Best big game for the $buck$

[hatracked]

Ive hunted whitetail extensively, played around with Black Bear hunting, and once assisted on a Northern Arizona Elk Hunt.Every hunt cost me something, but some hunts tend to be inherently better spent money than others.

I would like to exclude whitetails for the reason that I dont think there is a better chance big game animal in the country with its wide range and availability of hunting opportunities.

Barring whitetailed deer from the conversation, what big game animal in North America would you say holds the best opportunity for the money ?Just to set it straight I know you can go on a near 100 % big horn hunt but for the money it darn near better be 100%.I wouldnt consider this a good best bet for the buck hunt.

[Wyodeerhunter]

I think its antelope. You can get a decent buck for 2,000(maybe even less) dollars. hell, you could do the hunt yourself.

[ncboman]

I'm not sure how you define "best bet for the buck."

Actually killing something or having a fun time trying.

Also, are you speaking of a pay to hunt property hunt or a guided hunt or a canned hunt.

I am not a guy that can afford or even wants two of the above hunts.

I have so far been able to find hunting for free in my travels although I did book one hunt in Adams county in my life, but that consisted of a map of the property showing where crops were, a place to stay, and permission.

The company I was in was worth every penny of the $525 for 5days and the hunt was great.

I measure success by the amount of time I am able to spend going and doing. When I kill, my tag is filled and the hunt is over. It becomes a mad rush to get packed, loaded, and back home with the meat.

I look forward to each fall like a kid looking to Santa. Please be good to me.

The going is much more rewarding than the getting to me. The more I think about it when up a tree in the midwest, the more my standards of what I will shoot go up.

If I kill this buck, I will have to stop hunting and drive home...and the rut is just starting.... :mad: ...pass.

I go on about deer. :D

Bet on having fun on something other than deer? just guessing.

For me, elk in eastern Colorado. They're not as big there as some places, but I have it on good source that it is a fun time in beautiful country with abundant game. smile.gif

[hatracked]

Elk in Eastern CO. Wouldnt be wanting a deer tag while your out there too would ya?LOL Ive seen those bruiser whitetails they are hiding in eastern CO.

What I am trying to get at is this, Elk hunting is expensive , Moose hunting is expensive, and so on but for the experience the chance of success, and the money cause it all costs one way or another guided or unguided, whats the best bet?Could be Elk, or could be antelope.

I am looking for the next trophy, I intend on doing it on a semi guided basis if guided at all.I am not a rich man by any means so I simply would like to know some experienced "other game" hunters opinion.Ive bagged several big whitetails time for a new goal.

Antelope with the bow sounds pretty cool.

[Blackhawk357]

How about an inexpensive semi- to non-guided Mule Deer hunt on a private ranch in eastern Montana. "Fair Chase", great accomidations, great company ........ I guess I'd better quit there or Dan will have my @$$, but check out the homepage in my profile. :cool:

Blackhawk

(Dan, this isn't an adverstisement, cause I'm already booked up for next year, ok?)

[Shadow]

I would have to agree with Blackhawk. He has put up a lot of impressive pictures. I wouldn't mind booking a mulie hunt with ya. Maybe one day!

[John Maynard]

Probably the least expensive and best chance for a "trophy" is a bear hunt in Canada.

[hatracked]

Blackhawk been trying to check out your homepage but I cant get it to load. Look forward to seeing it.

[Blackhawk357]

Sorry guys. My site is down. I guess it went down over the weekend. They told me that it would be up by last night, and is not there yet. :mad: I WILL be checking into it this morning and I'll get an answer soon.

It looks like Photopoint is down as well. Has anyone heard why, or for how long?

Blackhawk

[Dan Jackson]

I haven't hunted Moose or a Muley, yet ;) But I would think for travel costs, tag costs, guide or assistance cost most bang for your buck would be an elk trip. You get so much meat from an animal that is so truly exciting to hunt. Hunting them during the rut with a bow is like chasing a big furry turkey all over God's Country. Elk bugling everywhere and you're chasing 'em all over the place. It's a blast and the meat is the tastiest I've ever had.

Caribou, might be a close 2nd.

[Blackhawk357]

OK guys, for all of you who were interested, my web site is back up. The server company in California supposedly went bankrupt, packed up in the middle of the night and left town. Anyway, try this link, it should work now.
http://www.HuntingNanselRanch.com

Blackhawk

p.s. It looks like Photopoint is still dowm. Does anyone know anything about that?

[hatracked]

Blackhawk is your email addy still working?

[BULL MOOSE]

Hands down best is do it yourself caribou in AK. The tags are about $325 each. The Mulchatna herd is huge and produces lots of trophies. The biggest expense is the air charter and roundtrip airfare.

[oregonhuntr]

HMMMMM best for the buck, ???? whitetail, nope. bear, wrong, Elk, getting closer. Blacktail deer, in western Oregon, yea now your talkin

[brentnadeau]

Best big game for the buck???

Well, last February I had the fortune of accomanying a group of Naskapi Indian hunters on an annual caribou hunting trip in Schefferville, Que. We left at 6 am, in -45 c, on snowmobile, and rode 90 km to Labrador to intersect with the George River herd on the Smallwood Reservoir. Having had a sport machine, I managed to get into herds of 90 - 100 animals, riding while surrounded by a moving tide of caribou...it was incredible. While this was, for my part, a very illegal hunt, there is an outfitter in James Bay (not James Bay Adventures, although if you check their site they had a great past season with some real monsters) which offers very similar excursions, only legal, and early enough in the season that you get the racks too. This is, if you are made a sturdy enough stuff, a hard hunt to beat.

[WyoWhisper]

New to this forum and I'm gonna have to say for the money ....

Mule Deer or Caribou.....

[hunterclaus]

is a trophy boar in line with what you are looking for?

thanks,
hunter claus

[Ben]

What about Feral Hogs in Texas? Does that count? I know you can hunt them down in Texas, with full accomedations for around $500-750 average. I have seen them as low as $250, and as high as $1500. I was planning on going hunting in Texas next time I visit my sister, but most of these are canned hunts. I'd prefer to hunt them in the wild, fair chase, but there just isn't anywhere you can hunt. Over 98% of Texas is privately owned, and people down there just won't let you on thier property. I tried to go fishing when I was visiting my sister last summer, but no one would let me on thier property. There was guided fishing, but that costs money, which I don't have. And I couldn't drive all the way to someplace like Possum Kingdom, or Lake Fork.

[Ben]

I'm not familiar with hog hunting, but I was thinking, if I was go, I wouldn't want to just hunt them with a rifle, I'd want to use a pistol or a bow, which the people on the ranch say you can hunt them with whatever you want, as long its bigger than a .22 Mag. I have heard hogs are tough critters. Do you think a 70lb. bow with 400 grain arrows and Nugent blade broadheads and 9mm would be sutible?

[The Big Swede]

I hunted at High Adventure Ranch in SE MO last spring for Russian Boar. The cost was about $700 and it was a fun time. There wasn't ever and question of wether you were going to get your hog, but finding a big one was a bit of a chalenge. This year they were going to open up some more ground and have fewer hogs in there so that getting one would be a lot tougher hunt.

TBS

[Chuck]

If you are asking about a hunt with an outfitter with the best chance of bringing something home for your $ investmnt, caribou in Quebec/Labrador is good bet. When I hunted there about 18 years ago there were thousands of caribou. We had 12 hunters in camp, each with two tags, and we killed 23 animals - it was too easy and I'd probably would never go again for that very reason. It wasn't a guaranteed hunt, but I don't know how much closer you could get to it.
Antelope is a great hunt also, and with this hunt, you don't even need a guide to do well.
How about checking out my invitation to hunt "goats" in eastern Montana this year? This is not a professionally guided hunt, but I know of some great ranches and would love to assist someone who has not hunted out here to have a successful experience.
Chuck