Best value for the dollar game animals and regions to hunt?

[steelheadmike]

Not necessarily, I'm thinking big adventure on a small budget.

But number of game harvested/dollar spent is also a consideration.

Ptarmigan in the high high high country of CA or CO. Or, himalayan snowcock in NV,

 

[Glendon Mullins]

virginia is 2 deer per day, 6 per year, no more than 3 bucks

Deer Hunting Regulations and Seasons

Regulations, restrictions and seasons regarding the seasonal hunting of deer within Virginia for 2024 through 2025

dwr.virginia.gov

where I live (west of blue ridge) it's only 2 bucks, one of which must have 4 points on one side.

I dont hunt much east of the blue ridge, i know their regs are a lot different than here. That's where I could get a 3rd buck if I wanted to try etc. I dont mess with does much so i have no clue without looking at my license how many i can kill. but i know u can buy "bonus" tags for like 6 does at a time lol

 

[JFK]

I wouldn’t travel too far to do it, but I’ve got good pig hunting a little over an hour from where I live in Ca. This year they went to a $25 stamp good for unlimited pigs. Finding and killing them on public is very hard though. We hunt them like deer, get up high and glass a lot. It’s the most fun per dollar for me. Private guided pig hunts increase your odds of success significantly, but the cost has shot up in recent years and they are going for $1,000+ now days.

 

[farmermail]

Considering prices are all over the place, a bit of math: Let's say one wants to hunt bull elk in the west somewhere. Call it $10k for everything (travel, tag, guide fee, etc.). Might be more, less, fine, but just a number.

• Africa safari: Plains animals, what, roughly $5k for 6? Airfare: $1500ish. Shipping all the animals back (excludes taxidermy, just shipping),$1500ish? Total, roughly $8k+/-. Success rate is 100% or something very high.
• New Zealand (I have hunted stag, chamois, and tahr there a while back): airfare, hunt, etc. north of $10k anymore. Again, very high success rate.
  • Side note: New Zealand has elk as well as red deer.
• Hunting "back east" in the USA: Tags are cheap, but where does one actually hunt AND have a lot of success? Most land is private (limited public land), I would think one would have to factor in access costs (lease, trespass fees, whatever) to get a total. I am curious what the success rate (animal harvest) would be for a non-resident hunting public land during general seasons. I honestly don't know. I suspect it would be pretty low for the first few years anyway. That rate would probably go up with the right opportunity on private land/lease.

I agree with @wytx that late season cow elk hunts, public land DIY are probably the best value out there for meat hunts. Tags aren't the easiest to get, but decent value prop, and very high success rates. For trophy hunting, wow, value is in the eye of the beholder. Big bull elk in Utah? Bongo in Cameroon? New Zealand Red Stag?

 

[Timberline001]

I just did a DIY aoudad ewe hunt on a 25,000 acre ranch. Had the whole ranch to myself and it was a blast. Ram's cost $6000 and the ewe was only $800. It cost more in fuel to make the 46 hour round trip drive hahaha.

Never thought of that. Might have to do that next off season.

 

[Ferrulewax]

Y'all stay y'alls asses on that side of the MS River. We're full over here in the southeast. Don't need any non-resident overcrowding.

Yeah! Don’t come screw with my resident draw odds! Locals only!!

 

[Glendon Mullins]

• Hunting "back east" in the USA: Tags are cheap, but where does one actually hunt AND have a lot of success? Most land is private (limited public land), I would think one would have to factor in access costs (lease, trespass fees, whatever) to get a total. I am curious what the success rate (animal harvest) would be for a non-resident hunting public land during general seasons. I honestly don't know. I suspect it would be pretty low for the first few years anyway. That rate would probably go up with the right opportunity on private land/lease.

Don't know how you get that public land is "limted" in the east?? there is tons of it. Huge national forests, Wildlife Management areas, Military Bases that allow hunting, some national wildlife refuges, is some states u can hunt state forests and there are draw/quota hunts you can put in for to hunt other areas as well.

If your not picky on whitetail, I would say success rate is between 80 and 100% even on public, obviously some places or states would be better than others. If you count does success rate would probably be over 100% in certain areas. Like i say though, that's if your not picky and just hunting for meat and the experience etc. if you set a limit on your self like "Im not killing anything below 125-130 inch buck then your success rate would fall, in some areas maybe even drastically. But other than that pretty much every kills em a deer out this way lol

 

[farmermail]

Don't know how you get that public land is "limted" in the east?? there is tons of it. Huge national forests, Wildlife Management areas, Military Bases that allow hunting, some national wildlife refuges, is some states u can hunt state forests and there are draw/quota hunts you can put in for to hunt other areas as well.

If your not picky on whitetail, I would say success rate is between 80 and 100% even on public, obviously some places or states would be better than others. If you count does success rate would probably be over 100% in certain areas. Like i say though, that's if your not picky and just hunting for meat and the experience etc. if you set a limit on your self like "Im not killing anything below 125-130 inch buck then your success rate would fall, in some areas maybe even drastically. But other than that pretty much every kills em a deer out this way lol

Good to know and thanks for the heads up. Grew up in Illinois, public land there very limited from the concept of percent of overall (I think is about 5% public, give or take for example). That said, doesn't matter how much land, just that it is huntable and holds game to your point. Been on hunts where "we have 50,000 acres...", of which 500 actually would hold game, the rest is barren as barren gets. Been on hunts where it is "just" a 1,000 acre patch, and all 1,000 hold game.

 

[Glendon Mullins]

Good to know and thanks for the heads up. Grew up in Illinois, public land there very limited from the concept of percent of overall (I think is about 5% public, give or take for example). That said, doesn't matter how much land, just that it is huntable and holds game to your point. Been on hunts where "we have 50,000 acres...", of which 500 actually would hold game, the rest is barren as barren gets. Been on hunts where it is "just" a 1,000 acre patch, and all 1,000 hold game.

Same here brother, same here

 

[fuzzymarindave]

Y'all stay y'alls asses on that side of the MS River. We're full over here in the southeast. Don't need any non-resident overcrowding.

Sure no problem. Just let us know where that honey hole is so we can not go there

 

[Yoder]

I don't even know why I'm posting this. It's like shooting your own foot. PA is pretty cheap for a NR license. Standard license comes with fall and spring turkey, small game and a buck tag. Bear tags are cheap. You can also apply for doe tags and the first one is almost guaranteed. PA has a lot of hunters but also a lot of public land. From what I've seen, if you archery hunt during the week, you have the woods to yourself. Since they started the antler restrictions, the quality of bucks is much better. For the last 20 years, I've never had a season where I didn't at least have a few opportunities at killing something that was legal size.

 

[ChrisA]

Iowa Landowner deer tag is a great value, especially if you already own the farm and it's generating a positive cash flow.

 

[FAAFO]

I’m not going to species burn on the internet

 

[robtattoo]

In Tennessee, $305 gets non residents access to hunt 2.4  million acres of public land, 2 bucks, up to 3 does per day, 2 spring turkeys, 2 fall turkeys & a bear. Hog regulations are a little hinky, but there's no limit on them.
We have a weekend velvet season in late August, bow season kicks off in mid September, we have a 2 week Muzzleloader season, rifle season runs from Thanksgiving & we can hunt right up to the first Sunday in January. November thru late December rut (right into January in a couple of counties) & the hunting can be as easy or as hard as you want it to be.

 

[kfili]

Don't know how you get that public land is "limted" in the east?? there is tons of it. Huge national forests, Wildlife Management areas, Military Bases that allow hunting, some national wildlife refuges, is some states u can hunt state forests and there are draw/quota hunts you can put in for to hunt other areas as well.

If your not picky on whitetail, I would say success rate is between 80 and 100% even on public, obviously some places or states would be better than others. If you count does success rate would probably be over 100% in certain areas. Like i say though, that's if your not picky and just hunting for meat and the experience etc. if you set a limit on your self like "Im not killing anything below 125-130 inch buck then your success rate would fall, in some areas maybe even drastically. But other than that pretty much every kills em a deer out this way lol

Man the VA public you hunt is very different from what I hunt. I'm not picky and was very pleased to take a couple does this year. I hunt national forest land fwiw.

 

[nsimmons]

As someone out west I have been thinking hard about going out east. Being drawn for deer every 2-3 years is really pissing me off.

I don’t know anyone out there with land, or anything about it… but it’s on the agenda to learn about for next year.

Pa and new york are pretty decent.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

In the county my land is in Missouri, I can buy an any deer permit and 4 doe permits for about $380. I use frequent flier miles to get there and find the cheapest rent-a-wreck I can find. Pretty cheap hunt.