2021 Hunt Plans

[idahohuntr]

I've been working out plans on my application spreadsheet. I will do a host of longshot deer/elk apps for Arizona, Utah, Washington, and Idaho. Colorado and Wyoming will likely be points only, I drew 3rd season CO deer tag this year and Wyoming I still don't have a good feel on where to use my 11 deer and elk points. I don't know if the odds will be in my favor but I'm thinking of trying MT general deer for the first time - it will probably be my best shot at an out of state deer tag this coming year. If the draws don't rain tags upon me - I will stick with general season Idaho deer and elk and WA deer. I fully expect a continued increase in apps across all states (and associated point creep) - so I will also be looking more closely at some archery and muzzleloader opportunities. The increasingly worse draw odds suck, but I do get a lot of mileage out of all the application strategy and analysis I do between the holidays and spring turkey/shed hunting

 

[OntarioHunter]

Africa again at end of June for waterbuck, black wildebeest, hartbeest, another kudu, another cape buffalo, and maybe a better warthog or impala if one gets in the way.

Fly fishing in Alaska in August.

Goose hunting here from Sept till they're gone in October. Then off to Montana for deer and pheasants. Usually back to Ontario second week of December.

 

[Pahoundsman]

September will be inland grizzly bear in Alaska
pa whitetails
maybe a late season cow tag in Colorado this fall,still trying to figure out which unit I want to burn my 17 elk points in.

 

[ccc23454]

2020 taught me m "plans" are more hopes and as we say in investments world: hope isnt a investable strategy. Know for sure i am gonna apply for things i want and HOPE to draw but if not i got a hell of a plan B. Tell everyone about august (when i leave for fall) where i am going cause till then i probablywill not know....goodluck all

 

[Flatrock]

Mule deer have been getting the best of me. This year I got distracted with elk but they better watch out next year.

 

[Nathan]

I am planning my busiest year to date.

Spring turkey in Wyoming and Wisconsin
September archery elk in Colorado.
Gun antelope in Wyoming for 2 days max (thank god for my private access) then straight to Colorado for 1st rife elk.
Wisconsin archery deer and a ton of waterfowl.
Then January for more ducks, hog hunt, and hopefully a crane hunt.

And all this while working 2 full time jobs. Might end up unemployed by January.

 

[LopeHunter]

Not applying. Sitting by the fireplace in the desert or a bar overseas. Was a good run. Lots of great memories and meals. Good luck to everyone!

 

[jlong17]

I’ll probably walk my bow another 200 miles next year (like I did this year). Maybe I’ll see an elk, maybe I won’t... but I’ll likely come out the other side looking like Tom Hanks in Castaway. I’m not kidding - this archery season I lost 15 lbs, grew a nappy beard, and started talking to inanimate objects. Haha!

Tentatively:
Idaho spring turkey? (Never done it)
Colorado OTC archery elk
Undecided meat hunt? (Utah, AZ, CO?)
California archery and rifle mule deer
California quail and dove
And then whoever invites me to hunt camp at anytime in between I’d love to hunt antelope someday

 

[QuazyQuinton]

I will put the family in for a few long-shot hunts, but for financial reasons, I think I'll need to keep things within the home state this next year.

Oregon spring bear--have been planning that my youngest will draw this year
Oregon deer--might have a chance at an upper end deer hunt for each of my kids until the draw odds come out
Oregon elk--talking about working up an elk camp with my family and a buddy's family

I think getting past the uncertainty of coronavirus restrictions and how it affects my work will help my enthusiasm for planning.

QQ

 

[Bob-WY]

2020 as our first year as WY residents has been eye opening, pronghorn was a disapointment, deer mixed bag as we couldn't find a mulie buck, but wife filled whitetail doe, neither could get a whitetail big buck in bow range and I have 2 more days to fill my doe tag. Elk was a success as we both filled cow tags. We/I also got back to birds!

2021 will be some changes:
- We will have pronghorn/deer and elk tags and will try to block some time for pheasants.
- We tried a new pronghorn area and it was a fail, we will most like be back where we went last year, or try yet another ares.
- Elk, wife will have cow tag again, I am debating bull tag. Issue is cow is 100% on first option, but almost 0 for 2/3rd choice, so if I try for bull, but don't get it, we will be hunting in different areas.
- Pronghorn I am most likely going to stop my seemingly futile chase for bow pronghorn (I will NOT sit a water hole) and focus Sept on elk with bow and filling whitetail doe tag.
- REALLY want a mulie buck, most likely will go for general deer tag for options though

Goal is to free up November for birds. Fill tags before that and continue to grow our circle of friends who want meat but can't/don't hunt.

Oh, and find the right balance between golf and fishing!

 

[2rocky]

Well gonna chase my CA Archery Mule Deer tag once more. We will see if point creep is gonna screw me or what. No results on that until June, so I have to not apply for anything that might interfere in the end of August and beginning of Sept. This is my highest priority hunt and my best chance at a book buck in velvet. Second choice would be a archery only for multiple zones.

Of course the long shots for elk, sheep and antelope. I'll put in for the same area on antelope as my mule deer tag. Wouldn't that be wild to draw them both! Luckily the seasons don't overlap.

Of course I'll throw my $ at a long shot tag in UT. I'm in no man's land on points so I'm chasing random tags.

I'll build points for another year or two in WY. I'll buy a commissioners tag raffle ticket.

NV deer and elk apps will most likely be for late season offerings. Not banking on them but I'd be grateful for a tag. I'm low on points for deer and my resident buddy has decided to give up on his spot I've hunted with him, so I'm looking again.

It's a toss up if I'm going to apply in the pure random states. If so I'll forgo deer and elk in ID to shoot for a OIL tag. In NM I'd shoot for the moon on all the choices. I kinda like the looks of the wilderness in the area I hunted deer in and those odds are middlin' for deer but slim for elk.

CO I'm just 3 points on Deer and Elk. I think an OTC elk tag or 2nd choice archery deer tag would be my fall back plan if I didn't draw anything else. I'd use this year to find myself a place to go back to regularly with my horses.

AZ I feel like I'm pissin' in the wind. Way behind on points. Elks the only think I want to really draw there.

OR I'm not building points there anymore. Spring 2021 bear hunt for Early April

 

[AggieHunter]

Spring turkey- Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Florida
Bear- Alaska
Deer- Colorado and hopefully Kansas
Elk- Colorado and possibly somewhere else
Antelope- Colorado and Wyoming
And what ever else I potentially pull in the draws

 

[Happy Myles]

Africa again at end of June for waterbuck, black wildebeest, hartbeest, another kudu, another cape buffalo, and maybe a better warthog or impala if one gets in the way.

Fly fishing in Alaska in August.

Goose hunting here from Sept till they're gone in October. Then off to Montana for deer and pheasants. Usually back to Ontario second week of December.

Your game list suggest you are off to South Africa again for a ranch lodge hunt. Wish you would consider an East African safari. Given the world situation have a hunch 2021 will be a rare opportunity for a less expensive than usual open range tented safari and little competition in areas like Tanzania, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, Cameroon, Zimbabwe. and the C.A.R. Even Namibia. South Africa will always be there, the clock is ticking in East Africa.

 

[TrumpkinTheDwarf]

I intend to be that lucky guy who draws the breaks sheep tag with no points next year. Other than that, it'll hopefully be CO high country archery deer, and texas whitetails. Hog hunting will happen whenever I get too stir crazy with work and life.

 

[Russp17]

Dall sheep hunt August
September Caribou hunt
Silver fishing trip with my dad sept
Kodiak goat and deer hunt in October
Bird hunting between with the GSP
Maybe an Arizona bird hunt if I want to get out of Alaska for a little bit.

In addition will continue to build points in Wyoming, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado and Montana….

 

[mariano742]

Hoping the world get backs to "normal" :
Turkeys in Vt. and NY in May
Walleyes on the St.Lawrence River, NY in May
Walleyes in Northern Quebec in June and August
Waterfowl in Saskatchewan late September
Whitetails in Vt. and NY October - December
Cow elk and doe antelope in Wyoming late October/early November

hey i hunted VT and NY for many years and still do NY in the dacks most years
i didn’t get to do late ML east of 87 up north this year bc my buddy was sick and my other buddy’s wife was all freaked out about it. How was the hunting in VT/NY?

 

[mariano742]

2021
Head from new england to utah for early rifle general deer and then scout first rifle elk in colorado before first rifle opens. hunt first rifle elk and go back to maine hopefully with meat and hat racks

 

[BuglinDrew]

As of this exact moment:

September
- WY elk & deer
- MT unlimited sheep hunt

October
- Guiding
- WY antelope with my fiancé (then wife if I behave)

November
- NE archery mule deer

December
- Waterfowl/upland around eastern WY

I will also be applying for my annual WY mountain goat and swing-for-the-fences elk tags, so with any luck that will shake the schedule up a bit.

 

[Desk Pop]

I plan to draw at least one bighorn tag and one mountain goat tag...probably NW ibex too, as well as a Nevada elk tag.

I'll be super busy in 2021.

(Reality: I'll pull a WY doe antelope tag.)

 

[F250]

Marino742. The hunting was great ! I have a few tracts of land that I help manage for the landowners. Vermont went with a one buck limit this year. I shot a nice 8 point 163 lbs. My wife shot a beautiful 6 point 189 lbs. (she called it back with a bleat can after it chased a doe passed her). In NY I shot a 7 point with the Muzzle Loader and an 8 point with a rifle. I even snuck out to Kansas and tagged a long tined 8 point out there. Lots of good luck for me this year !!