Well, having been unsuccessful in the last 3 big game tag drawings we have put in for (moose, elk and mule deer), I'd like for you fellas to help compile a list of states and tags one can buy over the counter. I'm getting fed up with sending money to some game department while they decide if they are going to let me come to their state to hunt. Of course they won't tell you until 3-5 months prior to the hunt, so once they do tell you you're rejected, you have to scramble to find another place to hunt or rearrange vacation. Meanwhile you're waiting for your refund. (sounds like a Mark Baker song doesn't it? LOL)
I'll start.
Anyone can come hunt whitetailed deer and turkey in Ohio. Tags are available over the counter. Plenty of public land, game numbers are plentiful. Don't need a guide.
Been buying either sex elk tags over the counter in Colorado for several years, lots of good hunting also.
You can buy White-tailed deer licences over the counter here in Michigan as well. Lots of state land to hunt and very good numbers of game.
Unless it's changed in the past couple of years you can still buy non-resident archery elk tags for Oregon. You have to purchase prior to the season opening and if you know someone from Oregon they can purchase your tag over the counter for you. About $350.
Don't know anything about the Roosevelts in western Oregon but the hunting in northeastern Oregon for Rocky Mountain elk is good in some really beautiful country.
Forget deer in Illinois. They have our deer hunting so screwed up it's pathetic and you'll pay more for it than an elk hunt in great country. Limited public ground that's overcrowded.
I agree with you Mickey. I'd rather hunt squirrels in the back 40 that jump through all the hoops now necessary to hunt big game in most states and Canadian Provinces. Glad I did it when young when you could still hunt what you want, where you want, and do it on your own, from Alaska thoughout Canada and the western states. Who said we are living in the golden age of bowhunting? Not me.
I usually send in my money to Idaho for elk early in the year but you used to be able to buy over- the- counter elk tags in Idaho also. Haven't checked this year though.
Joe
Archery Elk and Pronghorn are available in Colorado. Over the counter for all sorts of things in Texas-the challenge is having accessto hunt somewhere.
There is still OTC elk tags in Idaho. There is a lot of country to get away from people too. Some nice bulls there.
There are also "limited" OTC archery bear tags available in Colorado on a first come first serve basis that can be bought online. You'd better be quick on the draw though.
In Alaska for state hunts moose, caribou, bear, sheep, goat, wolf, are all pretty much over the counter. Draw tags are mainly either trophy areas or extra seasons or critters such as elk & bison. Guides are required for non residents for brown/grizzly, sheep & goats. Oh and most tags for residents don't cost anything either. Then there are the Federal hunts but they are resident only and they are all free.
Wyoming has tags left over every year for pronghorn and sometimes deer. You have to go to Casper to the fish and game office off Interstate 25 north...and I think they are around 275 dollars.
Tags are the easy part here in Wisconsin. Anybody with the cash can buy a tag, and the cost is only $160 - quite a deal compared to some other States. The northern part of the State has large blocks of public land, but like anywhere the better hunting is usually private unless you are really willing to work at it. WI also has more recently used "Earn A Buck" regulations in an effort to reduce the herd. The areas "EAB" applies to change every year. It requires you must shoot an antlerless deer before qualifying for a buck tag, so if antlers are important to you, make sure you know the season structure for the area you might be interested in.
You can hunt in Ky. with a non-resident license and tag.
I know Indiana you can buy tags over the counter as well. In Wyoming in certain units you can buy doe deer and antelope tags over the counter if they have any leftovers. Also in Unit J of Wyoming you can buy a bear tag over the counter at least 2006 you could. There is always Canada?
I buy a Missouri deer tag from time to time, OTC. Iowa is not one of those OTC places.
Really Idaho :scared:
Nebraska has over the counter archery deer tags. Season ususally runs from Sept 15 through Dec 31 with 2nd week in nov for rifle only. Pretty good mule deer hunting out west.
I will inject here on Wisconsin a little more for you poor peeps that come up from the flatlands. The Earn a buck is not a bad deal really. You get an extra doe tag and yes, you have to shoot a doe first. But in the same morning or evening hunt you can literally shoot a doe and a buck and you are legal. When that buck is on the ground you just have to be able to point and say there is the doe. There is no time lost in a trip to town or waiting in the mail for your buck tag. Actually this law has helped clean up the road kills off the sides of the roads. :bigsmyl:
If you are not a trophy hunter there are PLENTY of deer on the puplic land above Madison. Head for the black river area. Lots of deer with smallish racks.
If you want trophy bucks without driving tooo far north, they are in the ample puplic hunting grounds along the Wi river. These grounds are like hunting the big woods up north. No fields, all thick timber. :bigsmyl:
Anyway thats the rundown from gods country.
I hear ya Mickey!!!!!!
Its that way,in Nv,even for the locals.Shure,its not expensive,for the application fee,but its the principal of it.The only big game tag you can buy over the counter,is Mountain lion.That,and the cost of tags,as well as them tellin ya,you cant hunt in your own back yard,is why ive become a small game specialist.
Tom we used to hunt deer in Illinois, back when it was good. I agree with you, that is one state they have really messed up deer hunting on.
You can buy hog/javie tags OTC for next to nothing in Texas BUT you usually have to pay anywhetere from $125-$175 a day tresspass.Very little public land down there.
Whip we MAY be headed back to northern Wisconsin this year. In the scrambling process now of deciding where to go.
Danny I love hunting Kentucky but they have their seasons so messed up for bowhunters.
Have hunted some public areaas of Missouri as well. Rebels Cove and another area near there come to mind.
We've got moose in N.E.Oregon now that came over from Idaho. But the dang wolves are swimming over too! You can keep the wolves Shootrmn. We have it bad enough with cougars and bears, because we can't hunt with hounds or bait.
If it were me Ferret, I'd look at the Rocky Mt. states. Eastman's Journal Bowhunting magazine has been putting sections in the past couple of issues that have some good info. on units. I don't remember if they talk about OTC tags or it is all draw info.
hmmm never thought about Nebraska. Being geographically challenged like I am I have to look at my map and see where that is. Plenty of public land Benbow?
Mickey, I assume that you are most interested in western states, so here is what I know about a few such states for OTC tags for NRs (that haven't already been mentioned):
AZ - archery deer tags are still OTC(for now, I hear this may change soon) and you can hunt mule or coues deer. This is the only state I know of that offers OTC NR tags for coues deer, which are quite challenging and live in ruggedly beautiful country. If you go in January, their rutting behaviour works in your favor. Although it seems the mule and coues deer like different country, you can find areas with both deer and double your fun and odds of filling a tag.
UT - you can still get elk and deer tags OTC, and experience good hunting in interesting country from the desert sage to forested high mountains.
MT - although not exactly OTC, you can get a state wide archery antelope tag if you apply before June 1, and possibly some leftover doe tags.
SD - I was told recently there are OTC tags for whitetails, but if you apply they might be good for whitetails or mulies???
AZ has over the counter deer tags but you have to draw for a javie tag? How crazy is that? LOL..If I'm not mistaken in AZ one applied for a javie tag, but had to buy the hunt lic before applying this year and if you weren't drawn they kept your lic money or some such deal. Wingnut was telling me something about it. I don't think he applied this year.
Not necessarily just out west Jeff (heck I applied to New Hampshire for moose remember? LOL)
Do like to hunt different species than we have here sometimes.
I figured a list here would help many. I'm sure there are guys out west that would like to come to the midwest to hunt whitetails or turkey or bear. Now they know not to try Iowa...
I would HATE to live in a state where even the residents had to draw for tags..geesh
Well there is always SC where you have to tag your does but can shoot all the bucks you want from Aug thru Dec without tags. Talk about crazy, needlest to say SC is not known for trophy bucks.
Nebraska has Mule deer, whitetail, turkeys, antelope, small game, waterfowl If there is a season for it a nonresident can buy a tag for it...except elk but there really arent enough of them to matter. and for some reason they havent given out a bighorn sheep tag for a couple years. ..If ya wanna know anything else let me know..Seth
over here you dont have to pay for a permit you just put your name down. crap you guys get ripped off something big. as we dont pay for a deer tag hell its free all you need is luck in getting a deer :eek:
Virginia has OTC tags for deer, turkey and bear. Lots of public land in western part of the state. Big racks come from all over the state but is usually private land-although someone willing to work can get some big bucks with boot leather.
I'll second what John in Alaska said. Alaska has most everything available to non-residents over the counter except the "big three" which require guides. Awsome hunting is available if you work the problem and hook up with the right air taxi. Although I now live in Illinois and hunt deer in Wisconsin, Alaska is still "home". I go back every year and chase something - usually moose. It's worth considering!
KY has OTC deer tags and also they are going to draw 300 (I think) elk tags this year and 10% of those are alloted to NR's. Cost is $10.00 to apply and $300.00 for the tag if you get drawn as well as the $115.00 NR hunting license.
Rob
What Tom said.......those were the good old days.
I've hunted AK,IN,TX,IL,OH,KY,MO,OK,LA,WI,CO,ID,NM,TN Canada and Korea.
The price of Tags have gotten sky high in the last dozen years, and too hard to come by. I take a little hunt someplace every year, but often as not, it's for small game.
North Dakota is a real sleeper for whitetail & mulies. The mulies are a draw, fcfs, but I have been 5 for 5 when applying.Make the deadline & you will draw the any deer tag. The badlands are beautiful & worth checking out. I would live there if I was single.
The only big game we residents don't draw for in Nevada are lions-over the counter at $26 each and we get two.
Tom is right about Oregon. You can buy archery elk, deer,over the counter. BUT you must purchase them before the season opens.
CAN you buy Idaho archery deer tags over the counter? Whole state or limited areas?
Bob
Bob, I just checked the Idaho Fish and Game site and on the license information it says you can purchase at Fish and Game offices, mail, online or at 400+ vendors statewide. They do say there is a quota on the number available so they advise to get your license early. The last time I hunted elk in Idaho I know they had them still available for over the counter where we hunted but that may change year to year. To be certain we always call our request in as soon as they become available. Another thing that was good is one of our members had a health problem arise in the summer and he just sent in a letter from his doctor explaining the problem and the DNR refunded his money. Great folks to work with he said. :thumbsup:
Joe
Ontario has OTC deer tags. The amount you can purchase depends on what are you're in. Typically cost I think is $36.50/resident tag. Can't help you out right now, but give me a few years and I can try put you onto some deer.
Buy a non-resident license in Alabama and you can kill two deer a day in most counties with no tags to buy.
You buy a license in Arkansas and your allowed to kill Deer, Bear, Turkey and just about anything that moves for one price. We have more public land with excellent hunting than most states. Your license is good for a year, and oh yea our archery Deer and Turkey season is from Oct. 1st thru the end of Feb!! Only problem is ya have to go to work sometime :campfire: Terry
If you want a non-res tag in Idaho dont wait much longer than two weeks after the season opens Aug 30th. Residents can buy them after filling their regular tag.
Idaho's website has a way of showing you how many OTC tags are available for each unit as I recall. Some many left for Selway, etc.
missouri and north dakota are my choice for deer (missouri tags are cheaper) and in mid sept you can hunt antelope on public land here in montana but the antelope tag needs to be purchase OTC by june 1st I believe.
good luck,
ps don't give-up on montana, an idea for next time might be to all put in sepertly and the ones that don't draw can still come and hunt antelope. If you hunt muledeer you can still all hunt from the same camp if the area you hunt is in the eastern part of montana(where muledeer and antelope both reside).
Kojac, the last time I hunted Montana for mule deer was in the Powder River area but that was several years ago. I saw some really nice whitetail in certain areas but didn't go after them since I wanted a mulie. Do you know if that area still holds nice whitetails?
Joe
hey, i say come to western oregon and hunt critters that you have never hunted.blacktails and rosey.john
Arizona has over the counter tags, wall-mart and most hard-ware stores have them, or you could buy direct from fish and game, Bow tags for Mule and Coues Deer, different dates for either sex, Mulies, Coues, but the season is like 6 mounths long total, also bow cat open all year, 'yote's would be a hoot... If you would like an area for monster Mulies,and huge coues,steep country but not many hunters, PM me.
TN has OTC deer/turkey/bear, some hogs in a few of the public WMAs. Bear and hog density is fairly low and mainly in the eastern mountains and Cumberland Plateau areas. A resident hunting license - all inclusive minus the feds - is $135 or so. No idea about how much a NR would be.
Best thing I've done regarding a license was a Lifetime Sportmans license I bought about 5 years ago. $1200 then, but in about 4 more years I'll be hunting for free in TN for the rest of my hopefully long life. 'Free' considering the yearly high cost of resident licenses I would have bought otherwise.
nebraska also has doe only tags for $55 for non-resident most of those tags come with a bonus tag.
2 does $55 + $13(habitat stamp)= $68 not a bad price
Brian
In Idaho if you get the regular deer tag; you can hunt mulies or whitetails. Elk tags some years get sold out soon; other years its not until after the rifle season.
You can hunt with some restrictions- for antlerless elk: from August first to the August 30th regular opener; and then come back in December if you didn't get one; and hunt the bitter winter snow hunt ( for any deer and any elk).
Bear tags are cheap in some areas (31.50); and in some areas you can buy a second tag cheap (31.50).
You can in some areas buy over the counter tags for elk; antelope; deer; bear and mountain lion and hunt for all from the same camp.
:campfire: :archer:
Texas does not sell tags, just lic and the tags are attached to the lic. Full season nr is $300 and ya get one buck tag,4 buck/antlersess tags,4 turkey tags,and some mule deer tags. They do regulate by county though. some counties are one buck, some two buck and some three buck and some have antler restrictions. I know you can buy a 5 day lic also but do not know what tags it comes with.You can kill 4 turkeys either sex in the fall but only one tom in the spring,oh and you do have to purchase the upland bird stamp if you want to hunt turkey or quail. I also think there is a pronghorn tag on the lic but can not remember for sure, I know there are pronghorn in the panhandle and western part of the state.
Danny
What I was surprised to learn is there are some really nice whitetails in Idaho. For some reason I think of muleys in the Rocky Mt. states.
Out of the provinces I am familiar with, only Ontario has OTC tags. They are for whitetail only and only certain zones as well. All of the western provinces require a guide for a Non-Canadian non-resident.
Nebraska certainly has OTC tags for non-residents.
The biggest problem in the eastern portion of the state is finding a place to hunt.Most of the prime locations are leased and public areas are heavily used.Can't speak for the western half of the state.
Good luck,
Ed
QuoteOriginally posted by jeff / sc:
Well there is always SC where you have to tag your does but can shoot all the bucks you want from Aug thru Dec without tags. Talk about crazy, needlest to say SC is not known for trophy bucks.
Jeff,
I was gonna add SC to the list also,but figured nobody would actually want to come here,especially from Ohio! :D
Seriously tho,hopefully some of the things that have been hinted at by the SCDNR will actually come about in the very near future.I definately agree with you tho,we are totally backwards when it comes to deer management.
But.......if you want to kill 30 deer a season with a combined weight of about 500lbs,for about $125-150 and be able to hunt them for 135-140 days a year from the hottest Summer till well into the so-called "Winter" we have here........come on down!
To the top for C2
Thanks Ferret
I think that Oklahoma still has OTC non-res tags.There are some public hunting lands in OK that are archery only for most of the season,Okmulgee was one, as well as some big blocks of public lands in other parts of the state..You might want to check it out...I have a Lifetime license that is still good even tho I had to move north a few years ago, tags are included... :bigsmyl:
Virginia is OTC and you will get 6 deer, 3 either sex & 3 does, 3 turkey tags and a black bear tag. lot's of public land & private. archery season starts the 1st saturday in october and you can hunt through the 1st saturday in Jan. there is also some urban hunting that goes a few more months.
Virginia is OTC and you will get 6 deer, 3 either sex & 3 does, 3 turkey tags and a black bear tag. lot's of public land & private. archery season starts the 1st saturday in october and you can hunt through the 1st saturday in Jan. there is also some urban hunting that goes a few more months.
here in maryland you can by whitetail or free ranging sika deer over the counter. for whitetail you can shoot 10 does and 2 bucks. for sika you can shoot one stag and one hind or two hinds. we also have bear but it's only a two day season and it normally doesn't last that long. bear is the only thing you have to draw for.