Well, 2023 is behind us and the days are ticking by. The #isitseptemberyet? Comments and posts will soon be on your social media page. There is likely some new year’s resolution on your plate and if you are like me, you regularly ponder your next hunting plans. And it’s not a late season snow goose hunt, although those are great! That is not what I am talking about. More like, where will I apply for deer and elk, in what states and for what seasons, etc. Will I finally draw that coveted mule deer tag I applied for? If not, what is my plan b? 

I am quite certain we all have something like this going on in our lives or we want to and don’t know where to start. And perhaps some of you get started but tend to get lost in the process. So we are going to cover a broad overview of my personal tactics for staying-the-course during off season, planning tips for your next trips, increasing success and most importantly, having fun in the process. 

T-Minus 9 months: Take stock and a breather! 

By the time you read this, you are roughly 7-9 months from your fall hunts. Application season is still looming, and we are reflecting on last season’s successes and failures. Our kids are full swing into sports and school, work is busy and so on… How can you be most effective during this phase? For starters, make sure you don’t get too wound up here. 

For me, I literally just put hundreds of miles in, hiking mountains and hills with a bow and/or rifle in my hands. Then I cut and wrapped multiple animals and conquered Christmas and a New Year with my beautiful wife and six kids. Whew, what a fall! Don’t be afraid to relax and enjoy the spoils a bit. Yes, you can still join a winter shooting league or hammer down at the gym for your new year’s resolution, but pace yourself. Successful hunting is a lifestyle and needs to be tempered with reality. And for most Americans, the reality is that we need to stop and smell the roses more and give credit to God in the process a lot more often than we do. 

For my family, hunting never leaves the table for too long. We might take a break but it’s always there; table talk, conversational chit chat, dreams, yep, even dreams, but even this changes with the seasons of life. Not all my kids are as excited about hunting as they once were. So tempering hunting with off-season life can be a healthy break for this as well. However, this is the dreaming phase for me and my younger boys. I want to talk with them, dream with them and find out what they want to hunt, how they want to hunt and where they want to hunt so I can start a plan to fulfill that dream. Then I know where to start as I move into the next phase as well.
              In my perspective when we are 9-12 months out, it’s best to use the process of elimination and chop away anything that is obvious. Applying my rough time availability and budget factors, I can add, or in most cases, remove hunts from my hit list pretty quickly. Something like this: Alaska moose? Nope, don’t have 10-15k laying around and can’t be certain of the time dedication at this point. Alaska DIY caribou? Maybe… Who can come with and what are my financial parameters? I’ll back burner this, but it’s not off the table. But keep in mind, I need at least two buddies to commit ASAP or that hunt is in the bag for another year. 

Out-of-state mule deer? Hmmm. Well, my son can’t hunt here in Wyoming for another year, but he can hunt deer in Washington, Idaho and Montana…Yep, out-of-state mule deer is on the list. I need to narrow this down a bit. How about out-of-state elk? You get the point. And this list can go on for quite some time; there are spring bear hunts, pronghorn hunts, early archery and late rifle or muzzleloader options and so on. Nonetheless, it is typically pretty easy to cut the fat and narrow the options. After that, I pray on it, sleep on it and research accordingly. 

T-Minus 6 months: Application Season 

This is somewhat generic, but if you are applying out West you will have four to six months between application season and most deer and elk seasons. This is when the mental grind begins! I already know I want to hunt mule deer out of state. I have filtered this with my need for a semi-affordable tag for my soon to be 11-year- old son and myself, without spending too much on travel. I live in Wyoming, therefore, Montana is an easy option for me. I lived there for 16 years and hunted it hard. But tags are spendy and they don’t have diddly squat for LE (limited entry tags) so I have Montana General as my plan b. But I will apply, and if I do draw a general deer tag then I will have the option to turn it back if I draw a limited tag somewhere else. 

My attention will go towards TagHub at this point and narrowing my search options for each state using my criteria for hunts. My top criteria are; open country, easy-ish to draw, high harvest odds with plenty of public land and as I mentioned previously, my son is 11 this year, so the terrain can’t be too rugged, etc. 

Sounds perfect, right? Well, it is what I am looking for and it may not perfectly exist but this is my starting point. I will look at each state that fits my budget criteria. It should be realistic for an archery hunter to find something that somewhat resembles what I described in one or more states out West. Similarly, a rifle hunter will find these results, but typically with much tougher draw odds. Meanwhile, it’s springtime or it will be soon. My physical workout plan is ramping up, I am focusing on strength and mobility…I don’t care if I gain a little weight, I just want to eat calories, build muscle and increase mobility while I am at it. Shooting my weapon is a priority but not high for me at this point. If you are newer to hunting this may look different for you. I have applied for two out-of-state mule deer tags and have Montana as my backup general deer tag with decent chances of drawing it. If all of these fail, my fallback is either a turned back general Idaho tag or OTC Washington for a fun hunt with no expectations of trophy hunting. 

T-minus 3 months: Real World Hunt Prep

Application season is pretty much over; I am waiting for one state to notify me on my draw results. I am now planning for outdoor activities that will help my hunting success; hiking trips, high country fishing trips, backpacking with my older kids, etc. My strength is almost peak for the year, gym days during this season of life are higher than any other time of year. Additionally, I need to increase my archery and rifle shooting time; three to five days a week for archery and once to twice a month for rifle. This is especially important for my son who is still fairly new to all of this. 

My workout routine will convert to more emphasis on cardiovascular/endurance. Whatever this needs to look like for you is fine. I prefer running or fast hiking with weighted packs as well as mountain biking with my older son. All of these are great options and will prepare you for hunting.  Really, anything that gives you a sustained high heart rate with bursts of higher heart rates is going to help. Pick your most favored and simple-ish options: if your routine is complicated or something you don’t like it will likely fall off your list or you will stop all-together. 

Now is the time to start locking in hunt logistics; do accommodations need to be arranged where you are hunting? If so, now is the time to nail them down. This is also when you need to decide if you can get boots on the ground in your hunting spot for a pre-season scouting trip. Also, calling the state wildlife agency and getting in touch with local biologists can be very helpful. Keep in mind the information you receive is generic and likely handed out freely. Use it accordingly. Highlight some regions on your maps and find features that will attract animals like bedding areas, water sources and feeding areas. With enough time behind your computer you will become very familiar with your new spot, even before you set foot in the unit.

T-Minus 30-60 days: 

You have your hunt(s) by now, with tags in pocket. You have satellite researched your area and are starting to drive tacks with your weapon of choice. You should be physically entering a second wind phase in regard to fitness and really feeling top notch. Don’t ramp up your workout plan here; injury is too likely. Keep a solid pace and don’t burn out. If you are archery hunting and can get in your hunt area in August (the month prior to your season) do it! The hands-on information is priceless. The same applies for rifle hunts, anytime spent prior to season with boots on the ground is worthwhile. But don’t worry if this isn’t possible, many hunters are successful without ever seeing the unit in person prior to the season opener. It does, however, require more time e-scouting and devising a plan of attack being ready to cut up the area quickly upon arrival. 

Lift Off: 

Your hunt is here, you’ve driven or flown to your destination and it’s go time! Your first objective is to dissect your hunt area. Glassing and driving roads are king and help you cover ground faster than anything. Your pre-planned attack starts here and it comes to life as you see the area in person. If I am able to drive all day, or even two days prior to hunting and validate/void information from my e-scouting I will always do it, Even if I am planning to backcountry hunt with foot travel or pack stock. You can really learn a lot about an area by driving and glassing everything possible. 

Inspect any new wildfire burns, check out watering holes, visit private ranches with agriculture crops and see what kind of animals are hanging around, etc. This is all good intel for your next step. Remember to “walk” miles in your glass first, then go back to the process of elimination. Cut out any obvious areas that don’t add up. Now you can set up and start your opening day with a plan. 

You will hear me refer to TagHub often. If you are not familiar with it, you should do yourself a favor and check it out. You can watch tips from my videos and others that are truly indispensable. After reviewing you’ll understand why I keep bringing TagHub up. For me, the filters combined with a top notch mapping program make it very valuable as a research tool. 

Ultimately, if you want to become a better hunter and create success, I suggest creating adventures that allow you to hunt more often. I highly recommend going after whatever hunt you can afford and pursue it. Over time you will find meat in the freezer more consistently. With hurdles like point creep and overall growth in popularity for tags, I suggest finding hunts that offer reasonable draw odds and decent harvest data. Go have some fun and fill the freezer! The trophies will come as the success builds. As always, keep us posted on your hunts and send pics to [email protected]

Read part 2 by clicking here