Too Early??? 2025 hunt plans

[Slimfinn]

I know I have been getting that itch, and starting to see the emails about "application season", wanting to plan what to hunt this year and where.
I will stay in state, Montana, for special permits I will apply for Moose, Mountian Goat, and Bighorn Sheep...Dream and not hold my breath but, like the lotto, you can't win if you don't play. Over the counter I will get the Sportsman Combo which covers Deer, Elk, Upland birds and Fishing, thinking I may add Bear to that, and also pick up a Wolf tag.
Now the question on where to go, Elk, Moose, Goat, Sheep is pretty set and would all be mountian hunts just to my south south and just depends how deep/high I go, for Deer I want to get out and to scout more thoughout the year and look for some mountian deer vs my typical creek bottom/farmland whitetails. I also want to make an effort to do more bird hunting this year.
What to shoot...I think 85% of my hunting will be with my 264WM loaded with 143gr Bondstrike, if I do end up with one of my typical whitetail hunts I want to use a 375 Win lever or 41Rem Mag handgun. Moose the 30-06 would likely get the nod. Wolf, outside of big game season, think I will drop down to my 260 Rem.
Those are my plans as of today, we'll see what lines up in the next couple months.
Cheers to the 2025 season!

 

[JD338]

My wife and I will apply for WY antelope and I will also apply for WY moose. In addition we both will apply for MI elk and bear.

JD338

 

[IdahoCTD]

The kids, my dad and I are headed to Puerto Rico in about 10 days for the now annual iguana hunt. After that its turkey hunting with the kids and possibly bear. The kids soccer schedule makes it rough to try and bear hunt. We all applied for cow elk in WY and will buy points again for deer, elk, and antelope. Most likely I'll just buy points in UT and put the kids in for youth elk. Since I cant apply for bull elk here in Idaho, I drew last year, I will put in for a sheep tag and a extra elk tag plus buy my normal tags and a non-resident elk tag. I forgot about OR. We'll apply for Rosie, deer, and whatever else we applied for last year.

 

[RL338]

Pretty simple here , whitetail and a bear.
Whitetail : 30-30 Win. 110gr TTSX and 340 Wby 225gr TTSX
Bear : 460 Wby 500gr Partition

 

[Blkram]

Pretty simple here , whitetail and maybe this year a bear tag.
Whitetail : 30-30 Win. 110gr TTSX and 340 Wby 225gr TTSX
Bear if I draw : 460 Wby 500gr Partition

I like the "use enough gun" approach!

 

[Blkram]

This year, thinking so far:
Spring: Black bear for Susan...I'll pack the LH Rem 358 Win for this, and if I get a chance at a bear too
Spring/Summer: Fishing...I heard quite a bit on how we didn't get out last year! (Lake and river...although Susan did get out and caught her first grayling while I was away on my father/daughter archery hunt in Colorado)
Fall: Moose, elk, deer, locally, and perhaps bighorn in Alberta...will be packing the 7mm Rem Mag, 7MM PRC, 6.5x55, and 6.5 PRC to get to hunt and take game with these rifles.

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

I’m pretty much always perpetually hunting coyotes and chucks throughout the year. The .22-250 usually is the go-to but when the ground squirrels are out a .22 LR, or my old .25-20 get to come out and play some. Rattlesnakes generally get a dose of whatever handgun happens to be holstered on my belt be it a .22 or .357!

Going to try to get my wife a Spring Turkey here in Oregon, 20 gauge SxS.

A friend and I might sneak a hog hunt in this spring too. Probably take my .54 Lyman GPR or the old .25-35 Winchester for that.

Going to try for Antelope in both Oregon and Wyoming. Will probably use a .264 Win Mag for one or both of those. For sure if we draw Wyoming, the .264 is coming along.

Oregon Mule Deer will likely be my .257 Roberts or .30-06 Springfield.

Oregon Antlerless Deer if I draw will be a wildcard. Even with 15 points, I am dubious.

Oregon Elk depends on whether I draw or go OTC. If its a bull tag, the .30-06 gets the nod. If its an OTC cow tag it could be any number of things. Used a .300 WSM this year. Thinking I will probably use the .35 Whelen this year. Or maybe borrow a .338 Win Mag or 9.3x62?? Who knows??

 

[salmonchaser]

Spring bear perhaps, Turkey also. mule deer in Oregon, if I draw, will apply for elk in Wyoming and Oregon, perhaps Montana , deer in Montana also. I’ve been passing on some pretty nice bucks there hoping I can find one as nice as the ones I’m seeing in my yard.
I need to get Arizona figured out, seems like we’ll be spending more time here. It’ll be a #1 show from here on out I think.

 

[TexasLife]

it's not to early if you're Texas quail hunting

 

[TexasLife]

or best i remember

 

[Bruce Mc]

Quail season in South Texas used to go until the end of February. Back in the day groups often shared hunting leases. The bird hunters had it from 1st Jan to end of Feb. The deer hunters used it for the three months of deer season.

 

[RL338]

Pretty simple here , whitetail and a bear.
Whitetail : 30-30 Win. 110gr TTSX and 340 Wby 225gr TTSX
Bear : 460 Wby 500gr Partition

Got the green light today , bear is on the list.

 

[JD338]

Congratulations Rick!

JD338

 

[asherbonaventure]

I also like how you distribute your weapons by type of prey – everyone has their favorite gun, and you did some planning! Good luck with the special permit, and hope you bring back a nice horn. incredibox

 

[Firebird24]

Just put me and the wife and kids in for Utah tags. Dedicated tag for deer for me. Point for my wife and rifle for the rest.
Not much hope but bighorn and mtn goat.
A couple of us for limited entry elk. I just bought a point as I have something cooking for this summer, you’ll hear about it after it happens.
Haven’t decided on Wyoming yet, will see if we draw utah first and if not will try to get hunts in the cowboy state as the next option. Don’t want to double book and use up all the points the same year.

 

[IdahoCTD]

I hope your a UT resident. If your not its about to get ugly for non-residents. Their Senate approved a 100% price increase across the board on everything for non-residents. They just raised prices in 2023 too. A cow elk tag that was 250 in '23 is now 350 and will go to 700. A license was 72 in '23 and is now 120 but will go to 240. A limited entry elk is 1050 now and will go to 2100. Sheep, goat and moose will go to about 4500. It will probably get much easier to draw but I'm done hunting cows down there for sure, 940 bucks for a license and tag is insane for a cow, and might ditch all my points. WY is 317 for a cow tag and 100 for my kids. I can get a non-resident elk tag here for 417, and I always do get one, but it would be better to do that for my kids too.

 

[JD338]

I hope WY doesn't follow Utah on nonresident tags. It's already expensive

JD338

 

[RL338]

WI wants to raise license fees , nowhere near those amounts. I guess we’re pretty lucky here.

 

[Firebird24]

Utah followed Wyo. in raising prices for non residents and I agree with the policy. It is one way to limit the number of applicants and retain tags for residents and puts more money back into conservation projects, studies etc. im sure there’s more to it but avoid politics with lusty passion.
I regularly hunt Wyo and Idaho and will pay what they ask until it becomes too prohibitive, then I’ll back off and look at other options.

 

[longrangehunter]

I’m planning on going Bear hunting back in my old stomping grounds in Montana this spring, as well as here at home State of Idaho.

I thought about going Pig hunting at a few ranches I’ve been to in the last two years in California, but I’m still on the fence about it. Love the terrain, good pigs, just not the bio-diesel issues not knowing what you’re pumping into the tank of my MB Sprinter 4x4 van. B5 is ok, anything over that is a no-Bueno!