Premium Tag Advice/Lessons learned

[T-town]

Agree with a lot of what has been posted above. Seems that you have the experience and willing partners to make the hunt happen DIY. Adequate time off to not be in a rush would be critical in my mind. If you can do that logistically and hunt how you want to hunt, I’m sure you would enjoy the whole experience even more. The hunt itself is gonna go fast regardless if you tag out early or eat tag soup. Drag out the planning / scouting ahead of time as much as possible with whomever can go with you. Anyone who will go preliminarily scout with you, train/ exercise with you, or go to the range with you can have a memorable part in your 2025 hunt.

And speaking of range time. You may already be a military sniper marksman, but I would recommend you burn powder through that muzzleloader every week from now until the hunt. My dad took me on my first OOS hunt over 30 years ago, but I still remember all the bricks of .22 ammo we shot up at pie plates and aluminum cans in addition to the boxes of premium rifle ammo we shot off the bench, bipod and hood of the truck.

Even reading the replies on Rokslide helps with the enjoyment and anticipation leading up to the actual hunt. Congrats on your tag and take a ton of pictures along the way.

 

[WRO]

If you’re going to hunt diy, talk to every prior tag holder you can, try and connect with archery hunters if you can, elk will be in completely different places than you see them now in September/October.


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[PLhunter]

If you’re going to hunt diy, talk to every prior tag holder you can, try and connect with archery hunters if you can, elk will be in completely different places than you see them now in September/October.


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Yeah, I’ve been reaching out best I can while staying within the no location specific post rules. I’ve already had some fine folks step up.

 

[PLhunter]

Agree with a lot of what has been posted above. Seems that you have the experience and willing partners to make the hunt happen DIY. Adequate time off to not be in a rush would be critical in my mind. If you can do that logistically and hunt how you want to hunt, I’m sure you would enjoy the whole experience even more. The hunt itself is gonna go fast regardless if you tag out early or eat tag soup. Drag out the planning / scouting ahead of time as much as possible with whomever can go with you. Anyone who will go preliminarily scout with you, train/ exercise with you, or go to the range with you can have a memorable part in your 2025 hunt.

And speaking of range time. You may already be a military sniper marksman, but I would recommend you burn powder through that muzzleloader every week from now until the hunt. My dad took me on my first OOS hunt over 30 years ago, but I still remember all the bricks of .22 ammo we shot up at pie plates and aluminum cans in addition to the boxes of premium rifle ammo we shot off the bench, bipod and hood of the truck.

Even reading the replies on Rokslide helps with the enjoyment and anticipation leading up to the actual hunt. Congrats on your tag and take a ton of pictures along the way.

Yeah, I’ve enjoyed the process so far. My friends are probably sick of my planning.

I intend to shoot a lot. I had a collapse of my shooting performance with a rifle last hunting season. I had practiced before but something fell apart whether it was me or my dope/calculations etc.. I don’t know exactly what it was. But I do know I don’t want that to happen on this hunt so I’ll be doing lots of work up and lots of simulated situation work.

 

[T-town]

What muzzleloader and powder/ bullet combo will you be suing? Open sights or scoped?

 

[5MilesBack]

For me, it doesn't matter whether it's an OTC elk hunt or a premium tag hunt.......it's all about the total experience for me. But the difference is......with some tags I'm willing to eat my tag while holding out for what I want. Extends the hunt, extends the experience, lengthens the fun factor on a rut hunt.

 

[WRO]

Yeah, I’ve been reaching out best I can while staying within the no location specific post rules. I’ve already had some fine folks step up.

Join epic of hf, both have lists of prior tag holders with phone numbers


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[PLhunter]

What muzzleloader and powder/ bullet combo will you be suing? Open sights or scoped?

In idaho and Oregon it has to be open sights. I have a Williams muzzleloader sight on mine and have been shooting 110 grains of 777 and 297 grain Thor lightning non tipped. In Oregon it can’t have any plastic. Looks like Idaho just allowed sabots as of this year.

 

[PLhunter]

For me, it doesn't matter whether it's an OTC elk hunt or a premium tag hunt.......it's all about the total experience for me. But the difference is......with some tags I'm willing to eat my tag while holding out for what I want. Extends the hunt, extends the experience, lengthens the fun factor on a rut hunt.

I’m about at that point in hunting too. For an OTC or some hunts I do have some tag filling pressure. I haven’t bought beef for the freezer for damn near a decade and I want to keep it that way. But this is obviously more than a meat hunt. I do want to savor it. Especially, like you said with rutting activity. Gun in hand, bugling bulls, just 20 other hunters…. Sounds like heaven man.

 

[PLhunter]

Agree with a lot of what has been posted above. Seems that you have the experience and willing partners to make the hunt happen DIY. Adequate time off to not be in a rush would be critical in my mind. If you can do that logistically and hunt how you want to hunt, I’m sure you would enjoy the whole experience even more. The hunt itself is gonna go fast regardless if you tag out early or eat tag soup. Drag out the planning / scouting ahead of time as much as possible with whomever can go with you. Anyone who will go preliminarily scout with you, train/ exercise with you, or go to the range with you can have a memorable part in your 2025 hunt.

And speaking of range time. You may already be a military sniper marksman, but I would recommend you burn powder through that muzzleloader every week from now until the hunt. My dad took me on my first OOS hunt over 30 years ago, but I still remember all the bricks of .22 ammo we shot up at pie plates and aluminum cans in addition to the boxes of premium rifle ammo we shot off the bench, bipod and hood of the truck.

Even reading the replies on Rokslide helps with the enjoyment and anticipation leading up to the actual hunt. Congrats on your tag and take a ton of pictures along the way.

Yup definitely going to need more range time. The Williams peep sight is great but like all peep sights consistent eye and sight lineup are everything. Not something we practice regularly or pay as dearly for lack of discipline with scoped rifles.

 

[huntnful]

I had a premium archery elk tag. I found a great bull rutting cows on the first day. I just didn’t want to pursue him, it was too early in the hunt. I hunted and chased a bigger bull around for a few days. Checked out new areas of the unit. Chased more bulls. I hunted hard for 10 days. I ended up killing that same bull I found on the first day, on the 10th day. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. It was an awesome 10 days of elk hunting.

BUT, if that bull was truly giant, and not just a really nice bull, I think I’d have had no choice but to try and kill him on day one.

I’d just say to get proficient with your muzzy and don’t rush it. Just because it’s a good tag, doesn’t mean you NEED to kill. You do NEED to enjoy it though, because it likely won’t come your way again

 

[Weldor]

Drew a early bull tag 1 0f 50, hunted 14 days missed a good bull (archery). Never seen another hunter the whole time, it was great. Bugle ended early everyday from the heat 90 plus everyday. Killed a rag on the last afternoon. enjoyed the whole hunt and just spending the days out there. Never had the self imposed pressure to kill the famed 360 plus bulls. Not that I would mind, but that is not why I hunt.

 

[PLhunter]

I had a premium archery elk tag. I found a great bull rutting cows on the first day. I just didn’t want to pursue him, it was too early in the hunt. I hunted and chased a bigger bull around for a few days. Checked out new areas of the unit. Chased more bulls. I hunted hard for 10 days. I ended up killing that same bull I found on the first day, on the 10th day. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. It was an awesome 10 days of elk hunting.

BUT, if that bull was truly giant, and not just a really nice bull, I think I’d have had no choice but to try and kill him on day one.

I’d just say to get proficient with your muzzy and don’t rush it. Just because it’s a good tag, doesn’t mean you NEED to kill. You do NEED to enjoy it though, because it likely won’t come your way again

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Awesome bull and perfect placement. Seems like a perfect hunt. With archery especially that’s quite the gamble and it paid off. I’m used to 1:10 or 1:20 legit attempts needed for archery to hit pay dirt. So passing up on going after or making a stalk can come back to haunt you when you make your first real attempts and they don’t work out the last couple days of the hunt. Glad yours went by the book!

It all depends on what scouting shows but my plan as is right now is take a top 10% bull in the unit whenever the opportunity comes. First light first day or whatever. A true giant.

Take a top 25% bull after a couple days of fun hunting would be fine for me. Especially if the gang is all there to enjoy it, but I don’t want to smoke one day one and wonder what adventures we could have had.

I think I’d push it to the very end if I couldn’t get the top 25%. I’m there to enjoy being selective and be around big bulls after all and I love learning new areas. Can’t get enough of looking for that tucked away honey hole.

I realize that weather and health and all that can blow up these plans. 2 feet of snow coming one or two days into the hunt. A fire starting in the unit. An injury. Can all blow up your timelines and goals.

 

[huntnful]

Take a top 25% bull after a couple days of fun hunting would be fine for me. Especially if the gang is all there to enjoy it, but I don’t want to smoke one day one and wonder what adventures we could have had.

I think I’d push it to the very end if I couldn’t get the top 25%. I’m there to enjoy being selective and be around big bulls after all and I love learning new areas. Can’t get enough of looking for that tucked away honey hole.

I think that’s the perfect perspective to enjoy the hunt, but also be open to capitalizing on the real potentional of killing a nice bull early in the hunt if the opportunity presents itself!