question for travelled hunters: where would you start if…

[Upstatepe]

Chapunga Safaris

 

[Bubblehide]

should’ve clarified, for me, exotic landscapes, unique experience. Difficult

Come to California

 

[Old and gray]

Do a 21 day combo hunt in the Yukon

 

[ReddingArcher]

You want a physically demanding hunt, try B zone in California in one of the wilderness areas. Hot, steep, dry as a popcorn fart and a blast.
I’d also look at Africa, I haven’t been but I’ve been doing a ton of research. I think that’ll be my next adventure. I want to shoot a Cape buffalo real bad. A sheep hunt in the NWT is also a hell of an adventure, getting pretty pricey, but it’s a hunt that will change you.

 

[Sierra Hunter]

Update us on what you’re narrowing it to or book and timeline

 

[wildwilderness]

my brother and I always talk about going in on some Iowa white tail land… they ain’t making any more of it!

Not worth it unless you live in Iowa. No landowner tags so can’t hunt often, some areas are 5 years to draw an archery tag.

 

[wildwilderness]

I’m twice your age and I have travelled a bit, and hunted a lot of neat places. I’ve chased the NA 29 (Canada, Mexico, USA, Greenland) Dangerous 7 and some neat others (Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa) and Hunted Argentina and Australia - not all hunts have been successful in killing an animal, or logistics, guides etc. I still have a few more places to go- Mid-Asia mountain hunts, maybe NZ, and many hunts I want to go back and do again…

Based on your limited information what seems like the most important thing you are missing is personal hunting experience. The best way to do that is learn how to hunt DIY. And also if you want difficult do it with a bow! as any true bowhunter would say it’s too easy with a rifle (I am an equal opportunity hunter and probably go 50/50 bow / rifle depending on hunt and odds of success- some hunts truly are super easy with a rifle and some international hunts and guided ones are just about paying the money… cheapens the experience for me)


The most satisfying hunts I had took the most effort. A thing I notice a lot of eastern hunters severely lack is Backpacking ability and skills to break down and pack meat.

Some key hunts to do DIY and pack in, all accessible tags and physical-

Bowhunt September Elk in the rut

Kill a mature mule deer (Aug archery in Velvet or Rifle in Oct-Nov)

A trip that changed my life was a DIY Summer Archery Kodiak Sitka Blacktail deer, and salmon/ocean fishing when I was 30) It opened my eyes to all the possibilities and validated my abilities, so much that I ended up moving to Alaska. (I love the summer on Kodiak, and easier to drop camp and salmon running)


At this point in your life use your money to Buy Time for personal growth and skills as a hunter and gear. You will have plenty of options later to use money to pay for other hunts or access that will mean more to you once you learn what you can do personally

 

[Blockcaver]

Hunt everything you can DIY from Alaska to Arizona. Save money, etc. Then as your career develops and you can more readily afford guided hunts, start going on one every now and then for species you can’t DIY.

I bowhunt and know it is likely to take multiple trips for success….”Dang the bad luck, I have to go back and hunt that species again” is my motto and meant tongue in cheek given my love of hunting!

 

[TMA805]

If you have the $$ funds now, do a proper mtn sheep hunt (backpack or horse) in Canada or Alaska. Prices will only continue to rise and you mentioned "difficult" as interest. You'll look back on it many years & be glad you did it now, for multitude of reasons. Africa, NZ, even most Mid Asia(not all) don't require nearly the same physical fitness & preparation. Those & all sorts of other exotic places can be done later in life.

 

[Hazarmaveth]

I'm no experience hunter, but my dream would definitely be Alaska. I'd go for Caribou, Moose, and Brown Bear.

After talking to a guy, a cull hunt in Africa is very accessible, and I'm thinking I might have to start planning for that. No trophies, but a lot of experience hunting and field shooting.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I’d do a really good long range shooting course and book a Marco polo sheep hunt.

 

[Sheep_Fever_AK]

I’d do a really good long range shooting course and book a Marco polo sheep hunt.

I was going to say BC stone sheep, but Marco Polo would truly be an incredible once in a lifetime experience

 

[chasewild]

I was going to say BC stone sheep, but Marco Polo would truly be an incredible once in a lifetime experience

I watched Pedro Ampuero's Marco Polo archery hunt (three hunts in one vid) and it matched up with a few people I know who have done it -- the guides can make or break that hunt unlike any other!

 

[MtnW]

I spent 3+ weeks in the Mackenzie Mtns in the NWT with a pocket full of tags. Most fun, remote , beautiful and wildest hunting adventure of my lifetime.