does anyone know of any affordable moose or mule deer hunts? i checked with some outfitters online and theyare a fortune.
Do it yourself for mule deer. 4 easy steps
1: draw tag
2: drive out west
3: look through expensive glass until your eyes pop out
4: drive home with or without antleres but always dreaming about the next hunt
Or you can go buy an elk tag and have every imaginable shot at trophy mule deer but not be able to shoot anything lol
id love to do elk as well just dont know how to get into it without an outfitter
DIY hunts are a piece of cake. Nevada, Utah, Montana, and Wyoming offer great options. Shoot me a pm with your number and I'll get you started.
In 2 posts Michael Arnette literally wrote the book on diy western hunting
Guided mule deer=expensive.
DIY mule deer=not too bad on the wallet
Moose= :biglaugh:
How much money is affordable for your budget? The biggest part of DIY hunts is the research you do. Figuring out draw odds, game populations, whose numbers can fluctuated with disease and winter kills, within the units you want to hunt as well as public hunting land availability within those units are just a few things to consider. If you really research the game & fish websites, you can discover how you can purchase OTC archery tags (which many states have available) and their maps show the units where large tracts of public lands or private lands are open to hunters.
This year me and a friend drove to WY for a week long hunt. Not including tag costs and items purchased prior to the hunt, we only spend $500 (each) for gas, lodging and food. About as cheap a hunt as I could imagine.
if i can spend around 1000 total id be happy, looking for something for me and my dad to do
DIY mule deer. I took my BMW out a target area in Colorado. While we were taking an off the bike looking through the big binos, eating lunch break, a mule deer showed himself about 80 yards away. It slowly walked up to us. When it got close I handed it half a glazed doughnut and he ate it. He looked at my wife and she gave him part of a pecan roll. He sniffed around and then went on his way. I have never figured this out , we were miles from no where and no where near a park. Mule deer were a lot harder to find that fall and not even bakery goods would get them to come in close enough for a shot or a meet and greet. I always wanted to do a central Canada moose hunt moose hunt, but after a couple of very scary close calls on canoe trips, I no longer wanted to shoot a moose.
QuoteOriginally posted by nhbuck1:
if i can spend around 1000 total id be happy, looking for something for me and my dad to do
If you have the gear, like backpacks, binoculars, game bags, gps and all the necessities of a DIY hunt, you could definitely do a hunt for a grand.
Here is some reading for you. This was a really fun hunt and one I will be doing again in the not to distant future...
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=129117;p=1
He's my suggestion on the subject, at least for easterners heading out west. Do whatever you have to do to slot TWO weeks for a trip like that. THREE would be better if you can work that out. Most working type people usually can't.
You can chew the heck out of ONE week just driving out, and back, setting up a good camp, and getting a decent understanding of the lay of the land you're going to hunt.
You'll already have bought your tag, the cost of gas will already be covered, and another weeks food will be your only extra cost.
One week just is not long enough, in my opinion, but if that's all you have, that's all you have. But you're gonna want that extra week when you see how fast it goes.
A mule deer and an elk are deffinitely 2 of my bucket list animals, as well as a black bear and sone hogs. Outfitters are just too pricey for me and have no clue where to look for a good diy hunt(id even be happy with diy hog). But i live in indiana so its just deer, turkey and small game for me.
now where do u go to find over the counter tags?
In Colorado all deer are draw. Have to put in for your tag by April. You can buy elk tags over the counter for a lot of the state. Any wall mart, sporting goods store, some gas stations etc...
western Kansas has plenty of mule deer, and lots of public ground. I would bet it would be as cheap or cheaper then some of the other states mentioned. if your on a tight budget DIY is thee only way to go. other states would be Nebraska, and the Dakotas
MOST of the units in Colorado are OTC. AND many are 1 point units where you can apply and get same year. All of Colorado is draw only for mulies like others have already stated. But you can draw Most units same year especially those that are OTC elk
on a $1000 the tags will eat up the majority of your budget. If you hunt both. Deer only it will be about $400. I think that's For most western states. Non res.
If your not including that in the cost $1000 will take you a long way. Especially splitting the tab. Again like others have said. Take a good amount of time to do it. Especially if you are UN able to scout. I live in CO and I scout most weekends from April-August just looking for low traffic areas.
Good luck. And if I can help you in any way pm me.
QuoteOriginally posted by nhbuck1:
now where do u go to find over the counter tags?
South Dakota
QuoteOriginally posted by karrow:
western Kansas has plenty of mule deer, and lots of public ground. I would bet it would be as cheap or cheaper then some of the other states mentioned. if your on a tight budget DIY is thee only way to go. other states would be Nebraska, and the Dakotas
Non residents are not allowed over the counter mule deer permits in Kansas. And they are very hard to draw
QuoteOriginally posted by nhbuck1:
now where do u go to find over the counter tags?
Idaho has lots of non-res. over the counter tags.
like where can i find them online, thanks for all the help and time guys
Go to the dept of wildlife website for the states you are looking at and check out the tags.
Mike
Agree on doing it yourself. Agree on 2 weeks - 3 weeks is better - and on that point we have settled on doing a scout trip (instead of that 3rd week) even when hunting out west - yes a week just for scouting.
Essential: Bowhunting Open Country Mule Deer by Dwight Schuh - read it - study it - apply the skills.
And if hunting Elk get Dwights book Bugling for Elk
We consider both books required reading for anyone wanting to expand their hunting to the west from the east.
Also it is important that a bowhunter be a basically capable woodsman - meaning if you can plan a hunt - then set up and run your own camp - and bag game - then return home ready to put up meat - near home or a neighboring state - then you are ready to add 1800 miles to your drive.
We hunted Mule Deer in the 80s many successful trips and then many elk hunts in the 90s all successful. It got to the point tag availability is the hard part.
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ND is on a draw with very limited license for non resident muledeer license and in most places bucks only. An outfitter wont do you any better than a diy hunt once you get to know the area you are going to hunt and you find a place with a good population. I prefer more open country, less trees.I shot a 4x4 muley in Oct. and there wasn't a tree within 4 miles, I spent my time glassing dry washes and stalking over the banks on them . They like to lay out of the wind and in the shade . Tim
You can rule out CA. There are some nice mulies around here but most all of them are on private ranches or national parks. Add in the cost of about $500 just for your license and tag and you're better off elsewhere.
Definitely agree on the time frame others have mentioned. I've been able to spend 3 or 4 days at a time and I usually feel like I'm just starting to get to know a place just before I have to leave. And these are usually areas I've hiked or backpacked in the past. Learning about it from a hunting perspective is different and much more intensive. I have a neighbor (former trad archer before health issue) who spends almost the entire season (1 month) in the mountains. He got 1 shot this year & botched the recovery. Give yourself at least 2 weeks if you're doing a DIY.
X2 on Michaels post.
Twice while elk hunting I saw really nice mule deer bucks in close proximity. The biggest one (and he was really something) came by me while I was posting near a wallow, he came by at about 10 yards.
I did practice my stalking on two bucks one year. I was able to get within easy shooting range.
QuoteOriginally posted by Irish Archer:
He's my suggestion on the subject, at least for easterners heading out west. Do whatever you have to do to slot TWO weeks for a trip like that. THREE would be better if you can work that out. Most working type people usually can't.
You can chew the heck out of ONE week just driving out, and back, setting up a good camp, and getting a decent understanding of the lay of the land you're going to hunt.
You'll already have bought your tag, the cost of gas will already be covered, and another weeks food will be your only extra cost.
One week just is not long enough, in my opinion, but if that's all you have, that's all you have. But you're gonna want that extra week when you see how fast it goes.
Read this one and read this one and read this one. There is a lot to learn gong DYI. This is the first lesson IMO.
With a budget of about $1000, you can forget a moose hunt. Tags alone in the Rockies, which are hard to draw, are going for close to $2000. Your Best bet for that hunt is in your very own state, or nearby VT and ME.