Strategy

[ljsommer]

So I was thinking about this recently: Does it make sense to just put in for quality hunts in as many states as possible and just hunt those instead of wasting time hunting OTC tags in overly-hunter-populated GMUs? I am not at all satisfied with the GMU's I've been hunting but I have no idea where to go or what to do to improve my situation, and then it occurred to me: If I applied for quality hunts in enough states, I'd probably get something worth hunting and it would cut down on the amount of "hiking" I do.
I started thinking about this: Really successful hunters can't be spending the majority of their time on OTC tags, can they?

[WSU]

Last year my immediately family was 3 for 3 on Washington OTC elk tags (oddly enough, we were 0/2 on OTC wa elk this year but 2/2 so far on draw tags in Wa).  We typically get deer if we want to also on OTC hunts.  It is 100% doable to have success almost every year in Wa on OTC tags.

Edit to add: Draw tags are great.  Put in for those too.

[Pathfinder101]

So I was thinking about this recently: Does it make sense to just put in for quality hunts in as many states as possible and just hunt those instead of wasting time hunting OTC tags in overly-hunter-populated GMUs? I am not at all satisfied with the GMU's I've been hunting but I have no idea where to go or what to do to improve my situation, and then it occurred to me: If I applied for quality hunts in enough states, I'd probably get something worth hunting and it would cut down on the amount of "hiking" I do.
I started thinking about this: Really successful hunters can't be spending the majority of their time on OTC tags, can they?

This sounds like a good strategy.  I think you should put in for quality hunts in all of the states, EXCEPT the ones that I am putting in for. 


Would you like me to send you a list..?.

[blackveltbowhunter]

Define quality and successful? Thats really where you will want to begin.

  Quality can mean different things to different folks. Everyone wants a mecca of monster bucks, swimming in a sea of "dinks" in dead rut, in good terrain, with nice weather, with no points, low cost, and no pressure. Prioritizing whats important to you will help decide where you want to spend your resources.

   In a nutshell the more of those things you want in the hunt the more resources of Money, Time, or Effort will be required.

   Many units that are OTC or easy to draw have good numbers of game. But season timing, terrain, or weapon restrictions require more time and effort to hunt with success. I would venture the majority of animals seen here are taken on easier to draw units or OTC by guys who spend lots of time and effort in the woods.

   

[boneaddict]

Although that sounds awesome, make sure you are ready to embrace the draw "game"  for all the other states.   For most of them its not a matter of spending a couple bucks to fill out an application.   Many require you to front the license fee in order to apply, and you may not have a chance to hunt for years.  When you do get drawn, will you be ready with boots on the ground.  Will you know where to go and what to do when you get there? 

[go4steelhd]

Pick one state and one unit you can hunt every year or every other year. You will do better learning an area, what the animals do with weather or pressure. I have put in for quality deer tags for the last 11 years in 7 states and I have yet to draw one. I hope this helps.

[go4steelhd]

https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,232562.0.html
These are my two over the counter bucks from this year.

https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,219583.0.html
From last year OTC

https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,220600.0.html
Area that can be drawn almost every year

https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,202742.0.html
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,202687.0.html
Two years ago OTC

I know many others do very well in OTC areas also. I feel there are areas that are OTC that are better than the areas I hunt. These are all recent hunts public land DIY

[huntnnw]

I apply in 6 states every year, granted some do require some points to draw a decent tag. I dont apply for super hard to get tags and look for units that take 1-4 points. I have drawn a permit 6 consecutive years for either elk or mule deer.

[ljsommer]

Pick one state and one unit you can hunt every year or every other year. You will do better learning an area, what the animals do with weather or pressure. I have put in for quality deer tags for the last 11 years in 7 states and I have yet to draw one. I hope this helps.

11 years....7 states...yet to draw?!? What?! How is that possible?

[go4steelhd]

I have yet to draw quality deer tag. I have drawn Montana general tags.I have good  over the counter hunts. So I put in for the ultra hard draws

[mburrows]

So I was thinking about this recently: Does it make sense to just put in for quality hunts in as many states as possible and just hunt those instead of wasting time hunting OTC tags in overly-hunter-populated GMUs? I am not at all satisfied with the GMU's I've been hunting but I have no idea where to go or what to do to improve my situation, and then it occurred to me: If I applied for quality hunts in enough states, I'd probably get something worth hunting and it would cut down on the amount of "hiking" I do.
I started thinking about this: Really successful hunters can't be spending the majority of their time on OTC tags, can they?

Just because you draw a quality tag doesnt mean youll see a ton more critters from the road or even in easily located spots.  There will be exceptions to this for sure but quality tags more or less restrict pressure but there is still pressure and you still have to put in just as much work.  Really successful hunters probably spend 90% of their time in OTC or easy draw units, if not more.  Im not even close to being in the category of really successful but the vast majority of guys that kill it year and year out are hunting OTC/easy draw units.

Quite a few guys on this forum and from WA kill a lot of animals every year on general or easy to draw tags that arent considered quality.  To me its not so much the tag but the hunter. The guys that know animal behavior and have the best woodsman ship seem to be the ones doing the best out there.

[ljsommer]

So I was thinking about this recently: Does it make sense to just put in for quality hunts in as many states as possible and just hunt those instead of wasting time hunting OTC tags in overly-hunter-populated GMUs? I am not at all satisfied with the GMU's I've been hunting but I have no idea where to go or what to do to improve my situation, and then it occurred to me: If I applied for quality hunts in enough states, I'd probably get something worth hunting and it would cut down on the amount of "hiking" I do.
I started thinking about this: Really successful hunters can't be spending the majority of their time on OTC tags, can they?

Just because you draw a quality tag doesnt mean youll see a ton more critters from the road or even in easily located spots.  There will be exceptions to this for sure but quality tags more or less restrict pressure but there is still pressure and you still have to put in just as much work.  Really successful hunters probably spend 90% of their time in OTC or easy draw units, if not more.  Im not even close to being in the category of really successful but the vast majority of guys that kill it year and year out are hunting OTC/easy draw units.

Quite a few guys on this forum and from WA kill a lot of animals every year on general or easy to draw tags that arent considered quality.  To me its not so much the tag but the hunter. The guys that know animal behavior and have the best woodsman ship seem to be the ones doing the best out there.

I definitely don't want "from the road". In fact quite the opposite. I want to work for it. I regularly put in 10 miles getting to and from hunt spots in my local GMU's. Problem is, they're ghost towns now that season has landed. All year it was like a zoo in there, tons of game everywhere on cams. Season lands and they all vacated.
I also don't have friends/family that hunt so I am figuring all this stuff out on my own. In other words, I'll take whatever advantage I can get, however small.

[WSU]

Pm me your phone number if you’d like some input

[ljsommer]

PM sent.

I managed to find a small grove of trees tucked way back off a fire road on top of a mountain recently that had some fresh deer sign, and I'll be camping out on that in the evenings as often as I can before season end.

[Pathfinder101]

Pick one state and one unit you can hunt every year or every other year. You will do better learning an area, what the animals do with weather or pressure. I have put in for quality deer tags for the last 11 years in 7 states and I have yet to draw one. I hope this helps.

11 years....7 states...yet to draw?!? What?! How is that possible?

I am not doing 7 states, but I have yet to draw a quality tag in any state.  I will have 19 points in Washington this coming year.