Hunting out west

[GeorgiaBoy10]

For much of my life, I've hunted mainly deer and turkeys. I want a new challenge. What would be better than hunting out west. I would like to be able to hunt all the animals the western united states has to offer. What kind of tips do y'all have? I will hunt mostly with a bow. Are there places out west better than others? I have family in Utah

 

[muleman]

Utah has a few tags left over for archery deer every year. General archery elk in Utah is OTC. These hunts might be a good way to get you started, given the family in the state.

Some western states have decent OTC units but they are generally busy if they are any good. To get premium western tags you will need to start playing the application game and expect waiting years to draw a premium tag..

 

[realunlucky]

You can buy points in Wyoming til the 30th I believe. With one point you can draw a variety of antelope units and guaranteed a general elk tag. Antelope is a great way to introduce yourself to the west its also the cheapest. Utah can offer a variety of terrain and some breath taking scenery but will also have more people afield.

 

[NoWiser]

You can buy points in Wyoming til the 30th I believe. With one point you can draw a variety of antelope units and guaranteed a general elk tag. Antelope is a great way to introduce yourself to the west its also the cheapest. Utah can offer a variety of terrain and some breath taking scenery but will also have more people afield.

Unfortunately 1 point will not guarantee a general elk tag anymore unless you want to pay for the special license. Only 67% of nonresidents drew the general tag with their 1 preference point this year. Of course, some drew in the random draw. I bet only about 50% with one point will draw next year.

You have some solid advice regarding the antelope hunt. Wyoming is definitely a good place to start. If I were you I'd buy a point for elk, deer, and pronghorn before Sept. 30th. Do a little research before you decide whether or not you want to get into the point game with mtn goat, sheep, and moose, though. I decided not to get in the game for those species in Wyoming.

Montana could be a good option as well for elk and muleys and will most likely have leftover tags to buy next summer.

 

[WRO]

If you are going out blind, hedge your bets. I'd recommend either using an outfitter or doing a private land access hunt deal. It will give you an idea of what to expect and how the animals are going to react.

 

[LaHunter]

This will be my 2nd year in a row, third time total, to hunt in the mountain west. I actually started my research / gearing up approximately 14-16 months before my first hunt. A good resource that I have used is the Eastman's Hunting Journal magazine. It has a section in each issue that outlines the draw process and draw odds for a given species in a given state. Also, they rate areas based on public access, which is an important factor. This is a good starting point.
Also, you need to go the the websites of the game and fish dept of the states that you may be considering. There is some useful info on some of these sites if you look for it, such as draw odds and hunter success percentages, public access, etc.
Read as much material that you can get your hands on about hunting the particular animal that you will be going after. It is very different from hunting whitetails.
For now, I hunt 1 species (mule deer) at a time. For me, I think it would be too much to try to combine 2 animals into 1 hunt.
There is some good info on internet forums, its just hard to know the good from the bad unless you spend a little time there and get an understanding of the experience level of those giving advise.

Obviously the "What" and the "Where" are questions that you will need to get answered first, but the "Gearing Up" is part of the process that seems like it never ends.


For me, the research is one part of the process that adds to the fun.

Good Luck

 

[bigeasygator]

LAHunter has some great advice. It really can be overwhelming and the variety of both species, terrain, and access can leave your head spinning. I'm a fellow flatlander and southerner, and I've done 8 elk hunts now in the last 6 years. I've hunted old-growth forests in northern Idaho, high desert in New Mexico, and at timberline in Colorado. I've done it on horseback, via vehicle, and on foot. I've stayed in 2-man tents, wall tents, campers, and cabins. I've done it via drop camp, guided, and DIY. 90% of this has been on public land but some hunting has been on private land. And that's only the elk hunting -- I've also hunted mule deer and bear as well.

I don't say all of that to sound like an expert or anything (some folks on here probably spend more time in the mountains in one year than I have on all of these hunts combined!). I only say it to drive home the part around all the different options that you'll need to consider. Other variables such as tag availability, budget, and vacation time will also have a huge impact on how you go about things.

Do you have any more specific questions or ideas on the kind of experience you want at this point? If not, I'd spend some time learning the draw process and where some of the OTC opportunities are and I'd get a sense for what kind of experience you want to have (guided/DIY, easy access/difficult access, high country/high desert/etc). There's a lot of information to digest and scouring the magazines, books, and these forums will help give you an idea of what you're looking for -- and hey, it gives you something to do in the off season!

Good luck!