What big game animals close to home

[Ken Taylor]

I've often seen threads on favorite animals to hunt but not on those the most available to us.

We are such a geographically diverse group that I thought that it would be interesting to see what big game animals are the most readily available to each of us within a reasonable distance from where we live. It doesn't matter if it is through a draw, through an outfitter, on private land, a hunting lease, or whatever else. As long as there is an open hunting season and a possibility exists.

To call it home territory let us say within 200 miles since 4 hours of driving to hunt is really not much to many of us. We can list the top three animals if there are three within that range.

For instance in order of availability or closeness my 3 are:

1) Moose
2) Black bears
3) Caribou

[Kenneth]

1. Whitetail
2. Black bear
3. Hogs
 
I'm hoping that time, my wallet, woodsmanship, luck, and the good Lord will allow me an opportunity at all 3 this year.

[COLongbow]

Within 2 hours drive:
Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Elk, Black Bear, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Lion, Turkey

[centaur]

Antelope, Mule deer, Whitetails, Elk, Bear, Mountain Lion, Moose, Sheep (fat chance of drawing). I will be hunting antelope, deer and elk this fall, with a turkey thrown in for good measure.

[JimB]

Whitetails,mule deer,elk,antelope,black bears,mountain lion and wolf.If you could draw a tag,moose,bighorn sheep and mountain goat.All,within a few minutes drive.

[4 point]

Whitetails, Antelope, Mule Deer, Mountain Lion, Bighorn Sheep, Elk, Turkey and hopefully Mountain Goat again someday if they reopen the season.

[RC]

deer , pigs, bear, turkeys and gators. Cost 19 bucks to hunt nearly a million acres in Ga. Plus your hunting tags. Maybe 55 bucks total.Another 50 gets you 250,000 more on Fort stewart for pigs Turkeys and deer.RC

[Night Wing]

From where I live:

1) Whitetail Deer
2) Feral Hogs

[WindWalker-AK]

Moose
Grizz
Black Bears
Grouse/Hare/Ptarmigan/Squirrel
Wolf
Coyote
All of the above have been seen in our front yard from time to time.

Caribou  (Have to travel 60 miles to get to the Caribou.)
Due to my age, there is no charge for a combination hunting/trapping/fishing license.
Best Wishes

[steadman]

mule deer, elk, antelope, black bear, mtn lion, moose, bighorn, desert bighorn, mountain goat. The last 4 are very hard to draw tags.

[COMPOUNDLESS IN CONCRETE]

1. Blacktail Deer
2. Elk
3. Black Bear
4. Coyote
5. Cougar(The cat, not 40+ good looking women)
6. Mule Deer
7. Whitetail Deer
8. Turkey
9. Bighorn Sheep
10. Mountain Goat
11. Moose

Some of these may not fall in the 200 mile range but it is what my state has to offer.  Some you will likely never get to hunt because of the limited tags drawn each year.  To bad we can only take one deer per year unless drawing a second tag, a blacktail, mule deer, and a whitetail would be quite the season to take all three in one state.

[ncsaknech1ydh]

For me its 1. Whitetail 2. MuleDeer 3. Antelope. Can't wait for fall!

[Ron+dog]

gangters
elk
antelope
in order of proximity

[Tree Killer]

Blacktail Deer
Mule Deer
Whitetail Deer
Rocky Mtn Elk
Roosevelt Elk
California Bighorn Sheep (tough draw)
Pronghorn Antelope (tough draw)
Mountain Goat  (tough draw)
Black Bear
Mountain Lion
Bobcat
Coyote
Rio Grande Turkey
Merriam Turkey

Shiras Moose and Grey Wolves have taken up residence, but no tags as of yet!

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I have Blacktail Deer in my yard, Eastern Wild Turkeys, Black Bear, Roosevelt Elk, Cougar, (Bobcat, coyote,racoons, rabbit, grouse) within 5 miles.
If I drive 100 Miles I have Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer,Merriam Turkeys, Bighorn (tough draw) and Goat (tough draw)
another 100, and there is Whitetail Deer, Rio Grande Turkeys and Shiras Moose (really tough draw)

[PAPA BEAR]

elk
blk tail deer
mule deer
black bear
BIGFOOT  

[slivrslingr]

Within a couple hours:
Goats
Pigs (in pockets)
Deer (in pockets)
Bunnies (not really big game, but lots of them!)

If you drive a little further:
Brumbies (wild horses)
Camels
Dingos and wild dogs

All feral, on private land only, no license, tags, or bag limit.

[Eugene Slagle]

In my area I have:

(1) Black Bear
(2) White Tail Deer
(3) Wild Hog - in some areas that isn't far from me
(4) Turkey - In Virginia they are conciddered big game
(5) Elk - If I travel a little further south west

[Hawken1911]

Michigan big game:

White-tailed deer
Black bear (lottery)
Elk (lottery)

[ishoot4thrills]

In KY, as far as BIG game, the top three are:

1)Whitetail
2)Black Bear
3)Elk

Only other available big game would be wild hog, although I'm not sure it's considered big game in KY. The black bear was just recently made fair game by the KDFWR. Coyote, bobcat, turkey etc. are not considered big game in KY.