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Post by span870 on Jul 5, 2018 20:36:58 GMT -5
WAY WAY easier. All said and done my mulie cost me north of $25,000 over 6 years until I killed it. He's nice, don't get me wrong but I just think what I could've killed down in senora Mexico
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Post by jman46151 on Jul 6, 2018 10:19:05 GMT -5
Buck tags start at around $300-$350. Gas is about $400, usually split 2 or 3 ways. Sleep in a tent and bring food from home. Hunt public ground or free access private. If anybody needs help planning a hunt like this give me a PM, I'll help to the best of my ability. I think my last pronghorn hunt was around $1000 per person including tags. We ended up buying most of our groceries out there.
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Post by subzero350 on Jul 6, 2018 11:20:56 GMT -5
For those of you who have gone on the DIY unguided hunts out west: How did you locate the places you ended up hunting at? The state's DNR website?
Had you hunted that particular species before, and if not, how did you learn how to hunt it?
It is no secret guided hunts are expensive. I would like to take my dad on an elk hunt out west before he leaves this earth, but I can't afford a $5k+ hunt package. $1k per person is much more affordable.
Also, my dad doesn't get around as well as he used to (he very occasionally needs a cane); do any of these DIY options have accommodations for someone who might need a little help getting into and out of the "bush"? (Using a UTV, for example)
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Post by ukwil on Jul 6, 2018 12:40:11 GMT -5
LCH really helped me out last year on my Wyoming trip. Wyoming's website has a hunt planner that's really helpful. I was out a couple grand last year, but mainly due to needing equipment I didn't have. 5 of us drew 3 antelope tags a piece this year. I figure we'll be out about 1500$ a piece for 9 days of hunting.
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Post by lawrencecountyhunter on Jul 6, 2018 21:48:54 GMT -5
For those of you who have gone on the DIY unguided hunts out west: How did you locate the places you ended up hunting at? The state's DNR website? Had you hunted that particular species before, and if not, how did you learn how to hunt it? It is no secret guided hunts are expensive. I would like to take my dad on an elk hunt out west before he leaves this earth, but I can't afford a $5k+ hunt package. $1k per person is much more affordable. Also, my dad doesn't get around as well as he used to (he very occasionally needs a cane); do any of these DIY options have accommodations for someone who might need a little help getting into and out of the "bush"? (Using a UTV, for example) Most states out west are broken up into many smaller management units. You have to spend a lot of time looking at state g&f websites, and/or draw odds sites like Toprut, to figure out what units can be easily drawn for that species and have adequate amounts of public land. What you're looking for are areas with high % public land that are easy to draw and have good success rates. This will get you narrowed down from the whole state down to a few specific areas. There's always going to be a first time hunting a new area or species, with a learning curve to go along with it. There's a decent chance of going home empty-handed also. It takes a lot of time planning, looking at maps, etc. You also have to be prepared to deal with weather, vehicle failures,etc. on your own. I don't know your dad's limitations, but many hunts, like a lot of pronghorn, deer, and bear hunts, can be done close to roads for folks with a harder time getting around.
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Post by subzero350 on Jul 6, 2018 21:59:44 GMT -5
I don't know your dad's limitations, but many hunts, like a lot of pronghorn, deer, and bear hunts, can be done close to roads for folks with a harder time getting around. Dad really wants to go on an elk hunt. Any of those near roads? He can probably walk 1/2 mile on flat ground without too much trouble, but he's not going to be able to do any climbing or traverse rough terrain.
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Post by esshup on Jul 6, 2018 23:54:55 GMT -5
When the cost of a hunt is figured, does anybody figure in the cost of equipment? Maybe I'm not the norm, but some of the equipment I acquired could not be used in Indiana for hunting deer.
I don't know if you could call my hunt unguided, probably so in the legal sense of the term. My cousin has been hunting in this area of Colorado that we are going for the past 20+ years, so not much scouting is needed on my part. I will be going out there in August to do some scouting and shoot the rifle to collect data - he said most shots will be downhill at 30° - 45° and we would be hunting around 11,000 ft. elevation. No place here I can collect data for that. Does that trip count towards the cost of the hunt? Does the 7 years of preference points I burned to get the license?
2 of us are going out there from here, we are meeting him and my other 2 cousins there. He has a huge wall tent, I am bringing my 2-up ATV, and we will get who brings what food straightened out before we leave.
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Post by span870 on Jul 7, 2018 5:46:18 GMT -5
I don't know your dad's limitations, but many hunts, like a lot of pronghorn, deer, and bear hunts, can be done close to roads for folks with a harder time getting around. Dad really wants to go on an elk hunt. Any of those near roads? He can probably walk 1/2 mile on flat ground without too much trouble, but he's not going to be able to do any climbing or traverse rough terrain. Wyoming puts a booklet out that has landowners that allow access to their properties. Some are only certain animals, some are doe only. Some require nominal fee. You might check that out and see if some have cow only elk and talk to the ranchers and find out ease of access. I've hunted in several Western States and several other states across the u.s. Wyoming f&g are hands down the most helpful fish and game department anywhere. I met some at a Cabela's on the drive out and talked to them about wanting a big antelope. They gave me an exact unit, told me two years to draw, pulled out a map, and circled an exact drainage and said, they'll be a 16" antelope in that drainage. Even showed access and a place to camp.
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Post by esshup on Jul 7, 2018 11:19:14 GMT -5
^^^^^^^ . I agree. Wyoming F&G pays the landowner (at least they did in the early 2000's) $25 for every hunter that is successful on a persons property that enrolls in the program. That's why there is a drop box at the gate for your information if you harvest an animal. I've had nothing but good experience when talking to F&G in both Colorado and Wyoming. Even on the phone, both states were 1,000x more helpful than the states in the midwest.
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Post by lawrencecountyhunter on Jul 7, 2018 11:49:53 GMT -5
I don't know your dad's limitations, but many hunts, like a lot of pronghorn, deer, and bear hunts, can be done close to roads for folks with a harder time getting around. Dad really wants to go on an elk hunt. Any of those near roads? He can probably walk 1/2 mile on flat ground without too much trouble, but he's not going to be able to do any climbing or traverse rough terrain. I think that would be extremely tough. Lots of elk get killed close to roads by lucky roadhunters (legal in most states as long as you get out of the truck/off the edge of the road before shooting), but most public land diy elk hunts are going to be average 10-20% success already, with odds going down from there when you've got limitations like that.
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Post by lawrencecountyhunter on Jul 7, 2018 11:58:31 GMT -5
When the cost of a hunt is figured, does anybody figure in the cost of equipment? Maybe I'm not the norm, but some of the equipment I acquired could not be used in Indiana for hunting deer. I don't know if you could call my hunt unguided, probably so in the legal sense of the term. My cousin has been hunting in this area of Colorado that we are going for the past 20+ years, so not much scouting is needed on my part. I will be going out there in August to do some scouting and shoot the rifle to collect data - he said most shots will be downhill at 30° - 45° and we would be hunting around 11,000 ft. elevation. No place here I can collect data for that. Does that trip count towards the cost of the hunt? Does the 7 years of preference points I burned to get the license? 2 of us are going out there from here, we are meeting him and my other 2 cousins there. He has a huge wall tent, I am bringing my 2-up ATV, and we will get who brings what food straightened out before we leave. For me, if it's something I need only for that one hunt (like maps, propane for the stove and heater, etc.) I count it. Otherwise, I don't. Things like tents, cots, sleep systems, boots, clothes, stoves, heaters, etc. can be used for years. The first few times I went I was by myself, and slept in the back of the SUV because I had no camp gear of any quality. Most of my equipment has been aquired over several years, and I still go fairly Spartan on most of my hunts. I don't necessarily think that there's anything wrong with splurging on hotel rooms, restaurants, etc., but for me the less I spend on each trip means more hunts I can do overall. I currently go out west 2x per year, and plan on spending 3 weeks per year out there once I get a bump in PTO in about another year.
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Post by steiny on Jul 30, 2018 10:06:41 GMT -5
Myself and a group did DIY mule deer and antelope hunts to NE Wyoming for many years and always had success. Tent camped on public land, did our own cooking, meat processing, etc. We could easily do that trip for under $1,000 per man including stopping at a motel on the way out and back.
"Dad really wants to go on an elk hunt. Any of those near roads? He can probably walk 1/2 mile on flat ground without too much trouble, but he's not going to be able to do any climbing or traverse rough terrain."
This is a tough order as most elk are taken in pretty rugged terrain, however if you are willing to spend $6,000 or so with an outfitter, there are a few places where they shoot elk coming to feed in ranch hay meadows.
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Post by subzero350 on Aug 3, 2018 11:48:29 GMT -5
When you say rugged terrain, are we talking about having to climb mountains? I've never been on an elk hunt so I have no idea what the trek would be like from where one would park their vehicle to a location where they could take a shot at an elk. If it's just a 1 hr hike thru some rocky fields and perhaps up and down some fairly steep hills, it might be doable. I just need an idea of what we would be facing - if we were going to go the DIY route elk hunt.
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Post by lawrencecountyhunter on Aug 3, 2018 12:31:13 GMT -5
Probably more like 10-15 miles and 2-3k feet per day. People do get lucky and shoot them by roads, but that's the exception not the norm.
Deer and especially pronghorn can be done with very little walking.
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Post by esshup on Aug 4, 2018 12:56:52 GMT -5
Ditto what was said above. When we were in Western Wyoming hunting mule deer, we'd leave camp, take the ATV about 8 miles away and drive up about 500 vertical feet. Park it and hike about 2 miles, and climb another 1,000 feet vertically before sunrise to be in position to glass for Mule Deer. We'd see Elk already above us when the sun came up heading further up to the dark timber.
If he's interested in a cow only hunt, there are some guided hunts that can be had for under $3,000.00, but I think the guided bull hunts start around $6K and go up from there.
There IS a public land hunt in Wyoming where the elk are on flatter ground, but you'd better be prepared to shot more than 400 yds AND it'd be a hard DIY hunt due to the private lands in the area. It is a draw only hunt, and IIRC it takes at least 2 points to be in the running for a license.
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Post by jman46151 on Aug 4, 2018 14:53:25 GMT -5
When you say rugged terrain, are we talking about having to climb mountains? I've never been on an elk hunt so I have no idea what the trek would be like from where one would park their vehicle to a location where they could take a shot at an elk. If it's just a 1 hr hike thru some rocky fields and perhaps up and down some fairly steep hills, it might be doable. I just need an idea of what we would be facing - if we were going to go the DIY route elk hunt. Don't forget about hauling the elk out after the kill.
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Post by subzero350 on Sept 25, 2018 12:10:55 GMT -5
We just returned from our hog hunt and I would like to post a review. To recap, we reserved a hunt here: wildernesshuntinglodge.com/They offer hunts for the following species: Russian Wild Boar Razorback Boar Fallow Deer Axis Deer Black Buck Antelope Sika Deer Texas Dall Ram Merino Ram Black Hawaiian Ram Corsican Ram Mouflon Ram Spanish and Catalina Goats Aoudad Bull Elk Red “Stag” Deer Buffalo “Bison” Water Buffalo Your reserved hunt includes 3 hot meals provided each day. We reserved boar hunts which included 3 nights, 3 days lodging. We arrived late last Thursday and the guides were already asleep so there was no staff on duty. However, the door to the main lodge was unlocked and a note was posted on the door with our names on it explaining what rooms we were assigned to. There were 3 guests already there (they were finishing up their hunts and leaving the next day). They had bunk rooms and couples suites. The wife and myself reserved a couples suite. It had a queen bed, bathroom with shower, and a sink outside of the shower. I would say it was a bit smaller than your typical hotel room, but still offered plenty of room for the two of us. There is a TV with DISH service available in the main lobby (along with several couches and tables), free WiFi high speed internet service, and a landline phone you can use. Note that cell phone service in and around the lodge was non-existent for AT&T customers. I was told by others with Verizon cells their service was very spotty. Breakfast was served at 7am CDT (local) and our guide let us use the on-site shooting range which has targets at 60 and 90 yards so we could verify all our weapons were still zeroed after the long trip. Then our guide took us out for our morning hunt. Lunch was served at 12 noon but left in warmers if we happened to return late. After lunch, our guide took us back out into the field for our afternoon hunt. Dinner gets served around 5pm, but as with lunch, the food was left out in warmers so if you were a little late getting back it was no big deal. Leftovers were available in the fridge if you missed a meal. The terrain offered to us for our boar hunt was their ~1100 acre parcel that was pretty steep: I would estimate an average of a 50% grade on a 500 foot rise from the road. In the woods it was pretty rocky terrain with a few sheer cliffs. However, there are several ATV trails cut into these hills so the guide can drive you up to virtually any point you want and drop you off (which is great for those with disabilities). There are several stands and blinds on site you can hunt out of, or you can stalk like we chose to do. This time of year is just before their busy season, so it wasn't too busy in the lodge with other hunters and the animals were stocked up. The wife any myself got our boars on the second day, and the guide loaded them into the side-by-side ATV and took them down to the lodge for processing. We elected to pay the lodge for full processing because the price was very reasonable. Our meat was professionally vacuum packed and frozen on-site in their walk-in cooler by the time we left Sunday afternoon. The couple we reserved the hunt with didn't get their game until Sunday morning, so their meat didn't have enough time to freeze before we had to leave. However, it was chilled, and we iced it down for the trip home and it arrived safely. On Sunday, quite a few more hunters arrived for their hunts before we left - most were from Indiana. Some of those that we talked to said they had hunted this lodge before and it has been a lot busier most of the time. I must say I'm glad we reserved our hunts when we did because I don't care much for crowds. Our guide was knowledgeable, professional, and very accommodating to our requests. We saw a LOT of animals and I have quite a few pictures I will try to get posted a little later. Overall, I would rate this experience as a 4.25 out of 5 as there were a few areas that could be improved upon by the lodge. They were in the process of finishing up a new dining lodge while we were there that is supposed to be open in 3 months. Based on our experience, I do plan on returning with some more friends and family. I would also like to add that the staff was very accommodating to my wife's food allergy which was a huge bonus.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2018 12:37:32 GMT -5
Wow-can't wait for pictures. Sounds like you and your wife had a great time. Great congrats to both of you and some good eating coming soon.
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Post by subzero350 on Sept 25, 2018 13:16:53 GMT -5
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Post by subzero350 on Sept 25, 2018 13:26:16 GMT -5
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