Master Your Big Game Application Strategy for Western Hunts
Every January, western hunters face the same mind-numbing task: navigating the chaotic maze of application deadlines and draw systems with the hopes of securing a tag for fall. From the Wyoming Non-Resident Elk deadline in January to Nevada’s Big Game deadline in May, the sheer number of applications is nearly impossible to manage alone.
To make things even more complicated, nearly every state has a different application style and point system. Sounds like a lot to keep straight, right? There are roughly 75 different deadlines for big game applications and preference points across the west. If you count individual species, that number climbs well over 150 applications. Imagine trying to keep all that information straight and not miss any! Total Chaos.
What Is a Western Application Strategy?
Now of course most people don’t apply for every single application in the west – that would make for a crazy fall! Since you’re not going to apply for them all, how do you decide which applications to do, what states to build points in, and what states to ignore? That is where an App Strategy comes in!
An Application Strategy is like your western hunting fingerprint – everyone has a unique strategy they’ve built to match their goals and how often they want to hunt the west. Some people apply for a lot of Elk, Mule Deer, and Antelope tags each year hoping to draw multiple and fill their season. Other folks use tools like GoHunt Draw Odds to only apply for tags they know they will draw and build points in the other states for next year.
Your application strategy will also evolve each season based on the number of points you have built up, the states you’ve cashed your points in, and the new hunts you want to do in the future. You might be asking, where do I start?
Start with Your Most Important Hunt for the Season
Every year I start building my application strategy around my highest priority hunt for that fall. You might have an annual hunt that you want to draw each year, like a mule deer camp with the family, or maybe an archery elk hunt with all your friends. I always start here and decide what state is my best chance of drawing a tag for the hunt I want to go on.
This year, my wife Abbey and I want to go on a rifle Mule Deer hunt. Looking at our combined points across the west, our best choice is a Colorado Mule Deer tag – so we will build our application strategy around that hunt. I have to apply for North Dakota Mule deer as well if I want to keep adding to my six points. If I draw that tag, then I get the bonus of a second hunt!
Some folks like to swing for the fence and try to draw high trophy potential Limited Entry tags across the west, like a Wyoming Mule Deer Migration tag, or one of the New Mexico deer tags since some states always have a random aspect to the draw and fall back on Over-The-Counter tags if they strikeout, but not me.
I have drawn a couple amazing once-in-a-lifetime tags, but I generally count those as a bonus. For my main hunt each fall, I want to know my odds and be confident I am going to draw which ever tag I apply for – it makes planning the fall, and Abbey’s vacation bidding at work, a lot simpler.
Using Over-The-Counter Tags as a Backup Option
If you’re in the opposite camp and want to try and draw a trophy tag, or if you don’t have enough points to be certain you’ll draw a tag there are a few options you can try. The key to this strategy is having a decent back up plan so you don’t find yourself on the couch watching hunts on YouTube instead of being on the mountain yourself!
One way is using an Over-the-Counter tag as your backup option, like the Colorado OTC elk tags, or the Idaho OTC General Season tags for both elk and mule deer.
For Idaho, you have to participate in the OTC sale in December the year before you plan to hunt, and hopefully your place in line gets you a decent tag. This way you can apply for all the limited entry tags you want in the spring knowing you have a backup Idaho elk tag in your pocket if you don’t draw. If you do draw, you can refund the Idaho tag (refund rates vary based on the date you refund) and hunt the limited-entry tag.
Applying for Limited Entry Tags without Missing a Season
Another way is kind of like application stacking, or applying for multiple states in a series hoping to draw a tag before the next application deadline comes along.
Montana mule deer and Colorado mule deer are great examples since they both post results before the Wyoming mule deer application deadline. If you don’t draw one of the earlier tags, you can apply for a higher odds tag in the later applications and still have a hunt to go on come fall.
You can do this with elk as well, but it takes a little more mettle since the Wyoming non-resident elk deadline is in January and the results aren’t posted until late May – but you can still follow the same plan and withdraw from Wyoming if you draw another state prior to the Wyoming application withdraw deadline in May.
This works really well if you have enough Wyoming elk preference points to guarantee the general tag as a backup option and then apply for any Limited Entry tags you want. Montana’s Limited Entry Permits, New Mexico’s Random Lottery, and Arizona’s Limited Entry Tags all have units with incredibly big bulls and post the results before the deadline to withdraw in Wyoming.
Deciding Which States to Build Points in to Hunt Every Year
Once you’ve got the plan nailed down for the hunts you want to go on this fall and the applications you need for those tags, all it comes down to is deciding which states you want to build points in for future years.
This part might sound easy, but it certainly can get complicated quickly! Most states require some type of hunting license or application fee to buy points – which makes it a no brainer if you are already doing an app in that state for your fall tag. Utah for example requires a $160 hunting license to do an application or buy points, so if you plan on applying for a tag its almost a no-brainer to get some Utah preference points for $10 each.
However, if you’re not already doing the Utah application are you still excited about spending 160 bucks to get some points? This is where your application strategy starts to become like your western hunting fingerprint – everyone has different thoughts on which states are worth building points in, and which states are a waste of money.
The 3 Best States to Build Points In
If you’re looking for a simple starting point to the western point strategy, I typically recommend buying points in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana for the species you want to hunt. For me, I buy preference points for elk, mule deer, and antelope in Colorado and Wyoming, and bonus points for all three in Montana.
In order to make things even more confusing, Montana has both preference points and bonus points – preference points are what you use to draw your general deer or elk tags, bonus points are what you use to then draw a limited-entry permit that allows you to use that general tag in a special area (usually a better unit in some way).
By building points in these three states, you should be able to hunt the west every year if you bounce around from elk hunts to mule deer hunts and throw in an antelope hunt every so often. Even if you want to hunt one species every year, this is still a great place to start and then throw in a couple more states if you need or buy an OTC tag if you run into a jam with points and can’t draw the tags you need.
Playing the Long Game: Building Points for Trophy Hunts
From there you can look at the rest of the states as an ‘a la carte’ option – if you’ve got dreams to chase 400” bull elk in a top-tier unit with almost no hunting pressure, it might make sense to add Utah or Arizona to the mix and play the long game. If you’ve always wanted to shoot an 85” antelope, you might want to start building points in Nevada.
At this point, it all depends on what your dreams are in the West, but starting with Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana will likely get you 90% of the tags you will want over the years and are great places to start – especially if you have a budget in mind for western hunting as applications and points can add up fast!
One of the best tools on the market for figuring out which states are worth building points in is GoHunt Filtering 2.0 – hands down my favorite way to research units. You can pull up trophy potential, success rates, public land ratios, and most importantly – how many points it takes to draw.
Sometimes it makes me decide to start buying points in a state that I find a hidden gem, other times it certainly discourages me from starting the points game if it is going to take me 30+ years to draw the tag I am interested in. Either way, knowledge is power here and there is no better place for knowledge than GoHunt.
Putting It All Together and Remembering the Deadlines
Now that you've nailed down your hunting plan for this fall and selected which states you'll build points in, the final piece is ensuring you stay on top of those crucial deadlines. Missing an application period or point deadline can be costly and frustrating, but it happens to almost everyone. Since application periods begin as early as January and continue through December, it's easy to lose track of dates.
The key to staying on track is simple: plan ahead and use a system that works for you. Over the years, I've developed a reliable method—creating calendar reminders that notify me well before every important deadline. My goal is to help you avoid the same pitfalls by offering this system as a free tool available on the Western Rookie website.
These reminders are pre-scheduled roughly 5 business days before each deadline, include links to each state's game and fish website, and are labeled as private to avoid any interruptions. Whether you import the full calendar, just the applications, or the points-only version, you’ll be set to maximize your application strategy without missing a beat.
Want to simplify your application strategy and never miss a deadline again? Check out our FREE Western Rookie Application Calendar to download your application reminders today. Start planning for a successful hunting season with confidence and ease!
Never forget an application or point deadline again with the FREE Western Rookie Application Calendar! Complete with every western state application deadline and point deadline!
Never Miss a Deadline - Complete with 75 unique reminders for Applications, OTC Tag sales, and Preference Point Deadlines!
Have plenty of time to apply - reminders are at least 5 business days before the deadline!
Ease of Use - Each state’s game and fish website link is included in each reminder!
Control You Calendar - Choose whether you want the whole calendar or to pick specific reminders. The ‘All Applications.ics’ file will import the whole calendar at once!
Works on all Platforms - Optimized for Desktop, but works with mobile as well! Instructions for Desktop Outlook Calendar, Desktop Google Calendar, and iPhone Calendar included in the download!
Covers the Entire West - This calendar covers all species and point deadlines for: Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Arizona, and New Mexico
