Book Your Adventure 1-800-346-8747
Book Your Adventure 1-800-346-8747
Sign In
Worldwide Trophy Adventures
Book Your Adventure
1-800-346-8747

Tags Drawn and Lessons Learned

Eric Pawlak
|  
  • Eric Pawlak

by Eric Pawlak – (Director WTA TAGS)

Boy, have I made some mistakes …

The greatest tag I’ve ever drawn was a Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep tag in Montana. After studying the data, I applied for the tag I estimated to have the very best non-resident odds of drawing. This was the right call. I only had four bonus points. I resisted the urge to apply in the Missouri Breaks and I’ll be dammed if I didn’t draw! Where I fell on my face was in my decision not to hire a professional outfitter. I did end up taking a ram, but he wasn’t anywhere near the quality the unit was capable of pushing out. I feel confident that had I hired an outfitter, a 170+ ram would have been the outcome. Instead, I harvested … let’s just say he wasn’t approaching the new world record – let’s just leave it at that. At the time I thought, “No big deal, I’ll draw again somewhere.” That was over a decade ago.

TAGS-CO-Bighorn
Eric’s Rocky Mountain Bighorn

LESSON LEARNED: When you draw a primo tag, like for example a Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep tag in Montana, take full advantage. To expect to draw again, it could be a while, a long while, maybe never.

 

A few years ago, I drew the muzzleloader Ibex tag on New Mexico’s Florida Mountain Range. At the time I had a lot going on in my life, or so I thought, and I just didn’t take this tag seriously. Not only was I mentally checked-out, I didn’t train, so I wasn’t physically prepared in the least. The Floridas are no joke. We assisted Jim Shockey in drawing this exact same permit some years earlier and he referred to this pile of rock as the third most difficult hunt he’d ever accomplished – and Shockey’s a complete animal when it comes to mountain hunting! On my particular hunt, I ended-up getting it done on a decent Billy, but I was completely miserable throughout this entire “adventure.” What a shame.

TAGS-NM-Ibex
Jim Shockey’s NM Ibex

LESSON LEARNED: Everybody’s busy – everybody has an excuse on why they can’t train. You can train! You owe it to yourself and your guide to be in top-physical condition prior to a strenuous hunt (especially on hunts taking place in the high-alpine). Going into a hunt like this unprepared is borderline dangerous and irresponsible. Control what you can control, both mentally and physically. The stresses of your work life and/or home life will be there upon your return, I promise you. This limited-entry permit will not be. When you beat the odds and draw the dream tag – take it very seriously from both a physical and mental perspective.

 

The biggest mule deer I ever harvested was from a tag I’d drawn in Wyoming. I wouldn’t call this state a mecca for big mule deer these days. In fact, I wasn’t even going to go, I was going to eat the tag. I was slightly burned out from back-to-back-to-back outfitter vetting trips and just wasn’t at all excited about getting back on the road. My boss at the time said, “You’d better go. I’ve heard the outfitter you are going to go vet is the real deal. If anyone can pull the rabbit out of the hat it’s him.” I’m so unbelievable grateful I listened as it resulted in a 224” giant.

TAGS-WY-MuleDeer
Eric’s WY Mule Deer

LESSON LEARNED: You can’t kill em if you’re not out there and like Jim Cabela once said, “Big-game hunting is one of the most exciting events in life. Things can change by the hour. Take all of your opportunities seriously and don’t ever give up until last light of the last day.” What great advice.

 

These are just a few lessons learned over a 15 year stretch of applying for, and drawing, some of the highest quality big-game tags in the country. I hope it helps. If you’d like to start applying for tags, NOW IS THE TIME – APPLICATION SEASON IS HERE! There are so many great opportunities out there. Get yourself applied for something – anything. Stick with it – it’ll come.

Our Consulting team at WTA TAGS is here to help. One of us can walk you through this daunting process and make it easy to understand. We’ll strategize, we’ll customize, we’ll do all the application work including FLOATING the tag fee on your behalf. We make it EASY PEEZY. Remember KIDS FREE through WTA TAGS! Use your Cabela’s CLUB Visa Card – redeem points/earn points. Call us – 1-800-755-TAGS(8247).

Recent Articles

Related Articles

Alaska
Dall Sheep
Limited-Entry Alaska Dall Sheep: North America’s Pinnacle Hunt
November 5, 2025
Read More »
Saskatchewan
Waterfowl
Chasing Waterfowl from North to South
October 27, 2025
Read More »
Alaska
Dall Sheep
Against the Odds: Drawing Back-to-Back Sheep and Goat Tags 
October 20, 2025
Read More »
Limited-Entry Alaska Dall Sheep: North America’s Pinnacle Hunt

Limited-Entry Alaska Dall Sheep: North America’s Pinnacle Hunt

As the December 15 deadline to apply for Alaska’s most coveted big-game tags approaches, one opportunity stands above all others: limited-entry Dall sheep. If you’ve ever dreamed of pursuing this iconic high-country species, now is the time to apply.

Why this Hunt Matters More than Ever

In the not-too-distant past, Alaska suffered back-to-back-to-back severe weather events that dramatically impacted Dall sheep populations across much of the state, resulting in fewer over-the-counter opportunities and even closures. Hunters have been forced to look to Canada, where hunts are now largely sold out through 2027 and prices have surged beyond $60,000. Even at such outrageous prices, availability is scarce.

This shift has made Alaska’s limited-entry draw areas for Dall sheep one of the most valuable options left for serious hunters. With hunts priced between $28,000 and $35,000, applicants can still access very high-quality white sheep at nearly half the cost of Canadian alternatives.

Exceptional Success Rates

Despite the challenges statewide, the limited-entry regions—managed by very conservative tag allocations—continue to produce outstanding results for the lucky applicants of WTA TAGS:

  • 100% shot opportunity during the past three seasons,
  • 90%+ harvest rates on mature rams,
  • Some of the largest Dall rams in North America.

For those willing to embrace the physical challenge, this hunt represents the ultimate North American mountain adventure.

Why…
My Alaska Range Grizzly Adventure

My Alaska Range Grizzly Adventure

I’ve been a bear hunter my whole life, but grizzly was always the dream. When the time finally came, I reached out to WTA to book a hunt. My someday hunt was finally becoming a reality. I thought I knew what I was hoping for: one good opportunity at a mature grizzly. What actually happened over those 10 days was beyond anything I could have imagined.

My journey began in Anchorage, where I stayed the night before flying into the bush. The outfitter has a liaison in town to help with any last-minute needs, so no rental car was needed. The next morning at Merrill Field, I boarded a turboprop (they use caravans, not tiny Super Cubs) for the 1½-hour flight into hunting country.

At the airstrip, the crew waited with Kong—a massive military deuce-and-a-half that can ford rivers, plus Polaris six-wheelers. After a stop at the roadhouse to organize, we headed to moose camp, about four miles upriver.

The camp itself told stories of 50 years of hunting. Cabin walls covered with dozens of hunters’ stories, as far back as the ’70s. Old regulation books showing $50 polar bear licenses. Boxes of ammo, left behind over decades for anyone who might need them. Four cabins with wood stoves surrounded the main lodge, and there was a creek-fed shower with endless hot water. A crate of beer stays ice-cold in the stream. It’s glorious. Remote Alaska with just enough comfort to keep you hunting hard every day.

From the roadhouse, we spotted two black bears on the mountainside. That evening, the cameraman Jordan and I glassed near camp, getting oriented for what was supposed to be a grizzly-focused hunt.

The next morning, those black bears were still there. We moved in. At 390 yards, with shifting thermals threatening to blow our approach, I took my shot. Low but lethal. Two more shots finished it. While butchering, we discovered this old boar was peppered with birdshot—dozens of pellets in each leg and shoulder. Somewhere, sometime, he’d been a problem bear. He could take a bullet. By 3 p.m., we had meat in the freezer and the hide salted. We were back to looking for grizzly.

Day two took us seven miles up the creek on six-wheelers, somewhat technical riding through river crossings and over rough terrain. Near the old sheep camp, we spotted a sow with three cubs and various black bears, but no boars.

Then everything changed. Rounding an alder-lined corner, our guide hit the brakes. A black bear ahead was acting strangely. It was actually approaching us. Behind him, a grizzly was hunting him, panting from the chase. The black bear, caught between predators, escaped up the cliffs.

The grizzly sat on its haunches, exhausted, looking between us and the black bear as it escaped. This bear was in full predator mode, seemingly calculating whether we might be easier prey. Then he simply lay down for a nap, 400 yards away, completely unconcerned by our presence.

For 34 minutes, I stayed behind the gun. Time passed slowly as we talked through every scenario: “If he does this, we’ll do that.” Finally, he stood and turned broadside at 415 yards. One squeeze, perfect shot placement. He barrel-rolled down the slope.

This was it—the animal I’d wanted forever, taken in a sequence I couldn’t have scripted better. Pure euphoria.

We had two bears down and over a week left of hunting. Day three was Jordan’s birthday, and we decided to get him a bear tag from camp. This would be his first hunt behind a rifle. We picked up a great black bear in no time. Jordan’s demeanor totally changed as he went into hunt mode and put a perfect 350-yard shot right into the bear’s heart. Top-tier birthday!

Three bears in three days with a week remaining. I bought a second tag and grabbed my bow. We spent four days searching for another bear, exploring drainages, following wolf tracks, catching Dolly Varden, and collecting shed antlers. Living the full Alaska experience while always hunting.

On the second-to-last day, I spotted a huge black bear doing loops through berry patches on a steep face. After multiple failed positioning attempts, I opted to go solo while Jordan and our guide filmed from a distance. The bear, hearing me crash through the alders below him, thought I was another bear invading his berries. At nine yards, with his hackles up and ears flat, I put an arrow through his front shoulder. Our group’s fourth bear.

Four bears in four days. An incredible adventure. This was the outfitter’s first year focusing on Fall bear hunting. The populations are thriving (evident from the moose without calves), and they’ve wisely increased tag allocations.

I came to Alaska with a lifelong dream of taking a grizzly. What I got was something I couldn’t have imagined: multiple species, incredible encounters, and memories that transformed a dream hunt into something beyond dreams. The grizzly lying down in front of us, completely unafraid. Jordan’s pure joy at his first bear. Stalking with my bow, close enough to hear the bear growling and clacking its jaws.

Some hunts meet your expectations. This one created new ones. When you book with WTA, you’re not just booking a hunt, you’re setting yourself up for adventures you can’t even imagine.

Learn about this Hunt

The Central Flyway is a waterfowl superhighway—a vital corridor for migrating ducks and geese—and for those of us lucky enough to be waterfowlers, it offers unmatched opportunities to hunt and experience the migration from September through January.

Over the past 40 years, I’ve had the privilege of chasing ducks around the world, but many of my favorite memories come from following this flyway, especially during those early years when my duck-obsessed father would pull my brother and me out of school every Fall to chase birds.

That’s right! We missed school every year for dedicated waterfowl trips. No regrets.

In the true north country, along the edges of Canada’s boreal forest, early-season hunts are nothing short of magical. The birds are just beginning their journey south—hungry, unpressured, and eager to settle into newly harvested grain fields. It’s a waterfowler’s paradise. The decoy spreads in these northern zones are often among the first the birds see, and their eager, uneducated responses can be absolutely breathtaking.

One of the most unforgettable sights is the famed swirling cyclone of Canada geese funneling down into a field. I can still hear my dad yelling over the deafening honks, his voice barely audible, “They can’t hear us!” The birds were so loud that those at the top of the funnel couldn’t even hear the gunfire below. If you’ve ever experienced it, you know exactly the kind of spine-tingling moment I’m talking about.

When the birds pushed south, so did we.

The prairie pothole regions of North Dakota are pure waterfowl gold. The right pothole on a cold morning—especially if you can find open water—can be magic. And if the water’s frozen? My dad had a fix: get there early, break trail through the skim ice, and push it under itself to create an opening. Voilà…open water.

I’ll never forget one frigid morning. After breaking ice, my hands were bright red and on the edge of frostbite. I looked at my dad for sympathy, but he just grinned as the puddle ducks cupped up and said, “Do you want warm hands, or do you want to shoot ducks?” Like I said, he was a fanatic. I grabbed the old Winchester pump and did my best. That day, I also learned the value of hand warmers and Gore-Tex gloves.

There are so many unforgettable moments:

  • Slipping and sliding at a Nebraska reservoir, laughing hysterically as we wondered if we’d ever get the old Suburban and trailer back up the icy boat ramp. After limiting out on greenheads.
  • Rowing across the Delta Marsh in the dark to find the perfect crescent-shaped bulrush island to set the decoys that the canvasbacks couldn’t resist.
  • Chasing snow geese in South Dakota and realizing we’d finally picked the perfect field, the one that made it worth all those hours spent spray-painting sheet-metal shell decoys in the garage.

These weren’t just hunting trips. They were memories shared with family, with friends, and with the great outdoors itself.

In the end, missing a week of school every year was worth every single minute.

The last duck hunt I shared with my admittedly duck-crazy father was a world away and half a lifetime ago. The hunt may be long over, but the memory will always stay with me.

At WTA, we’re proud to connect our clients with trusted partners so they can experience these same one-of-a-kind adventures.

We offer incredible destinations and outstanding outfitters all along the Central Flyway—from Alberta and Saskatchewan to North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma—so you can create your own lasting memories.

Call Worldwide Trophy Adventures at 1-800-346-8747 today to book your trip of a lifetime.

See Central Flyway Hunts

Get Trip Specials & Cancellations,
Right Where You Want It.

No spam. Just the good stuff. Opt-out anytime.