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Triple Threat: Rifle Tule Elk

Mark Peterson
|  
  • Mark Peterson
Species: Tule Elk

This guest blog comes to us from Mark Peterson, CEO of WTA and Host of Cabela’s Instinct.

Triple Threat: NA29 Tule Elk, Rifle

Outside of the Lake Michigan coast that I call home, one of the most beautiful coasts in the country is in central California on the Pacific Ocean. This past July, I was able to chase Tule Elk with one of Worldwide Trophy Adventures’ best outfitters who specializes in Tule Elk. You always get what you put in, and booking with this specialist was the best decision I could have made for this particular species. The majority of Tule elk hunting is done with landowner tags on private land, so doing your homework and knowing exactly what ranches the outfitter has access to is key. Tule are the smallest sub-species of elk, and the only herds of these elk, and the only hunting you can do for Tule, is in California.

Tule Elk Season

The Tule elk season opens in early July. To my knowledge, it is the first elk season to open up. Because of this, temperature can be a major factor. Our temps reached triple digits during the day. As a result, elk movement came to a standstill. It definitely slowed down the pace of the hunt. The heat also impacted us when we were glassing. The earth seemed to almost be a mirage, with light shimmering in the hot air and distorting what we could see in our scopes. Because of these extreme temperatures, we focused on hunting early in the morning and late at night, when the temps died down a little.

The Hunt Begins

As you all know, I love being able to hunt with my dad, Earl. It is a special tradition that he’s passed along to me, and I wouldn’t trade the time I spend with dad in the field for anything. Dad and I hunted two different ranch leases while we were in the central Californian coast. The one we hunted for Dad’s Tule was quite a bit flatter, with more fields, so the elk would come down in the morning and at night. We tried to catch them as they moved in and out. These elk were far enough from the coast that they were out of velvet and in the early stages of the rut already. The bulls were starting to bugle, but not yet chasing.

Cooler Temps

After dad shot his bull, we moved west to a hilly ranch area, so thankfully the temperature was a little bit cooler. The elk there were still in velvet, which always makes for a spectacular hunt. It’s pretty incredible that herds only 20 miles apart would be in such different stages just because of the ocean cooling everything down. We both were able to take a great bulls on two vastly different ranches.  Compared to the ranch that we hunted for dad, the bulls on the ranch I hunted weren’t rutting at all and basically were in summer feeding patterns. So again we focused on hunting early in the morning and late at night. We ended up spotting my bull late, just before dark. Luckily, we turned him again the next morning. It happened that he was in a good spot to sneak across the canyon and get within 350 yards for the shot.

Tule Tags and Californian Law

I know what you’re thinking — hunting by the ocean sounds incredible. The tricky thing about Tule is that the tags are super limited. Most hunts need to be booked a year or more in advance, especially for the best ranches. As I mentioned before, you can also only hunt this sub-species in California. And, to throw another wrench in the equation, California is a no-lead state, so your ammo can’t be made of lead. Be sure if you want to hunt in California that you’re practicing at the range with the ammo you plan to use in the field so you can be ready in case a long shot is needed. I plan to return to this same ranch for my archery and muzzleloader bulls. You can’t beat the area. And there are a few water holes where I can sit for archery.

 

 

All the best in the great outdoors,

Mark
www.markvpeterson.com

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Wyoming’s Preference Point Deadline Is Approaching: October 31

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

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

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