Need ideas for the ideal hunting trip

[johnelmore]

Im planning a big vacation and need some ideas. I was thinking about Alaska later in the year. Does anyone have any ideas on the ideal location?

[Doyle]

Alaska would be fantastic but prepare for a serious price tag. Last I heard, the going rate for a guided moose hunt was north of $12K.

Speaking of moose, supposedly the best place (best chances and price) is Newfoundland. Their moose are smaller and don't have big racks but there are lots of them and hunts are much more affordable.

If you want a "Southern" experience, try one of the south GA quail plantations. They treat you like a king.

[Scorch]

Argentina. Spend 3 days chasing red deer, 3 days shooting dove, and a couple of days fishing for sea-run rainbows, and still come home for less money than a trip to Alaska.

Or New Zealand for elk, chamois, and pigs.

[johnelmore]

Alaska is on everyones list but the price is always so high and Alaska requires a guide with a bunch of other rules. I almost feel like they try to squeeze the hunting crowd.

[Doyle]

If you want to shoot lots of good ducks, the flooded timber of Stutgart, AR is world famous. You can get guided hunts there for less than $300/day.

[BumbleBug]

You can shoot 'til you're too tired or the barrel is too hot! Bird-boys to pick'em up for ya, rest in a lodge, eat & drink like a king & wear shorts the whole time!


....bug

[Lordy123]

What's the process like to get your rifle to Canada for a hunt?

[Spats McGee]

Stuttgart, AR is famous for its duck hunting, & the World Duck Calling Championships, I might add. I'm sure there are lots of places that you could call to get a guided hunt, but one of the ones that comes to mind is Five Oaks: http://www.fiveoaksducklodge.com/

(I am not affiliated with Five Oaks in any way, nor do I get any sort of compensation from them.)

[taylorce1]

First off don't think you need guides to hunt Alaska, the only species of animals required a guide in Alaska are brown & grizzly bear and all sheep and mountain goat hunting. However, it is a little late to plan an Alaska hunting trip for this year. You need at least six months but a year is better to properly plan a hunting trip.

If you are looking to plan a quick hunting trip to Alaska I'd look towards Southeast Alaska. Check and see where they are offering any over the counter black bear tags. I have two buddies heading up there this September to hunt black bear, black tail, and go fishing. I've been up there twice early spring for black bear and have had a blast, got a good bear my first visit, and my buddy shot a wolf on our second.

Get an Alaskan Airlines credit card, when you get it you get one companion fare for $99 per year. Plus you can use it for purchases to get there. Last time I went my buddy and I used the companion fare and our plane tickets were $400 apiece from Denver to Petersburg Alaska. Our fishing and hunting licenses were in the neighborhood of $500 for black bear and wolf, luckily we didn't have to pay for a boat rental or lodging but that usually runs about another $2000 per person per week. So if you budget $4000-4500 per person you can spend a great week up in SE Alaska.

With the 50" rule on moose you better be darn sure you can judge them before you pull the trigger. But you can do a drop camp or float trip for far less than $12K mentioned above. It all depends on your expectations of what you want from Alaska.

Going to Canada to hunt the biggest challenge is getting all your paperwork straight to get your firearm up there and back as well as export any trophies taken. It is much easier for bow hunters than rifle hunters since you won't have to declare any firearms. You can forget about trying to bring a sidearm up there with you it won't happen.

In Canada you'll need a guide or someone who has a permit to accompany. If you are using a guide service and they are worth anything, the guide service will help you navigate the red tape of bringing a firearm into and out of the country as well as getting your trophies back home. That is the nice thing about going to Alaska over Canada is there is not customs to go through.

[jmr40]

Alaska would be nice. But I'm also a realist. A brown bear hunt is $20,000-$30,000. Sheep and goats are probably the same or more. Most everything else can be hunted closer and cheaper. A summer fishing trip is financially more likely for me.

For me, my ideal hunting trip would be a guided back country elk hunt. It would still be a once in a lifetime thing, but possible. A DIY hunt for elk is very doable, and will be my next trip.

[Doyle]

A guy I know here in FL did a horsback elk trip into the a wilderness area in Idaho - the kind of place where no gas engines are allowed so you don't see another sole for weeks. He was on a week-long hunt but was the first hunter in camp to get his elk and he did it on the first day. Luckily, he brought along a fly rod and he kept the camp supplied with fresh trout. He said that it was definitely the trip of a lifetime.

[jmr40]

A guy I know here in FL did a horsback elk trip into the a wilderness area in Idaho - the kind of place where no gas engines are allowed so you don't see another sole for weeks. He was on a week-long hunt but was the first hunter in camp to get his elk and he did it on the first day. Luckily, he brought along a fly rod and he kept the camp supplied with fresh trout. He said that it was definitely the trip of a lifetime.

That is the type of thing I was talking about. Something like this could be done for around $5000-$10,000, probably closer to $5K. That is a lot of money for me, but I could probably justify it for a once in a lifetime experience. A DIY backpack hunt into a similar area could be done for under $2000, including driving from GA to one of the western states, especially if you are with a partner to share expenses. Of course the odds of success are lower without a guide.

[Palmetto-Pride]

Maybe if you narrowed down exactly what animal or animals you would like to hunt that would help you and people trying to give you info. Example if a huge free roaming whitetail was what I was after I would probably try to go to Saskatchewan, Canada.......

[BuckRub]

All those Hugh price tags, I think I'll stay home and keep shooting deer, hogs, enemy squirrels. These whitetail in Texas taste just as good! I'd rather spend the 10,000 dollars on ammo to play with. Lol

[ligonierbill]

Elk hunt in the Rockies, on horseback, with a wrangler and cook. It just doesn't get any better. Pick your state. Montana has the Bob Marshall, Idaho the Frank Church, Colorado Maroon Bells, etc, etc. Of course, Mother Nature may put you butt deep in snow. Once in a lifetime? Nope, you'll be back.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Self-guided elk hunt in Gunnison National Forest, Colorado. If you want to get crazy expensive, rent an RV. Otherwise, you could do the whole trip for under $2,000 a person, EASY. Drive out and live in a tent, $1,000 a person.

[Doyle]

Brian, my parents moved to Grand Junction way back in the early '80s while I was in college. While they were there (only a couple of years) I had a chance to tour the area. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison was one of the most beautiful areas I have ever seen.

[alaskabushman]

I do an Alaskan hunt every year...almost every day...I never spend 30k...

[Jack O'Conner]

Years ago, I was stationed at Travis AF Base in northern California. My buddy and I backpacked into the Carson Iceberg Wilderness to hunt high elevation mule deer. We set up our base camp approx 4 miles from the trailhead near base of Peepsight Peak. We filled our tags every trip and had a great time within this remote alpine wilderness. These hunts took place in mid-September.

Weather was always California perfect! Warm and clear during the day and cold at night.

Jack

[Kimber84]

Originally Posted by jmr40

That is the type of thing I was talking about. Something like this could be done for around $5000-$10,000, probably closer to $5K. That is a lot of money for me, but I could probably justify it for a once in a lifetime experience. A DIY backpack hunt into a similar area could be done for under $2000, including driving from GA to one of the western states, especially if you are with a partner to share expenses. Of course the odds of success are lower without a guide.

We are doing a semi-backpack hunt in northwestern nebraska this fall for rifle. Tag is over the counter for $209, plus a $20 habitat stamp. We are just planning on backpacking around the Sandhills and chasing mulies... Their NF and wilderness areas aren't nearly as big as the wide open western states, but its cost effective and a change of scenery.