$5k - $6k for a hunt….where would you go, what would you hunt?

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
16,138
Location
Colorado Springs
It sounds like you have $5k-$6k burning a hole in your pocket, and just looking for advice on where to spend it. I wouldn't spend it, I'd invest it. Or just put it in a money market for an emergency fund if you don't have that yet. Now......if you already have all that and you're financially secure, then I'd figure out what you really want to hunt first, and then figure out what that particular hunt would cost.
 

RO1459

FNG
Joined
Jun 13, 2020
Messages
66
If you want a nice elk hunt, try Jeannie Horne at J Bar H Outfitters in North Colorado. We've hunted with her several times and have gotten elk each time.

Good luck.
 

Gsquared

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 26, 2017
Messages
211
If you had $5k - $6k to spend on a guided hunt, not counting transportation, where would you go and what would you hunt?
Specific outfitter recommendations would be great!

Looking at the 2024-2025 season.
Spring Bear in BC. Lots of options. DM me if you want a recommendation.
 

Novashooter

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 14, 2023
Messages
286
I would look at a canoe in trip in Northern MN for bear or deer. With the budget listed.

Black bear in the BWCA is definitely something I want to do, and may do next year. Cant bait there, and hunter success is in the single digit %. Very difficult, and very rewarding hunt. Also not $5000. Tag is about $240, drawing that area is easy, but needs at least 2 preference points. No real cost beyond normal camping. You would have to really go nuts to blow $1000 on this. $500 is more realistic, maybe a bit more if you are driving from farther away.

I would not waste my time in northern MN deer as a non-resident. There's big ones around, but there are very few deer per square mile. The southern 2/3rds (and NW) parts of the state have just as big of bucks, and WAY more deer overall.

The key to the original question for me is he wants a guide. It's really hard to DIY any big game in Alaska for $5000. Caribou or black bear would be cheapest, although flights alone are probably going to be half your budget to begin with. You MIGHT be able to squeak in a guided black bear or caribou, tags, flights, guide, etc. for that $5000-$6000 range, but I doubt it.

Anything in the lower 48 that justifies $5000+ also requires years, or decades of preference points, or shear dumb luck.

If it were me right now, the highest thing on my bucket list would be a guided moose hunt in Canada. There are some that are that cheap, but not a lot. You might be pushing that budget if you include flights, meat transport, etc.

Another one is an African safari. There's lots of animals you can hunt there that surprisingly don't cost as much as you would think.
 

jblam

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 19, 2020
Messages
129
I bet if you called a guide in Texas, you could clip and axis deer, some hogs, sand hill cranes, and probably one other little side activity. I went in May (just for axis) and it was really great. Will be going again.
 

WRO

WKR
Joined
Nov 6, 2013
Messages
3,349
Location
Idaho
Anything in the lower 48 that justifies $5000+ also requires years, or decades of preference points, or shear dumb luck.

Not true at all..

NM private land Antelope are OTC with a good shot at a BC buck in many cases.
Cats in NV and NM are otc
Oregon has outfitter tags that NR's can buy rather cheaply as part of a hunt
Elk and deer in ID have outfitter allocated tags
Guide draw NM tags have pretty good odds for elk depending on the unit
Nebraska and SD/ND have big mule deer in places OTC
There are big deer killed every year on OTC private hunts in AZ
Private land ORYX in NM is OTC and would come in at the top of your budget
A good free range barbary sheep is OTC
The list goes on..
 
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