Turnbull muzzy cow tag

[WALLEYEGUY]

Any previous Turnbull hunters that could give me some insight obviously much appreciated. I went back and read all the other Turnbull post from over the years. It seems like the success has really dropped off from the first couple years they allowed hunting. But it’s still a great time of year to be in the woods I got the November 25 start date.

[outdooraddict]

good luck, im sure some people will talk highly about this tag, but from what i have heard, what a joke and waste of points, you need to call turnbull to find out the rules, from my understanding, they will give you an "area"  and that is what you are allowed to hunt, someone else will get a different area.  if the elk are in your area, then score for you, unless they magically get pushed off in the night.  you have to check  in, you have certain hours allowed in, you gotta pack out everything (potentially even guts) and use a certain type of ammo to prevent "lead" poison.. this tag was made to appear as a gift to hunters to help thin the herd a little, however the objective for them is to appease local complaining farmers, and reduce the elk killing.  sorry to be a buzz kill and good luck, hope you prove me wrong

[Henrydog]

Outdooraddict is pretty close.  It used to be a slam dunk.  I have never held the tag but I am very close to a draw winner a couple of years ago.  You do not have to pack out guts IF you use a non toxic bullet.  If you use lead...your packing everything. 

[gallion_t]

I had the tag in '17 for Oct 1st. I enjoyed it and still out in for it. Maybe the quality has gone down hill, but I'll keep putting in. As others have said there are some rules you have to pay attention to. The refuge will send you a packet at some point outlining these and give you your section you can hunt. If I remember correctkynat that time there was only 2 sections open to hunting, the larger southwest section and then the east side. The east side they only allowed 2 hunters draw. That's where I was. It was pretty small where you could slowly walk the whole thing in a few hours.

You do have to use lead free bullets or pack the guts out. Theres designated parking spots and you can only be there 1 hour before and after shooting light unless you're packing an animal out.can only bring 1 person with you unless you're packing an animal out. I think you can only scout the day leading up to the season. Last rule I can think of is you have to report success within a certain period if time.

[Stein]

They issue tags to control the damage to aspen trees on Turnbull which is managed primarily for bird habitat.  The elk move back and forth between Turnbull and the neighboring fields.  The first few years were better as the elk have adjusted to some degree, but they certainly haven't left the area and elk are killed on the refuge every year.

The biggest challenge is that you are limited to the refuge and in almost all cases a portion of the refuge.  The flip side is that it limits the number of hunters you are competing with and you don't have to worry about where to hunt.  It's best to review the tag you are applying for and make sure it's consistent with the type of hunting you want to do.  There is a map of the hunting areas on the Turnbull website that anyone can see, the unknown is which area you will be assigned to for some tags it's pretty limited.  The map also has all of the rules for the hunt, parking, access points, etc.  You can use your favorite mapping software or website and see the topography and measure how big the units are and what is adjacent that may hold elk.

Like all hunts, if you get into them it's a great hunt and if you don't it's not.  There is a chance there will not be animals in the unit you are assigned.  It's hunting and sometimes the conditions don't work out or WDFW issues pretty lame tags or both.  There also is a chance of a herd standing in the parking lot and shooting one 10 yards from the truck like a guy I met there one year did. 

In my experience, it's a legitimate tag in most cases especially if you understand the limitations.  Some of the weapon choices and dates are certainly better than others, but elk are killed there every year.  The opportunity can range from excellent to completely lame which describes many areas I would guess.

I would suggest tag holders talk with the refuge biologist and hunt manager for additional details and information about current conditions and herd movement.

[bobdog86]

I had a rifle cow tag 4-5 years ago, had a great time, plenty of elk, shot a cow....but I know 4 different Cow tags holders, 2 muzzy, 1 youth and 1 disabled in the last 4 years who have experienced marginal to poor success. My buddy’s son had a youth tag last year, didn’t see an animal despite playing hooky and hunting every day. It’s a fun, flat hunt but can be very frustrating. Either the animals are on the refuge or they ain’t.

[Jimmer]

Had it last year.. hunted it pretty hard. I know the surrounding area very well growing up and I was very excited to actually be on the refuge. The days I hunted, I didn’t see anything, but a moose and a porcupine, Not even a deer! Very old sign in the section I was permitted to hunt. Same report from other guys In my section. I heard some guys got into them in the other section across the road.

[callturner]

I had a rifle tag and got one in 2013. Send me a PM and I can give you the specifics.





Mike.

[Jimmer]

I had a rifle tag and got one in 2013. Send me a PM and I can give you the specifics.





Mike.

no doubt the Elk are in the area, but you are designated to a small piece of the refuge that you can walk in a half day. Either they are there, or not.. good tag if they are.

[Stein]

I had a rifle tag and got one in 2013. Send me a PM and I can give you the specifics.





Mike.

no doubt the Elk are in the area, but you are designated to a small piece of the refuge that you can walk in a half day. Either they are there, or not.. good tag if they are.

It depends on the tag.  Some are very limited and some have access to big portions of the refuge.  I haven't had the muzzie tag but have had the rifle and archery and there was a significant difference in what I had access to.  Some of the tags are fixed access and some of them they randomly assign tag holders to certain portions and it can really be hit or miss in that case.

[WALLEYEGUY]

Thank you so much to all for the input so far, I called the refuge I should get something in July telling me which section I am assigned to and my designated parking area. I’m going to try to get a hold of the biologist once I get more information. Thanks for the heads up on the lead free bullets any recommendation for a muzzleloader lead free bullet would be awesome. I am very excited about this tag and I knew going in it would be some luck with the elk be where I am assigned.

[HntnFsh]

Barnes makes several excellent copper bullets. Lehigh defense make an incredible bullet. I think Knight Bloodlines are the same thing. I would look at 1 of those to fit the bill. Both are very accurate. Sabotloader has posted a bunch of info about the Lehighs. A quick search will bring up a ton of info on them.

[WALLEYEGUY]

Barnes makes several excellent copper bullets. Lehigh defense make an incredible bullet. I think Knight Bloodlines are the same thing. I would look at 1 of those to fit the bill. Both are very accurate. Sabotloader has posted a bunch of info about the Lehighs. A quick search will bring up a ton of info on them.

Thanks

[Stein]

On a positive note, there is a Zips 10 minutes away from the hunting grounds and a gas station with F'real ice cream shake things that my kid's do backflips for.  We had great burgers at another place in town and it's hard to stay more than a 30 minute drive away so it isn't the biggest logistical challenge out there.  I camped in a truck stop one year and a hotel with hot tub and pool the other trip.

[Rutnbuxnbulls]

I had an archery tag in there a couple years back.  It was slow for the first few days and then either other hunters or the rut started pushing elk around and a little herd came into the unit that I was hunting.  For a local guy it's a great opportunity to hunt either after work on weekdays or take a mid week day off to shake things up.