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Free Range Bison Tags

Eric Pawlak
|  
  • Eric Pawlak
Species: Bison
Location: WyomingUtah

Free Range Bison Tags 

by Eric Pawlak – WTA TAGS DIRECTOR

When applying for free range bison tags in the United States your options are extremely limited. The state that seems to garnish the most attention – Utah. This state is definitely at the forefront of people’s minds, for those interested in hunting this iconic species in a free range environment and or the life of me, I cannot figure out why.

If applying in Utah for their Henry Mountains bison tag is good … that then makes applying in Wyoming completely epic. Let’s take a look:

2017 Bison Draw Results (non-resident, bull tag): Utah vs. Wyoming

  • UTAH – 1st hunt on the Henry Mountains : Drawing odds = 1 in 1,491 (with zero bonus points)
  • WYOMING – Hunt Area 2 (Jackson bison herd): Drawing odds = 1 in 54 (no point system in WY for Bison)

(Applying in Wyoming offers a 29 times greater chance of drawing)

Now, you may be thinking that the bison hunting in the state of Utah must be far superior. To think this would definitely not be accurate. The bison specie is so “hyper-managed” across the west that, with the right outfitter, the hunting is actually world-class in both states.

Where Utah does have Wyoming beat is in the cost of the non-resident tag. In 2017, the price of a non-resident bison tag in Wyoming was $2,502. In Utah, only $1,518.

In 2018, the price of the tag in Utah will remain constant, while Wyoming has decided to increase their tag fee to $4,402. However, this hefty price increase will bode-well for the non-resident drawing odds in Wyoming. Remember, the state of Wyoming is a FLOAT state, meaning you must send in the entire tag fee at time of application. If the odds were 1 in 54 at $2,502, can you imagine what they will be this year when requiring applicants to front $4,402?! My bet – better than 1 in 40!

This is your year to draw a free range bison tag! REMEMBER WTA TAGS WILL FLOAT THE $4,402 ON YOUR BEHALF. The application DEADLINE to apply for WYOMING BISON is bearing down – February 28th.

CALL US TODAY – 1-800-755-TAGS(8247) 

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Hunting Croatia: Europe’s Overlooked Paradise

Hunting Croatia: Europe’s Overlooked Paradise

Croatia may be best known for its thousand-plus Dalmatian islands and historic cities like Dubrovnik, but it’s far more than a sightseer’s paradise. This diverse country also ranks among the world’s premier hunting destinations—rivaling Spain and Africa in both variety and quality of game. From the lowlands along the Danube River where some of Europe’s largest red stags reside, to the rugged mountain ranges that harbor massive brown bears, to the coast where mouflon roam, Croatia offers hunters an incredible range of hunting opportunities. Croatia has long been one of WTA’s most popular destinations. And it just keeps getting better!

Here are some of the top choices, beginning in the north and stretching south to cover the full breadth of the country.

Croatian Mountain Lodge: Red Stag, Roe Deer, Brown Bear, Fallow Deer, & Mouflon

Worldwide Trophy Adventures offers a jewel in the Dinaric Alps. This hunting lodge is one of a kind. One of our most popular destinations sits just west of Zagreb, near the town of Ogulin. Our beautiful four-bedroom lodge sits in a secluded forested area surrounded by a variety of species. The surrounding woods hold brown bear, red stag, fallow stag, mouflon, wild boar, roe deer, and more. A world-class staff, excellent meals, and personable guides await your visit above the Adriatic Sea.

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More than a Hunt: A Rare Chamois and an Unforgettable Journey

More than a Hunt: A Rare Chamois and an Unforgettable Journey

Some hunts are pure bucket list adventures. I’ve hunted in some amazing locations, chasing all sorts of beautiful animals, but the Low Tatra Chamois is truly unique.  With fewer than 10 permits available per year, this subspecies found in Slovakia’s Low Tatra Mountains is the rarest of the chamois slam and a must for the SCI European 25. I couldn’t wait to go. When I planned this hunt through WTA, I knew I’d have an amazing experience.

My dad and I landed in Vienna, Austria on October 18. Roger, our host and WTA consultant, met us at the airport and took us the rest of the way. We were staying at the Royal Palace, a castle converted into a top-notch hotel in Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia. Tomas and Miro would be our guides for the week. They met us for dinner that night before we turned in early. It had been a long day of traveling, and we would be up well before dawn the next day.

We drove 45 minutes to the Low Tatra Mountains in the dark early the next morning. It was hard to contain my excitement. Only eight tags were issued for Low Tatra Chamois that year. The tags were split between several regions, with our area holding five. This hunt was truly a rare opportunity. With the rut still a few weeks away, we knew that ewes would be grouped up and rams would be roaming solo. I was after a thick-horned male.

I hunted one area with Tomas and Miro while my dad and his group hunted another. Hunting the Low Tatras was much different than the typical chamois hunt. The steep slopes were thick with pines and brush, not the typical open meadows, and hid chamois extremely well. We focused our glassing on the open patches, catching chamois as they’d step out to feed and then vanish. The area we were hunting was full of hiking trails, which meant these chamois were used to humans in the area. They were still timid but much less wary than those found in more heavily hunted areas. We hiked through tall trees, the grade burning my legs. An hour in, we hit a glassing knob. The mountains were beautiful: jagged peaks, grassy patches, mist in the valleys.

Before long, we glassed up two females across the valley. Their winter fur showed no rut yet. We climbed higher, glassing constantly. Cresting a ridge, a chamois stood 25 yards off, a big ewe with long horns. We passed, holding for a ram. She slipped away but gave us some great footage.

Around midday, a lone animal grazed a rocky patch across the valley. Tomas and Miro locked on. “Shooter,” they said. His horns curled thick and his coat was pristine. My pulse spiked. We set up on a steep peak, my body nearly vertical as I laid prone. The slope tested my balance, but I steadied, ranging him at 450 yards. The shot hit him hard. The beautiful ram stumbled and rolled off a 100-foot ledge into a forested gully.

It took an hour to reach him and, thankfully, we found him in good shape. This was a prime Low Tatra Chamois, his heavy horns and dark fur undamaged by the fall. As we took photos, a message came in: Dad had a big ram down. Chamois aren’t giant animals, so we decided to pack out both chamois whole for photos. My group got down first, then helped haul the second chamois and gear. We set up in a clearing with our rams and the dense Tatra woods behind us. Those photos captured an amazing moment with my dad.

This was a fantastic hunt, chasing Low Tatra Chamois in a beautiful place that’s full of history. Tomas and Miro had every detail covered and made hunting one of the world’s rarest tags unforgettable.

“This hunt was so exceptional, we have to share it through a sweepstakes,” I told my team when I got back. I can’t recommend this trip highly enough. Enter the sweepstakes or book with WTA and have the adventure of a lifetime!

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Once-in-a-Lifetime Adventure in Argentina: Dove Hunting, Big Game, and Stunning Scenery

Once-in-a-Lifetime Adventure in Argentina: Dove Hunting, Big Game, and Stunning Scenery

I just returned from an unforgettable 12-day trip to Argentina. It was my 5th visit, but this one was by far the best.

I hosted a group of 13 friends and clients who flew from Montana to Atlanta, then boarded a red-eye flight to Buenos Aires. We arrived at 9:00 a.m. the next day, where a charter bus was waiting to take us to a beautiful estate just three hours outside the city. As we drove up, we were welcomed by the sound of millions of doves in the air and the charm of a historic lodge built in the early 1900s. This property once hosted European dignitaries for exclusive hunting trips, and now, it’s open to those seeking an exceptional experience.

After a quick lunch of perfectly cooked beef tenderloin, we headed straight to our first dove hunt. Our guides kept apologizing for the slow action, but honestly, it was wingshooting like nothing I’d ever seen. There was never a moment without doves in the air. We each went through almost a full case of shells in a matter of hours—truly unbelievable!

That evening, we enjoyed another fantastic meal under the stars of the Argentinian night, (pictured below). The next day, we split into two groups—one group went fishing for golden dorado, while the other continued dove hunting. Every boat caught fish and the dove hunting was even faster than the day before. We ended the day by swapping groups and doing the same activities again. Once more, all the boats came back with fish, and countless 20-gauge shells were fired. This is a perfect addition to a big game hunt and well worth a few extra days if you have the time.

Learn About this Dove Hunt

On the third day, we said goodbye to this amazing place and headed back to Buenos Aires. From there, we took a private charter to one of our top stag hunting destinations. I’ve been to this free-range estate four times before, accompanying guests on our exclusive March roar hunts. This property has hosted numerous Cabela’s SOA events and hundreds of clients, and we’ve always had great success here. This year was no different. The first day was a bit slow, but we still took two stags, a few blackbuck, and a buffalo. On the second day, things really picked up with 10 stags, more blackbuck, and another gold-medal buffalo.

As always, the hospitality at this estancia was exceptional, and the big game hunting, especially for free-range stags, was top-notch. After bidding farewell to my group as they headed home, I caught a domestic flight to San Martin in the Andes, a new leg of the trip for me but a staple of WTA offerings. This part of the journey completely blew me away. The landscape was stunning, with mountains that reminded me of the western U.S.

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