Budget hunts...

[Drew]

While spending the last month bowhunting whitetails, I've had plenty of time for thinking..which is dangerous in my case! I've hit that point where I'm wanting an adventure somewhere hunting, but the budget is stopping me from a full guided hunt.

I'd like to hear some ideas about "budget" hunts, no guides, no fancy lodges...just camping and hunting (maybe some fishing)on a low dime.

I did a few searches and didn't come up with much.  

So hears my idea, got to be driveable from MI, I'm guessing public land with a reasonable non resident tag cost. If i remember some people have said hogs and/or antelope would be a good idea?

So what's your thoughts or experiences?!

[centaur]

Sent you a PM...

[dino]

I've done 3 elk hunts out west that were relatively inexpensive.  Cost of the tag and gas were 95 percent of the expense.  We hunted elk in NE Montana this past year.  Tags were about $600 and I split gas with a partner.  Everything was under a thousand.  Not bad for 3 weeks elk hunting. PM me if you want more details. dino

[Gehrke145]

Everything out here (the west) you can do cheap, deer and antelope are real easy to do.  Lots of animals and you have a real good chance at getting a shot a a PY animal it helps having millions of acres of public!.

[Tim Fishell]

Great idea for a thread Drew.  I have been thinking the same thing as of late.  It would be great to venture out and experience more than the whitetail and small game.  Not that I dont have a blast doing it!!

[Drew]

Thanks for the ideas guys, keep them coming!  

Tim, well I know who I can ask to go once I get some good ideas and do some research! ROAD TRIP!

[Tim Fishell]

You know it buddy!!  The truck is gased up and ready to roll!!  

[Trad Man 25]

What about a Hunting trip for a none-resident living in British Columbia,  :(   cant seem to find any thing as its all guilded hunts and thats not what you want when your 20 and trying to get your self an education and paying for visas.
The best iv got so far is 3 Grouse with my slingshot and stone. And it dose not take long to eat your way throught 3 grouse,    
any advice would be great.

James

[MI_Bowhunter]

Great idea, I went on a bear hunt last year, guided but still not that expensive.   It was a lot of fun to try something new in a different place.

[Night Wing]

Drew,

Get out of the cold.  Come to Texas. It's getting late in the season for this place, but the Amistad NRA is a great place to bowhunt some exotics and you can fish there too. The cost to bowhunt the Amistad NRA is a $20 permit. Here's the direct link to the hunting part of the Amistad. This place is located near Del Rio, Texas on the Mexican border.

   http://www.nps.gov/amis/planyourvisit/hunting.htm    

One of my kayak fishing buddies has done this hunt a few times and he loves it. He's going in December. He's on a kayak fishing board, but if you want to talk with him, I think I can get you his phone number.

[bbassi]

Hey Drew, you and I must be on the same wavelength. I too am looking for something to do next fall. I'm leaning towards an antelope DIY. You interested in joining up?

[Drew]

Nightwing that's nice chunk of info there, thank you!

James, are you talking in BC or coming to the states...if you mean coming to the states maybe we can put something together!

Brent I'll drop you a PM.

[myshootinstinks]

As stated previously, "go west young man". Lots of public land.  The deer hunting may or may not be an improvement over where you are but elk and antelope are worth a trip. Goat(antelope)tags are easy to come by and in Wyo you can usually get additional doe tags.  One of the most thrilling bowhunting experiences you can have is bugling, cow-calling elk in the Sept rut.
  If I had time I'd pursue a "trade-hunt" with someone in the mid-west or up north as I'd like to bowhunt whitetails. But...as usual, no time.

[Swamp Pygmy]

It's probably less of an option for people further north but don't forget the south.

Many places are over run with pigs and you won't see a flake of snow.

If I were in a frozen place then louisiana hog hunting in january would sound pretty good. I think its less than $150 total for a week long archery only hog hunt. Thousands of acres of public land. Fifty degree days and moss draped oaks.

[centaur]

Swamp Pyg,
That sounds pretty good today...20 degrees with 20mph wind. One of these days I will have to give the deep south a try.

[myshootinstinks]

Evan,
  That does sound inviting. January here usually consists of horizontal snow and sub-zero chill factors.

[Drew]

Swamp that sounds great...but I woundn't even know where to start with hog hunting! Other than what I've seen on DVDs and read. But that's another good thing about a road trip hunt, trying new things!

[Montyc]

Drew,
Good post.  I've been thinking about trip myself maybe to ND grasslands for Muley on public land.  There are some pretty good suggestions so far on other places as well.  South might be nice to get out of the cold for a week or so.  
Any luck this year over by St. Johns?

[Swamp Pygmy]

Thats one good thing about hogs. They are a great training animal. For hunting at all but it accepts all skill levels.

The bigger boars are like hunting deer. They are hard to find, scary, live in thickets, bark like a 200lb pitt bull, and pretty elusive. It's about as hard to take a big pig as a big deer.

But then you've got the "sounders" or groups of feeding females. Usually under 100lbs. In groups of 5-10. They can be wary but not usually. They are greedy and get into a feeding competition and ignore snapping sticks and beginners errors. They are great for taking young teens. It's exciting because they are a semi-dangerous animal, there are high populations so you get to have a few chances, and they are easy enough to find.

When you look for pigs its not like looking for deer. I don't bother with an area unless it's literally damaged. Signs to look for are obvious. Poo all over the ground, mud puddles, saplings caked in mud up to waist height, and mostly that the area looks like someone learned how to work a tractor for the first time. Overturned grasses and the like.

Not to mention if you're coming for a winter escape by that time the pigs have worn highways into the woods. Once the frosts kill the vegetation the pigs make it look like a 4wheeler track in the highly used areas. The prints on top of prints make the mud look like they have tire treds in them. Winter is nice too because the mosquitos, alligators, snakes, and ticks are gone.

[Trad Man 25]

Sounds like Trad Heaven, Just to far South for me,  :(