I am often asked how, or why, my brother and I chose the out of state hunts that we do. We are always looking for a new and exciting hunt to test our hunting knowledge and it comes down to 5 categories when searching for those types of hunts.
Type of Hunt:
This is the most important thing to me when it comes to choosing a hunt. The hunt needs to get me excited about the potential possibilities and leave me with no doubts. If it doesn’t get me excited I won’t waste my time. My first preference on a hunt is with a bow, not to say I wouldn’t do a rifle hunt, but I don’t think its even close to the same experience. Then it comes down to the type of game that I would be hunting. Right now I am most interested in common big game animals, but open to anything as long as the next 4 categories make since.
Outfitter or DIY:
I have yet to go through an outfitter on any hunt as my preference is a do it yourself hunt. In my opinion if you can get away from using an outfitter the better the experience. Most outfitters have strict rules and there is no say in what you do or how you hunt, you’re just following their directions. I believe it takes out some of the excitement of the hunt. In some instances though going through an outfitter is the best and only option. There are a lot of hunts where their accommodations and land access can’t be beat or achieved on your own. When selecting an outfitter I will be looking for one that is more there to act as support and a resource but allows you to make the final decision about your hunt. On a DIY hunt, it’s your decisions that determine your success. Of course this requires a lot more research and scouting on your end, but there is no equivalent to the feeling of accomplishment you get from a DIY harvest.
Price:
Unfortunately I have to pay attention to this. With prices increasing across the board, it makes some dream hunts an unforeseeable reality. Out of state tags can be over $500, add a $500 flight or gas, and $800 lodging now you’re really getting up there. It helps when you have a hunting partner or two to help split the traveling and lodging cost. But if you are all flying then you’re not catching a break on anything other than lodging. To help mitigate our expenses with future hunts, we purchased an enclosed trailer that we customized for lodging and figure on hitting our break even point just after 3 out of state hunts.
Recommendations:
One of the best ways to select a hunt to go on is by choosing one that you know somebody has gone on and had a great experience. Usually the first thing asked to someone coming back from a hunting trip is “Did you get anything?” If the answer is no, usually everyone loses interest in their hunting stories and sees their hunt as a waste. I like to ask “how was the hunt” and “tell me all about it.” You’ll usually find that even though they didn’t harvest anything, they had many successful hunts and that this is a hunt for you to seriously consider.
Hunting with Family and or Friends:
I personally would never go on a hunting trip without a family member or friend. Hunting to me is most exciting when someone close to you is a part of the experience. I will only choose hunts that either my brother, dad, or friends will go on with me. The down side to this is that they can make choosing a hunt very difficult for different reasons. If I want to go on a hunt with my dad (which is priority) it’s going to be focused more on the physical side that most likely involves blinds with close access. When hunting with my brother and or friends it usually involves things such as money, time from work, and the home life, which makes it pretty difficult to ever agree on anything. Fuzz
