Looking for some USA hunting Advice.

[tradtusker]

Hey Guys,
As most know hunting just about consumes my life.
I put so much effort in and I want to make the most of it.
I had a great few months in the US this year, hunting Elk and Whitetail.

Id like to start making some Preparation's for future hunting here in the USA. I know the points game is a complicated one...and expensive as a Non ress for just about every state. But I feel there is Great if not some of the best wild hunting to be had on the Great tracts of US public lands, at least out west, that I know of.

A few years ago I started putting in for CO, Elk and Mule Deer Pref Points. I have 3 of each now.
Then this year Two good buddys recommended I start putting in Elk and Pronghorn for WY. Which I did this year, and will continue until I can hunt there.

So my questions are, to those with first hand experience.
And I know some folks don't like to post some info in the public hunting eye, and for good reason. But please feel free to Pm me if you wish not to post it here.

1- What would you do with 3 Elk and 3 Mule deer points in CO. Do I keep building points with the hope to hunt a great unit? or do I go ahead and start hunting lesser units more often, and use my points, say every 3 years?

2-What am I missing out on? What animals are available to the hard working hard hunting individual, something that I can hunt myself on public land. Elk, Mulies? What about Sitka deer or couse deer...anywhere I can hunt those with reasonably good success.

3- Pronghorn, anywhere I can go and hunt them on Public ground. What area's in what states. Some have told me to just contact farmer with big tracks of land in Pronghorn country but its not so easy from overseas.

4- what else am I missing? what other great adventurous hunting is there to be had OTC or worth Drawing for?

Would appreciate any insights or advise

Thanks Andy

[Shedrock]

I got you hooked up for pronghorn when you draw Wyo Andy.

Coues deer and mulies are over the counter in AZ. I hunted them in southern AZ, lots of public land.

If you are interested in hunting cow moose, I live in a great area that takes only 2-3 points for a non-res.

[tradtusker]

I look fondly forward to the day I can hunt Pronghorn with you Tracy, I really do.
Cow moose hey? Let me look into that.

What is the Public land Mulie hunting in AZ like?

[Whip]

You're off to a good start in the point game Andy.  But at your age I would sure do even more.  Playing the point game is a long term proposition. Get into enough games and you can reasonably hope to have at least one great tag each year eventually.  But it does take some time. (And more than a little money in some cases)

Each state is different, and it does take some research time and effort to stay on top of it all and figure it all out.  You can do that on your own and by asking questions here, or you can subscribe to one of the services like Eastman's or Huntin' Fool that help a lot in trying to figure it all out.  The only problem with those services is that when they recommend a unit or hunt, the odds of drawing that unit tend to skyrocket.  You might be better served to focus on some of the less well known units that don't receive all the press.

Colorado has some top tier units for elk that are pretty much out of reach for anyone just starting to accumulate points.  For CO, I think your best bet is to look at the units that don't take as many points and try to hunt more often.  I'll PM you with one suggestion.

Wyoming has a ton of public land with some great antelope hunting.  There are a few top tier units that are tougher to draw without a bunch of points, but there are many that can be hunted with zero or one point and have great hunting.  Montana is another good antelope state that is often overlooked.  I have hunted a couple of times there on some private land that was enrolled in a Block Management program allowing public access.  That program may have changed since then though - I haven't looked at it recently.

Some states that I would add to what you are applying for now:
Utah - Buy a $65 hunting licence and then $10 application fee for each species you purchase a point for.  If you are careful with the timing of your applications you only need to buy the $65 licence every other year.

Arizona - Expensive in that you need to buy a $150+ hunting licence in order to gain a point.  But it offers some of the best elk hunting in the country, and you can also apply for deer and/or javilena on that licence as well.  It may take 10 years or more to get a unit that you want, but you are young enough to make that happen.

Nevada - This is a state that I wish I had started playing the point game in when it first came out.  I hunted mule deer there once, and it was outstanding!  But I haven't been building points there since, and that is one thing I do regret.  I think that you can reasonably expect to hunt deer there every 2-3 years in a great unit.  Drawing an elk tag would be much tougher, but you won't draw if your name is not in the hat!

Montana - That is another state that I haven't built any points in, but is another that is sure worth a look.

New Mexico - No points needed there, and the odds of drawing are fairly low, but so is the cost to apply.  Throw your name in each year and sooner or later you may draw a great tag.

I probably spend right around $500 per year just applying for tags and building points.  Of course if I draw I still need to pay for the tag.  That is a lot of money, but in the long run I just look at it as an overall part of the cost of enjoying some of the best western hunting this country has to offer!

[lpcjon2]

If your not looking for big game and want a challenge, then Sitka deer in Chicotege or Assatege(Check spelling on both) islands in Maryland and Virginia. They are some very hard baby elk type animals to hunt.

[Shedrock]

The mule deer bucks I saw were nice, but not huge. This was a Jan hunt and the deer were in the rut. I think I could have easily killed a mule deer as they were out and about and acting dumb. Plenty of cover for stalking, and some water for sitting on. I didn't even try for a mulie, I was after the elusive Coues deer only. I came home with nothing, but I do want to give them Coues deer another go, for sure!

[tradtusker]

Thanks Guys.
Tim, are you talking about Sika deer? I hunted them some working in Scotland, Very clever elusive deer.

So Thats over the counter, Deer hunting in AZ, I'd like to hear more about that Tracy, Will send PM.

[lpcjon2]

Andy it is Sika, sorry about the spelling.They say they are elusive and difficult to hunt.

[FerretWYO]

As we have talked. When the time is right we will hunt elk.

[Brazos]

Sounds like you are after elk, mule deer, antelope.  Therefore I assume you are interested in the Rocky Mountian experience.  Can't blame you for that as it is awesome.  As an alternative I would recommend Texas, South Texas to be more specific.  No draws, license is relatively cheap and you can shoot multiple deer & turkey plus all the hogs, exotics, and small game you want.  Most of Texas is private land but hunting is a big industry here with plenty of ranches to choose from.  So maybe my advice would be to put in for points in other states and hold out for a great hunt, due to how far you are traveling, and get your USA hunting fix in between elk hunts in Texas.

[slivrslingr]

You might take a look at Oregon for OTC tags.  Rocky Mtn. elk, Roosevelt elk, mule, blacktail, and a few whitetail deer, bear and cougar are all available to hunt on lots of public land.  It's a beautiful state with lots to offer.  

Washington is ok as well, though it's pretty expensive for a non-resident, as all states are.   While there are a few good OTC units, the better tags are by lottery.  

Northern California has some good blacktail deer and bear hunting, with large areas of public land.

For a bit of adventure, SE Alaska has black bear and Sitka blacktail deer.  Or a trip to Kodiak for deer.  Or South Central for moose and maybe caribou.  Just do your research for any hunts in Alaska.

[wapitirod]

Oregon has some of the best Roosevelt Elk hunting around and they are all general tags so there is no draw to apply for.  The NW corner where I'm at has excellent numbers.  You can also hunt Cascade elk which are mostly Rock mtn but there are some Rocky/Roosevelt hybrids and that too is a general tag for the entire state west of the cascade summit. The majority of the East side of the state is also covered by a general tag for both Rocky mtn elk and mule deer with a couple exceptions. Blacktail deer are another general tag which also includes the west side of the Cascades.

[Stryder]

Take a look at the Blue Mountains of WA state--SE corner of the state.  Umatilla National Forest.  DIY, public land, light hunting pressure, good access.  OTC deer/elk/bear/cougar combo runs $860 for non-resident.  OTC tag is for cow and spike elk.  Mule deer is 3-Point or better.  Need to be drawn for a special permit bull tag. Outstanding opportuniy for a trophy bull if drawn--approx 89% of big bulls are 6 point or better.

[Owlgrowler]

As an older guy looking back, it goes without saying to concentrate on the high altitude stuff while your still a young man. If you think you want to hunt goats, sheep, even high altitude mulies, do it now.

[tradtusker]

Thanks for the idea's and suggestions guys, I really appreciate it.
I am for the most part concentrating on the west, but thats only because I know it a little better then the east and I was under the impression that there is more public land out west.

Backtail Deer, are a great looking animal to hunt. Where is the best place to start researching for hunting blacktail? Any keen Blacktail hunters on here? California, Oregon which is better?

Stryder- What are the draw odds for WA Bull tags?  

Kodiak Island, This has been a place I have always wanted to go, but can find little information on it. Anyone on here hunted Kodiak recently? can you go Un guided. What are the logistics of getting there and what tags are available for the deer?  I also heard there was a huge kill which effected the deer numbers somewhere was this on Kodiak?

Randy, words can't describe how keen Im am for that day to come.

[Whip]

I'm sure there are others with experience, but I know SteveO has been to Kodiak.  You might want to drop him a PM.

[Mojostick]

A trip you may want to consider is a whitetail hunt in the Texas Hill Country. That's roughly considered the area around and SW of San Antonio.
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Hill_Country

There is no public land, but "cull hunts" can be pretty cheap, by Texas standards.

While the deer bodies are small and the racks aren't typicaly the big "trophy size" racks of "South Texas", you can get on some ranches for a fairly reasonable price, deer are very plentiful and there's a really good chance of seeing some really nice bucks, by most standards.

For bowhunting, it's one of the few places that you can still actually "still hunt" for whitetails. Most of the eastern USA land ownership is so fragmented that you can't go far without hitting a property line and most public forest land is too old growth for successful "still hunting".

Not so in the Texas Hill Country. With the hills and valleys, cactus, evergreen brush and live oak, you can spend and entire day "still hunting" and have a really good chance of seeing a ton of deer that may offer a shot opportunity.

Years back, I went on a hunt around Sonora, Texas. I had a couple days where I saw literally 30-50 bucks in a single day. Most were small, but a couple were dandy bucks.

Now, things have changed since then. Prices for large racked bucks is pretty darn pricey. But as mentioned, cull hunts can be reasonable.

I just did a quick search and found a 20,000 acre place with 2 day cull hunts for $600 and $100 per point. If you told them you were going to do spot and stalk/still hunts with a trad bow, they may well view you as being harmless (LOL) and cut you a better deal. Can't hurt to ask.
 http://www.double-d-ranch.com/whitetail.htm

Maybe some of the Texas members here can help you find a reasonable ranch where you could spend a few days and maybe kill a decent management buck and a couple does.

If you can spend $2000 plus, then the options are limitless.

[tradtusker]

Thanks Guys

[Altiman94]

I hunted WY for antelope this year and there was no need to ask for permission on private land in the unit I was in.  There's plenty of public land in most areas of the state and lots of animals.  We also saw plenty of mule deer on the public lands as well.  

If you would like to hunt white tails, then I would recommend putting in for Kansas & Iowa.  I can steer you in the right direction as to where to hunt in IA since I'm a resident.

I drew WY antelope without any preference points, but I also paid for the 'special' tag.  Their website is a great help for NR hunters.

[fujimo]

hey Andy,
wayne here from b.c. canada, ex- safa too!
i looked into the kodiak island thing, and you need to go with an outfitter if you are a "non-resident alien"
oregon sounds awesome. i would love to go down there sometime- just to hunt somewhere different.
and their black tails are a little bit bigger than ours. but we make up for that in numbers- but still tough hunting. huge black bears- no cougar on the islands, and no grizzly either, so makes for very relaxed hunting.

good luck on your quest
wayne