Book Your Adventure 1-800-346-8747
Book Your Adventure 1-800-346-8747

Landowner Vouchers: Your Chance to Hunt without Having to Draw

Erik Schell
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When you consider the total number of high-quality, outfitted bull elk hunts across the West, the availability doesn’t come close to meeting the overall demand. This lack of supply leaves many of us wondering how to hunt bull elk reliably each year. The answer is simple: landowner vouchers.

A landowner voucher allows you to purchase a guaranteed tag in extremely difficult-to-draw game management units. Although vouchers are available in several states, the most prevalent are Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico. Typically, these vouchers will be held or controlled by one of WTA’s elite outfitters. Purchasing a voucher ensures a guaranteed tag and a top-shelf outfitter—the recipe for a world-class elk hunt.

Utah and Wyoming offer robust auction tag programs. These auctions usually take place from December through April and allow you to purchase tags, normally from charitable conservation organizations. This enables you to bypass the frustration of trying to draw for decades, and allows for a tax write-off to boot under 501C3. Utah tags are designated for an area, season, and weapon. Wyoming’s auction tags allow you to pick the unit you wish to hunt and utilize the tag throughout the entire season, making it an extremely attractive offering.

Due to an extensive array of available vouchers and auction tags, one can be almost certain that the right tag is out there waiting for you. All it takes to begin the discovery process is a simple phone call to WTA. Pick up the phone and speak with one of WTA’s expert consultants. Outline your prerequisite expectations, and we’ll ensure you buy the right voucher with the best outfitter to meet or exceed your hunting expectations.

Please see below for a small sampling of the elk hunts available with landowner vouchers for 2022.

Archery Bull Elk in Northern New Mexico

Dates: September 6-10, 2022 (1 Spot Available)

This 20,000-acre private ranch is strictly managed for the benefit of the native wildlife that call this area home. The ranch is not grazed by any domestic livestock. Elevations will range from 7,500–9,000,  modest elk country physically. Shot opportunities on this property are spectacular with archers experiencing 80% opportunity. Hunters can expect to target bulls in the 290–320 class with bulls over 340 taken on the ranch each and every year.

Colorado Unit 40 Rifle Elk

Dates: November 23–27, 2022

Unit 40 in Western Colorado is one of a select few units in the state managed to produce trophy bull elk. Regardless of the season hunters can expect to target bulls in the 320–340 range with bulls up to 370 coming out of this area every year. This outfitter and his team of guides whom live on the edge of the unit are true professionals that understand how to operate an enjoyable, safe, and successful hunt.

Colorado Private Ranch Bull Elk

Dates: October 29–November 2, 2022

Southern Colorado offers some of the best elk hunting in the country and some of the best genetics in the state.  This hunt takes place on 12,000 private acres that is surrounded by other private ranches managed for trophy elk hunting. This hunt offers a very realistic chance at harvesting a 270-300″+ bull. The professional staff and cook will meet your every needs and give you a quality hunt to experience and to remember for a lifetime. As an added bonus, trout fishing is available right at your doorstep!

New Mexico Unit 16A Rifle Bull Elk

October 15–19, 2022 or October 22–26, 2022

The Gila National Forest of Western New Mexico is arguably one of the top producing area for trophy bull elk with unit 16A leading the way. Hunters can expect to target bulls in the 330–360 class on this hunt. The outfitter is local to the area and heavily scouts prior to the hunt to ensure you are targeting the best bulls in the unit. A comfortable lodge and home-cooked meals will be provided on the hunt.

We’re happy to share more information about landowner vouchers. Call us at 800-346-8747 or email us today.  

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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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