Basic question about quality hunt tag vs bull elk tag

[sterlryu]

Hi everyone, not that I'm likely to draw one in the next decade, but what's the difference between a quality hunt tag and a bull elk tag?

Do quality hunt tags let you hunt areas before or after the general season? And bull elk tags let you hunt in areas during the general season that are antlerless only or closed for hunting?

Thank you in advance. 

[Caseknife]

Read through the regs, quality hunts are for a short time during the peak of the rut and the regular bull hunts are during the general season but usually start a few days prior.

[Stein]

Quality tags are more sought after for some reason, aka more of a "quality" experience.  That could be timing, amount of other seasons open at the same time, area, etc.

Bull tags can be quite good, but the experience will generally be lesser due to more crowds, less sought after areas, coincidence with other seasons, etc.

[dreamunelk]

When looking at the permits look for season overlap.  Sometimes deer overlaps with the season. Thus you will see a lot of deer hunters.  Or it is not a unit where you will find a lot of large bulls.  Do your homework there are a few bull tags that have a good change of getting a toad if you are willing to work for it.  Only put in for areas you have scouted as they are not all the same. 

[Old Man Yager]

Another thing for you, you might get a better opportunity with a quality or bull elk tag, BUT do not expect it to be a slam dunk, one day hunt where you get out of the truck and shoot a record book bull. It happens sometimes, but  Nothing will give you a better chance than making sure you research the areas you are applying for( might be a walk in only area, or big country that takes a lot of effort to get a bull out of)and spend as much time as you can scouting.

[sterlryu]

Thank you everyone, this helps a lot as I'm just starting to do research on what to put in for the coming autumn.

[HikerHunter]

Biggest difference is price.

Only halfway kidding...

[Crunchy]

Im at 17 or 18 points for bull elk.  Put in for a permit for the first time last year and didn't get drawn.  I want to burn the points and call it good for bull elk.  Not as many hunts offered interest me.

[Pathfinder101]

It constantly occurs to me that if I had back all of the money that I have spent not being drawn here in WA... I could pay for a guided hunt someplace...

[jackelope]

Read through the regs, quality hunts are for a short time during the peak of the rut and the regular bull hunts are during the general season but usually start a few days prior.

This isn't entirely accurate. It's a timing thing or a herd quality thing or a trophy potential thing. There are quality permits in late October with a rifle. That's well past the rut. I always attribute it to the trophy potential a unit has, but that's not always the case. I.E. the Blues bull permits are 95% quality permits, mostly because there are some huge bulls. There's a Mission quality rifle permit that runs from 9/21-9/29. There's a Mission bull permit that runs concurrent with the general rifle season. Good bulls, but the bull category hunt isn't the same quality experience when you're sharing it with all your true spike hunting buddies.

[huntnnw]

Complete BS! All bull elk tags need to be in 1 category. All about a money grab. They have made it harder to draw a bull tag over a quality, good job wdfw

[bobcat]

Complete BS! All bull elk tags need to be in 1 category. All about a money grab. They have made it harder to draw a bull tag over a quality, good job wdfw

Exactly.

[Stein]

I wouldn't be surprised if they divided it up even further, east and west.  At some point, you are collecting points instead of collecting tags.  For anyone looking at getting into the system, the best advice is to take your money, put it in an envelope and buy a tag elsewhere when you have saved enough.  That's arguably the best advice for people like me who have points but are likely to never draw.

[huntnnw]

But with that mindset I would have never drawn moose, spring bear , quality deer and 2 quality elk tags in WA. I play allot of other states than just here. More apps in better chance at a tag and here is the cheapest as I am a resident

[Stein]

Things are much different now compared to when you drew your first quality tag.  Tag numbers are down incredible and the number of points in the draw has gone the other direction.

With 20 points, I didn't see any quality tags that had odds over 6%, many that are mentioned here are in the 1-3% range, again with 20 points.

At least with Powerball, the odds don't get worse every year.