Guided deer hunt advice

[jreedtn]

I've been an avid hunter since a young kid barely old enough to carry a gun. Now that I'm going on 36 , this tennessee boy has never been out west further than western missouri to hunt. I have been craving going out west for a mule deer hunt, or something like that but know absolutely nothing about guided hunts or what to avoid or look for. I'm not wanting to spend a small fortune on a world class animal, just a good experience with nice scenery and a chance to see some decent deer. Does anyone have any suggestions on guided hunts or outfitters for the 2017 season?
Thanks,
John Reed

 

[savagedasher]

When you find one have him give you reference of customer s you can call .
Happy New Year Larry

 

[Toby Bradshaw]

DIY public-land mule deer hunting is pretty straightforward in Wyoming. Much of the western half of the state is BLM, and quite a bit of private agricultural land has easy access. This is the low-cost option. I generally don't put in for a buck tag, but you will see dozens like the one below every day, and some that are real trophies.



But if you decide to go on a guided hunt, consider an elk hunt instead of a mule deer hunt. And if the total cost of the hunt is more than $5000, think about going to Namibia or South Africa for plainsgame. The dollar is so strong against the rand that Africa has never been more affordable.

 

[L.Sherm]

Guided or non-Guided get in the best shape you can.

 

[savagedasher]

DIY public-land mule deer hunting is pretty straightforward in Wyoming. Much of the western half of the state is BLM, and quite a bit of private agricultural land has easy access. This is the low-cost option. I generally don't put in for a buck tag, but you will dozens like the one below every day, and some that are real trophies.

View attachment 997290

But if you decide to go on a guided hunt, consider an elk hunt instead of a mule deer hunt. And if the total cost of the hunt is more than $5000, think about going to Namibia or South Africa for plainsgame. The dollar is so strong against the rand that Africa has never been more affordable.

View attachment 997291

The price to hunt in Africa is great .
But to have it mounted is not so good .
Happy New Year. Larry

 

[MTmagazine]

John,
I have been out west hunting quite a bit. Public land hunts are a good way to start, but try not to set your goals "too high" for size of animal. For around 3000 you can go on some very nice Muley hunts and if it is a good guide, they teach you a few things that take the public land learning curve and cuts it in half! Sometimes, thats the way to go if it is affordable for you.
Either way, soak it all in!! I enjoy getting out there every year to see the mountains and the game. It truly is a wonderful experience.
Chris

 

[Sniper338]

The price to hunt in Africa is great .
But to have it mounted is not so good .
Happy New Year. Larry

The plane ticket and taxidermy are the shaft in the azz

 

[jreedtn]

John,
I have been out west hunting quite a bit. Public land hunts are a good way to start, but try not to set your goals "too high" for size of animal. For around 3000 you can go on some very nice Muley hunts and if it is a good guide, they teach you a few things that take the public land learning curve and cuts it in half! Sometimes, thats the way to go if it is affordable for you.
Either way, soak it all in!! I enjoy getting out there every year to see the mountains and the game. It truly is a wonderful experience.
Chris

That is exactly about what I'm looking to spend. I was thinking no more than 5000 total expense, but I didn't know if that was even possible. Like I said, I'm completely new to this. I've always hunted private land here in the east, and would really rather have some guidance if I went that far out on a hunt...

 

[Toby Bradshaw]

The plane ticket and taxidermy are the shaft in the azz

Euro mounts -- no charge.

And then there are the upsides of the long flight to Africa:


I hunt in Wyoming every year, and love it. I just wouldn't spend my own money on a guide in the US -- I'd rather pay the PH in Africa. But to each his own.

 

[msinc]

Here is a few tips that have served me well over the years...some were learned at a heavy price:

1. Advertise on various forums for references...do you really think the guide is going to refer you to someone that is going to say anything other than good about him???

2. Once you get good references call the guide and have a conversation with him. You should be able to tell pretty quick whether or not he is on the level. E.g., if everything the guy says is fantastic or sounds too good to be true then it probably is.

3. Realize that the biggest thing you are up against as a first time hunter is guide to previous customer loyalty. Who do you think is going to be taken to the best location with the biggest deer??? The hunter that has been showing up at this guides place for 6 years straight or the new guy????

4. The second biggest thing you are up against is the quality of the actual guide that guides you...it will probably not be the guy that does the talking over the phone or sounds so friendly when he convinces you to book with his outfit. He only has so many guides and just like the best places, they will be placed with the multiple repeat hunters...typically, the new hunters get the new or "less than stellar" guides.

5. Nail down any and all costs involved over the phone BEFORE you send any money...if the guide is unwilling to give straight, cut to the chase answers or if you feel like you are unable to nail him down then walk away.

6. When selecting a place to hunt a certain animal go with the best location for the best chance by published populations if "best chance of actually killing the animal" is number one with you, even if it cost more. You will be glad you spent the extra money....example, if you want to kill a nice black bear there are a lot of big ones in Pennsylvania. But, they don't allow bait or dogs and they have a lot of pressure on public land. Maine is very over hunted and the bear are not really big on average. It is a documented fact that Ketchikan, Alaska has the densest population per square mile of black bear and some of the largest skulls to get you in the record books or at least see/kill one. I was there once and accidentally saw more black bears not hunting than any other guided trip in my life.

7. You know what weapon you are comfortable with, the one you shoot the best and the caliber you need to take the game. If the guide requests that you bring something else.....look elsewhere.

Good hunting!!!!

 

[WyleWD]

Guided or non-Guided get in the best shape you can.

If you are putting together a list, put this one above at the top of it and follow through with it. If you're in poor physical condition it can be life threatening.

Just my experience, but try at all costs to stay away from a guided hunt and go private land here in the U.S.. The one and only guided hunt that I went on that was all and more than advertised was about 15 years ago to a Caribou hunt in Northern Quebec. We had a VERY successful hunt there. JME. WD

 

[WindSurgeon]

I hunt in SD and WY and have never needed a guide. Actually, you will have a better experience without one IMHO. Feels good to explore and learn an area and kill an animal on your own. Best to have a friend along for packing out your deer, good company and to share a great experience. I did a guided hunt years ago and would never do one again. Took much of the adventure out of it and in the end, they didn't help me fill my tag and I did not get the sense the professional hunter I was with had all that much more knowledge than I already had. Ended up shooting a deer on my own without his help after my guided time ran out. That said, if you want to hunt somewhere specific and cant get a tag, often times a guide is the only way to obtain one on some states. I don't hunt those states. Also, if you want private land, expect to pay a trespass fee. That fee varies based on the game, but it has become the norm these days. It is much cheaper than a guided hunt and animals are less pressured. The ranchers/farmers usually are happy to provide guidance on where to find the animals you are hunting. Most will even help you recover your deer and have some place for you to hang and butcher it.

 

[hogpatrol]

The price to hunt in Africa is great .
But to have it mounted is not so good .
Happy New Year. Larry

I've had 22 animals done by South African taxidermists. The shipping can add up but the taxidermy costs are less than half of what you'd pay for a comparable animal in the U.S. I've found the total for the work and shipping amount to the same or less than getting the work done here. As far as the hunting, you can hunt ten plains game animals for the price of one mule deer. As Toby said, Africa right now is a screaming bargain.

 

[jreedtn]

I hunt in SD and WY and have never needed a guide. Actually, you will have a better experience without one IMHO. Feels good to explore and learn an area and kill an animal on your own. Best to have a friend along for packing out your deer, good company and to share a great experience. I did a guided hunt years ago and would never do one again. Took much of the adventure out of it and in the end, they didn't help me fill my tag and I did not get the sense the professional hunter I was with had all that much more knowledge than I already had. Ended up shooting a deer on my own without his help after my guided time ran out. That said, if you want to hunt somewhere specific and cant get a tag, often times a guide is the only way to obtain one on some states. I don't hunt those states. Also, if you want private land, expect to pay a trespass fee. That fee varies based on the game, but it has become the norm these days. It is much cheaper than a guided hunt and animals are less pressured. The ranchers/farmers usually are happy to provide guidance on where to find the animals you are hunting. Most will even help you recover your deer and have some place for you to hang and butcher it.

What is the best way to find land owners/ ranchers that offer hunting on their land. Heck where I'm from your about half scared to even ask to hunt on people's land due to all the trespassers. I've hunted all my life, so it's not that I need that much advise on hunting in general, I've just never hunted out west or have anyone or sources for going out there.

 

[Toby Bradshaw]

What is the best way to find land owners/ ranchers that offer hunting on their land. Heck where I'm from your about half scared to even ask to hunt on people's land due to all the trespassers. I've hunted all my life, so it's not that I need that much advise on hunting in general, I've just never hunted out west or have anyone or sources for going out there.

For Wyoming: https://wgfd.wyo.gov/public-access

Also of interest, since as an American you already have an ownership share in huge tracts of land in the West: http://www.backcountrychronicles.com/public-hunting-land/

 

[WindSurgeon]

What is the best way to find land owners/ ranchers that offer hunting on their land. Heck where I'm from your about half scared to even ask to hunt on people's land due to all the trespassers. I've hunted all my life, so it's not that I need that much advise on hunting in general, I've just never hunted out west or have anyone or sources for going out there.

The first decision, if you want to do a DIY hunt, is to determine where you want to hunt and apply for the tag in an that area. While you are waiting to see if you drew a tag, you can research and contact landowners in the area. Start with the State's website, contact the conservation officer for the area, and also contact the chamber of commerce. All of these resources may have/know landowner's interested in hosting hunters. Start calling and introducing yourself by phone. It may take several calls to make contact. Let them know who you received their name from so they just don't hang up. Another overlooked source is the county or state GIS mapping site where you can get names and addresses for parcels. Now is the time to do all this calling as landowners fill up quickly. Another tip is to not require you be out on their land on the opening day. That is what everyone wants, but it is not required for a successful hunt out there. I prefer hunting the second week as most people go home after the opening day weekend and never return. The first 3 or 4 days of the season is a mess with road hunters and people traipsing all over the landscape. If you don't shoot one on the first morning, all the animals are in hiding after that. Once the crowds leave, the animals go back to their normal routines.

Lastly, public land is all over the place and you can definitely have a great hunt out west on public land. Information on BLM land, walk in areas, state owned sections, ect is on state's websites and inexpensive maps are available through the BLM/National forest service and state wildlife management. Most of my hunting is on public land and I have never been skunked or disappointed with the numbers of animals or the quality seen.

 

[WyleWD]

WindSurgeon has an excellent post and advice there. JMHO.

I might add that a partner of mine was on a family vacation in Wyoming a few years back. He stopped by several grain and feed stores and (with their permission) posted his hunting resume and references on their bulletin board asking for permission to hunt prairie dogs, coyotes, and Mule Deer. If I remember correctly he got around 7 or 8 phone calls from ranchers to discuss the possibilities. Not all of them worked out, but he still has two ranchers that he talks with on the phone every few months and he continues to Pdog hunt on their property to this day.

I went along Pdoggin with him a couple years and it was very commonplace to see up to 50 mule deer on the 25+ mile drive from the hotel to the ranch. WD

 

[wapiti25]

I recommend you subscribe to "Huntin Fool magazine" I gives info on most western states, including better hunt units for big horns, you get all the info how to apply for tags, success rates, they also can recommend outfitters. It cost's $100 per yr. I have been a member for about 8 yr, it is worth the price to me. You can get the data from most of the states on your own but many hours are invested. Some of the states start this month to apply. The magazine covers the states about a month before the deadline, About 2 or 3 per month. Each state is different in what you have to do to get a tag, very few have tags that are over the counter for nonresidents. Contact me if you need more info. you can call "Huntin Fool" at 435-865-1020 they are in Utah. I hunted New Mexico for antelope and Colorado for mule deer this yr.

 

[TheOtherZilla]

The first decision, if you want to do a DIY hunt, is to determine where you want to hunt and apply for the tag in an that area. While you are waiting to see if you drew a tag, you can research and contact landowners in the area. Start with the State's website, contact the conservation officer for the area, and also contact the chamber of commerce. All of these resources may have/know landowner's interested in hosting hunters. Start calling and introducing yourself by phone. It may take several calls to make contact. Let them know who you received their name from so they just don't hang up. Another overlooked source is the county or state GIS mapping site where you can get names and addresses for parcels. Now is the time to do all this calling as landowners fill up quickly. Another tip is to not require you be out on their land on the opening day. That is what everyone wants, but it is not required for a successful hunt out there. I prefer hunting the second week as most people go home after the opening day weekend and never return. The first 3 or 4 days of the season is a mess with road hunters and people traipsing all over the landscape. If you don't shoot one on the first morning, all the animals are in hiding after that. Once the crowds leave, the animals go back to their normal routines.

Lastly, public land is all over the place and you can definitely have a great hunt out west on public land. Information on BLM land, walk in areas, state owned sections, ect is on state's websites and inexpensive maps are available through the BLM/National forest service and state wildlife management. Most of my hunting is on public land and I have never been skunked or disappointed with the numbers of animals or the quality seen.

And in Wyoming the resident license deer for a draw area has to be in by May 31st. If you are considering Wyoming then Go to the Wyo Game and Fish website and start reading..

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/

 

[savagedasher]

I would ask my self Do I want to Spend
$ 2500 to learn ? Or $ 4000 to be taught .
Larry