What are your 2026 Outdoor Plans

[Birdbander]

I'm surprised to have not seen a thread of this nature started late last year & being already a month into 2026. I like hearing of the different places & game being pursued.

This will be a quieter year for me:

Already took a trip to Kansas for birds that was a bust right after New Year.
Nothing planned until spring turkey at home in Michigan. Purchase a WY pronghorn point. I may make a run to Texas for dove opener, something I've always wanted to do. I'll be going back to Colorado for blues & another crack at ptarmigan, solo this year with both dogs in September. Any remaining days off will be used for grouse camp in the UP.

A few pike spearing outings near home while ice lasts & a trip to LSC for perch/pike as well. Lots of crappie fishing throughout the upcoming open water season.

Please share what you have hopefully coming up & follow up with pics from your adventures! Have a safe, successful and fun year everyone!

 

[npaden]

After a crazy 2025 hunting year I don't have anything "planned" in 2026 but a few crazy draw odds could change it.

Already applied in Alaska, about to in Wyoming and Arizona, then New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and Wyoming and Arizona again. Might apply for Idaho or Montana but probably not.

Spend some time up at my new whitetail property here in Texas getting it setup, think I will work on some bedding areas and add a couple water holes. Put in a couple new nice blinds.

If I end up with a bust year on the draws I think I'm going to line up a Mountain Lion hunt in Nevada or Arizona with an outfitter.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Taking my daughter Mule deer hunting in Utah.

So far she’s got an elk, whitetail buck, black bear and a turkey scratched off of her list. We need a mule deer, antelope, mule deer, gator and a hog.

Then off to college she goes.

 

[BuzzH]

Not real sure until after the draw results.

But the for sures are:

Alaska, annual fishing trip late August.

Wyoming elk x 3 or 4, pronghorn, deer x 2, will have bear and lion tags too.

Montana elk, deer OTC NR.

Arizona, coues deer.

Will have applications out in AZ, NV, CO, UT, MT, WY with a crap load of points.

The good thing is I will have October through December off to hunt everyday.

 

[WapitiBob]

OR Turkey hunting and maybe Bear if one steps into the road.
OR Elk has decent odds for 2nd choice, next year will be a lock.
OR Pronghorn is a lock.
Idaho pronghorn is less than 50% odds, not a fan but partner is pushing it and I caved.
AZ Elk, decent odds.
WY Deer is a lock, WY Elk is a lock but debating that one to concentrate on the partners Deer/Pronghorn.
A few years out on UT Elk.

 

[Hawk Tuah]

Waiting for the draws, so likely a moose tag, a couple sheep tags and at least one goat tag.

This is my year.

 

[WyoCoalMiner]

Have not done much hunting over the last couple years. Building a house, son's going off to college, work. etc. just took a bunch of time and attention. Planning on that to change this year.
Hunting Plans
WY Turkey this spring
WY bear, just doubt I will shoot one.
WY elk with a cow tag thrown in for good measure
WY mule deer for sure.
WY whitetail.
WY Pronghorn.
Not sure I want to use my 26 Bighorn Points just yet.

Fishing Plans
Exploring the Salt River
Getting my trout pond going.

This should keep me out of the bars.

 

[The_Coloradoboy]

Comes down to draws as usual but for this year;

Spring bear in Montana and Idaho… maybe throw in a turkey

Montana general deer/elk- maybe get lucky and draw something

Wyoming- should cash in the deer points this year.

Colorado- going to burn the few points I have and go home and do an elk/deer hunt with dad and little brother. One of these days I’ll draw my sheep tag and complete the Colorado big 9. Be cool to do it before I turn 40

Texas/Arkansas- go hunt whitetails and ducks down at mom and dads place come winter as usual

 

[The_Jim]

I’ll do an elk and a couple deer hunts with my oldest son. We got a bird dog a few weeks ago, so hopefully do a lot more upland hunting.

I love hunting but I really look forward to taking my family camping as much as we can squeeze in each year. We already have plans for the black hills & or favorite spot in Colorado this summer.

 

[BuzzH]

Waiting for the draws, so likely a moose tag, a couple sheep tags and at least one goat tag.

This is my year.

I hear you chirpin' bigbird.

 

[Kiwi]

My current New Zealand plans are:

March - early red deer roar hunt
April - late red deer roar hunt
May - Fallow deer rut hunt
Early June - Late season stag and chamois hunt
Mid June - Tahr rut high in the Southern Alpes.

All of these NZ hunts are in 'draw' hunt blocks in the South Island.

Then an adventure in CO during the fall.

 

[Perlodid]

WA spring turkey
OR spring bear if I draw
OR archery roosevelt elk
WA fall bear
WA muzzleloader elk (probably can't hunt much of the season though)
WA general rifle blacktail
OR late archery blacktail

This will be my first full year in WA and I'm pretty excited for this year's hunting plans. Some of them could fall through if I need to have elbow surgery, particularly the archery hunts. Not sure if/when that is happening yet though.
Never shot a bear, elk, or blacktail, and I would be happy getting my first of any of those three, but I really want a blacktail more than anything. I hunted them in OR in 2022 when I lived out there, and last year here in WA. Getting closer, but I still have a lot to learn. It's not very likely that I will fill any of these tags (except turkey probably), but I figure I can pull something together with that many opportunities if I do my part. Actually now that I think about it, I've never shot a Merriam's either, so every one of these hunts could be a first for me.

Fishing plans TBD at a later date but I'd like to get my first bull trout at some point, that sounds fun.

 

[NoWiser]

I think I have a good shot at an AZ elk tag I’d be happy with after 15 years but my wife is showing some discomfort with the amount of time the tag could take so I’m still unsure if I’ll put in for it. If she’s not on 100% on board, I’m not applying.

If I don’t do that, I may burn my 12 CO deer points.

Otherwise, lots of turkey hunting this spring with the kids, lots of fishing this summer including my annual Canada trip with the kids, and hopefully some deer hunting and trapping here in MN this fall.

 

[Dave N]

Easy. I ain't doing anything!

 

[WildWill]

First off I'm headed to NM in April to chase Merriams for the first time.


Hoping to finally catch a CO muzzleloader tag I've been chasing for 2 years. If that happens gonna do 9 days of horseback hunting and will probably be my only out of state hunts this fall.


If I fail to catch up to the CO tag I've got a pretty solid plan B. Use my WY pronghorn points in the special to draw a tag in September and hunt SD blackhills whitetail in November ( have enough points to be as close to a sure thing as you can get).



Of course always a bunch of wild cards that could change things AZ, NM , CO sheep and moose, SD bison, etc.


That's the out of state plans so far for this year. Here at home in Oklahoma I'll chase the usual deer, turkey, hogs, birds, small game and more. Priority #1 will be getting my daughter her first turkey this spring.

 

[TheGreek]

My plans for 2026 are:

More ducks!
More grouse!
More birds!

Tentative plans right now are:

Birds, birds, birds the entire month of sept here in CO.

SD for the pheasant opener in Oct

Then head to MN for a few days of chasing ruffed grouse

Hopefully 3rd rifle deer and elk tags here in NW CO

Followed by ducks, ducks, ducks in December and January.

Also headed to NW Nebraska in late April or early May to chase turkeys.

I’ve got birds on the brain!

 

[The_Coloradoboy]

Forgot to add Oregon blacktail…. Been wanting to do it for a while. Im all ears if anyone has some tips for a rookie blacktail hunter or will exchange some quality info in Colorado/Wyoming

 

[338win]

As is tradition, wearing out a pair of boots and digging ticks off my ass during spring turkey. Then most likely not drawing anything to continue defying statistics. This will be year 14 of applying and have not drawn anything with less than basically coin toss odds.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Take my kids out as much as I can! Freezer is packed. Might do a bit more small game this fall depending on how much venison the 6 of us eat between now and Oct.

Feb hopefully a few more cottontail outings. Try to find sheds from a couple big bucks I watched this fall

April/May turkey

Jun-Aug fishing, learn to bow fish. Last year I think I went fishing 3 days total…won’t be repeating that.

Sept squirrel

Oct returning to Wyoming w/ @Bowmannate2000 for elk, unless we strike gold on a Type 9 tag.

Nov deer/turkey

Dec deer, hoping to make it the 4th year in a row shooting a deer w/ a handgun

All public!

 

[jpc01101]

*subject to change with draw results

- Feb wolf hunt to MT/Idaho if I can get away
- KY Spring Turkey
- Kansas Turkey with Dad
- Spring Turkey and Bear mostly in ID
- Africa in July, headed to the Karoo this time with the wife and my 9 yo
- back to Idaho for archery elk for Sept
- WY for Rifle deer and antelope first part of Oct
- some fall bear wherever u haven’t punched a tag in MT/ID
- KY rifle deer
- Coues in AZ with Dad

Sounds absurd when I type it all out but this is what keeps me going.