Want a shot at hunting some of the biggest public land elk in the country?

In this episode, we break down what Utah elk tags cost, how the draw works for nonresidents, and where both limited entry and OTC tags fit into a long range elk strategy.

We walk through the nonresident math on the 365 day hunting license, general, spike only, any bull, and limited entry tag prices, and why Utah’s cheap bonus points become a bargain once you’re already buying the license. Then I break down Utah’s hybrid bonus point system for limited entry elk, how the resident/nonresident split works, and why Utah’s age class management creates some of the best public land bull potential in the country—up into the 340–380+ range in top units like Beaver, Boulder, and Pahvant.

What we cover in this episode:

• 365 day license hacks and point stacking

• How Utah’s hybrid elk draw works

• Best limited entry elk units for nonresidents

• When to chase top tier vs “second tier” tags

• Using OTC spike and any bull hunts while building points

If this episode helps you sort out where Utah elk belongs in your Western plan, subscribe to the podcast and follow @getdrawnwest on Instagram so you don’t miss the rest of the Utah application series!

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[UtahMule Deer Application Guide]

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00:00 – Why Utah elk is so underrated fornonresidents

01:40 – 2026 Utah elk deadlines and basic rules

03:15 – Nonresident license, tag costs, and 365‑daylicense math

06:30 – Limited entry vs general elk, weapon types,and season breakdown

09:00 – How Utah’s hybrid bonus point draw works forelk

13:00 – Why Utah elk quality is so high (age classand herd management)

17:30 – Top‑end limited entry units: Beaver, Boulder,Pahvant, San Juan

23:30 – Draw odds, long‑term odds modeling, andauction tag values

30:30 – How to build a long‑term Utah elk strategy bypoint level

37:30 – OTC spike‑only and any‑bull elk tags andwhere they fit

43:00 – Key 2026 dates and how to stay on top of Utahelk applications

Want to chase some of the biggest mule deer in the country?

In this episode, I break down what Utah really costs, how the draw works, and which units are actually worth your points so you can decide if it belongs in your long range strategy.

We walk through the nonresident math on the 365 day license, general and limited entry tag costs, and why Utah’s cheap points become a bargain once you’re already in the system. Then I break down Utah’s bonus point system for limited entry, the true preference points for general season, and real world unit examples from zero points up into the 20 plus range.

What we cover in this episode:

• How to time the 365 day license so you get two application cycles out of one purchase.

• The difference between premium limited entry, standard limited entry, management buck, cactus buck, and HAMS hunts—and what happens to your points when you draw.

• High end units like Paunsaugunt, Henry Mountains, Fillmore Creek, and San Juan, plus realistic general units like Pine Valley, Zion, North Slope, Chalk Creek, Bonanza, La Sal, and Monroe from 0–10 points.

• Why nonresidents often have more opportunity in Utah than residents when it comes to limited entry applications.

• How I think about folding Utah into a bigger Western application plan using GoHunt Filtering 2.0.

If this episode helps you sort out Utah, subscribe to the podcast and follow @getdrawnwest on Instagram so you don’t miss the rest of the Utah bonus series.

Stay Ahead of Hunting Season with the Drawn West Newsletter.
Get practical emails on deadlines, draw strategy, new episodes, and giveawayupdates.
Join Here: https://www.getdrawnwest.com/newsletter

Looking for more content from Drawn West? Check out our latest article!
[2026 Utah Elk Application Guide]

FREE Gear Checklist:

https://www.getdrawnwest.com/gear

Connect with Brian Krebs
https://linktr.ee/getdrawnwest

Have Questions or Comments? Send an email to Brian@getdrawnwest.com!
Sponsorsand Discounts:
GOHUNTInsider - $50 Gear Shop Credit with code DRAWNWEST
https://alnk.to/g3aa8L4
GOHUNT GearShop – 10% off most items with code DRAWNWEST https://alnk.to/e75Pm4u
Save10% onMaverick Hunting Blinds & Accessories with code DRAWNWEST https://maverickhunting.com/?ref=getdrawnwest

Chapters

00:00:00 – Why Utah MuleDeer Matters in 2026
00:00:24 – Utah Deadline and How It Fits with MT, WY, CO
00:02:36 – Nonresident Costs: License, Tags, and Points
00:04:06 – Utah Draw System: Bonus vs Preference Points
00:06:48 – Premium, Management, and Cactus Buck Hunts
00:10:35 – General Season Deer and Draw Order Rules
00:13:05 – Using GoHunt Filtering 2.0 for Utah Units
00:16:11 – High‑End Limited Entry Units Worth Waiting For
00:19:40 – Shortcut Tags with HAMS and Late Muzzleloader
00:20:19 – Zero‑ to Ten‑Point General Units and Long‑Range Strategy

Ever walk through the woods thinking “Elk don’t exist” ? I’ve had a few of those days myself – On this episode we have the host of the Elk Don’t Exist podcast himself, comedian and hunter Dillon Deitz.

We covered shed hunting and hunting stories stories, but it turned into a really solid conversation about getting into hunting and why it feels harder than it should.

Dillon’s working on a series called Rookie Season where he’s taking guys with zero hunting background and helping them go through their first hunt. No experience, no shortcuts, just figuring it out as they go. That led into a bigger conversation about how complicated hunting has gotten, especially for someone looking in from the outside.

We also got into public land pressure, non-residents, and the whole social media side of hunting — not trying to solve anything, just talking through what we’re seeing and what actually lines up with reality.

Overall it’s just a laid back conversation, but there’s a lot in here whether you’ve been hunting your whole life or you’re just getting started.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow @getdrawnwest on Instagram. If you enjoyed it, leave a 5-star rating and share it with someone who’d get something out of it.

Check out the first episode of Dillon’s project The RookieSeason on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4j637LQffc

Follow more of Dillon’s content on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/dillondeitz/

Looking for more content from Drawn West? Check out our latestarticle!
[How To GoElk Hunting for $1500]

FREE Gear Checklist:

https://www.getdrawnwest.com/gear

Connect with Brian Krebs
https://linktr.ee/getdrawnwest

Have Questions or Comments? Send an email to Brian@getdrawnwest.com!
Sponsorsand Discounts:
GOHUNTInsider - $50 Gear Shop Credit with code DRAWNWEST
https://alnk.to/g3aa8L4
GOHUNT GearShop – 10% off most items with code DRAWNWEST https://alnk.to/e75Pm4u
Save10% onMaverick Hunting Blinds & Accessories with code DRAWNWEST https://maverickhunting.com/?ref=getdrawnwest

00:00 – Shed Hunting Stories

08:30 – What “Rookie Season” Is

22:30 – Why Hunting Feels Hard to Start

35:30 – Public Land & Non-Residents

49:00 – Keeping Hunting Fun

1:03:00 – Hunting with Family

1:14:00 – Social Media & Criticism

1:20:00 – Gear & Getting Started