2023 Special draw

[idahohuntr]

Feel like complaining about this is a waste of air but I do wish we knew Colorado results for sure by now. I feel confident my party is going to draw the 3rd season muley hunt we applied for. That said it’s impacting what I want to put in for in WA. I know the odds are next to zilch for quality tags but the what if’s make me nervous. Think it’s obvious if I drew a killer WA tag the CO hunt is out the window. But we won’t know the results for WA before the CO tag surrender deadline. The prospect of giving up 5 years of points there and the fees hurts for sure. Right now I think I’m leaning towards points for qual deer and buck just because of this.

I wish more states followed Nevada’s way of running their draw. Fast, efficient, easy. Heck even WA despite all their flaws, runs a pretty good ship with their draw.


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I always try to have all the information I can before applying...and as usual, we have several states stacking up on top of each other (including UT now)...but even though we won't know CO before WA - I always figure it's better to have more tags than fewer tags.  If you end up with multiple tags overlapping, I'd try to hunt both - but you also have options for point restoration in CO and WA 

[baker5150]

Feel like complaining about this is a waste of air but I do wish we knew Colorado results for sure by now. I feel confident my party is going to draw the 3rd season muley hunt we applied for. That said it’s impacting what I want to put in for in WA. I know the odds are next to zilch for quality tags but the what if’s make me nervous. Think it’s obvious if I drew a killer WA tag the CO hunt is out the window. But we won’t know the results for WA before the CO tag surrender deadline. The prospect of giving up 5 years of points there and the fees hurts for sure. Right now I think I’m leaning towards points for qual deer and buck just because of this.

I wish more states followed Nevada’s way of running their draw. Fast, efficient, easy. Heck even WA despite all their flaws, runs a pretty good ship with their draw.


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I'd go the other way. CO trumps every limited entry tag in WA for number of deer, top end trophy potential, and number of age class bucks on the landscape (though fewer than just a few years ago). For every 170" buck killed in WA there's likely 20 killed in CO. No way I'd skip CO to hunt a WA tag unless I was able to scout up a cranker prior to season

Interesting,  Even if it's a quality Wa tag?

I can hunt big deer out-of-state almost every year.   But I don't draw a Quality Wa Deer tag every year.

[dvolmer]

Feel like complaining about this is a waste of air but I do wish we knew Colorado results for sure by now. I feel confident my party is going to draw the 3rd season muley hunt we applied for. That said it’s impacting what I want to put in for in WA. I know the odds are next to zilch for quality tags but the what if’s make me nervous. Think it’s obvious if I drew a killer WA tag the CO hunt is out the window. But we won’t know the results for WA before the CO tag surrender deadline. The prospect of giving up 5 years of points there and the fees hurts for sure. Right now I think I’m leaning towards points for qual deer and buck just because of this.

I wish more states followed Nevada’s way of running their draw. Fast, efficient, easy. Heck even WA despite all their flaws, runs a pretty good ship with their draw.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'd go the other way. CO trumps every limited entry tag in WA for number of deer, top end trophy potential, and number of age class bucks on the landscape (though fewer than just a few years ago). For every 170" buck killed in WA there's likely 20 killed in CO. No way I'd skip CO to hunt a WA tag unless I was able to scout up a cranker prior to season

Interesting,  Even if it's a quality Wa tag?

I can hunt big deer out-of-state almost every year.   But I don't draw a Quality Wa Deer tag every year.

. I know the general buck tags I hunt in Montana or Wyoming are better than any Quality tag this state has to offer.  I wouldn’t trade my regular Wyoming hunt for a Desert rut tag here in Washington.  There are a few quality elk tags that this doesn’t apply with but they are very very few in number.

[Karl Blanchard]

Feel like complaining about this is a waste of air but I do wish we knew Colorado results for sure by now. I feel confident my party is going to draw the 3rd season muley hunt we applied for. That said it’s impacting what I want to put in for in WA. I know the odds are next to zilch for quality tags but the what if’s make me nervous. Think it’s obvious if I drew a killer WA tag the CO hunt is out the window. But we won’t know the results for WA before the CO tag surrender deadline. The prospect of giving up 5 years of points there and the fees hurts for sure. Right now I think I’m leaning towards points for qual deer and buck just because of this.

I wish more states followed Nevada’s way of running their draw. Fast, efficient, easy. Heck even WA despite all their flaws, runs a pretty good ship with their draw.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'd go the other way. CO trumps every limited entry tag in WA for number of deer, top end trophy potential, and number of age class bucks on the landscape (though fewer than just a few years ago). For every 170" buck killed in WA there's likely 20 killed in CO. No way I'd skip CO to hunt a WA tag unless I was able to scout up a cranker prior to season

Interesting,  Even if it's a quality Wa tag?

I can hunt big deer out-of-state almost every year.   But I don't draw a Quality Wa Deer tag every year.

oh absolutely.  I was talking specifically to quality tags in my comment.

Obviously we don't see every deer killed on our quality tags but we get a pretty good representation posted here every year as well as personal acquaintances that share pics and we are lucky to see 1 or 2 bucks over 170". Are there big bucks (180+) killed on those tags every year, ABSOLUTELY, but the volume is dwarfed by what comes out of CO. The two states aren't even on the same planet in terms of big deer

Elks a different story. WA pumps out giants at a good pace. Just gotta get the tag

For me personally,  I pick quality tags that hold resident deer that I can scout. If I don't find the caliber of bucks I want, I'd be sending my tag back for points restoration and burning rubber for CO, or WY, UT, AZ, NV, etc. Only tag I wouldn't hunt over a quality tag is MT. The top end just isn't prevalent enough to hunt it over a tag I've waited for for 27 years 

[WAcoueshunter]

Over the last 15 years, I've hunted Wyoming Region G three times, and Region H once.  I've also hunted the Kaibab in AZ, Montana general, and NM for mule deer.  I'm probably forgetting others.  And no chance I'd take any of those tags over a handful of the WA quality tags.   

Best decision I ever made was returning a CO tag in 2012 when I drew a WA quality tag.  My two buddies that went to Colorado got snowed out and ate their tags.  Here,  I had one of the best hunts I've ever been on. I hunted about four days/week over the 20 day season (think 12 days total).  Shot a super old regressed dark horn buck on the next to last day.  Pretty much worked out as well as it could have. 

[idahohuntr]

How you handle multiple tags is really dependent on what you want out of a hunt.  If your goal and/or measure of 'quality' is strictly antler inches...that may lead you down one path.  If your measure of quality is uncrowded time in the field, quantity of animals, scenic landscapes...that might lead you down another path.  As mentioned - for trophy potential - impossible to beat Colorado, on average.  But if I had a rifle Entiat tag and a low point CO 3rd season tag and I could only make one hunt...I'd hunt the Entiat every single time...just based on the math. 

[vandeman17]

Availability of time away from work and/or family also plays a factor in application strategies. There are plenty of guys and gals out there that really can only get away for a short period of time so drawing and burning points by pulling multiple tags is a risk, albeit pretty low. I know my application strategy for deer and elk hinges around my work schedule and busy time but for OIL tags, I apply every year regardless and know that if I drew a tag, I would figure out how to make it work. 

[hunter399]

Moose tag for me .......for sure selected.
Don't worry I won't be picky .
One that is close to the truck,is the one for me.

[TripleB]

Moose tag for me .......for sure selected.
Don't worry I won't be picky .
One that is close to the truck,is the one for me.

That’s my thought process if I ever got a moose tag  If it has horns on its head and stands there long enough it’s gonna get shot at. Giant bull or bullwinkle. The limited time I have to make things work with having to bid on vacation time makes me not picky whatsoever. I’d hate to have to quit the best job I ever had for a OIL tag.

[baker5150]

Feel like complaining about this is a waste of air but I do wish we knew Colorado results for sure by now. I feel confident my party is going to draw the 3rd season muley hunt we applied for. That said it’s impacting what I want to put in for in WA. I know the odds are next to zilch for quality tags but the what if’s make me nervous. Think it’s obvious if I drew a killer WA tag the CO hunt is out the window. But we won’t know the results for WA before the CO tag surrender deadline. The prospect of giving up 5 years of points there and the fees hurts for sure. Right now I think I’m leaning towards points for qual deer and buck just because of this.

I wish more states followed Nevada’s way of running their draw. Fast, efficient, easy. Heck even WA despite all their flaws, runs a pretty good ship with their draw.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'd go the other way. CO trumps every limited entry tag in WA for number of deer, top end trophy potential, and number of age class bucks on the landscape (though fewer than just a few years ago). For every 170" buck killed in WA there's likely 20 killed in CO. No way I'd skip CO to hunt a WA tag unless I was able to scout up a cranker prior to season

Interesting,  Even if it's a quality Wa tag?

I can hunt big deer out-of-state almost every year.   But I don't draw a Quality Wa Deer tag every year.

oh absolutely.  I was talking specifically to quality tags in my comment.

Obviously we don't see every deer killed on our quality tags but we get a pretty good representation posted here every year as well as personal acquaintances that share pics and we are lucky to see 1 or 2 bucks over 170". Are there big bucks (180+) killed on those tags every year, ABSOLUTELY, but the volume is dwarfed by what comes out of CO. The two states aren't even on the same planet in terms of big deer

Elks a different story. WA pumps out giants at a good pace. Just gotta get the tag

For me personally,  I pick quality tags that hold resident deer that I can scout. If I don't find the caliber of bucks I want, I'd be sending my tag back for points restoration and burning rubber for CO, or WY, UT, AZ, NV, etc. Only tag I wouldn't hunt over a quality tag is MT. The top end just isn't prevalent enough to hunt it over a tag I've waited for for 27 years 

We don't put much time or effort into Wa deer hunts. 
Our focus has always been elsewhere, either another state or species.

But there is at least 1 tag I would not give back here in Wa. if I drew.
Knowing the area well, what it holds, and when.... it would be a top list hunt for that season for sure.

[hunter399]

Moose tag for me .......for sure selected.
Don't worry I won't be picky .
One that is close to the truck,is the one for me.

That’s my thought process if I ever got a moose tag  If it has horns on its head and stands there long enough it’s gonna get shot at. Giant bull or bullwinkle. The limited time I have to make things work with having to bid on vacation time makes me not picky whatsoever. I’d hate to have to quit the best job I ever had for a OIL tag.

Son or I draw ,yup vacation where I work is based on seniority,and first come.
So.....
Ya I'm not wasting time.
I know there is good quality deer and quality bull hunts in Washington.
But all I can think about is MOOSE.
But will take selected on anything at this point.

[KNOPHISH]

I got the reminder email from wdfw, was thinking I got till Friday. Looked and the calendar and almost pooped. I’m busy tomorrow so might have missed deadline. Guess I could’ve still waiting till tomorrow so my apps are on top of the pile. 

[Fallfever]

We are days away from finding out who is lucky and who is not, How is everyone feeling about their chances?

[trophyhunt]

Moose tag for me .......for sure selected.
Don't worry I won't be picky .
One that is close to the truck,is the one for me.

That’s my thought process if I ever got a moose tag  If it has horns on its head and stands there long enough it’s gonna get shot at. Giant bull or bullwinkle. The limited time I have to make things work with having to bid on vacation time makes me not picky whatsoever. I’d hate to have to quit the best job I ever had for a OIL tag.

My best friend and I drew partners for moose in 2019, he had the same thought as you guys and on the 2nd day he killed a tiny bull, he regrets it every time he see's my bull on the wall.  And now he gets to look at my wifes great bull from last year..  I was gonna take my tag to the last day for a good bull, it only took 10 days of hunting, for an OIL tag, no way I'd take any bull.  Not judging you guys at all, just saying you might miss out on an amazing opportunity, they are out there.  Even if you don't have the time off, weekends are always there. 

[huntnnw]

  no way with a OIL tag im blasting a dink of any specie. Make the most of the tag and enjoy it