Beyond the Target: Hunting Smarter in Multi-Species Overlap

Justin Hunold

last Friday at 6:32 PM

Share

One Trip. Multiple Tags. Endless Opportunity.

Fall brings more than just changing leaves and crisp air. It brings a rare alignment, a confluence of overlapping seasons, where elk bugle through mountain drainages, bears roam the berry slopes, mule deer feed along basin edges, and whitetails slip through oak flats. Even wild pigs and upland birds join the chorus in certain regions.

This isn’t about chasing everything. It’s about hunting with awareness, knowing that when you’re focused on one species, the sign, sound, or silhouette of another might appear. The prepared hunter doesn’t need luck. Just a tag, the right mindset, and the right gear.

Multiple Tags, One Trip: Know the Rules, Maximize the Opportunity

Multi-species hunting starts with understanding your state’s tag system and season overlap. Many Western states and even parts of the Midwest and South allow hunters to carry more than one tag during the same period. Think elk and bear, deer and hogs, or turkey and whitetail, depending on the time of year and region.

Here’s how hunters are building multi-species strategies:

• Western States (CO, MT, ID, WY): You can often purchase an elk tag and a general deer tag, with the option to add bear, wolf, or mountain lion depending on availability. Bear seasons frequently coincide with early elk.
• Southeastern States (OK, TX, GA): Wild hogs are open nearly year-round in many areas. Carrying a deer tag while staying alert for pig sign is both practical and efficient. Some regions also offer fall turkey and small game overlap.
• Midwestern States (MO, KY, PA): Bear seasons run concurrently with whitetail firearm or archery seasons in certain counties. Small game and predator tags are inexpensive additions.
• Specialty Tags and OTC Options: Many states offer over-the-counter (OTC) bear tags, especially during archery elk or rifle deer seasons. Turkey tags, upland bird permits, and furbearer licenses are often sold separately but can be easily added online or in-store.

The key is to read the regulations thoroughly. Know which units allow multiple species, and confirm season dates, legal weapons, and tag validity across public and private land. Apps like Infinite Outdoors help clarify this by filtering land by species and tagging systems.

Planning for more than one species doesn’t mean being unfocused, it means being ready. Carrying multiple tags expands your potential, lets you adapt to real-time conditions, and deepens your understanding of what’s moving and when.

Reading a Layered Landscape

Each species moves through the landscape differently. Elk and mule deer might share the same general region, but not the same rhythm. Elk move like whispers, bedding high, feeding low, bugling at dawn. Muleys work broken country, where sage and rimrock conceal velvet antlers.

Black bears track food. One day it's a berry slope, the next a kill site, the next a carcass buried beneath a downed log. Hogs? They’re ecosystem wrecking balls, tearing through creek bottoms, wallows, and fields with indiscriminate appetite.

Whitetails weave through cover edges and agriculture transition zones. Meanwhile, a covey of grouse or a squirrel chattering above might signal protein you weren’t planning on, but are glad to take.

In this kind of terrain, scouting isn’t just about where the elk are. It’s about noticing everything—the rooting, the rubs, the feathers, the sign that tells you a story bigger than one species.

Gear That Keeps You in the Game

Firearms: You don’t need a locker room’s worth of rifles, just one reliable caliber and good ammunition. Anything from .243 to .338 Win Mag can cover multi-species hunts when paired with the right bullet weight and construction.

Top All-Around Calibers (Expanded):

• .308 Winchester – This is the blue-collar workhorse of North American hunting. Recoil is manageable, ammo is widely available, and it hits hard enough for deer, bear, and even elk inside 400 yards with the right bullet. It's also forgiving to shoot in compact mountain rifles and makes follow-up shots faster.
• .30-06 Springfield – If you're looking for a do-it-all rifle with century-long credentials, the '06 still delivers. It offers a broader bullet selection (from 110 to 220 grains), making it suitable for everything from antelope to moose. Its extra case capacity gives it an edge over the .308 at longer ranges.
• .300 Win Mag – This cartridge steps into high-power territory. Ideal for those heading to open country or hunting larger-bodied game like mature bulls and bears at distance. Expect more recoil, but also flatter trajectories and more energy on impact. Great for handloaders or factory premium ammo users.
• .270 Winchester – A classic Western mule deer round that’s also stellar on whitetails and lighter elk. Fast, flat, and easy to shoot well, it thrives in wide-open spaces. With modern bonded bullets, it’s more capable than ever on tougher game.
• .243 Winchester – The perfect light-recoiling option for deer, hogs, or beginner hunters. With proper shot placement and premium bullets, it performs well on medium game. Not ideal for elk or bear unless you’re highly experienced and strictly disciplined on range and angles.

Archery Broadheads: Performance Over Preference

Broadhead debates tend to get tribal, but the reality is simple: penetration and dependability are what matter. Whether fixed or mechanical, you need a head that flies true and gets through the boiler room.

Top Fixed-Blade Broadheads (Expanded):

• Iron Will – Precision-machined from premium steel, these are built to punch through bone and hold up on big game. Fly like field points, though tuning is key. Expensive, but bombproof.
• Magnus Stinger – A forgiving, accurate, and razor-sharp design that’s easy to tune and comes with a lifetime replacement guarantee. Excellent for whitetails and light-to-mid-weight game.
• Slick Trick Standard – Compact and deadly. Known for their strength and pass-through consistency. Great choice for shooters wanting short broadheads with minimal wind drift.
• QAD Exodus – These heads pack a big punch in a short profile. They're built tough, cut wide, and fly remarkably well even in fast setups.
• G5 Montec – A one-piece cast design that’s super simple to sharpen and use. They may not be the sharpest out of the box, but they’re rugged and widely trusted by elk and deer hunters alike.

Top Mechanical Broadheads (Expanded):

• Rage Hypodermic – Known for massive wound channels and reliable deployment. They require good shot angles and enough KE, but when conditions are right, they’re devastating.
• SEVR 2.0 / 1.5 – Built for precision and durability. The pivoting blade design helps prevent deflections and maximizes penetration. Easy to practice with and backed by a solid reputation.
• Grim Reaper Whitetail Special – A wide-cut mechanical that opens reliably and hits hard. A great choice for shorter shots on deer-sized game.
• NAP Spitfire – Time-tested, durable, and well-regarded. Mechanical action is consistent and doesn’t require rubber bands or collars.
• G5 Deadmeat V2 – A refined design that fixes earlier flaws. Consistent flight and strong blades. Ideal for fast bows and modern setups.

Always bring Judo Points or Small Game Heads, you can verify “Zero” if you were to have a bow accident, and most of the time, Rabbit, Squirre,l and Upland Bird Seasons overlap with Big Game.

Optics: See More, Tag More

Binoculars (10x42): Your daily driver. Use them early, often, and always. Scan ridges, dissect brush, and confirm movement.

Rangefinders: Carry one that compensates for angle. A must for steep shots and ethical range estimation.

Rangefinding Binos: Combine two tools in one. Save weight and time when it counts.

Spotting Scopes: Optional but powerful. If you're glassing open country for muleys or bulls, a compact 60mm scope can change the game.

Rifle Scopes: Choose a versatile magnification range like 3-9x, 4-12x, or 3-18x with a durable turret system. Clarity, repeatability, and low-light performance win over bells and whistles.

Clothing & Boots: Dress for the Day, Not Just the Species

Layering Systems:

• Base – Merino wool or synthetic. Breathable, quiet, dries fast.
• Mid – Grid fleece, puffy vests, or active insulation layers.
• Outer – Softshells for breathability and noise reduction. Packable waterproof shells for weather.
• Insulation – Lightweight down or synthetic puffys that compress small but retain heat.

Boot Options:

• Mountain Hunts: Stiff, ankle-supporting boots like Crispi Briksdal, Kenetrek Mountain Extreme, or Lowa Tibet.
• Whitetail & Lowland: Quieter, more flexible options like LaCrosse Alphaburly, Danner Pronghorn, or Muck Woody Max.

Footwear needs to match terrain, distance, and your style of hunting. Think comfort, silence, and blister-proof performance.

Hunt the Clock with Awareness

A well-planned hunt flows with the rhythm of the day, but not necessarily with a plan to harvest multiple species in one sit. This isn't about expecting to tag elk, bear, hogs, and whitetails in a single day. It’s about staying tuned in to the possibilities as the day unfolds.

Each of these examples represents a scenario you might encounter depending on region, habitat, and available tags, not a guaranteed sequence on one hunt. Think of it as an expanded playbook:

Morning: Elk bugles echo before first light in high country. Mule deer feed along ridgelines where visibility and thermals work in your favor. If you're in elk country but notice muley movement, your day just got more interesting.

Midday: Bears may feed late, especially in shaded, berry-laden draws or timber edges. This is also a good time to still-hunt for small game like grouse or squirrels, bonus meat and activity while the woods quiet down.

Afternoon: Whitetails begin to stage in transitional cover. Hogs—particularly in southern regions—may start to stir in the shade near water sources. You may be hunting deer, but that rooting sign you saw on the walk in? It’s worth checking out.

Evening: The day’s final light often brings the highest payoff. Elk return to wallows, hogs hit the flats, and deer step into the open. If you’ve stayed alert all day, this is when you make it count.

Staying aware doesn’t mean switching focus constantly. It means recognizing that real-world hunting rarely goes exactly to plan, and sometimes the best outcome is the one you didn’t expect.

Conservation by the Tag

Bonus opportunities can mean bonus impact. Ethical removal of black bears or hogs during legal overlap seasons supports game management goals:

• Hogs: Invasive and destructive. Every one removed is a win.
• Bears: Key predator management, especially where calf and fawn predation is high.

Report Your Harvests: Wildlife managers depend on hunter data for setting quotas and understanding pressure.

Use the Meat: Wild game deserves the same respect whether it’s planned or opportunistic. Cool it quickly. Cook it well.

Respect the Land: Most of these hunts happen on someone else’s ground. Leave gates how you found them, pack out trash, and show appreciation.

Why Infinite Outdoors Works

Infinite Outdoors gives you more than access. It gives you options.

• Search by species, terrain, and season overlap.
• Scout with layered maps and landowner tips.
• Book private land that’s lightly pressured and multi-species ready.

You don’t need to guess where opportunity might show up. You just need to be ready when it does.

Final Word

Hunting with flexibility doesn’t mean chasing ghosts. It means staying sharp, tuned in, and adaptable. The elk you planned for might never appear—but the bear that wandered into your setup? Or the pigs rooting under your treestand? Those are real chances. Real memories.

Stay curious. Stay mobile. And stay open to more than just your target species.

Download the Infinite Outdoors app today. Book access with options. Hunt smarter, not harder.