Big Game Hunting Calendar 2026: Plan Your Season Early

A repeated theme through these blogs, and the first thing that any avid outdoorsman will tell you is to plan ahead. Heck, the Boy Scouts have been expressing a similar sentiment since 1907 in their official motto: “Be Prepared.” The scorching summer is just around the corner, and if you’re only now planning for it, it’s going to be a rough season. Inversely, those who are already thinking ahead of the fall season are going to do well. Those cooling temps and baseball in October are not-so-subtle reminders that it’s hunting season. Big game hunting in 2026 follows the same windows as previous years: September through November. Some of these hunts operate on a draw system, and many are limited, with the draw taking place anywhere from six to nine months prior to the hunt.

We’re going to build out some strategic thinking to prepare for the best big game hunting season ever, and set you up for an awesome spring 2027. We’re covering times, temps, the best gear, and what to consider.

Draw Deadlines: What You Need to Book Right Now

Some locations offer limited-entry tags, particularly in the Intermountain West. You’ll need to apply months in advance to take part in these seasons. If you already have your tag in hand, you can skip ahead to the planning section. If not, there might be some time left. In some instances, there may not be, but this will serve as a reminder to plan ahead in 2027.

Missed Opportunities:

These draws have already taken place, but they are in incredible locations and, for future reference, are not to be missed:

• Colorado Elk and Deer Draws: This occurs in late April. Already passed a couple of months ago.
• Wyoming Elk, Deer, and Pronghorn: Pronghorn are athletic, can smell you from a mile away, and run like the wind. Try not to miss this March deadline in 2027.
• Montana Combo Licenses: Some of the most beautiful terrain in the world. These licenses had a March deadline.
• New Mexico Elk: Good when you can get them, this one ended in April.

Still Open or Opening Soon:

There may still be time to get your tag and take part in these upcoming draws. It’s not too late to get some big game hunting in 2026.

• Over-the-counter (OTC) Elk tags in Idaho and Colorado are still open. Archery tags in most states, and waterfowl licenses can still be purchased closer to the season, and upland bird licenses will be available through the fall.

Spring Turkey:

Even if you’re not a spring chicken, you can still get yourself a spring turkey. Licenses are available now, and in most states, there is no draw. Kansas, Missouri, Alabama, and Pennsylvania all have OTC spring tags.

The best thing to do now is to pull up your state’s wildlife agency site and see if the draw is still open or if there are some OTC options out there.

Elk Season 2026: The Western Rut and Where to Be

Elk hunting is the most popular and sought-after big game in the western United States. Getting a tag can be difficult, and getting a tag in the right location and still getting your kill is even tougher. As we stick to the Boy Scout motto of Be Prepared, these types of hunts and locations will make sure you fill your tag.

This isn’t a comprehensive list of states offering elk tags (that could be a whole website), but these are some general guidelines to follow when approaching the season:

1. Archery elk usually run through the month of September in most western states.
2. For rifle elk, there’s a larger window from mid-October through mid-November; this will vary by state and by unit, as well.
3. Muzzleloaders fill the gaps between archery and rifle with a typical open season of late September to mid-October.

This is the general time for open season throughout the West. As stated above, check the government website of the region you intend to hunt in for the specifics on acquiring a tag. Knowing the timeframes, let’s look at some ideal locations and the conditions in those coveted spots.

Colorado:

This is the most accessible OTC archery state in the West. In the northwest corner of the state, units 1, 2, and 3 hold the strongest elk populations and are the most desired. Colorado is a destination location for myriad reasons, so while the rifle draw is highly competitive, it is also worth applying to annually.

Wyoming:

Wyoming is a premium draw state and features some of the best big game hunting in the world. The western side of the state is guarded by the Teton Mountain Range and might be the top location for hunting in 2026. There are limited tags available, but exceptional trophy quality for the rifle hunt. OTC archery tags are available in several units, and a Teton archery elk is often considered a bucket list hunt. This is not one to miss.

Montana:

OTC B licenses are those for antlerless deer and elk. These are available in Montana for a general deer/elk combo. This state is one of the most consistent and reliable producers of elk, especially in the southwestern region of the state near the Bitterroot and Gallatin ranges. This also happens to be one of the most beautiful and rugged regions in the United States.

Idaho:

This is one of the last states with truly accessible OTC elk hunting across millions of acres of public land. The Clearwater and Salmon River drainages continually produce good numbers.

New Mexico:

This is a draw-only state, but the quality justifies the wait. Unit 34 and the Gila region produce exceptional bulls.

These are some of the most beautiful states in the country with the best opportunities to get a trophy elk. They also have some other similar qualities: the weather. Some of these regions are high mountain deserts, some are simply high mountains. The constant through all these locations is that the weather can be brutal, and it can switch at a moment’s notice. For that, you’re going to need the right gear, the right base camp, and most importantly, the right tent.

The Canvas Tent: The Ideal Hunting Base Camp

We’ve pinned down some good locations and tag situations for elk, and the deer hunt is very similar, but let’s take a look at what you’ll need to spend some time in these climates and environments. Many people coming from the coasts don’t understand that even though you are not sitting on top of a peak, the elevation can still be extremely high. Plateaus throughout New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and up to Wyoming are considered high-elevation deserts. The rainfall in some of these locations categorizes them in the desert range, while the elevation is higher than traditional deserts, often over 5,000 feet.

At these elevations, temperatures might not hit extreme lows or extreme highs, but the important thing to consider is the range of the temperature swing. In many high-elevation deserts, the temperature can range from 80 degrees down to the low 30s (Fahrenheit). Neither of those temperatures is intolerable, but that 50-degree swing can happen in under an hour.

To mitigate this issue, and to make sure everyone can convene at a base camp, and your primary structure can withstand high winds, a canvas tent is the optimal material for a hunting base camp. In all of these locations, wind and varying temperatures are the main concerns. A solid camping and hunting tent design is the wall tent. Four straight walls, each meeting at a 90-degree angle, a high ceiling, and, for those chilly nights, a reinforced stove jack for your tent wood stove.

White Duck makes one of the best canvas wall tents on the market. This tent comes in 6 different sizes, ranging from 8’x10’ up to a massive 16’x24’. They are made from 10.10 oz army duck cotton canvas that repels rain, stays cool in the summer, and insulates heat in the winter. Each of them is built with a heavy-duty frame constructed from anodized aluminum poles. When properly guyed down, these tents are nearly indestructible.

If you’re preparing to plan out the base camp this year, a canvas tent is going to be the most important location. Consider whether the space will be for gathering, planning with maps on a table, a space where people can clean their guns and lay out their gear, or will cleaning the animal be in one of these spaces? If one tent isn’t enough, or you’d prefer to have different spaces for different activities, two smaller tents are always a good way to go.

Whether it’s elk or deer on your calendar for hunting in 2026, a good canvas wall tent in your base camp is the way to go.

Whitetail Deer Season 2026, Get in a Rut

The seasons for deer largely overlap with the elk hunts (state-dependent, of course), but there are a couple of things to keep in mind. For most states, the archery season begins in September/October and runs through December. Rifle usually runs October through January, but this is notable: you want to be out there during peak rut. The first two weekends in November, and this is universally consistent across the map, are the most important for the Whitetail rut season. Bucks are out and loud and, frankly, aggressive. And here are the states where you can find them:

Iowa:

Iowa consistently produces Boone & Crockett bucks. These are deer with fully-formed racks, and they are fun to go after. Iowa is a little particular with draw-only for non-residents, but tag allocation is better than neighboring states.

Kansas:

We’re back in Kansas, Toto, and it’s OTC archery for non-residents and draw for rifles. Flint Hills is prime country, and the eastern tallgrass regions are exceptional. Kansas still remains one of the best remaining OTC states.

Wisconsin:

There are some strong public land opportunities here, especially in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. And right in the middle of the rut, firearm season opens the second Saturday of November.

Ohio:

This still remains one of the most underrated big-buck states in the country. Southwest hill country holds mature deer and substantial public land through Wayne National Forest.

Texas:

Hill country and South Texas brush country are dominated by private land, but outfitter-guided hunts are widely available. No draw required.

The timing is predictable with the whitetail rut. The only real logistics are who’s going to show up and where you should go.

Where to Go for Hunting in 2026

The Western United States is pretty remarkable. The landscape here is incredible, the outdoor community is welcoming, and the game is abundant. If you hunted in a different location every year, you could go 100 years and never go to the same spot twice (and still get your tag). The prized trophies are worth it, the time in the wild is valuable, and the people you spend the hunt with make the time memorable. Get your tags in line for hunting in 2026, and prepare for 2027. It’s going to be a good hunt.