Recommendation on best place to go for a guided hunt

DukeGSP · Aug 17, 2021

I've never been on a guided hunt nor do i know where to really start. I'm not wanting to spend 30k on a hunt but i would like to go somewhere and have a good experience. I'm located in Georgia and would prefer to fly but can drive if necessary. what have been some of yall's best experiences? I've only killed whitetail and pigs here. would like to get a Elk with my bow someday but the trips I've googled and seen means i will have to do Pablo Escobar activities in order to afford it.

would be interested in an antelope, axis, big whitetail, mule, etc. just didn't know where to start or what to expect. it can get a little overwhelming when you're searching so trying to see if anyone has had good or bad experiences?

would like to use a rifle but bow hunting is an option as well. Thank you.

Rthur · Aug 17, 2021

Hunting Opportunities

hunting featues

www.jicarillahunt.com

R

Mischievous · Aug 17, 2021

I've been more interested in this also, great topic. My interest started to pique after watching Eastmans and Q podcasts.

hlee · Aug 17, 2021

Decide what you want to hunt.

Domestic or international?

Then, do you want to hunt a private low fenced ranch, public land, or a high fenced game ranch.

How much do you want to spend?

How guided are you looking for? Spike camp? Fully 1 on 1 guide back country hunt, living in a wall tent? Hunting from a lodge?

How much do you want to spend?

LegioX · Aug 17, 2021

You might think along these lines.

West Texas Aoudad Sheep Hunts

West Texas Aoudad Sheep Hunts held between late September and Early March with the rut in high gear through November. Eight locations to choose from all offering different lodging and terrain combinations.

www.westtexashunt.com

I did an aoudad hunt a few yrs ago with three other friends. We had a 75% success ratio. A bit spendy at 1k per day or so. It’s a unique hunt for sure.

grinnergetter · Aug 17, 2021

I'd say, start with a DIY antelope in WY. Plenty of public land and opportunity. depending on location. You can learn about the elk while your there.
DIY in Alaska is pretty easy also and well worth the expense of getting there. I've done bou up North and deer on Kodiak. Freakin awesome country!

Wyfox · Aug 17, 2021

Blacktails on Kodiak is a blast and very affordable. Fish, hunt sea ducks, shoot fox, and hunt deer in the same trip. The scenery is fantastic, watch brown bears, whales, mt goats, sea otters, eagles, etc. Nice lodge with amazing food. I plan on going back again.

Kodiak Island Fishing Lodge | Hunting in Alaska | Larsen Bay Lodge

Let your Kodiak adventure begin at Larsen Bay Lodge. World class Kodiak fishing and hunting for big brown bear, big halibut, and big salmon.

larsenbaylodge.com

Lightning8 · Aug 17, 2021

I have been DIY Antelope and Mule Deer in Wyoming on public land. Had a friend who had been doing it for a few years before I joined the group. We have 7 of us that go - typically 5 per year as someone always has a work or family conflict. We have been lucky to regularly get out of state tags on the draw.

DukeGSP · Aug 17, 2021

hlee said:
Decide what you want to hunt.

Domestic or international?

Then, do you want to hunt a private low fenced ranch, public land, or a high fenced game ranch.

How much do you want to spend?

How guided are you looking for? Spike camp? Fully 1 on 1 guide back country hunt, living in a wall tent? Hunting from a lodge?

How much do you want to spend?

I'm thinking something like an Antelope, Axis, or Mule deer.

i would prefer whichever will yield the best results

being my first, I'd like to stay under 10K honestly. not including the airfare but with hunt,lodging, food, tips, etc < 10k if possible

I'm just more so looking to see if anyone had a good place they recommend or have had great experiences.

Wyfox · Aug 17, 2021

FYI, for most western states you'll need preference points to draw a tag. Some states allow transfer of land owner tags but those get very pricey.

Major Wader · Aug 17, 2021

For high fence axis, 777 Ranch in Hondo, TX. Great place to be.

hunter1959 · Aug 17, 2021

Jake and TJ Clark... Powell, Wy.... they KNOW their business... EXCELLENT GUIDES... will put you on the game of choice

Wyoming Backcountry Adventures - Wyoming Wilderness Outfitter

Exploring the Yellowstone Backcountry wilderness for hunters, trophy hunting and speciality tags.

wyomingwilderness.com

Seed tick · Aug 17, 2021

Foster Butts Gavilan Creek Outfitters. Very high quality hunts

Maggot · Aug 17, 2021

Ive not bee, but the NRA Whittington Center in Raton NM. has them and if I remember fairly priced. Every thing else Ive done there was top notch so I have no reason to think the hunts would be otherwise.

NRA Whittington Center : The Country's Premier Shooting Facility

www.nrawc.org
The NRA Whittington Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and relies on the generous contributions of donors who want to preserve our heritage of freedom for the next generation of shooters and hunters.

Mike Casselton · Aug 17, 2021

DukeGSP said:
I've never been on a guided hunt nor do i know where to really start. I'm not wanting to spend 30k on a hunt but i would like to go somewhere and have a good experience. I'm located in Georgia and would prefer to fly but can drive if necessary. what have been some of yall's best experiences? I've only killed whitetail and pigs here. would like to get a Elk with my bow someday but the trips I've googled and seen means i will have to do Pablo Escobar activities in order to afford it.

would be interested in an antelope, axis, big whitetail, mule, etc. just didn't know where to start or what to expect. it can get a little overwhelming when you're searching so trying to see if anyone has had good or bad experiences?

would like to use a rifle but bow hunting is an option as well. Thank you.

For Axis you could head south to Bramah Island in FL.
Full of Axis and other exotic deer.
The island is owned by the Lightsey Cattle Company.

Maybe you can have Bob as your guide.

JAS-SH · Aug 17, 2021

hlee said:
Decide what you want to hunt.

Domestic or international?

Then, do you want to hunt a private low fenced ranch, public land, or a high fenced game ranch.

How much do you want to spend?

How guided are you looking for? Spike camp? Fully 1 on 1 guide back country hunt, living in a wall tent? Hunting from a lodge?

How much do you want to spend?

Sounds right. I've been to Africa and it gets really expensive quick. 30K there would cover it but not for an extended hunt. There is so much game on our own continent that I would not bother. Alaska would be my first choice. And it would be a hell of a lot cheaper. Then work up from there.

WA State on the east side of the Cascades offers some great hunting and incredible landscape views. Some of my best hunting memories were there. Get in shape first. Them are some tall mountains out there and climbing on foot in the snow (hunting season) is not for the weak or old. Great memories though, Elk deep in the woods real close and personal (<200 yards) in the fog. I can see it in my mid clear as day today and that was 30 years ago...

HitEmHard · Aug 17, 2021

Axis are a great hunt! Some of the best hunts I guided were for bow hunt Axis. So many private places here in Texas, and not terrible driving distance if you want to save the hassle of flying with weapons etc. I can personally recommend 777 Ranch, as well as Texas Hunt Lodge. Hunt Lodge mainly deals with non-native game, and have some very experienced guides working for them.

Maggot · Aug 17, 2021

HitEmHard said:
Axis are a great hunt! Some of the best hunts I guided were for bow hunt Axis. So many private places here in Texas, and not terrible driving distance if you want to save the hassle of flying with weapons etc. I can personally recommend 777 Ranch, as well as Texas Hunt Lodge. Hunt Lodge mainly deals with non-native game, and have some very experienced guides working for them.

Heres a story on Axis deer in Texas. 50 years ago I was going to school at the University of Corpus Christi. Met a bunch of guys who flew a plane down the intercoastal waterway on the Chapman Ranch and scouted out where the herd of Axis was (before the time of the big guided hunts). Then they took a boat down the waterway, snuck inland and poached a few. Brought them back and smoked them. Really tasty

hlee · Aug 17, 2021

There was a time when I really wanted to go on a high fenced ranch hunt. Later in life I realized that if I really wanted to, I could shoot my own cattle for a lot less money. Public land DIY for me- though I strongly considered a drop camp outfitter last outing. I'd consider a landowner tag on a large enough low fenced ranch, but as I get older I'm just not that mad at anything anymore- at least not enough to justify the cost of modern gentry-class 'hunting.'

candyx · Aug 17, 2021

Zoo Atlanta, day hunting , seniors $27.99

Triple BB · Aug 17, 2021

Wyfox said:
FYI, for most western states you'll need preference points to draw a tag. Some states allow transfer of land owner tags but those get very pricey.

That Alaska hunt sounds like a great deal. Did you do any duck hunting?

hlee · Aug 17, 2021

candyx said:
Zoo Atlanta, day hunting , seniors $27.99

Yeah, you got to give the real trophies time to grow into adulthood. No better place for that than a zoo...

The Oakland Zoo had a real trophy bull elk a dozen years ago- I mean Chuck Adams would have loved to put an arrow in this guy. Anyway, my son and I are riding over the paddock in the skyline thing and he looks down (4ish at the time)- "Look dad, the elk are hugging." Yeah, they were definitely hugging. That bull was giving a cow a demonstration of "how they do it on the discovery channel..."

uncle_smokey · Aug 17, 2021

Richie Outfitters – Idaho Hunting

richieoutfitters.com

I would recommend these folks to anyone looking to do what you are after. I wanted to go on a guided hunt for my 40th, and the original outfit I had picked out jerked me around. Several years later and now I’ve hunted with them twice. Fair chase, public land and over the counter tags. Reason being only real way in is a bush plane or pack animals. Hunt the Selway which is like 1.5 million acres of wilderness. Took a 7 point elk in my last hunt with them, and got a solid white tail and a bear on my previous hunt. Great people all the way around.

Wyfox · Aug 17, 2021

Triple BB said:
That Alaska hunt sounds like a great deal. Did you do any duck hunting?

Yes,
Took Harlequins, old sqauw, scoters, and barrows goldeneyes.

XTREM HTR16 · Aug 17, 2021

I would start buying preference points in Wyoming and other states this year.

strike that, not Wyoming, just other states….

waveslayer · Aug 18, 2021

Depends on what you want to hunt. I like New Mexico for elk Gila area. Lots of land owner tags, but can get very pricey

DukeGSP · Aug 18, 2021

all sounds great. i plan on going on a hunt more than just once but wanted to get some feedback on where to go or where not to. i know how a shitty guide can ruin a experience and that's what i'm mostly trying to avoid. i guess i'm just trying to get my best bang for the buck. i don't have a huge desire to do a high fence hunt unless it's the best option. i prefer something native as i don't have any interest in killing a zebra or anything of that nature. i keep coming back to an Axis deer. Elk would be awesome. Axis, elk and a Bear are my top three. a 200+ inch Whitetail wouldn't hurt my feelings tho.

waveslayer · Aug 18, 2021

You have a lot of options. Have you thought about going to Argentina to do stag, puma, waterfowl, water Buffalo etc? Just a thought.

Elk and Bear is hard to beat Idaho, Colorado and New Mexico. Utah would be great if you can get a tag! A lot of options in Montana, Wyoming as well.

hlee · Aug 18, 2021

DukeGSP said:
all sounds great. i plan on going on a hunt more than just once but wanted to get some feedback on where to go or where not to. i know how a shitty guide can ruin a experience and that's what i'm mostly trying to avoid. i guess i'm just trying to get my best bang for the buck. i don't have a huge desire to do a high fence hunt unless it's the best option. i prefer something native as i don't have any interest in killing a zebra or anything of that nature. i keep coming back to an Axis deer. Elk would be awesome. Axis, elk and a Bear are my top three. a 200+ inch Whitetail wouldn't hurt my feelings tho.

You could get to Africa, do a plains game safari, and get back for what a 200+ whitetail will cost. There is some "fair chase" axis hunting in Texas. There was a poster that went by @MulieMike that ran fair chase hunts for Axis, mule deer, and aoudad in west texas. I think it was west texas hunt org . com

Lightning8 · Aug 18, 2021

Been going to Wyoming last 6 years for DIY hunts. Without having any preference points - got out of state tags for deer last 4 years in a row on the draw. First year I went on short notice and purchased a "leftover" antelope tag. Started buying preference points last year for elk.

DukeGSP · Aug 18, 2021

sounds like alot of people are going to Wyoming. how much is your average tag there? are the DIY hunts pretty successful?

THEIS · Aug 18, 2021

Hi,

@DukeGSP

Contact:

Don Gilchrist

G2 Ranch, LLC

903-570-7909

[email protected]

Mention Theis from Hoplite Arms sent you over

Here is their package details for exotics.

Exotic Animal Hunting | G2 Ranch

Looking for an exotic animal hunting excursion? G2 Ranch provides exotics hunting excursions and lodging for up to 110 guests. Call today to learn more!

g2ranch.com

Sincerely,
Theis

Lightning8 · Aug 18, 2021

DukeGSP said:
sounds like alot of people are going to Wyoming. how much is your average tag there? are the DIY hunts pretty successful?

Went WY last 5 years. Some years everyone tags out - antelope and mule deer. Some years - 2 of 3 tag out mule deer and antelope. Over last few years we have seen a lot less animals - not a wildlife expert but seems like some tough winters and maybe illness thinned out the animals especially the antelope.

We hunt public land and we do a LOT of walking - park truck and walk 5 to 7 miles inside the land away from the roads and the other hunters. Then spot and walk, spot and walk until we maneuver onto an opportunity. Most of my shots 300+ yards - others in party have score at 75 yards.

See a lot of other DIY hunters cruising the roads hoping to see an opportunity - not a winning strategy IMHO.

My buddy built up WY preference points for elk and he used a guide for that tag to insure success last year. Funny that rest of us with deer tags saw way more elk than deer/antelope last year.

grinnergetter · Sep 4, 2021

Do most of our hunting South of Cody WY. Last 4 years took 3 cow elk and see plenty of Antelope, lots of deer but you need permission along water if you want to up your odds on deer. I hunt with 2) 70 year olds and I'm pretty much road hunting as neither can get around very well anymore. You could do a Antelope pretty cheap but after going on one guided hunt..I wouldnt pay for that hunt again. It can seem intimidating to find your way but you just have to do some research and spend some time there to determine if your in a productive area. If not , more research.

You might consider a caribou hunt....I've taken them in Newfoundland, Quebec and Alaska. A DIY in the Brooks Range is a pretty darn nice trip if you can get flown away from the campers along the road. Best tasting meat IMO.

Seems like the Alaska DIY trip cost around 4K all in. Instant coffee tastes awesome on the tundra. LOL

Maggot · Sep 4, 2021

hlee said:
There was a time when I really wanted to go on a high fenced ranch hunt. Later in life I realized that if I really wanted to, I could shoot my own cattle for a lot less money. Public land DIY for me- though I strongly considered a drop camp outfitter last outing. I'd consider a landowner tag on a large enough low fenced ranch, but as I get older I'm just not that mad at anything anymore- at least not enough to justify the cost of modern gentry-class 'hunting.'

I read about one of those 'high fence hunts' when I lived in Texas. they'd ride the ~~victim~~ client around in a Jeep for a couple hours then lead a hand fed animal out, throw down some grain, call the jeep to go to that locale, and the 'client' would get his animal.

Doesnt seem very sporting to me.

roostercogburn98 · Sep 4, 2021

If high fence/game preserve tickles your fancy, there is a place in Chillicothe, Ohio called Salt Creek Hunting Preserve. They do a lot of exotic goats but some other stuff as well.

gonzaga · Sep 4, 2021

Cotton Mesa ranch South East CO. High fence and big bulls....

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