Midwest Hunt Opinions

[Kcam]

Looking for some advice from EXPERENCED multispecies Midwest hunters. I've Bow Hunted Utah Mule Deer as a youth and absolutley loved it although I was not successful it was a blast. I've always wanted to backpack hunt Elk in Colorado. Problem with that is I've never Spike Camp hunted and Never hunted elk. I know it sounds a little ambitious or even crazy to think about being successful given the odds but its gonna happen sooner or later good lord willing. My question is if you was looking to start chasing big game we dont have here in the south where would you start and why?

 

[Titan_Bow]

Just take the plunge, it’s seriously not that difficult given the right expectations, and the only way to do it is to do it. Sure, above timber chasing mulies at 12k feet might be a little ambitious, but regardless, the only way to learn and find success is to just do it. I would suggest something like mulies or elk in the Missouri Breaks. Or perhaps spring bears in Idaho or Montana. Colorado elk is hard to beat, but getting away from the crowds is going to be tough. Antelope in Wyoming is fun as well. I think there’s more antelope there than people. Literally. You should set a realistic goal first and foremost. Maybe it’s shooting a velvet buck above tree line. Or shooting an elk on OTC public land.. set a realistic goal and then start thinking about hunts and trips that work towards that goal. Family vacation out west and use a day or so to scout an area. At the end of the day, don’t overthink it too much. You don’t need to be Cam Hanes to elk hunt, and you don’t have to have head to toe Sitka and a 700 dollar Kifaru.


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[backcountry_hunter]

Western Kansas, western Nebraska, western dakotas or eastern Montana are great places to get your feet wet. They wont kill you but will give you great SA on what you'll need and what you wont for going in deeper in more rugged country for bigger animals.

 

[bozeman]

I was in the same boat in 2014 and started saving for a guided hunt in 2017 for elk. I learned ALOT and am going DIY in 2019 if I draw a tag. I payed some $ for the guided but was upfront on what I was doing and was shown/taught a good bit by the outfitter and guides. There will be plenty more to learn since I am from AL and mostly whitetail hunt, but that was $ we’ll spent IMO. You just have to finally make the decision and go. Drove solo and got paired up with a guide from CA and truly enjoyed it. Can’t wait to go back! Best of luck!

 

[MidwestElkHutner]

Was in the same position as you...telling myself one of these days I will go out west to hunt elk and mules. Time passed, year after year didn't go for one made up reason or another. Finally, took the plunge and hunting hasn't been the same the last four years...I still hunt whitetails and ducks here in MO, but I'm constantly preparing and anticipating my next western adventure. Set realistic expectations and go from there. My first year was to take a legal mule deer. Hunted hard and was successful...each year the goal changes and grows. If your expectation is simply to go out west and enjoy the beautiful country and possibly harvest a legal animal, you won't be disappointed!!! Set a goal, apply for the necessary tag, practice shooting (rifle or bow), train hard, and the experience itself will change you. I don't know why I waited so long. Best advice I can give is...Go for it!!!

 

[Rthur]

After you do it you'll be pissed you waited so long to start.
There are a finite number of seasons...

R

 

[vanish]

The thread title confuses me. The Midwest is: North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.

Sounds more like you're talking about Western hunting?

 

[Backyard]

The thread title confuses me. The Midwest is: North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.

Sounds more like you're talking about Western hunting?

Pretty sure OP is asking for hunters from the midwest who have taken the plunge into multi species western big game hunting, i.e. elk.

 

[Doc Holliday]

I was in the same boat in 2014 and started saving for a guided hunt in 2017 for elk. I learned ALOT and am going DIY in 2019 if I draw a tag. I payed some $ for the guided but was upfront on what I was doing and was shown/taught a good bit by the outfitter and guides. There will be plenty more to learn since I am from AL and mostly whitetail hunt, but that was $ we’ll spent IMO. You just have to finally make the decision and go. Drove solo and got paired up with a guide from CA and truly enjoyed it. Can’t wait to go back! Best of luck!

Great post ^

I know several lifelong deer hunters from GA/FL/AL who go have gone DIY to Colorado on an elk hunt. They have no clue what they are getting into, all go out and get a reality check (physical fitness, clothing, food, camping, etc.) and come back empty handed. Go on a guided trip and learn how it is done, the gear, the physical demands, then go apply your knowledge on DIY hunts if you have the time.

 

[elkdog]

I would start in Idaho maybe Colorado. Start buying points in Arizona.

 

[WoolyBugger]

Same way you start with hunting anything in the midwest, do it. It's just a longer drive

 

[44maghunter]

I took the plunge 2 years ago after saying i was going to do it for years. I just finally said screw it and a couple buddies and i drove to wyoming from wisconsin for an antelope hunt (excellent starter hunt!) It was one of the most fun hunts i have ever done, and each one of us got a nice buck, diy public land. Just go for it, because once you go you are hooked, and you can fine tune your hunts every year you go back

 

[Dooger]

I finally took the plunge this year and headed west from MI, solo. Shot a nice WT. You wanna see pressure?...come to MI, MN or WI. Wanna see quality animals and hunt in their terms, go west. I started applying for points 4-5 years ago when I couldn’t hunt out of state in the Midwest due to recently having children. Now it’s paying off, finally. I have points all over the place now and can’t even decide what/where to hunt next year...mo problems!

 

[nagibson1]

the line "a couple of buddies" is key. I started in 2014 going every other year, and hopefully this year will start me going every year. I didn't have the money to get a guide since I have four children and only my income. So I did the hard way – reading, finding deals on gear, and working out like crazy because I couldn't afford horses.

Success rates are fairly low in OTC areas, but you have to remember that most people hunting don't go more than 1 mile from their car. The guys that post on sites like this often go the extra mile, but they are more the exception than the rule. It can be hard to beat the crowds, but it can be done, and you can kill animals within a mile of another guy. Last time I was out, I killed a 198 mule deer about a mile and 1/2 from my camp which was at the end of a road. the bull I killed the trip before was about 2 miles from that same camp.

If you like to read about hunting, and you learn well from books, and you have ambitious buddies who don't mind being uncomfortable and actually getting in shape, you can do a DIY hunt and have a reasonable chance of decent success. But if you are use to hunting animals and stands or blinds, Western hunting is wonderfully different. It is one of the more grueling experiences I have ever experienced. By Wednesday I had to pry myself out of bed to hunt in the rain – but that was the day I found two coyotes circling a mule deer that I killed under the light rain in a grove of aspens. it was by far the best wildlife moment of my life. It's hard to deer hunt now here in Wisconsin. It just feels like rank boredom. My first trip cost right at $1000 and I came home with 350 pounds of elk meat. But I was the only guy out of our five that got an animal ( which means I had to share some).