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WTA TAGS – 2020 UPDATE and 2021 Renewal Season!

Eric Pawlak
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Well, we have finally come to the end of the 2020 WTA TAGS application season. Hopefully you applied for some of the greatest, most exciting big game tags in the West and built another year of valuable bonus points. Better yet, hopefully you drew a great tag, then booked with a reputable outfitter and created a wonderful memory afield.

The 2020 application season was another smashing success here at WTA TAGS. We had clients draw everything from antelope to sheep to everything in-between – elk, deer, moose, mountain goat, free range bison, ibex, oryx, etc. You name it, we drew it. The photos included in this piece are just a small sampling of some extremely happy TAGS clients. To all of those who stayed loyal to the draw and hit the big-time – we salute you!

WTA TAGS 2021 Renewal Season

With 2020, in the rearview and the 2021 application season just around the corner, it is time to start thinking about your TAGS renewal. In the next few weeks, all WTA TAGS clients will be receiving their 2021 TAGS renewal statements in the mail. Upon receiving this mailing, please call your dedicated WTA TAGS Consultant. This is the time to renew your applications over the phone or discuss changes to your application strategy for the 2021 hunting season.

If there are five tips, we could offer regarding your 2021 TAGS renewal, they would be:

Stay Persistent – If you’re in the draw one year and out the next … that is a poor strategy.  APPLY APPLY APPLY year-after-year and keep building those valuable points. Eventually great tags will come your way!

Renew Early – Waiting until just before a deadline to renew is dangerous practice. Upon receiving your 2021 WTA TAGS Renewal Statement, call your dedicated TAGS Consultant and take-care-of-business. There is no safer feeling than knowing your TAGS application selections are in-play for 2021!

Add to Your Portfolio – The more applications you submit the better your chances of drawing something special. Your WTA TAGS Consultant can make recommendations based off your hunting goals!

Point Only – Choose – point only – as a last resort. Quality tags are not easy to draw. By applying for – point only – you remove yourself from the random chance of drawing the dream tag.

Go Primitive – If you only hunt with rifle, that’s fine … not a problem what-so-ever. However, if you bow hunt or muzzleloader hunt, your chances often improve in the draw and these weapons typically coincide with a more favorable hunting season. Your WTA TAGS Consultant can explain the benefits of different weapon selections in different states.

In closing, 2020 was a banner year and we are predicting more good times to come in 2021. Be a part of it
and get your WTA TAGS Portfolio renewed right away. If you are a current WTA TAGS client and you do not
receive your 2021 Renewal Statement by December 10th, something’s off. You should immediately call our
office at 1-800-755-TAGS (8247). We are here for you Monday – Friday, 8AM to 5PM MST. Your success is our success. Remember you cannot draw if you don’t apply! So, APPLY APPLY APPLY!   

For more information on TAGS, click below!

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Europe Awaits! Hosted Hunting + A European Vacation

Europe Awaits! Hosted Hunting + A European Vacation

I have been hunting Europe for a little over 10 years now, but there are so many countries and so much game that I feel like it could take another 20 years to see and do everything I want to do. That’s part of what makes Europe so exciting. It truly feels endless. Europe has become incredibly popular for several reasons. First, as an international hunting destination, it is easily accessible, with numerous flights available and no 15-hour, long-haul flights required from the U.S. and North America. Second, the hunts are almost always 100% successful because game management is top-notch and populations are extremely healthy. Third, hunts are relatively short, usually three to five days. Hunts lend themselves perfectly to adding extra vacation time, bringing non-hunters, and enjoying a truly memorable overall trip.

I’ve had the privilege of running WTA-hosted trips designed specifically for couples for the past three years, and we will continue this program well into the future, due to its overwhelming popularity. These trips are structured with a primary hunt alongside a dedicated non-hunter program for observers who prefer not to spend time in the field. Some of these activities have included spa days, shopping excursions, guided sightseeing tours, visits to olive oil operations or wineries, and more. Of course, non-hunters are always welcome to join the hunters in the field if they’d like.

On a personal level, my wife absolutely loves these trips, and I wouldn’t think of traveling to Europe without her. On several occasions when I’ve finished my hunt early, I’ve joined the non-hunters on their excursions and had an absolute blast. We also typically add a couple of days at the beginning of the trip to explore a city or region we haven’t visited before, which helps us adjust to the time change before the hunt begins.

In addition to the hunting, the scenery, the accommodations, and the food are always top-shelf.

After buying Wyoming moose preference points for years, throwing money at a dream that would probably never happen, Jeremy Ivie at WTA gave me advice that changed everything. “If you really want a chance at a Shiras moose, let’s put you in for Idaho.” The second year I applied, I drew the tag. Sometimes the best hunting advice isn’t about what unit to hunt, it’s about where to apply in the first place.

From Argentina to Idaho

My wife and I had just returned from an incredible trip to Argentina with WTA last April, and I wasn’t planning another hunt so soon. But when that Idaho draw result came through, everything changed. Now I’m planning two hunts a year, and my whole outlook has shifted. WTA doesn’t just book hunts; they help you build a hunting life.

October 1 found us in Idaho. The setup was perfect for us: a smaller, family-run operation with two cabins out back, a bathhouse between them, and the whole family was involved in the operation. Mike guided me, his father-in-law took the other hunter, and Mike’s wife and daughter helped run camp. After hunting at a bigger operation in Wyoming where I took a nice mule deer (another great recommendation from Jeremy), this intimate setting felt just right for a moose hunt.

Mountain Moose

Going in, I had no idea we’d be hunting at 5,000 feet above sea level. In my mind, moose meant swamps and willows, not mountain clear-cuts and steep terrain. But that’s where Idaho’s Shiras moose live, and Mike knew exactly how to hunt them.

Day one brought rain, cold, and long hours of glassing. We saw five moose total, including one bull that Mike immediately identified as “maybe a last-day bull, definitely not a first-day bull.” We also spotted a grizzly and some black bears. Idaho’s wild country was showing off! The terrain was brutal but beautiful, though after a full day of hiking those mountains, the word beautiful becomes relative!

Day two, Mike had a specific plan: a four-mile hike to a four-year-old clearcut he’d been watching. The timber gets so thick in Idaho that these clearcuts become magnets for moose. “We’re not going to do as much glassing today,” Mike said. “We’re going to do a lot of calling and listening.”

The Moment

Four miles in, calling and listening the whole way, we finally got an answer. Things happened fast after that. First, a cow appeared, then the bull at 250 yards. On the second morning of the hunt, I had my Idaho Shiras moose down. It was an unforgettable moment.

As most moose hunters will tell you, the real work begins after the moose is down. While we quartered and caped the moose on that steep mountainside, Mike’s wife and father-in-law were gathering horses and mules at the trailhead. The pack-out was something I’d always wanted to experience, and it lived up to all of my expectations. Idaho’s backcountry is stunning in photos, but once you’re off the trail, dealing with deadfall and near-vertical slopes while loading hundreds of pounds of moose meat onto mules, “beautiful” takes on a different meaning. I’m in good shape, and I was completely exhausted. It was fantastic.

Apply for Colorado’s Limited-Entry Big Game Tags

Apply for Colorado’s Limited-Entry Big Game Tags

When it comes to big game hunting, Colorado is often at the forefront of every sportsman’s mind. With its diverse landscapes, from the iconic Rocky Mountains to the expansive eastern plains, Colorado offers a range of hunting opportunities for both residents and non-residents. While some tags can be acquired over the counter, many of the premier hunting opportunities in Colorado are found through its highly competitive draw system. This is why you need to apply and build valuable preference points in Colorado!

Deadline to Apply: April 7, 2026. Draw Post Date: Early June (staggered by species). WTA TAGS Species:…

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