Premium Tag Advice/Lessons learned

[Eric-solo]

Nicely done!

 

[Elkangle]

Interesting topic and report..couple thoughts come to mind

Take ownership...you & your spotter are a team...any mistakes by one highlights the shortcomings of the other...misjudge bull ? Should have spent more time looking over bulls together..should have been more clear what you was looking for..should have scouted more and had exact target bulls with photos for your spotter..should have put eyes on the bull prior to your stalk..should have put better eyes on the bull before your shot..the list goes on..your partner/dad didnt fail...your team failed (failed is a strong word for getting your biggest bull but you get the point)

Next is judging animals is hard, esp from past a 2000 yards...what was the glassing conditions ? What was the angle ? Could you guys have leap frogged to get a better glassing angle together ? Could you have had a better spotting scope set up for a clearer image ? Better tripod for less shake in the wind ? This isnt an easy task

How many animals have you passed on while in range ? I get the tunnel vision kill mode mentality...i flipped the switch myself more times then not ! But when your holding out you need to be an observer and not a killer...animals will getbaway in tight cover but thats the price you pay for not having ground shrinkage..learn to flip that switch..spend more time in the red zone

Hunt bedded animals...you need time...bed them up when they get too hot...sneak into a good range to judge together...wait for the 2nd bed..and then go in for a nice calm stalk

Now save up some coin and go buy a great tag for you and your dad to enjoy another awesome hunt together ! Clocks ticking

 

[PLhunter]

Interesting topic and report..couple thoughts come to mind

Take ownership...you & your spotter are a team...any mistakes by one highlights the shortcomings of the other...misjudge bull ? Should have spent more time looking over bulls together..should have been more clear what you was looking for..should have scouted more and had exact target bulls with photos for your spotter..should have put eyes on the bull prior to your stalk..should have put better eyes on the bull before your shot..the list goes on..your partner/dad didnt fail...your team failed (failed is a strong word for getting your biggest bull but you get the point)

Next is judging animals is hard, esp from past a 2000 yards...what was the glassing conditions ? What was the angle ? Could you guys have leap frogged to get a better glassing angle together ? Could you have had a better spotting scope set up for a clearer image ? Better tripod for less shake in the wind ? This isnt an easy task

How many animals have you passed on while in range ? I get the tunnel vision kill mode mentality...i flipped the switch myself more times then not ! But when your holding out you need to be an observer and not a killer...animals will getbaway in tight cover but thats the price you pay for not having ground shrinkage..learn to flip that switch..spend more time in the red zone

Hunt bedded animals...you need time...bed them up when they get too hot...sneak into a good range to judge together...wait for the 2nd bed..and then go in for a nice calm stalk

Now save up some coin and go buy a great tag for you and your dad to enjoy another awesome hunt together ! Clocks ticking

This is excellent constructive advice and what I was after. Once the dust and emotions settled my team and I were able to have those conversations without anyone getting defensive. It was a system “failure” but we also had a lot of successes on that hunt but it highlights how one failure is final. We came up with some good lessons learned that hopefully pay off when it’s someone’s turn next.

For spotters and support people be careful with wording and any absolutes. Keep in mind that if you say shooter, the shooter may indeed take your word for it. How sure are you in your assessment? If not 100% then don’t use wording that sounds 100%. Big difference between bull is possibly a shooter and is a shooter. Also participate early in judging animals and looking over photos. Listen to the hunter when they share expectations.

For the shooter, it’s your tag and your responsibility, filled tags are final. Get some rest and calm your nerves. You took the time off, use all of it. If the window is too tight to get a good look through optics don’t take it. Sure, that could be your one chance at a huge bull, but what odds are greater? That you get another crack at him? Fairly high in a great unit. Or that the bull you’re taking a snapshot isn’t 100% what you’re after? Pretty high odds considering you’ve passed nearly every bull you’ve seen to this point.

In the end though once the dust settled I had a damn fun hunt. The encounter with a big herd the morning of the evening I shot my bull was the most incredible elk experience I’ve ever had. The amount of meat I got from this bull has allowed me to be very generous and host many great dinners and parties.

 

[MallardSX2]

My kid drew a good elk tag last year (the only good tag we have drawn in over a decade of applying) and we had a short window to get it done. Looking back, after the first day there I should have move areas completely. We grinded it out for 5 days in the same basic area because we set up camp there and I though we would eventually get it done. We hunted very hard and we simply didn't get it done. The pressure from other hunters was waaaay more than we expected for a limited entry tag.

Looking back, we should have moved to a different part of the unit. She will NEVER draw that tag again in her life. I feel like I really screwed up. Maybe the right thing would have been to hire a guide in that situation but I would have been even more disappointed if we had not come home with an elk AND paid someone $6,000+ dollars to take us on a nature walk.

 

[PLhunter]

My kid drew a good elk tag last year (the only good tag we have drawn in over a decade of applying) and we had a short window to get it done. Looking back, after the first day there I should have move areas completely. We grinded it out for 5 days in the same basic area because we set up camp there and I though we would eventually get it done. We hunted very hard and we simply didn't get it done. The pressure from other hunters was waaaay more than we expected for a limited entry tag.

Looking back, we should have moved to a different part of the unit. She will NEVER draw that tag again in her life. I feel like I really screwed up. Maybe the right thing would have been to hire a guide in that situation but I would have been even more disappointed if we had not come home with an elk AND paid someone $6,000+ dollars to take us on a nature walk.

Hunt areas and moving played a big role in my hunt as well. I had scouted lots of the unit and only found good bulls in a desert zone at the fringes. That’s where we started our hunt and the bulls had moved out or were simply too mobile in that flat ground to catch up to for a better look. So I came into the hunt only having seen 3 bulls I’d consider good enough in all my scouting and they were together in one area. Showed up early and saw 2 good bulls before it opened but both encounters were accidental and too close, we never saw them again. We hunted it a few days and were reluctant to leave.

When we got to the new zone there were more elk but we were kind of approaching it like it had the scarcity of the last area. Putting too much weight on encounters. We didn’t get into the calm down there are elk everywhere mode because we were still wired for what we had been seeing. lol I had bigger bulls then the one I shot run through the established campground after my bull was tagged. Had we just settled into the new zone for a bit longer I think we would have put less pressure on encounters with elk knowing they are absolutely everywhere and rutting their asses off. But I had scouting trips in this zone that turned up zero elk. You only having 5 days is a tough one.

 

[Slayer46]

Congratulations on your tag!
I drew an ultra premium Nevada NR archery tag this year with 4 points so it was completely unexpected! I have had the biggest adrenaline rush for the past 5 weeks I think my wife thinks I’ve lost it . I’m going with my two sons who are in their 20’s, I’ve killed 20 elk in Oregon but nothing over the 270ish range. I’m trying to take every day in and make the most memories possible. I have decided I want to give it a go for a big one the first 10 days or so and would be completely happy shooting a lesser bull at the end of season just to have the experiences each day of the hunt with my boys! I wish you the best luck and please add some pictures when you get your monster!

 

[elkocd]

Drawing a premium tag can mean very different things depending on a hunter’s goals, personality, and experience. For some, it’s an opportunity to hire an outfitter and chase the biggest animal possible. For others, outfitters simply aren’t part of the experience they want.

A few years ago, my son drew an early archery elk tag in Arizona Unit 1 when he was just 19. I felt confident in our ability to find good bulls, and he set a firm goal: nothing under the 340–350 class. He stuck to that standard the entire hunt.

Early on, we were into 300–315 bulls every day, and he passed on all of them. I supported his choice, though I kept checking in to make sure that was truly what he wanted. We just weren’t seeing that next age class early in the rut, even though we knew those bulls were around.

Then, almost overnight, everything changed. Each group we had been watching suddenly had a 330–370 bull with the cows instead of a 300-class herd bull. A couple of those bulls were truly next-level, and we had them patterned. The problem was that we were now down to the final three days of the hunt.

He got close—very close—but ended up going home with an unpunched tag. I still remember the last day, stalking to within 100 yards of one of the biggest bulls I’ve ever been that close to, bedded with cows. A calf we never saw busted us. As we walked out, I could sense his disappointment, but he never once questioned his choices.

Premium tags are ultimately about what you want from the hunt. Maybe it’s the experience itself and being happy with a solid bull. Maybe it’s holding out for that next-level animal. Maybe it’s having lots of help to maximize your odds. As long as you enjoy the experience and accept the outcome, it’s a success.

The only thing that can truly sour a premium tag is feeling too much pressure—pressure to kill, pressure to meet expectations—and ending the hunt with regret instead of pride in the choices you made.

 

[Smtn10pt]

My kid drew a good elk tag last year (the only good tag we have drawn in over a decade of applying) and we had a short window to get it done. Looking back, after the first day there I should have move areas completely. We grinded it out for 5 days in the same basic area because we set up camp there and I though we would eventually get it done. We hunted very hard and we simply didn't get it done. The pressure from other hunters was waaaay more than we expected for a limited entry tag.

Looking back, we should have moved to a different part of the unit. She will NEVER draw that tag again in her life. I feel like I really screwed up. Maybe the right thing would have been to hire a guide in that situation but I would have been even more disappointed if we had not come home with an elk AND paid someone $6,000+ dollars to take us on a nature walk.

Still feel bad for you guys on how that all shook out! You had all the intel I could offer. Im definitely cured of wanting to get in the Utah game.