Realistic Dream trips

[wifishkiller]

I was wondering how many people on here dream trip is elk, big mule deer, antelope, mt lion, and so on.  The reason I ask is, I was talking to a fellow member on here about hunts he’d like to do but hasn’t yet cause of money.  Anyway a lot of these trips are easy to do for under a grand from door to door.  I guess where Im going with this is there any way we can make a section on here to help the average guy do some of these trips?  I guess kind of a donate type hunt.   I’m not to sure where I’m going with this maybe someone else could jump in with some ideas to see if this is possible.

[Peckerwood]

There are many trips I would like to make but can't because of lack of finding a reliable hunting partner (s). I would love to get back out west to hunt elk ,mule deer, and antelope but it is unfeasible not to mention costly to do it yourself.

Bill

[John Scifres]

There's lots of affordable hunts out west.  Elk and mule deer in particular.  A tag is $300-600.  Travel expenses may be 500-1000 depending on your mode and level of acceptance.  I've done 4 trips out west each for way under $1000.  All were DIY for elk on public land.  I've never killed one but the memories are well worth the money.

[AkDan]

I'm getting into that same boat Peckerwood.  Kind of stinks living up here with no real good/consistent partners!!!!   It's not quite like walking out on the back 40 and coming in at dark.   Your life is trusted in your hunter partners hands!

[Benha]

I would love to do an elk trip. Or drop in on AKDan in Alaska. LOL

[wifishkiller]

I hear you guys on the hunting partners the only one I hunt with that doesnt drive me nuts is my dad lol.  The reason I put this up is I think alot of people are overwelmed with just going off and hunting.  That said I dont no if I would be ok hunting the high country for muledeer by myself but elk and antelope would be ok.

[Dalebow]

Well I want to go lion hunting again since my lion was messed up the the taxidermist.  I would love to hunt elk or black bear, its ashame you have to pay thousands to hunt something because it isnt in your state.
Id love to have a tradganger come hunt whitetail with me, I have public land 2 minutes from my door and large P& Y and B&C deer are killed every year.

[Shaun]

There is a "Trade a hunt" forum on this site. Fine way to hunt far off places and species. And there's always the poor mans' Africa (Texas) where lots of weird critters live and the winter is like summer.

[wifishkiller]

Dalebow I might have to swing on out your way    We are on a cat slump right now lots of miles and nothing in a tree.  Did see a monster moose a week ago.

[Brian Halbleib]

I've learned that Texas is loaded with dream trips without the dream prices. Click on 7th Age Bowhunting under the sponsors and book a trip with Curtis. You can do several trips for several species for around a grand.

Most of the "big" game that you mentioned can be done somehwere in the country on a D-I-Y basis and very reasonably. All you gotta do is research.

-Brian
 www.bowyersjournal.com

[wifishkiller]

I hear ya brian 7th age is on my list

[The Ursus]

[Voodoofire1]

Adam,I'll trade ya hunts!, I have 30,000 acres of public land within an hour or so of my house, can't promise you a pope & young whitetail but you'll have a good time, I'll even put you up and feed ya!.................Steve

[Dustin Waters]

Generally what does a 7th age bowhunting trip cost a fella.  Ive been in email correspondence with Curtis but havent been able to discuss total cost with him.  He is hosting the pope and young hunts in west texas for a few days and we cant get details hatched out just yet.  Im just curious to see what it might run my father and i to get out there.  I would define a dream trip by the people i get to spend the time with.  What good is sitting on a mountain with nobody to sit with?  Any kind of hunt with my dad next to me is a dream hunt to me.  Even if its hunting rabbits out at the family farm or shooting 3d's somewhere its always a great time.  I know as he ages and my family life get more involved our time spent together in the woods is going to get tested so I have to enjoy it while it lasts and make every hunt a dream hunt with him around.

[Voodoofire1]

Sounds like your Dad is as lucky to have his Dustin, as I was to have mine, you think very similar and know what is truly important in life, I applaud you Dustin, now take that man hunting, times a wastin'! we never got to go on the trip we were planning thanks to a drunk driver..............................Steve

[John Scifres]

Bowdaddy asked me for some details.  I thought I might as well share all my wonderful words of wisdom with everyone    

My first trip was to CO in 1998. Tags were $250 back then. I drove out from KY with a buddy. 25 hours each way...non-stop. It was brutal but doable. We hunted in the White River National Forest near Meeker, GMUs 24/33/12. There are a lot of elk in this area but it is heavily pressured. You will need to be in shape if you are going to pack in. That's what we did and we only saw one other group of hunters. We didn't get into elk too much but learned a lot. A big thing is to know that you aren't deer hunting. You have to cover lots of ground and find elk and then hunt them. I did this trip for less than $500 and that included a night at the Meeker Motel. I eat the same things I eat at home so I don't count food as an expense related to the trip. I would be spending that money anyway.

The second hunt was in the same area in 2000. I flew out there for $200 and we rented a car in Denver. This trip was a bit more but I can't handle that drive. We also had to ship our stuff since I don't trust airlines with critical hunting equipment. You can send it and have it held at the UPS or FedEx hub. It's even better to have someone out there you can ship it to. This trip cost maybe $750. My buddy killed a cow and we were into elk a lot.

We did Utah in 2002 in the Uinta Mts. It was rough country and we had bad weather so the hunting wasn't quite what we expected. We saved some money by having a car available from a family member. But tags were $350 so it was still about $850.

My buddy moved to Idaho now so I am lucky to have that resource. We hunted there in 2006. We have another guy that has horses and has hunted the area we were in a lot. We got into elk a lot but didn't kill anything. It was a fantastic trip and I will be back in 2008. Tags are high, like $600 but the savings in cars and horses and such makes it worth it. I spent around $1100 last year. Here's a webpage about it:  web page  

The bottom line is like I said in my post, for $1000-1500 you can do elk. It is tough hunting since you will be packing in and on your own unless you have a local around. You will have to do your research and be willing to work hard but that is a big part of it for me.

Also, if you don't have the gear, you will have to buy some stuff. Keep it simple though and you will be fine. My current gear list might have cost $500. Don't buy into the whole gear head-thing. Simple and inexpensive is always better. You aren't hunting in AK where you are a plane trip and 100s of miles from help. If extreme stuff hits, you can use survival tactics better than relying on gear. Do your research and get into shape. If you don't kill something, still be satisfied. If extreme weather hits, hunker down. If you die, so be it. We all have to go some time.

[Ray Hammond]

How many of you have read the book about Chester Stevenson- "In the Den of the Old Bowhunter"???

The most amazing thing about that book for me was the fact that he would pull out a map, decide on a place he had never seen, ride a train with a backpack holding a pot, a fork and spoon, a compass, a knife,his bow and quiver, and a bedroll.

He would get off that train in the middle of nowhere, stay in the wilds for two weeks at a time and get picked up a hundred miles away from where he got off the train.

No guides, no outfitter, no horses, and usually him and one other person. Homemade bows, arrows, a plaid wool coat,pants and a Kangol hat,a pair of sturdy boots and a few socks - he was hunting in wild country!!!!

We have it easy today. Save up a little jack and use the internet, talk to others who have been, and get out there and make yourself some memories. Don't sit at home and watch it on TV! Who cares if you get something- GO GO GO!!!!!!!

[Jeff Strubberg]

Ray;


That is very possibly one of the best bowhunting books ever written.  

I gave my copy away a year or two ago.  It's time I bought another.

[Whip]

John, I just went back through the journal of your hunt.  I followed it day by day when you first posted it, but it was fun to go through again.  Sure gets my blood pumping!  What great pictures and story telling!
Eight more months!!!!!!!!!!

[Pat B]

I made my first dream hunt last fall to CO.  The whole ball of wax cost about $2500.   $500 for a non-res tag, $500 for a flight from Asheville, NC to Albuquerque, I rented a car and drove to Durango and back to Albuquerque after the hunt and a few nights in a motel. I had to buy equipment...back pack, sleeping bag and sleeping pad, wool pants(cheap from Cabellas) and survival gear(cheap fron discount stores) so if I were to do it again I could for considerably less...probably $1500. We hunted public land in the San Juan Mts.
  If only the elk knew we were coming, they may have been a bit more cooperative.     Pat