. Then make a plan for what you have a realistic chance to draw. No offense, but I'll wait till I have 5 or 6 points and then draw WY, is not a plan. Once you do the research you'll find that 5 points in WY isn't going to open up many quality possibilities that you don't have right now with your 2 points. Quite frankly, 5 points may not gain you anything.

Demand is high for tags and it can be difficult no doubt. But tons of forum posts about drawing tag frustration boil down to 2 things: not having a plan and/or having a plan that cannot realistically be achieved.

 

[Bull_n_heat]

Awesome, thanks for the help! Looks like that is the best option so far, I'll definitely be throwing my name in the hat this year for a tag!

You betcha - feel free to PM me if you'd like to follow up with any questions. Lots of options inside and outside WY for the guy that just wants to hit the hills

 

[Paxton2208]

Decide what states you are interested in and learn the draw process. Study a few years of what it takes to draw the units and watch the way the points creep. Then make a plan for what you have a realistic chance to draw. No offense, but I'll wait till I have 5 or 6 points and then draw WY, is not a plan. Once you do the research you'll find that 5 points in WY isn't going to open up many quality possibilities that you don't have right now with your 2 points. Quite frankly, 5 points may not gain you anything.

Demand is high for tags and it can be difficult no doubt. But tons of forum posts about drawing tag frustration boil down to 2 things: not having a plan and/or having a plan that cannot realistically be achieved.

Right, that makes sense. But I guess I'm stuck between thinking about using cow/otc tags to cut my teeth rather than "wasting" points on my first hunt when I know my odds of success are low. I don't know if 2-3 more points would make that difference when I have a few hunts under my belt or if I will feel as though I wasted the years not using points.

 

[bz_711]

I'm sure this thread has a lot of out of date info now, but still was helpful at the time: https://www.rokslide.com/forums/thr...nfo-on-buying-building-points-per-state.4981/

Also - make sure you don't somehow burn you points drawing a cow tag anywhere.

Good Luck!

 

[CB4]

Paxton, I am also from Iowa and am in a similar boat as yourself. I have gone to Idaho the last two years to chase bulls during the archery season. However I just started putting in for points in WY and CO this year. I was going to ID for the cheaper OTC tags and ease of access. However my plan going forward is to get tags for cows in other states and keep learning more before chasing bulls again. The last two years have been great even without filling my tags. If I can help with planning for gear or anything like that would be glad to offer my advice, but for tags specifically I am trying to learn all of that as well.