epic 4 week trip to usa 2013

[cheech1]

hi
i'm in the proccess of organising a trip to the states next year in september october.
i wiil be there for 4 weeks and i'm planing on flying to la hiring motor home driving to new york or ny to la what ever works out better i will have a friend with me who's sister lives in maine .
so first off what do i need to know about hunting in maine?
what hunting restrictions permits etc what is there to hunt - fish for?
i want to be in the rockies for the elk season maybey colorado - idaho.
what other places would you recommend to go hunting fishing between la and new york
also tourist spots.
grand canyon , yellow stone , vagas are on the list .
also bowyers along the way.
thanks

[Whip]

First off, I would suggest starting with research into just how far apart some of the places on your list are.  I assume by LA you are refering to Los Angeles.  

I just checked Mapquest and LA to Bangor Maine would take more than 4 days of driving one way if you never stop to sleep or eat.  Throw in stops in Vegas, Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone and you won't have much time to hunt by the time you reach Maine.  This is a big country!  

The motor home idea is a great way to travel if you have a lot of time and want to stay on mostly well traveled routes.  But generally they aren't much for hunting rigs, and especially in the mountains won't be the best way to get into good elk country.  You'd probably need to tow behind a smaller vehicle like a jeep in order to get off the beaten path very much.  (Unless you are hunting with an outfitter that has transportation for you)

Four weeks seems like a lot of time, but I think you will enjoy your trip much more if you can focus on just a couple of main destinations with maybe a short side trip or two along the way.
As we say in the States, "don't try to bite off more than you can chew"      

Whatever you decide, it will be an epic adventure, and you will have the time of your life!

[MikeS]

Whip has made some good points.  I took an 8600 mile motorcycle trip this summer, starting in the Adirondacks of NY (where I live) going to Georgia then west to Arizona.  I spent a week there then on to California for a few days.  Then to Glacier National Park, back down to Yellowstone and then Bear Tooth Pass then on to home again.  I was gone one month and would have had little time to hunt if that would have been my intention.  I would suggest you pick out one place to hunt and focus on that.  Trying to squeeze in too many "hunts" will be all but impossible I would think.  Enjoy you "adventure" sir!
Mike

[Tyler C. Moore]

Maine is wonderfull. Depending on what part of the state you are in, hunting and fishing are both possible. Deer,, turkey, and small game are all options in the southern part of the state,  with numbers declining the further north you go. There is tremendous fishing for most freshwater species (bass, perch, crappie, pickerel) as well as (Brook trout, rainbow, brown, and landlocked salmon). and fishing during those months is beautiful.

I have a wonderfull place on a great Bass lake in southern Maine with plentiful turkey and ok deer numbers. Feel free to PM me as you make plans.

[Bud B.]

Maybe some tradgang hospitality along the way?

Deer season here in NC starts in early Sept. In SC it starts earlier. And SC has more hogs. Georgia has even more.

I-40 runs across some nice panoramic countryside. It goes from NC to CA. It's a four day hard drive with sleep each night. The Grand Canyon and Vegas are not too far off I-40.

I-20 runs a bit farther south than I-40 but it also runs east/west. In Texas there are hogs and deer. Elk are in Arizona and I-40 runs right thru it.

Maybe some of us US tradgangers can help along the way if you plan your route and publish it.

I can't guarantee a deer, but you're welcome to hunt in some of my spots here in NC.

Four weeks is a long time, but you'll only see a trace of what the US has to offer, so make the best of it no matter what  

[Bill Carlsen]

Here's a link to hunting moose in Maine. If you follow the menus you can get to the page about general hunting. Maine is a big state and deer hunting is going on in Oct. as well as moose...but the moose hunting is by lottery so chances of doing that are slim. Up north deer the deer herd is very sparse....better in the southern areas. It is very big country, as well. There are a few from Maine on this site and I am sure they will chime in. Enjoy your visit. There is much to see and enjoy...bet you can't fit it all in.

[joekeith]

Hey Cheech, you gonna meet up with Chong while you're here?  

[threeunder]

I can offer little information on the west or Maine.
However, if you'd like to head to an area where obtaining tags is not a problem and there are millions of acres of public land, then I'd look at the southeast.
Hogs in Georgia, whitetails and turkeys in Virginia or Kentucky, etc., etc.
If you decide to steer that way, PM me.  I can help a little with Georgia, a little more with Kentucky, and quite a bit with Virginia.
One thing I've not seen mentioned yet is that most states (if not all) require a hunter's safety program card to obtain a license.
Some are real sticklers over this and you will not get a license if you don't have one.
If I can help, feel free to contact me.
Also, like Bud, if you stop through my part of Virginia, you are welcome to deer hunt on my family's place.  Bow season in Virginia always opens the 1st Saturday in October (Sunday hunting is not allowed in Virginia).

Oh, and by the way, I envy the trip you are planning.  Would love to see our country from west coast to east coast from the road.

[cheech1]

thanks for the feed back.
whip i live in australia i know about big drives it takes 4 soild day's to drive east west 5 solid day's north south and i have done both .
with the elk hunting side of things to be honest if i really wanted to get one i would spend 4 weeks in the one area . i'm more then happy just stump shooting and taking in the sights and sounds of the rockies. i have always wanted to be in the rockies just to hear them bugling etc and if the planets come together i might get one.

at the moment i'm planning roughly 1 week in the rockies 1 week in maine then 2 weeks just looking around doing some tourist stuff calling into bowyers meeting people etc.

the motor home thing is still not set in stone its just the cost factor . if i hire a 4x4 then i need to buy camping gear pay for motels etc.
i have also been toying with the idea of buying a older chevy blazer . ford bronco or something like that and selling it at the end or maybey ship it home with me.
any thoughts on that.
zippercurve thanks for the offer and i might take you up on it.
the other half's brother lives in portland maine i'm not sure if that is near you.
bud b looks like you had your own epic adventure the i40 or i70 look pretty good thanks for the offer and i will keep you posted.
bill carlsen i would love to see a moose but i would not be able to use all the meat there and can not bring it home so it would just be a waste and i'm sure i won't fit it all in.
joekieth chong is dead i shot him for making bad jokes  
threeunder as much as i would love to go to georgia virginia and the rest of the south but i think i will run short on time .
but you never know and there is always the next trip and thanks for the offer.
if any of you are on my side of the world don't be shy.

[cheech1]

oh i forgot to ask if i get a hunter saftey card for colorado is that good for all the american states or do you need to get one for each state

[Chromebuck]

joekieth chong is dead i shot him for making bad jokes      
 
     

Good luck on your trip and I think the same would apply harvesting an elk as it would a moose.  Do some stumping and kill only what you will use.  Whitetails would be an excellent option and a easier tag for most states.  Yes, a hunter safety card from one state is good for other states.  Do your research as some states require a bow certification card as well.

~CB

[threeunder]

Most all states honor hunter safety cards from any of the stars in the country.

[Mudd]

If you happen to drive through Missouri it'll most likely be along I-70.

I am in the middle of the state and would be more than happy to meet you and take you stumping for sure and anything else that might be legal(open) at the time.

BTW ~ Bowfishing is always open.

God bless,Mudd

[cheech1]

chromebuck same applies with elk as moose as much as i would like to take a elk head home with me it would just be a waste of good meat if i can't use it.
thanks for the offer mudd i will keep it in mind.
it would be good to meet a few people from the site. i read a lot of your posts but it would be good to put faces to them .
thanks for all of the offers to hunt in your spots hopefully one day some of you will come my way and the kindness can be repaid.

[MikeS]

As long as you are going to be in Maine, you might as well take a trip through the Adirondacks of NY on your way west. Lots of nice country here, similar to much of Maine.  Keep us informed on your plans as I am sure many guys here would be willing to help you out along the way!
Mike

[Hawkeye]

Cheech,

I do not know if the influx/outbreak of wolves has changed this, but 4 years ago I heard lots elk bugling in Teton National Park.  Teton is a beautiful, ruggedly mountained park that lies just an hour South of Yellowstone. The bugling surprised me, because it was only late July.  We were driving down a less-traveled road nearer the base of the mountains, enjoying some beautiful, churning streams and seeing some wildlife (moose, deer, and a bear) when I heard the elk "singing."  It is a great memory.

If you are renting a motorhome, please remember (and be thinking about) the fact that we drive on the right-hand side of the roads!  I was surprised on a business trip to Australia some years ago that my side-of-the-road mental programming was more ingrained than I would have imagined.  Even in crossing the side streets in Sidney, I looked the wrong way for traffic before stepping off the curb!

Hope you have a great trip.  Your month will FLY by, I suspect.

[MikeS]

I agree with Hawkeye, the Grand Tetons are stunning!  Glacier National Park is my  favoite though!
Mike