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New Mexico Coues Deer – 2019 Apply for Free!

Erik Schell

| December 14, 2018

Erik Schell
December 14, 2018

When the state of New Mexico is mentioned among hunting circles the conversation will rarely, if ever, lead into Coues deer hunting. The fact is many hunters do not even know Coues deer exist outside of Arizona and Old Mexico. The truth is New Mexico offers fantastic hunting opportunities with phenomenal draw odds for Coues deer.

Coues deer are found only in the extreme southwestern portion of New Mexico. Here you will find rugged desert mountains with elevations ranging from 4,500-8,000 feet above sea level. Well-developed road networks do exist in certain areas allowing hunters, of any physical ability, to be successful. If you are looking for a true physical test in rugged country, large roadless blocks of mountain range do exist that require extremely physical hikes to access. Regardless of the style of hunt you prefer, an area can be matched to your desires.

The hunt for Coues deer exemplifies western hunting as a whole. One can expect to spend countless hours behind binoculars and spotting scopes picking through this massive country in search of a suitable buck. Once a buck is located a longer than average shot is to be expected. The topography here makes for a long-range shooters paradise, 300-500 yards is the norm.

New Mexico offers hunters the opportunity to draw Coues tags with archery (September or January), muzzleloader (second half of October), and rifle (1^st season takes place in late November and the 2^ndseason is early December). The second rifle hunt is often regarded as the best hunt in the state but great bucks are harvested during all seasons.

Those applying into the New Mexico draw must remember that non-residents are allotted 16% of the total tags of which 6% go in the un-guided pool and 10% go in the guided pool. The state’s best tags will often have 1%-5% draw odds in the un-guided pool and 15%-30% in the guided pool. Youth only tags are available for both rifle hunts as well as the muzzleloader hunt. Youth odds in the guided pool are the best in the west with 50%+ being the norm. Remember, WTA TAGS applies kids FREE!

With bucks over 100 inches being the norm and draw odds that are sure to only get tougher the time to apply is now! Once you draw WTA has the right outfitters in the area to ensure your tag is utilized to its full potential.

Now through December 31 WTA TAGS is offering free application service into the New Mexico Coues deer draw to everyone using PROMO CODE 40X. All you pay is the $13 state application fee and we will even float the tag fee on your behalf! If you would like to apply into the 2019, New Mexico Coues deer draw please click on the red button below and a WTA TAGS consultant will contact you or feel free to give us a call at: 1-800-755-TAGS(8247).

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Wyoming’s Preference Point Deadline Is Approaching: October 31

Preference Point Deadline: October 31, 2025

The deadline to purchase Wyoming preference points is October 31. If WTA is already managing your TAGS applications, you’re all set. If not, don’t miss the chance to secure points this year. It’s the perfect time to talk with a TAGS consultant to start a new portfolio or grow your existing one.

Wyoming’s system is unique. Unlike other states, you don’t automatically receive a preference point if you’re unsuccessful in the draw. Instead, you must log in after July 1 and purchase your points separately. Building points is critical if you want a shot at drawing a Wyoming tag. Over-the-counter opportunities are a thing of the past. Today, only 25% of non-resident tags are issued randomly. The other 75% go to applicants with the highest point totals.

If you want to hunt big game in Wyoming, building preference points isn’t optional…it’s essential.

Watch Wyoming Video

While preference points are an investment in the future, don’t let that keep you from starting now. While Wyoming has units that require 18+ points, there are also good opportunities to hunt sooner. There are elk, deer, and antelope hunts that can be drawn with 0–3 points. Think about it this way—the more points you have, the more options you have.

View Wyoming TAGS Hunts

Serious hunters know that Montana is home to some of North America’s most coveted species: Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, Shiras moose, mountain goat, and antelope. The key to unlocking these dream hunts is building points, and the deadline to secure your bonus point for this year is September 30.

Montana squares bonus points in its draw system, and hunters with more points gain a significant advantage in the draw. If you’ve ever dreamed of chasing a record bull, a giant ram, or a heavy-horned buck in Montana, strategically building points will put you in the best position to find success in upcoming seasons.

Watch Montana Video Rocky Mountain Elk

Montana consistently produces exceptional trophy bulls, making elk the most sought-after species in the state. Archery permits are especially appealing, often requiring only 4–7 years to draw—a remarkably short time period compared to other western states. Rifle permits can often be drawn with a similar point investment, though trophy quality is slightly lower on average. Many of these hunts take place on expansive private ranches, providing hunters with excellent opportunities and high success rates.

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Dialed In: A 360-Inch Bull Elk and the Luck that Made It Happen

Winning one hunt sweepstakes through Worldwide Trophy Adventures feels like a long shot, but winning two? That’s the kind of luck I still can’t fully wrap my head around. I started entering WTA sweepstakes a few years ago, taking full advantage of their Bonus Bucks program and hoping to win someday. I’ve hunted whitetails in Minnesota’s flat woods, mule deer out West, and Sitka blacktails in Alaska’s rugged country, but this was different. When Worldwide Trophy Adventures called to tell me I’d won their 2024 Nevada bull elk hunt, just a year after winning a Utah mule deer hunt from them, I was stunned. Two sweepstakes wins in two years? Unreal. And the icing on the cake? I’d be hunting with a crew that truly knows their elk. As Erik Schell put it: “John, when it comes to elk, these guys are paid killers.” He wasn’t wrong.

I opted to drive from Minnesota to keep costs down and bring back as much meat as possible. I loaded my truck with Yeti coolers and hit the road for the long drive, stopping in Denver for a steak dinner with a hunting buddy before tackling the last 10 hours to Baker, Nevada. That stretch through Loveland Pass was sketchy with snow and ice, and on the way back I detoured through Gillette, Wyoming to avoid a 30″ Denver snow dump. Long haul, but worth it to have my truck for the meat.

Baker is a speck of a town, population 16, just shy of the Utah line. The outfitter set us up in an Airbnb called The Corner Place. It was homey, with enough beds for me, another hunter, and the guide crew. The kitchen had stacks of premade meals like casseroles and snacks, whipped up by the outfitter’s wife. We heated them up after long days, but if we got back late, we’d hit the Border Crossing, a bar and greasy spoon split between Nevada and Utah. One side had slot machines, the other a gas station. We’d grab burgers and a bucket of Budweiser, the guide Richie’s favorite, and swap stories. It was simple, but it hit the spot.

The outfitter’s team was world-class. They’d been scouting for a week, pinpointing a bachelor group of bulls in a canyon 20 miles north. That first night, we sat around the Airbnb’s kitchen table sipping beers and scrolling through their scouting videos. Three bulls stood out: a beat-up 6×6 they called Bondo, a heavy 5×5, and a narrower 7×7. We decided to hit the canyon at dawn.

Day one was no joke. Richie, my guide, led me up the mountain before light, climbing a couple thousand feet. The air was a bit thinner than in Minnesota, but Richie kept a steady pace. Two spotters, Cameron and Ryan, worked the opposite canyon rim. It felt like I had the dream team for this once-in-a-lifetime elk hunt. We eased onto a rock ledge about 400 yards above a bench where five bulls were feeding: Bondo, the 5×5, a thin 6×6, a young 5×5, and a spike. No 7×7. This was the first time I was faced with taking a bull elk, but Richie talked me through it. “The 5×5’s got 30 inches of mass per side, swords in the 20s, probably 9 or 10 years old. Scores at least 330. Solid first bull.”

I went prone on the ledge, dialing my Gunwerks Nexus in 7 PRC to 387 yards. Richie double-checked: “386 yards.” Right as I lined up, the bull bedded down. Great. I’d waited out a mule deer for five hours once, so I knew the drill. Lying on snow with a 20° northwest wind kicking up, I started shivering after an hour. Richie saw it. “You good? We can back off, build a fire, or shoot him bedded. There’s a branch over some of his vitals. Can you slip a round under it?”

I’d put in time at Gunwerks’ Long-Range University: a hands-on, no-BS school that focuses on real-world shooting conditions, not just benchrest skills. They train you to read wind, manage stress, and make clean, ethical shots in exactly the situations that hunters face in the field. I knew my rifle, my dope, and my limits. “I got it,” I said. I checked the yardage, my level, controlled my breathing, and squeezed. The bull collapsed. “You smoked him!” Richie said. When he tried to get up, a second round finished it.

Reaching the bull was an experience I won’t forget. I’ve taken plenty of deer over the years, but this 360″ elk was in a league of its own—sheer mass, thick beams, and antlers that looked heavy even from a distance. Standing over him, the scale of the hunt hit me. We built a small fire, took photos, and soaked in the moment. Then came the hard part. The canyon was steep and treacherous, slick with snow and loose shale. I took a spill on the descent, and every step down was a test of footing and balance with meat on our backs. It took over three hours to reach the canyon floor and get the bull out, but it was worth every bit of effort. Back at camp, we celebrated the way hunters do—cold beers and a good story to tell.

We caped the bull that night and packed the meat in coolers, though it was cold enough outside to keep everything fresh. I hung around a few days, spotting for the other hunter’s bull, glassing canyons, and enjoying the Nevada backcountry. No pressure, just good times behind the glass. When I left, I strapped the antlers to my truck, crammed the coolers in, and drove 24 hours straight home, still buzzing. Back in Minnesota, I vacuum-sealed the meat, enough for months of meals, and dropped the rack with a taxidermist for a shoulder mount.

This hunt was as good as it gets. The outfitter knew every inch of that country, had bulls dialed in, and gave me options. For a guy who’s now won two WTA sweepstakes, I’ll tell you straight: these hunts are real and the sweepstakes are worth it. Nevada’s elk country and that crew of “paid killers” gave me a bull and a story I’ll be telling for years.

Don’t miss your chance to enter to win this world-class elk hunt in Nevada. The entries are limited…only 1,750 total entries, giving you very good odds of winning this elk valued at $72,000!

Enter the Nevada Elk Sweepstakes