Start the planning and research now to ensure your next hunt is a memorable one
When it comes to planning a western hunt, there's a lot of things you need to think about before you step into the field.
If you have been paying attention to the Western hunting world over the past decade, there is no doubt that there has been a significant shift, making it more difficult for nonresidents to draw tags. Most of this shift is driven by the popularity of chasing big games in the western United States, and part of this shift is driven by state legislation. Western states continue to raise their tag costs for nonresidents and alter the availability of tags, making it harder — and sometimes even impossible — to hunt one state consistently year after year. This has caused us hunters to adjust our plans and think about hunting in different states, seasons and less frequently to find success whenever we get to be in the mountains.
As hunting out West continues to gain popularity, wildlife biologists, fish and game agencies, and other state personnel are left with the difficult task of judging the population and adjusting tag distribution accordingly. As they do this, tags become scarcer and scarcer, particularly in popular units that get overrun by hunters. GOHUNT Filtering and their standalone Draw Odds section allow you to see the previous season's draw odds as a way to see what your odds are going to be in the upcoming season. Of course, for the most part, there is no way to guarantee a tag for a season; however, you can do a few things to increase your odds. First, try to look at seasons a point down from your current preference point value. If you have three points in a particular state and GOHUNT Filtering is showing 50% odds to draw with three points, but 100% with two points, you might want to look at a unit that has 100% odds to draw with three, but 50% draw odds with four points if you desire to hunt that state this year and do not have a backup plan. Secondly, pay attention to tag allocations for that unit. If the odds were 100% last year with three points, but they reduced their tags for that unit, chances are the odds will decrease, and they are lowering their tags to manage herd growth. Paying attention to tag availability and pouring over the data at GOHUNT will show you what opportunities you may have in the upcoming season.
A factor that is starting to get in the way of western hunting is the cost of out-of-state licensing and draws. States like Montana and Wyoming have you apply and pay for your tag upfront with prices over $1,000 for a big game license while other states like Colorado make you purchase a qualifying license, then apply for tags. If money is tight, you can still go hunting yearly; however, you may have to adjust the expectations, states or species you are hunting based on tag costs. Typically, the price of an antelope tag is around 50% cheaper than an elk tag. If hunting elk is the only species you are after, you may have to save up and apply for a few years until you have the money and points needed to chase them in your chosen state. You can easily see the tag and application costs on GOHUNT's State Regulation page.
Also, be sure to check out this great article by Brady Miller on the cost of applying for hunting tags across the West.
Though tags can be expensive, nothing costs more money and time than the logistics of a hunt. Determining how you will get to your hunting ground is an enormous and complicated task, depending on where you live. You must consider the distance the state is from your current location, whether you will fly or drive. If you fly, you must rent a car suitable for the terrain of backcountry roads. If you drive, you must cover the gas, food, and hotel costs; however, if you harvest an animal, the cost of bringing your meat home will be significantly less if you drive. These are just the tip of the logistical thoughts you must think through when trying to pick the next state you hunt. If you are from Texas, it might make sense to try and draw a New Mexico or Southern Colorado tag as they are closest to your home. Yet, if you live in North Dakota, paying more for a Montana or Wyoming tag might make better financial sense then spending the extra gas money and time off of work to drive to Southern Colorado or New Mexico.
The hunt will make you think about the species, season, and terrain you might hunt. Dissecting these details is a huge consideration in Western hunting. If you are not physically fit, you may need to forgo an alpine mule deer hunt and chase whitetails or antelope on the plains where the elevation is primarily rolling hills or flat. If you don’t have cold weather gear, a November elk hunt in the mountains may not be something that you can complete this year. If you don’t have the finances to chase elk, you may have to choose a species with a cheaper tag if you want to get out West and chase animals. Ultimately, the hunt type can encompass many factors, but you can use GOHUNT Filtering to help you do your homework in a specific state.
Choosing to go out West is an excellent opportunity for any hunter, and the folks at GOHUNT are here to help every step of the way. That said, it isn’t as easy as driving out West and purchasing a tag from Walmart anymore in most states. Hunting consistently year after year requires a lot of planning and logistics to accomplish. My hunting group has a continuously adjusting future plan, using tag availability, financials and logistics to plan our hunts for the next few years. Our plan is elk hunting in Montana in 2024, Alaska in 2025, Montana in 2026, Wyoming in 2027, and so on. Each year, we purchase points where we can, while not purchasing them in states where we have no desire to hunt. Every year, we relook at tag allocations and logistics and determine the hunt types to ensure we capitalize on the years when we have the finances and physical ability to do the hunts we want. With some proper planning and research, you can come up with a successful future plan considering tag availability, costs, logistics, and hunt types.
