Hopefully everyone can experience the feeling at least once of winning the hunting lottery. If you put your name in for enough hunts, it’s bound to happen at some point. I’ve been lucky to beat some long odds over the 30 years I’ve applied for tags. These instances usually start with complete hysterical screaming in excitement followed by the heavy feeling of now what? In this article, I hope to give you some ideas on what I’ve done in the past, what worked, and what hasn’t.
Getting a premium tag for any species in today’s hunting climate is a feat in and of itself. Time is going to be your most likely adversary. The first thing I typically do when draw results come out, and something other than the usual “unsuccessful” is listed, is look at the calendar. When does the hunt start? How long does it last? How much work can be missed? Do I need to scout the unit? If applicable, loop your wife into this process to make sure crucial family events are noted. Create a plan to maximize your time and then do your best to stick to it.
Gather Information
Even when you draw a tag on your “home turf”, there’s always more to learn. I’ve drawn several premier tags in different states where I’d never previously stepped foot in the unit. In each case I’ve had to start with the basics which included studying maps, calling biologists and game wardens, looking at available harvest data, and finding as many hunters as possible that have experience in the given unit.
Maps have come a long way in the last handful of years. I spend hours studying Google Earth and OnX Hunt. I love OnX!! Get familiar with how to use the layering features that show migration routes, winter ranges, historical fires, landownership, and unit boundaries. If cellular service is questionable, be sure to download the maps to your device. I like to use Google Earth to more easily see a picture of the terrain and overall lay of the land. I find it easier to locate possible glassing knobs and spines that will provide the best vantages. I immediately start dropping pins in both apps listing applicable notes with the pins. I really try and get a basic understanding of names and access points prior to making any phone calls. I usually still get paper maps as a backup plan and try and have them out along with OnX at the ready while on the phone.
In 2004, I drew a premium early rifle elk tag in Arizona. One of my neighbors suggested I call Garth Carter with a publication called the “Huntin Fool”. Right off the bat Garth provided valuable insight on the unit and even told me of a set of sheds off a bull that was roughly 440” and alive in the unit. It was an easy sale, and I became a member during that phone call. With that membership, I had access to their database of hunters that had previously hunted the unit. I’ve since switched to Epic Outdoors and have picked their consultants’ brains numerous times. However, it is typically the members list that has proved valuable several times. Most often than not, I can find more than one individual that is willing to share their experiences. Be prepared to ask specific questions and take notes. Be willing to offer up information on units or hunts that may interest them. Don’t just ask, where do I go? I’ve made several new friends over the years through these member lists that have deepened my hunting network and access to information.
The unit biologist and game warden can also be of help. Again, be prepared to ask very specific questions. Propose areas and gauge their reactions. Ask when they last did ariel surveys and how they conducted them. Ask about sex ratios and age diversity. Ask them if they were to have the tag, how they would hunt it. I always ask if they are aware of any exceptional animals in the unit currently.
Scouting
Nothing replaces boots on the ground. Depending on what the hunt is, I try and spend as much time putting the data I’ve gathered to work. Finding water sources, feeding/bedding areas, and travel corridors should all be objectives. When hunting elk, look for signs of wallows and rubs. Even if the hunt is a later migration style hunt, when feasible, I try and lay eyes on where I’ll be hunting. Shed hunting can be a great way to prepare for these late season hunts.
If I can’t swing scouting days or if summer scouting isn’t as applicable, one option is to show up a few days before the season opens. In high pressure units this has been very helpful. Finding an animal right before the season opens and watching him until opening day has often led to having a jump on the masses.
I will also typically try and spend some time in out of the way areas that may not get all the attention. If you are looking for the oldest age class of animals, they likely won’t be in areas that get hunted the hardest. Thinking outside the box, looking for areas that can’t be easily accessed or glassed, can lead to finding something special.
Hire a guide
Depending on your circumstances, you may want to consider hiring an outfitter. I’ve always been a do it yourself type of guy. However, I fully agree with the fact that in some cases, if you really want to maximize your lottery tag, it is a great option. Guides will typically already be aware of animals alive in the unit to target. They will usually already know what areas to focus on to find these next level critters. If you are known for an itchy trigger finger, your guide can definitely help you hold your bullets!
How do you choose the right one? Be open and honest with them about what you are trying to achieve. Make sure your hunting styles match. If you will be going with one of the outfitter’s sub-guides, if possible, get them on the phone as well. Probably most importantly, get a reference list and contact as many of those clients as possible.
I’ve had two hunts on which I considered hiring an outfitter, the previously mentioned Arizona elk hunt and a Nevada desert sheep hunt. On the elk hunt, I think I went into it overconfidently. How hard could it be? The elk will be rutting, I’m an above average caller, and there were very few tags to compete against. I talked to a ton of people prior to the hunt. One of them was a long-standing guide that lived in the unit. He told me of a bull he was watching that was over 420” and he was confident we could find it. We chatted several times throughout the summer and for whatever reason, I decided not to book the hunt. He had taken a liking to me, I guess. When I told him of my decision, he circled an area on the map where the bull lived. I arrived in the unit 5 days early and even talked to the outfitter in person at his house. He was a great guy but since I didn’t book the hunt, he had made commitments that took him out of town the week of the hunt. In those 5 scouting days and in 5 days of the season, I never saw the bull. The area he lived in was thick and flat and even though the elk were vocal, I couldn’t get the giant in front of me. I did kill a respectable 340” bull on the last day but I’m convinced that not going with the outfitter cost me a giant. He knew the bull intimately. He knew all his habits and haunts. Even with a circle on the map, this was knowledge I didn’t have.
Conclusion
Ultimately, I find joy and satisfaction in doing the homework. I have grown to love talking to people about their experiences. Some are helpful, some are not. That’s part of the game. In all the long shot tags I have drawn, I have met new great people in the hunting community. I am learning to embrace the journey each hunt offers more and more the older I get. Special tags often come with heavy pressure. Don’t let this pressure take away from cherishing the opportunity at hand. Win that lottery, load, go and dominate!
