Application Strategy

Transcription

1 Dave Garth Loescher Carter Founder Landowner Tag Specialist Everyone s application strategy is different, typically due to age, past hunting experiences, success and financial considerations, and what is left on the bucket list. Being in my early 60 s, having no children at home, trying to spend our kids inheritance, and realizing that there may be only a handful of hunting years left, my strategies are unique, but they may coincide with a few of the other Huntin Fools out there. Because I have been in the wildlife arena all of my working life I have had a huge amount of hunting opportunities with successes from Alaska and northern Canada to Sonora, Mexico. Therefore my hunting standards and desires are typically higher than the average 60 year old guy who is facing retirement. For example, I will apply for hunts, buy landowner tags, or go on guided hunts only if there is a chance for a 380" plus elk, 200" plus Mule deer, 170" plus Whitetail, or a book sheep. Am I spoiled? Yes I have been spoiled about 40 years of excellent western big game hunting on some of the West s premium units. Hopefully I will get about 10 more years of hunting in. So what is next? To obtain tags that may produce the quality of hunt and animals I am interested in, I am very selective. First, I have learned my lesson in trying to do my own hunt applications, so I have our License Application Service which just happens to be my daughter, Jenny, do them for me. That way I do not miss any deadlines. I am one of those guys who buys at least one chance for every raffle tag for Governor type permits that I know of. I like my name in the hat. If I could, I would buy at least one of our Membership Drive ticket packages because these hunts meet my tag requirements as well as my guide/ outfitter requirements. I apply in every western state, even if some of those applications are for points only. My philosophy is that if a state is not producing trophy critters now, then buy points. Something may change, and those points are like money in the bank. I only apply for points only if I would not take a tag, otherwise I apply for the actual tag. Do not wait and apply for points only for hard-to-draw tags like sheep or the best elk and deer units in the West. Try to draw those tags every year. For big sheep I always apply for tags in every western state but only in the top units because if I draw, I want to hunt a book ram. Because I am not ready to hunt Shiras moose yet I apply for points only in Wyoming and Colorado and the best moose unit in Montana. For Mountain goats I apply in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. When it comes to big elk, 380" plus bulls, I apply for tags in Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and New Mexico, otherwise I build points. With that said I always buy at least two landowner elk tags annually, typically again in Utah, Nevada, and New Mexico. For giant Mule deer I try to draw or buy landowner tags in Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. I also try to pick a tag or two on an Indian Reservation, in addition to hunting Sonora annually. Big Mule deer are extremely hard to find, but Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada are your best bets. Since I used up my max points status in Arizona, I now apply for a trophy Coues deer unit every once in a while. I typically do at least one exploratory hunt for Mule deer and elk each year because that is where you find the new areas for big deer and elk. Mostly these are comprised of outfitted hunts that come with guaranteed tags that Jeff Warren, our booking consultant, recommends. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they do not. In reality if I apply in all of the western states for pretty much all of the species available to a non-resident, I will have less than 1,000 non-refundable dollars invested. For me that is a reasonable price to pay, kind of like the cost of doing business, for a future of good hunts. Application strategies go hand in hand with buying a landowner tag or two or picking up a guided hunt once in a while. It is all about being in the woods each fall, and it takes tags to do that. Apply, Apply, Apply! Garth on an Exploratory Hunt in Madison Valley Montana with his 2013 buck 16

2 Jeff Warren Outfitter Specialist It s that time of year again where I start to strategize and scheme about how I can draw a tag or two for the next hunting season. With that being said, I don t live and die for draw tags. I am going to hunt regardless of my success in the various state draws that I get involved with. Over-the-counter tags and landowner tags ensure that I hunt numerous times each hunting season. Drawing a coveted tag is merely icing on my hunt schedule cake. In Arizona I hunt archery Coues deer or Mule deer with over-the-counter tags. I don t have many points in Arizona for any species because I was too busy guiding hunters for a living and didn t have time to hunt if I did happen to draw a tag, so building points in Arizona was not on my radar for the last 20 years. Now I m too old to worry about it! I have drawn two great elk tags in Utah, and I can start putting in again in 2014 after my latest 5-year waiting period. I will put in for units with 350" potential and not hold my breath! Utah s general deer season is all about going with my sons and grandsons when they draw tags. Sadly my home state has lost my attention when it comes to trophy Mule deer. I apply for Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep and expect to draw a tag in the next 6-7 years as I have accumulated a good amount of sheep points. Colorado has my undivided attention for Mule deer. I will hunt the same unit each year until Old Man Winter dictates otherwise. I can draw my favored deer unit with one or two points. In the years that I don t draw I purchase a landowner tag. I will not miss a year of hunting deer in Colorado! Elk is an over-the-counter archery tag unit for me, and I am still hunting different units each year, trying to figure out where I want to land for good. I don t apply for sheep or goats as they are not high on my list. Wyoming is a state that I have toyed with in the past, and I am currently building deer points there. Hopefully I will find an area in the future that will be worthy, in my mind, to burn some points on. I hunted a general elk unit in 2013 and had an exceptional hunt. I will do that again in General tags can be drawn with 0 points, and that s how I obtained my tag in I don t apply for any species in Idaho, but I really enjoy hunting over-the-counter areas for Whitetail. It is something that I have done and will continue to do every year. Montana has become my back-up plan if all else fails. Deer tags can be purchased over-the-counter, and there is nothing like a good deer and pheasant hunt to fill in my hunt calendar, if needed. I apply for almost everything Nevada has to offer, and I have enough points now that a tag or two is somewhere in the near future. I consider the money spent in Nevada to be a good investment on a quality hunt. New Mexico is a landowner elk tag state for me. I don t apply for any species as I m bullheaded and don t like the way they treat non-resident hunters in the draw. I won t play their game! I generally throw a few dollars at some of the raffle tag hunts in different states for elk, deer, sheep, and bear. You never know when you might get lucky, and it doesn t have to be a big investment. The bottom line for me each fall is to simply hunt! Taking great trophies is obviously a bonus, but I need to be out and about pursuing the species that make my heart race. Jeff with his Utah non-typical that he harvested with a landowner tag

3 It is unbelievable how quickly time goes. As the curtain closes on the 2013 Dave Loescher hunting season it is time to assemble a plan for As hunters we need to always learn from previous years and research Landowner as much as we can to develop a new Tag Specialist strategy and apply for the upcoming year. My application strategy is probably similar to many of yours who are reading this. In states that consider more than one choice and also provide a random chance to draw a tag, I shoot for the stars on my first choice. My secondary choices are then filled with hunts that I have a legitimate chance at drawing. As a father of children who are of hunting age I have to consider their points and season dates when trying to put together my upcoming fall applications. This requires much more analysis, and a spreadsheet has proven to be a great tool to help visualize the points and hunt dates. Here is my state--state summary of how I apply. Arizona is what I consider to be my home state and is also home to World Class animals of all species. This is also a great state to get the kids involved in since they can apply as long as they turn 10 years old prior to the hunt you are applying them for. Personally I approach Arizona differently than most non-residents thanks to my lifetime hunting license that I purchased prior to moving to Utah. Although I pay non-resident tag fees if drawn, I am not subject to the 10% non-resident cap. Residents of Arizona have a much higher random chance at drawing coveted tags than non-residents. Pay close to attention to the comments section in the Huntin Fool magazine to find the minimum points needed to draw a particular hunt as a non-resident and if any random chance of drawing exists. I do not apply in California. With the high cost of applying and the virtually non-existent chance at drawing a permit, I do not see the need to apply. Whenever I hear that someone does not apply for deer in Colorado I cannot help but think that they are missing the boat. The point creep (minimum number of points needed to draw a tag increasing over time) is very real, but there are many areas in Colorado that can be drawn with a weapon other than a rifle on a fairly regular basis. The few top-shelf elk units offer very few tags, so the point creep is horrible. If you are not already sitting on a pile of elk points, then it is somewhat discouraging to think that you will catch up. I apply for deer and Bighorn sheep in Colorado, and I occasionally purchase a landowner deer voucher on years when I do not draw the tag that I am after. My kids are also applying and building points in Colorado. Typically I apply for either deer or moose in Idaho. Idaho has some big Mule deer in certain areas, and typically a chance at a tag for big Mule deer will always draw me in. I am building points now to draw an archery tag in Iowa on a year that fits my calendar. Dave with his Arizona Bull Kansas is a great state to archery hunt Whitetail during the rut. The key here is 18

4 determining an area that you want to hunt and then securing permission, leasing a property, or hiring an outfitter for access. I apply for Bighorn sheep and bison in Montana. Their elk and Mule deer have not really excited me enough to apply. The odds of drawing a New Mexico elk tag are slim in the better units, but I apply as no one has a bonus/preference point advantage. If you want to shoot a big Desert sheep one day, then you must swallow hard and pony up the funds and apply in New Mexico. Someone will draw the tag, and we all have the same chance. Ibex is also a species that I am interested in hunting one day, so I apply for it as well. I apply for all species in Nevada. Living only 1 hour away from the Nevada state line makes it an exciting option, since scouting is very possible. I also apply for the Silver State and Dream tags in Nevada. I currently do not apply for any species in Oregon due to the high cost and slim chance of drawing a tag. As a resident of Utah I am forced to select one species from deer, elk, and antelope. For me that is an easy choice, and Mule deer is the winner. I apply for archery deer in Utah in a limited-entry area and also for archery deer in a general unit. I apply my kids for general deer as well but with a rifle, and I also apply them for limited-entry elk hunts. As a resident I can only apply for one of the once-ina-lifetime species, and my choice is Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep. My kids applications are the only ones I fill out for Washington each year. It is very inexpensive to apply youth for sheep, moose, and goat tags in Washington. I personally do not apply for any species due to the high cost and difficulty of drawing tags. Wyoming is a great state to hunt! I apply for Bighorn sheep, elk, deer, bison, and antelope. I also get the kids involved in Wyoming. Antelope are everywhere in this state, and they are made for youth hunters! My application strategies have changed over the years, and I am sure they will continue to change as my kids grow and my interests change. It is fun to put together a plan each year, and I keep my fingers crossed and hope to see a few tags arrive in the mailbox. Good luck! Application Strategy Robert Hanneman Research Specialist Researching and trying to find the next great hunt is something I love to do and work hard at doing. I spend my winter days going over state statistics and researching new areas. My strategy is fairly simple apply for as many great tags as possible and pray I draw a few, and then fill in the rest of the season with over-the-counter tags from Montana, Idaho, and Oregon. A typical year for me consists of 6-10 hunts. I never worry about drawing too many great tags since the odds are against it. I apply for Dall sheep in the TOK and Delta units with an outfitter in Alaska. Since I have my hunting license, I also apply for elk, caribou, Musk ox, buffalo, and moose. I choose units where I could go self-guided and have a reasonable chance at a trophy animal. In Arizona I apply for archery deer on the Strip as I am two points behind max. I always apply for antelope, archery elk, and Desert Bighorn sheep. I have drawn two elk tags in Arizona, and hopefully I will have my third tag in the next few years. I apply for Tule elk, antelope, Desert Bighorn sheep, and muzzleloader Blacktail deer in California. I know I will draw my deer tag in the future, but California is the

5 hardest state for me to justify. If I ever decide to drop a state, California will be the first one to go. Idaho is one of my favorite states to hunt. Every year I apply for deer, elk, and antelope. I have been lucky over the years and have drawn four great tags. My biggest Mule deer and antelope were taken in Idaho. Years that I do not draw many tags will find me with an over-the-counter archery elk or Mule deer tag for Idaho. Being born and raised in Nevada, it is my #1 state to apply in. I apply for everything except elk as I drew an archery tag in 2006 and cannot apply again until I apply for Mule deer in the northern half of the state because the draw odds are better and I am always impatient for my next Nevada deer tag! I apply for deer, elk, Ibex, and Bighorn sheep every year in New Mexico. My deer application always has 2B archery as my first choice, followed Coues deer as my other choices. For elk I am archery across the board. I helped a friend a few years ago on an Ibex hunt, and it was amazing, so I apply rifle first followed muzzleloader. If I ever get the time, I would love to try to hunt them with a bow. Utah has great animals, but unfortunately I cannot draw a tag there. I have been applying for 15 years, but I switched around which animals I applied for and do not have enough points to draw anything. Since I am a non-resident, I apply for everything. I should draw an archery elk tag in the next few years. Being a resident of Montana allows me to hunt elk, deer, and bear on over-the-counter tags every year. I also take full advantage of the draw and apply for elk, deer, moose, goat, Bighorn sheep, antelope, and buffalo. I alternate applying for Bighorn sheep and hunting the unlimited Bighorn sheep units. The year 2014 will find me once again hunting sheep in an unlimited unit. Montana has been good to me with a moose tag in unit 102 and a goat tag in unit 329. I have enough points to draw any Whitetail tag in Kansas, so I am waiting for the right time to go. I have been building points for deer and plan on hunting archery deer in 2014 in Iowa. In Texas I apply for Desert Bighorn sheep. The odds are tough, but it is so cheap to apply. I apply for Canadian moose in Maine, since I have never harvested one. The draw odds are tough, but a good friend of mine has drawn twice in the last 10 years. I also apply for Canadian moose in Vermont and in New Hampshire. The odds are tough in Kentucky, but with cheap application fees and big bulls I apply there for elk. Pennsylvania is the same as Kentucky but with bigger bulls, so every year Pennsylvania gets my application fees. As you can see I put in for a ridiculous amount of tags, but every year I draw between one and three great tags and then fill in the rest of my season with over-the-counter tags. One of the main reasons I apply for such a large variety of species and states is that I love seeing new country and experiencing different climates and cultures. Oregon is my sleeper state. One of my best archery bulls was taken in an easy to draw unit. I have a lot of points for deer and antelope, but with the way their system works I may never draw the tag I want. I apply for California Bighorn sheep, archery deer, archery elk, and antelope. Years when I am light on quality tags, you can find me chasing over-the-counter Blacktail deer and Roosevelt elk with a bow. In Wyoming I apply for deer, elk, antelope, and Bighorn sheep every year. I also buy a point for moose every year since I am close to drawing a tag and want to find the best opportunity to harvest a Shiras moose with my bow. I have been lucky in Wyoming over the years and have drawn some great tags. I apply for archery Bighorn sheep and points for elk in Colorado. I used my points for deer in 2013 for a third season hunt, so I will be buying a landowner tag in 2014 or trying to draw an archery tag. Robert with his Montana Archery Mtn Goat 20

6 Drew Dockstader Advertising Sales Specialist In Utah, as well as in most states, we have different seasons of the year. The season of year that I never want to forget is the application season. It always precedes the draw season, which is followed hunting season. If you are reading this, then you are a Huntin Fool member and you have good reminders not to forget application season, but if you do, you can forget about the hunting season unless you are willing to buy a landowner tag or an auction tag. For years it seemed that I was the person in my family and among my friends whose responsibility it was to make sure everyone submitted their applications on time. Huntin Fool is a very valuable tool to get the process started. The ground work has already been done for you as far as stats and draw odds go. I especially like looking at stats before I apply for any given species. Whether you are looking at them to decide which units have the best trophies or which have the best drawing odds for a particular game animal, studying the stats can help put Lady Luck in your favor or Drew with his Alberta Whitetail can ensure that if you are searching for a true wall hanger you are putting in for the right units. The one smart thing I did in my home state of Utah was buy my two sons and myself a lifetime license when they were available. Even though my youngest son was only 6 years old at the time we are now guaranteed a general season deer tag and a fishing and small game license each year. Some states still offer this license, and it is a very good investment for your hunting future. If you are a resident of Utah, you can only apply for one limited-entry species and one once-in-a-lifetime species, so most of my bonus points are for Mule deer and Desert sheep. I have max points in Nevada for Desert sheep and a lot of points for deer. Since some states require you to buy a license to accumulate points, you may as well put in for all of the big game animals you would like to hunt because you never know when you re going to get lucky and draw a great tag. For example, I drew Nevada for elk in 2012 with only 6 points. Most of the western states have very difficult tags to draw, but many have easy tags as well. If you enjoy hunting like I do, you can put in for some really good units in some states and some almost guaranteed tags in others to ensure that you will be in the field when fall arrives. I have enough points in Iowa to draw an archery tag for Whitetail next year. I also have enough points in Colorado to draw a third season tag for deer in some units. I drew a Coues deer tag in Arizona last year, and I have a lot of sheep and elk points, but I will probably either be in an old folks home or dead before I draw one of those with the way they run their draws. When all of the draw results have come out and you did not draw a tag, there are some good over-the-counter opportunities from states like Idaho and Colorado that will scratch your got-to-go-hunting itch. All in all, my best strategy for drawing a tag is to not forget the application season!

7 Travis Roundy Business Development Specialist One of the most fun times of the year for me is the application season. I have always been more aggressive with my applications because I have the attitude that I d rather hunt more than accumulate more bonus and preference points. I tend to apply for areas that are relatively easy to draw and then expect to have to work a little harder to produce the kind of results that I want. In my home state of Utah I apply for the Paunsaugunt archery buck deer hunt as my go-to choice for big bucks. I also apply for a general deer tag in one of the southern units close to home so I can hunt after work and with my kids without extensive travel. I expect to have a tough hunt and only occasionally kill a good buck. It s mostly to teach the kids how to hunt. I also apply for Desert Bighorn sheep points only. I have enough points to draw one of the less sought after units, but I m waiting for a break in my work and hunting schedule so I can draw the sheep tag and really enjoy a good sheep hunt. In Arizona I apply for points only on Desert sheep, Mule deer, antelope, and elk. I have less than max points on all of them, so I m planning to draw a decent area and hunt hard when I finally get enough points to be in the running for a tag. Colorado is my go to state for Mule deer. I apply for points only, and I either draw a second choice hunt or purchase a landowner tag. I do not miss the Colorado deer hunt for any reason as I feel it s the best place to hunt a giant buck for the money. I also apply for Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep and elk in Colorado. For elk I plan on using my points when I build up to six or seven. I won t wait long enough to draw unit 61 or one of the other high demand units. Wyoming is another state that I enjoy for Mule deer. I apply for regions G or H every year. Even though the hunting isn t like it used to be, there are still some great deer scattered throughout the rugged mountains. I apply for antelope points only until my kids have enough points to draw an average unit and then we go have a fun family antelope hunt. I buy points for elk in Wyoming and plan to draw a tag along with one or two of my kids a few years down the road. I apply for Mule deer and elk in Idaho but only for the premium areas. I ve never drawn a really great tag there yet. I apply for everything Nevada has to offer. They make you buy the license to build points, so to get my money s worth I apply for a top area for every animal. I ve drawn deer a couple of times, and I ve drawn a great elk tag and one antelope tag. All of the hunts were very high quality. I apply for Mule deer, elk, and Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep in New Mexico. I rarely draw, but when I do it is a quality hunt. I always hunt Mexico, even though it s not a draw. The Mule deer hunting there is my favorite hunt of the year. It s relaxing, and I always find a big buck or two. I also apply for Indian Reservation hunts, but only when I don t have any other good hunts lined up. As my backup plan when I fail to draw enough tags I head for Idaho and pick up a general season deer or elk tag or I head to Colorado and pick up an over-the-counter bull elk tag. Now that my kids are old enough to go with me I look for opportunities to find reduced price youth tags so we can all go on a budget. Idaho and Colorado really take care of the kids in that department. We can hunt on a working man s dollar and have a chance at some decent bucks and bulls. I always buy raffle tickets for every drawing I can find for sheep. I also buy tickets for super tags for Mule deer and elk where they are offered. My thought is that someone has to win or draw the tag, so it might as well be me. Travis with his Nevada Late Season Bull It s difficult to plan hunts each year because there are so many hunts to go on that you physically cannot do them all. I really have to know the season dates and what my chances are to draw so I can fill up my hunt schedule with good hunts. I can study out the areas and the odds in the Huntin Fool magazine and on the website, and I usually come up with more hunts than I can fit into my busy fall schedule. 22