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Every year, starting in December onward, hunters get super excited about what they're going to be applying for and what they could be drawing. Let's be honest, for the most of us that apply out west, the draw results are like Christmas morning and the unwrapping of gifts as a child. So, what about when you receive a lump of coal, AKA an "unsuccessful" draw result? Well, many of my clients received a lump of coal and maybe you did as well. I believe that the pandemic caused a large influx of hunters to apply to more places due to their free time and some extra stimulus checks. I also believe there were many new hunters that applied to go afield this spring due to the need for their own meat. The increase of applications into the western states for Elk, Deer and Antelope tags have caused many of the draws and their information from the past few years to be deemed worthless. I could have told a client that they have a 99% chance to draw the tag and they didn't draw a thing this year (this actually happened.) I will be curious to see the data next year from the western states and how many more hunters applied this year to have skewed the results. I am also super curious of the hunter success rates and what we will see hit the ground this year. Nevertheless, I wish everyone success in filling their freezers and making memories for a lifetime by taking advantage of the great outdoors in this great country.
With that said, I have some great opportunities that you can look into if you still want to get out in the field and attempt to bag some meat for the freezer. There are many options for OTC (Over-the-counter) tags that states such as Colorado, Utah, Alaska, Montana, Idaho, Nebraska and Arizona have available. Listed below are what opportunities you can look into and potentially get out in the field this fall.
Colorado
Colorado has the most sought after elk herd in the country. With over 200,000 elk in the states, there is no question why hunters from all over the country flock to the mile high state for an opportunity to harvest one of these majestic animals. There are also other options in Colorado for other game such as antelope and bears. Below is the breakdown for dates and opportunities that you could take advantage of.
1. OTC Archery Bull Elk
Dates are Sept 2-Sept 30.
2. OTC Either- Sex Elk Plains Rifle
Dates are Sept 1-Jan 31
3. OTC 2nd and 3rd Season Bull Elk
Dates are 2nd Season (Oct 24-Nov 1) and 3rd Season (Nov 7-Nov 13)
3. OTC Whitetail Only Late Rifle
Dates are Dec 1-Dec 31.
4. OTC Archery Pronghorn
Dates are Aug 15-Sept 20
5. OTC Black Bear
Sept 2- Nov 22nd (The dates are separated by different weapon choices and private land only tags so please pay attention to what you are getting)
Utah
Utah has some great opportunities OTC w/Cap for Elk. The weapons and seasons are interesting based on the rut and also the type of elk being hunted. The also are capped at 15k tags sold. I personally was out on a hunt in Utah last year for spike elk and it was a great experience. I would go back in a heart beat just for the time spent in the woods and would highly recommend going out there if you have a chance. Here is the deal.... The state offers what is called a general unit bull tag in certain units in the state. These are going to be more crowded areas that are not managed for trophy quality. You should really have the mindset that you will be in the 280 class of bulls and that they will be pushed around from other hunters. Go in deep and you will find them. The spike elk hunts are in areas where the age class of bulls will be bigger due to the area being managed for trophy quality. There is less pressure in the area and you will have a different experience over the general bull areas. There are pro/con to both but one thing to consider if you plan on hunting in Utah in the future. Spike hunts are great training grounds for when you draw a limited area tag. You can hunt that same area and know it like the back of your hands for the big bulls!
1. OTC Bull Elk Tags
Dates:
Any Legal Weapon Oct 3- Oct 15
Muzzeloader Oct 28- Nov 5
Multi Season Aug. 15–Sept. 11, Oct. 3–Oct. 15, Oct. 28–Nov. 5, 2020
2. Spike Elk Tags
Dates:
Any Legal Weapon Oct 3- Oct 15
Muzzeloader Oct 28- Nov 5
Multi Season Aug. 15–Sept. 11, Oct. 3–Oct. 15, Oct. 28–Nov. 5, 2020
3. Hunters Choice Bull Only- Archery
Dates:
Spike: Aug. 15–Sept. 4, 2020
Any bull: Aug. 15–Sept. 11, 2020
Alaska
Alaska has great OTC opportunities for Caribou, Blacktail deer and Moose. If you are dreaming of hunting a Caribou for the great meat and a once in a lifetime experience, you must have your eyes set on hunting in Alaska at some point in time. The cool part is that there are various dates in different areas of Alaska where you can snag one of there permits and locking tags without having to go into a draw.
Blacktail deer are another option. You can purchase multiple tags and have a great time hunting these small and mighty deer. This can be either a very challenging hunt based on the season or you are going to run into quite a few animals and tag out within a day. I've seen both happen.
Moose are a highly sought after animal in the lower 48 but there are terrible draw odds in just about every state. If you want to have an adventure that you will remember for years to come, you will have to think about a float plane or river float trip for Moose.
With that said, you need to plan this likely an entire year to 18 months in advance. I am not even going to add dates, etc for this section as I do not recommend anyone try and get a tag at this point in time and try to go to Alaska for a hunt unless you can find an outfitter and have lots of time on your hands.
Montana
Montana has some wonderful opportunities for you to get out in the woods. I would highlight that if you are looking to harvest a black bear, you should be looking into hunting Montana. I personally would recommend the spring hunts but since we are talking fall hunting right now, there are OTC fall tags as well. One thing to note: You are going to run into Grizzlies or at least you have a high chance that you will, especially if you are hunting in the central to western part of the state. Be careful, plan ahead with bear spray and personal protection and make sure you are taking every precaution for food storage.
OTC Black Bear
Dates are Sept 15- Nov 29
Idaho
Idaho also sells spring and fall bear tags over the counter. You also typically would have the opportunity to purchase over the counter deer and elk tags. They go on sale at a specific date, usually in June and it is first come, first serve until they hit their cap. Unfortunately, this year they sold out on the first day they went on sale! Incredible! That means, you are left with bear tags as your option. You also have areas in the state that have more bears than others so depending on the unit, you might be able to get 2 bear tags at a reduced fee as Idaho tried to manage their predator population for the better. *Photo from idfg.idaho.gov*
OTC Black Bear
Dates are August 30-Oct 31 (some Units go into November.)
Nebraska
Nebraska has an antelope population that is near their objective to potentially slightly over their goals. This means that they have a size-able herd and they are staying consistent to their tag allocations that they have had in prior years. Your only real opportunity here to harvest a buck would be to do the archery only tag. Archery hunting antelope is not easy since they have such great eyesight. I've seen references of their eyesight being compared to looking through an 8x binocular. I personally have had experience with antelope seeing me from 600+ yards away and moving as soon as they saw me which is incredible when comparing deer or elk. They are also America's fastest mammal reaching 61 MPH! With that said, opportunities would be for private land hunting and the property owners knowing their whereabouts or hunting over water holes. I would highly recommend practicing shooting from 50+ yards to ensure you can take a long shot if needed.
OTC Antelope Archery Only
Dates: August 30-Dec 31.
Arizona
Arizona has some great opportunity hunts for Mule deer that are over the counter. One of the highest regarded hunts annually are the Coues Deer. These are a smaller subspecies of whitetails that are super difficult to find. When you get an over the counter mule deer tag for archery, your harvest is good for a mule deer or a whitetail. Lots of hunters go into the scrub brush, junipers and sage every year after these elusive deer. Plan on long glassing sits to find the deer and then prepare for a very difficult and long stalk to get within range of these deer. Success rates are going to be low so you should expect 8-10% chance knowing that if you come out successful, you did something right! Make sure to pay attention to your season dates that are dependent on the unit you are hunting because not all units have the same season dates. I will outline the entire season below but note that they could be much more limited.
**Example of Season Dates and Areas**
OTC Deer Tag Archery Only
Dates: August 21- Jan 31
Season Breakups in Units
(August 21-Sept 10)
(Dec 11-Dec 31)
(Jan 1-Jan 15)
(Jan 1-Jan 31)
There is a ton of information to soak up and think about for the fall. Take a look at your calendar and the hunt dates along with what your desires are. If you want to get into the woods and enjoy some time solo or with some of your best friends, it might be a good opportunity to take advantage of one of these tags. I've personally been able to complete some of these hunts and I can say that I've had a 50% success rate with my general season tags. However, you must have realistic goals going into these hunts because hunting is an emotional roller-coaster with many highs and many lows. #ScoutHuntRepeat
Hope to see you out there!
Alex G