Other than some local hunts for whitetails and a weekend trip to Kansas for whitetail and pheasant, my fall big game hunting trips are over for the year. Below are the totals:

New Mexico in August for 5 day guided bear with my 13 year old daughter. 5 days door to door 3 days hunting. Trip cost with tip @ $3000.00. 1600 miles round trip. One huge black bear taken by her. 7.62 X 39. Shot distance 75 feet.

Wyoming for Pronghorn in September. DYI with 3 other guys. 4.5 days door to door with 2 days hunting and one day scouting. Trip cost @ $800.00. Cheap guys I hunted with didn't tip me for my excellent guidance and skinning skills. 1600 miles round trip. One buck and one doe antelope taken by each member. 30.06 for 350 yard shot and S&W 44 mag for 51 yard shot.

Colorado Mule deer and Elk 5 day guided combination hunt in October. 8 days door to door all 5 days hunted. Trip cost with land owner deer voucher and tips @ $5,200.00. 1600 miles round trip. One 5x5 bull killed and 2 bucks under my trophy standards passed. Ruger 338 Win Mag for a shot a bit over 400 yards. I normally don't shoot this far even though I practice out to 500 yards, but this was the only shot I was going to get and I could not get closer. The exact range was known. A Barnes 225 will penetrate very well at that range.

End result:

@ $9,000.00 in total expenses for some great memories.

4700 miles driven (with the exception of western Kansas) to and through some spectacular county. I-35, I-70, and I-80 are in good shape for the most part. I-25 in Northern NM has some major work and delays in progress and I-40 in West Texas and Eastern NM has some work going on and a bit more needed.

17.5 days out of the office doing what I love (even if I did drive I still got to watch the scenery).

10 days packing a rifle in God's country doing what I love to do the most and killing some fine game. Highlight was watching my daughter deal with adversity, disappointment and hardships and putting her shooting lessons to work when the time came. I like to think I am tough and get the job done when it comes time, but I am certain she is because I witnessed with my own eyes. Also had two hunts with my stepdad who I love dearly, and one hunt each with my brother, father and a good friend. Told stories, lies and jokes. Farted, belched, sweated, ached, gasp for air, got a bit saddle sore and never once lost my cool, temper or mind. Made some good shots and one not so good one to remind me to do better next time. Cut up and am using all the meat myself just to remind me of the days when I couldn't afford to have it processed and one whitetail deer a season was a big deal.

I guess the break down is $9,000.00 divided by 10 actual hunting days for $900.00 per day. This time and cost total closely matches a basic plains game hunt in Africa and the bag total is about the same if I would have filled another doe permit or killed a lesser buck.

There are pretty places in Africa, but nothing to compare to the mountain west and southwest of the good old USA and I have never had a hunt in Africa nearly as tough as the bear or elk hunt this year. Rain, snow, cold, wind and inclines that make my 44 year old legs burn and remind me I ain't a kid any more.

Perry.

Sounds like you had a great time. How about some pictures between each paragraph?

Use photobucket to host pic's.

quote:

There are pretty places in Africa, but nothing to compare to the mountain west and southwest of the good old USA and I have never had a hunt in Africa nearly as tough as the bear or elk hunt this year. Rain, snow, cold, wind and inclines that make my 44 year old legs burn and remind me I ain't a kid any more.

Plus no 17 hours on an airplane!

Hey Perry - good going! I like this format too. I'm not done for the year (cow elk muzzleloader in December), but I think I may have to use your format to figure my daily costs, just 'cuz. Thanks for the report, and for the idea.

excellent post.

PWN375... You are the Man! Great report and better perspective! I'm glad your daughter met the challenge, and she will be up for more. Well done and honest...

Great post Perry. I truly enjoyed reading of your adventures.

It sounds like a good time was had but there is another side to the coin. I would ask the question, if one could go to Africa for the same money, why not go to Africa? $9,000 is about what I paid for almost 3 weeks in Africa with 9 animals and bunches of photos taken. Of course, shipping the torphies and taxidermy fees added quite a bit to that.

I've been very fortunate to have hunted in Africa 5 out of the past 6 years and wanted to expirence a couple of mountain hunts this year. Besides, Africa doesn't have elk, mule deer, pronghorn nor bears. I guess a guy needs a really difficult hunt once in a while or we forget what it is like to earn the animals we kill. The most difficult hunt I have had in Africa was for elephant and it didn't compare at all to the elk or bear hunts in physical difficulty. I love all hunting, but had neglected hunting the US for the past few years and thought it was time to catch up a bit.

Perry