What are your 2026 Outdoor Plans

[Bulldog0156]

1. Spring bear in montana for something to do
2. Lots of tree trimming planned for the spring as well, I have a real juniper problem I'm looking to solve
3. Spring tree and shrub planting to establish some more native species that provide food for wildlife
4. Hoping to talk my non-resident friends into an antelope or elk hunt
5. Serious grouse hunting this fall
6. Alaska for a rut blacktail hunt paired with ducks and fishing

Going to apply for some impossible units in montana for deer and elk to hopefully bank points to draw something good in 2027. I don't need to get gluttonous and the Alaska deer tags should do plenty to fill the freezer.

 

[gonhunting247]

To get things started I will be headed to AZ for another javelina hunt with my MZ in a week or so.
I drew my ID whitetail tag, so unless I draw in the controlled that is on the schedule.
I will either draw my WY antelope or elk tag (maybe both) I haven't figured exactly how to approach those, but will have to decide very soon on the elk portion !
I have applied in AZ and AK for a variety of opportunities, so we will see how that goes.
A Buddy I met in AZ javelina hunting and I are planning on going antelope hunting in UT, which should be a great time! (we have the points to draw unless point creep stops us)
I will put in for more tags in WY, AZ, MT, CO, ID, NM, NV, TX and UT, but most are long shots and I will deal with the planning if I get really lucky.
In OR I'll do the usual and try and get my 3 turkeys(spring) and 3 bears (1spring/2fall) along with a general season elk and probably my second choice deer. I'll put in for all the other available hunts and donate my app fees, but would be pleasantly surprised if I was lucky enough to draw any of those!
Hopefully my oldest Grandson will want to tag along and whack one or more of my critters here in OR on the mentored youth program. That would be the best of all!
Like someone said already in a previous post, now that I write it down it sounds like a lot .

 

[mevertsen]

Mountain lion hunting into the spring.

About 3 long weekend camping and fishing trips with the family this summer.

I'll apply for deer and doe pronghorn locally, hunt them in September if I'm fortunate to draw.

I still havent decided if I want to apply for elk this year or not.

 

[nontyp]

Starting the year off strong at our house.
-Once things thaw out a bit, my boys and I will be hitting the beaver trapping hard again.
-Heading to Az for javelina in a few weeks with some friends.
-Taking the family to MO for paddlefish in March.

We’ll chase turkeys a little bit in April, and then have a bit of a lull until Fall.

Planning to hunt elk somewhere. We’ll see what the draw gods decide for us.

 

[SaskHunter]

2025 was pretty mellow, didn't fill either of my bear tags, no mule or whitetail deer. My September was action packed with a very successful bull elk and pronghorn hunt, but October and November was void of action. I hunted as hard as I ever have during November and couldn't turn anything up. Drought, winter and CWD has done quite the number on our deer.

For 2026 I'm definitely focusing more on spring bear. One of my best buddies moved back here and he wants to start hunting with me. We have a pretty good plan to cover my bear territory. I'll also hopefully be doing some fishing in BC, Yukon and Northwest Territories. It's been a while since I've dedicated time to fishing.

Fall-wise, still up in the air. Lot's of draw applications but for sure I'll be chasing archery mule deer, whitetail and I have a float archery elk hunt I'm pretty stoked about.

But most importantly, all those plans are subject to change depending how committed my oldest is. She turns 12 this summer and whatever hunt she wants to embark on will be THE priority and everything else put aside!

 

[Dougfirtree]

Hoping for a pronghorn tag this year (and hoping my son will come too). It's been too long since I've been west.

Other than that, probably just a bunch of whitetail hunting in NY and fingers crossed for the Maine moose lottery..

 

[TexanSam]

This is my first year as a Montana resident. I'm extremely excited to take advantage of the opportunities that affords. Specifically the spring turkey, spring bear, and OTC elk. I will also put in for LE tags here as well as some long shots in other states.

Also some friends and I should be close to enough points as a group for a Wyoming general elk tag. We are putting in for that as a hedge against them not drawing MT elk, so I may be chasing elk in two states this year.

 

[Nameless Range]

Chronologically:

-Hobby trapping muskrat/mink/beaver from now till April
-Idaho Steelhead in a month
-April Turkey close to home with my son
-Probably fishing once or twice a week with my kids May-Sept. Explore some new lakes on the boat.
-Annual "Man Trip" with some high school buddies looks to be a serious backpacking adventure this year.
-Sept 1st - chase the blue grouse
-This fall I am gonna try and pick archery back up. It's been 5 years. Just lightly though because rifle season is where my real job turns into a side gig and September is dominated by kids sports.
-My son's first year being able to hunt everything. He and I will chase mountain whitetail and elk close to home come October-Nov.
-Other critters, draw dependent
-Trap hard come december.

I bet if I averaged the amount of days I hunt/fish/trap over the course of a year - it's probably 2-3 days a week. I am privileged in career, geography, and family. With a 16 year old, a 12 year old, and an 8 year old, I plan to ride that out as long as the Gods of the Outdoors let me. Right now, I've got a dozen cameras across the landscape that will be left up all winter. I struck out on bobcat trapping this year, and need to reevaluate and explore new areas. Aside from being able to hunt elk with my son, that might be the thing I am most pumped about. So much to learn and do, and not enough time to do it all.

 

[TX Trophy Hunter]

January- play in the snow with my daughter. Her first experience with snow.

February- lots of walks.

March- start building back fitness with more intense walking and light weight training.

April- kayak fishing for bluegills, little bass, and crappie.

May- add some bike riding to the mix

June- moving to Montana

Montana goals- catch some new to me fish species- kokanee, pike, pumpkinseed. Hunt some new upland birds- grouse, huns, chukkar. Get my wife a whitetail or a pronghorn. Maybe dabble with some waterfowl hunting. Ride my bike as much as possible. Involve my family in most activities.

 

[BigHornRam]

Camping, fishing, hunting, and exploring new country.

 

[noharleyyet]

Next month a roadtrip for my bride's birthday & we'll do the same in April or May. Some place in cool mountains in summertime. August or Sept NM elk if our son draws. Another NM cow hunt for me, hopefully.

 

[shrapnel]

I live where I would vacation, Montana. There is fish and game to hunt or catch every month out of the year. I will do the same I have been doing all my life and hunt/fish Montana every month...

 

[Big Fin]

I looked at the calendar and Mrs. Fin has me booked for six four-day weekends of walleye fishing in June and July. Hope to have a hell of a farmers tan by the time hunting season arrives.

August - Back to NWT for Mountain Caribou. Don't ask me why I signed up for a backpack hunt this time. Something about wanting to prove that I can do that, even though I will be very close to early SS retirement age.

September - Moose in Alaska

The rest of the season is hard to predict. Applying for some very easy-to-draw deer tags, so I suspect I will be chasing whitetails sometime in November. Also have a very easy-to-draw elk tag on the docket. Other than that, Montana deer and elk with a rifle. That should suffice. The story lines we have on the schedule for 2026 don't really even require a tag, but are enhanced if we have a tag.

I would like to sneak in another walleye trip in September or October. Before these platforms, we fished walleyes until mid-October. I miss that, as you have the lake mostly to yourself and the walleyes are borderline suicidal at that time of year.

 

[TexanSam]

I would like to sneak in another walleye trip in September or October. Before these platforms, we fished walleyes until mid-October. I miss that, as you have the lake mostly to yourself and the walleyes are borderline suicidal at that time of year.

Walleye are suicidal, and perch are cannibalistic during that time of year I learned.

 

[Stocker]

Have one year where I don’t sit with my head held low and think to myself “you’ve been hunting your whole life, there’s no way you are this bad and incompetent to continue making dumb mistakes.”

But since that won’t happen I’m taking my son and nephew out to the Nebraska panhandle in April to chase Miriam Turkeys with bows.

We’re gonna hit a few 3d shoots on the summer when I’m not dragging them around fishing.

Archery elk hunt for me in September I’m sure the boys, my wife, and daughter will tag along, then spend the rest of the fall trying to get the boys their first archery bucks and my 10yo daughter her first deer.


Should be a hell of a fun year that will have amazing moments and moments where I think I should give up hunting and take up knitting.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Updated with some draw results

April- FL turkey draw tag
May- MT bear/turkey with the family
Aug- AK caribou
Sept- MT elk and helping a friend with AZ elk
Oct- MT antelope and ewe bighorn
Nov- MT deer
Dec- UT elk
Jan- NM Mule deer

 

[Sask hunter]

April some beaver trapping, may/June spring bear and maybe the odd snow goose shoot. After that will depend on draws

 

[PRO MO]

i'm feeling lucky this year.
i'm going to get a black bear.
i'm going to get a turkey.
i'm going to draw arizona elk - if i apply for archery. still undecided (i applied for archery, still didn't draw)
i'm going to draw NM elk, and one of the exotics, probably oryx.
i'm going to draw a mountain goat tag, and keep gaining on moose and sheep
i'm going to kill a bull opening day in MT archery, and a nice whitetail or muley during the rut
i'm going to skip out on idaho elk, but will draw idaho moose
i'm going to draw points in all other states that i apply for
i'm booking my next alaska hunt. either black tail or black bear.

all in all, it should be a decent year. there's a realistic chance i at least draw the permits - a 0.00001581% chance - but i'm saying there's a chance.

 

[TheTone]

Draw the long shot AZ elk tag I put in for, finally draw an Idaho moose tag in my home unit, hunt elk and deer at home, shoot a couple spring turkeys. Fish more this summer with my wife and kid

 

[Steiny77]

I can jump back and forth between some really good whitetail hunting in IN and IL from Oct 1 thru early Jan and will do a lot of that; archery, firearms and muzzle loader.
Between the two states I can kill three bucks and a bunch of does.
Also will be applying in both IA and KS and will likely get one or both of those tags. Those will be firearms hunts.
Ontario fly in fishing trip for walleye, pike and lake trout in August.
About 4-5 April / May two day trips for crappie in southern IL on Rend lake or Lake Egypt.
Mushroom hunting in early May.
A little backyard turkey hunting.
Lots of trips to our lake house near Traverse City, MI from May through August with some pretty good fishing for; bass, panfish, pike and lake trout.

And no job to get in the way of any of the above.