The stars aligned, and you finally drew that trophy hunt tag -now what?
It’s already happened in some states. Maybe you hit paydirt. Other states will announce soon, and even if you blank, there’s always the chance you win a tag in a trophy hunt drawing.
If you’ve persisted and battled through, you’ll eventually find yourself clutching a trophy hunt tag. Whether it’s a tag you’ve been patiently waiting to draw for a decade or more, the moment you receive an email or open the mailbox to find the tag drawing stars aligned, it’s a truly gratifying experience.
After calling every friend you have, you plop down in the recliner, and it hits you like a ton of bricks. First, your heart rate quickens. Next, beads of sweat start on your brow. You realize that with a trophy tag comes loads of preparation, pressure, and execution.
You’ve waited a long time for this tag. What if you don’t fill it? What if you don’t find the animal you’re looking for? What if you don’t find any animals at all? STOP!
Yes, these questions are natural, but you need to dismiss them. Negativity breeds negativity. You have plenty of time to prepare, plan, and succeed. Keep it positive, and keep reading.
Preparation
Whether you know much about the unit/area/region you drew a tag for or very little, it doesn’t matter. The first step to success is hunt preparation.
First, download a top-tier digital mapping app. My go-to is HuntStand, but there are many excellent apps out there. In addition to a digital mapping app, I also surf the website of the state wildlife department in the state I’m hunting in. Often, species-specific maps are available with pinned locations where sheep, goats, moose, etc., were harvested over the years.
If your state doesn’t offer a mapping system for the species you’re hunting, I turn to HuntData Maps. This company creates excellent topo maps with unit/area/region boundaries. I use my HuntStand app with my paper maps to better e-scout my unit from afar.
For me, initial hunt planning looks like this:
- Lay a paper hunt map out on the table.
- Open my digital hunting app to use it with my paper map.
- Set up a call with an area (often species specific) state biologist.
- While talking with the biologist, start marking up the paper map and dropping pins on the digital app.
It’s not complicated. It’s just a matter of being proactive and getting the ball rolling. Also, don’t just mark likely hunting spots when talking with biologists or doing an on-your-own map study. Planning requires knowing where access roads, trailheads, trails, and water sources are. The more you prepare, the more enjoyable your hunt will be.
Another massive hunt preparation step is visiting with previous tag holders. These folks aren’t tricky to track down. Sometimes, state agencies will provide you with their contact info. If not, use social media to your advantage. Make a post that you drew a premium tag and are seeking information. While this practice may be taboo for easy-to-draw or OTC tags, it’s expected when a premium tag is pulled.
Most hunters who’ve had the tag in the past know they won’t get the tag again, and if they do, it will be years down the road. Most are not only eager to help but highly willing. On my 2021 Colorado Rocky Mounting Big Horn Sheep archery hunt, one of the previous tag holders joined me for the hunt. Talk about shortening the learning curve; wow!
This is how you start. And once you begin accumulating data, you don’t stop.
The next step in the prep process is to take a look at your gear arsenal and ask some hard questions:
- Do I have the proper gear to get the job done?
- Do I need to upgrade some of my gear?
- Is there a piece or multiple pieces of gear that will help boost my success?
I’m all about operating on a budget, but when a trophy tag is drawn, you must figure out how to accumulate the needed gear.
In 2009, I accompanied a Colorado bighorn hunter on his quest for a ram. His boots were worn and subpar, and he didn’t want to spend $400-plus on top-tier mountain boots like those from Kenetrek, Crispi, and Zamberlan. After the first day of hunting, two Coke-can-sized blisters appeared on both feet. He was done hunting for a week and never killed a ram during his hunt.
Don’t skimp on gear!
The next piece of the prep puzzle is proper practice. I don’t care what weapon you’ll have in your hand when you embark on your big-game quest. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’ve put in the time to become the best shooter you can be and are going into the hunt with excessive confidence.
When I drew my bighorn tag, I ramped up my archery sessions. I shoot my bow every day, but I made some profound changes. I joined an archery league so I could shoot against excellent archers weekly to simulate pressure. I went to multiple 3-D shoots and spent lots of time shooting twice as far as my maximum hunting distance range of 65 yards.
Yes, this meant shooting my bow regularly from 130 yards. Double-distance practice is critical to learning about your gear and yourself as an archer. Your confidence soars when you bust balloons and drop carbon into a foam target from a long distance.
We encountered another hunter on that same 2009 sheep hunt I was filming for a buddy. This was after his feet healed. The hunter had glassed a beautiful ram, and we agreed to use hand signals and help guide him in. He got to 40 yards and shot over the ram’s back. When he returned, he told us he’d only practiced out to 40 yards a few times. Yikes! When you pull a tag out West, understand that the terrain and the savvy of the critter combine, and you’ll need to extend your effective kill range.
This past season, after 23 years of applying, I pulled the best pronghorn unit in Colorado. The tag was a rifle tag. I’m not what you’d consider a crack rifle shot, but after spending time on the bench, prone on a backpack, off shooting sticks, etc., for months, I could ring steel out to 800 yards. There’s power in the preparation.
Get fit physically to be ready for the hunt!
Lastly, you must be physically and mentally ready for the hunt. Don’t put this off! Make sure you get yourself in the best cardiovascular shape that you can. Whether you decide to run, swim, bike, hike, etc., you must create a daily workout schedule and stick to it.
I also recommend purchasing a gym membership. Don’t pay by the month; get a minimum six-month membership. I’ve found that when people drop a chunk of change, they are more apt to hit the gym and develop a disciplined workout routine.
In addition to your cardio and lifting, I highly recommend hiking with a 30 to 60-pound pack (adjust weight as you progress) three times a week. It would be best if you got used to walking with weight on your body. I also highly recommend spending time shooting with your pack on, especially if you’re archery hunting.
As for mental toughness, you’re there. Doing the physical work, the shooting, and the planning will harden your mind and make you feel unstoppable.
Even if it requires serious travel, a hands-on scouting trip is the last must-do prep piece. E-scouting only goes so far. Nothing trumps putting boots on the ground where you plan to hunt.
When you visit your hunt unit/area/region, accomplish as much as possible. Putting glass on animals is essential and will give you confidence, but learning all access points, camping, and glassing locales is equally crucial.
Ask a buddy or two to join you on your scouting trip. This makes the journey more enjoyable, and you can divide and conquer and accomplish much more.
Pressure
Before embarking on my 2021 bighorn sheep hunt, I did a podcast. The podcast host asked me, “What if you don’t get one? Man, that would suck. That would probably change your life for the worse.”
It’s easy to think this way. You’ll feel personal pressure to tag an animal, which is normal. You’ll also feel pressure from your peers. Some, sadly, deep down, want to see you fail.
Ignore all of this! I promise you, whether you punch your tag or not, it won’t define you as a person. Treat this like any other hunt, and give it your all. Then, win or lose, you can be at peace.
This was the attitude I took into my bighorn hunt. Not only did I kill a gagger ram, but more importantly, because I wasn’t pressing and making myself sick thinking about whether I would kill or not, I had the time of my life with my hunting crew.
At the end of the hunt, you want to look back and have nothing but unforgettable memories.
Execute
I’m not going to go crazy here. You know how to hunt. You know that you’ve put in the work and done everything in your power to prepare adequately for the hunt. Now, go hunt! Don’t overcomplicate it. Stay the course, grind hard, and leave it all on the mountain.
