Ok, really don't know where to start, but I'll try..

I'm a norwegian hunter, who would like to try a combo hunt for whitetail and mule deer. The possibilities are great in many states, so I guess it's hard to give exact advice.

Just wanted to start this discussion, to learn more and hopefully make a good choice within a year or two.

Where to go for such a hunt? Which time of the year? What would normally be the expenses for a guided hunt? How many days would you set aside, and what other game can be included?
Turkey, antelope, black bear, (coues?) ???

I know this is very general questions, but I had to start somewhere..

Thanks in advance! Hoping for as much input as possible..

Sir,

If it was me looking for a combo hunt for both Mule Deer and Whitetail, I would look to hunt Northwest South Dakota, Northeast Wyoming, and South East Montana. The reasons being:

To hunt a combo hunt for two species of deer you will probably need to hunt in 2 states.

This area holds good numbers of mature deer of both species.

Montana has outfitter tags that you could purchase without having to draw, Wyoming almost always has left over tags for Area A in extreme Northeast Wyoming but it takes an outfitter to access ground to hunt, and South Dakota you may have to draw.

There are a couple outfitters who lease ground in all 3 states so you could stay with one outfitter and hunt all 3 states.

The seasons overlap. I would look at coming out this weekend 2 years from now. The rut has just started. Wyoming and Montana's season is open and South Dakota's opens this weekend.

Hope this helps and if you have any further questions feel free to pm me.

ddj

The previous poster gave some good advice.

I've hunted in northeastern Montana for most of the 1980's and 1990's and have taken mule deer and whitetail on the same hunt. The first issue you will face is that in Montana you can only get one deer "A" tag. The "A" tag is good for a buck or doe of either species. In other words you can only shoot one buck, be it a mule deer or whitetail. Deer "B" tags are usually available. The "B" tag is for antlerless deer only and is species-specific with more available for whitetail than mule deer.

If you want to take a buck of each species you will have to hunt 2 states. The seasons generally overlap so it should be possible to set something up. The big issue will be drawing the tags in 2 states. As mentioned, outfitter or landowner tags may be available but these can get expensive.

As for other species, your best option would be antelope. Mule deer and whitetails are usually found together in the plains which is also home to the pronghorn. The Missouri Breaks in northeastern Montana has elk, BIG elk, but drawing a tag for rifle season is all but impossible. There are few (if any) bears and no Coues deer to be found in that part of the country. As for turkey, I can offer no practical advice because in my opinion those ugly buzzards aren't worth the cost of the ammunition.

The hunts would take place in late October if you wanted to hunt antelope along with deer or later if you were only interested in deer. Most of my hunts were one week but I hunted on my own. You may need more time than that on account of hunting 2 states.

To wrap it up, you can set up a hunt fairly easily and take an antelope buck, mule deer buck and whitetail doe during a one week hunt. I've done it many times as have 1000's of others. Taking both a mule deer and whitetail buck will require drawing tags in 2 states. This will add considerable expense to the hunt but if that's your objective it can be done.

I also should have added that adding an antelope in either Wyoming or Montana would be no problem. The only thing to consider is that the antelope will start dropping there horns by mid November. If you wanted to add an antelope, I would suggest the first week of November. You still might find an antelope that had dropped a horn but it wouldn't be the majority.

Turkey could be hunted at anytime along your hunt without difficulty.

ddj

Originally posted by trouthunterdj:
I also should have added that adding an antelope in either Wyoming or Montana would be no problem. The only thing to consider is that the antelope will start dropping there horns by mid November. If you wanted to add an antelope, I would suggest the first week of November. You still might find an antelope that had dropped a horn but it wouldn't be the majority.

Turkey could be hunted at anytime along your hunt without difficulty.

I have seen these hunts priced around $4000 plus the expense of your tags.

I would plan on spending a week hunting if you are looking for 2 deer. Usually during this time you will see several mature deer of both whitetail and mule deer.

ddj

There are a few others thing to be considered when planning a hunt.

Most (if not all) states in the US require the passage of a hunter safety course prior to obtaining a license or tag. The state and your date of birth will determine if this pertains to you. For example, in Montana you will need to have passed the course if you were born after 1 January 1985. In my home state of Wisconsin it's 1973. Lots of prospective Colorado hunters have been unpleasently surprised by their date of 1949. In other words, a 25 year old can get a hunting license in Montana without having taken a hunter safety course while in Colorado a 60 year old with 5 decades of experience cannot.

There is reprocity between the states and Canadian provinces on the hunter safety course. A state might or might not recoginze a European certificate. I've heard of Wisconsin accepting a UK "DSC" certificate but Montana is very specific about a US or Canadian certificate.

If you plan on using your own rifle there will be all sorts of federal "red tape" to wade through. The state isn't the problem, the federal governement is. A law-abiding sportsman (and his rifle) will be welcomed throughout the West but the Feds will probably treat you like a would be terrorist. My point is to check out the rules involving the importation of a firearm ahead of time. Another option would be to borrow a firearm from the outfitter.

Once in the States be aware that you cannot take a firearm on board a train. No way and no how.. Flying with a firearm (as checked baggage) is not a problem.

The panhandle area of Nebraska (NW corner) is also an option and you can shot two Bucks in Nebraska. You would need to use an outfitter but there are a few that do an excellent job.

Idaho also offers you the opportunity to purchase 2 buck tags, but many times the best whitetail hunts occur later than the mule deer hunts.

I think your best bang for the buck would be a whitetail hunt in Wyoming and a ranch mule deer hunt in Utah. That would get you a reasonable representative of each species in a moderate time period. The problem with trying to work out both species is drawing a permit. Nebraska might be a route to go, but many Western States give their permits in a drawing. You'd need to draw one and be able to circumvent the draw process for the other.

That is what comes to mind.

You won't have to worry about the drawing if you hunt in Montana and Wyoming.

Outfitter license in Montana and over the counter in Wyoming.

ddj

Another possibility for one deer of each species in one place is the Texas Panhandle. The mule deer season is shorter (usually about two weeks late in November and early December), but falls during the middle of whitetail season. A Texas non-resident license is about $300 and has tags for at least one buck of each species. I'm sure that Texas recognizes the safety certificates of other countries (if necessary due to your age), but you can get details at www.tpwd.state.tx.us

There are a number of guide services and their quality and prices probably vary, so check their references. All hunting will be on private land, therefore you will need to go through a guide who either owns or leases the hunting area.

Texas Panhandle (north Texas) mule deer can be quite good, and it is probably easier to find a good buck in Texas than in the Rockies, although you won't find a B&C type mulie in Texas. The whitetails in this area are also quite good, being much larger than those of the Hill Country of Central Texas.

As a bonus, you will likely have wild turkey, feral hogs, coyotes, and bobcats as targets of opportunity in most places, and pheasant and quail season is on if you would like to try wingshooting (as well as ducks, geese, and sandhill cranes). A few ranches might even offer you a chance at a Mouflan (Aoudad) sheep. The Texas Panhandle really is hard to beat for variety of hunting opportunities.

If you absolutely insist on shooting your own gun you can get a permit to bring it, but it takes a number of weeks and a lot of red tape. If you want to borrow a rifle (and shotgun), that won't be a problem because someone here on AR will gladly loan you a gun of whatever description you wish to hunt with. Let me know when you are coming and I can supply you with almost any caliber you like, so long as the brand of the gun begins with S.A.K.O.

PM sent-->

Stonecreek and others have given some great advice. If it were me being a citizen of another country and wanting to do as you would like, I would look at west Texas. This would give you the most flexibility regarding tags and other species. You could do the same in the Panhandle of Oklahoma; however, you would need to hunt both the blackpowder and rifle seasons, which are generally 2 weeks apart from each other beginning the first part of November.

I would certainly look at West and the Panhandle of Texas. This would also give you the chance of takin any of the exotic species, such as many of sheep species, axis deer, blackbuck, simitar-horned oryx, etc. Plently of other non-deer species can be hunted, plus feral hogs, predators, wing shooting, etc.

Good luck with your choices!!

Anders,

I did a little more research on Texas regulations. If born before 1971 no hunter education certificate is required. You may get a one-time waiver by paying $10 if you fall under the age requirement. Your license will allow you to take up to five whitetail deer (no more than three bucks), but most Panhandle counties have a 1-buck limit. It will allow you one mule deer buck, 4 turkeys, and all birds, small game, and non-game animals (Aoudad sheep, feral boar, coyotes, prairie dogs, etc.) Your license is good in any of the 254 Texas counties, so you are not limited to a single location. Whitetail season is typically the first Saturday in November through the first Sunday in January, and mule deer season usually begins the Saturday prior to Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday in November) and runs for two weeks. The unlimited license can be purchased over-the-counter at hundreds of vendors, or via internet/mail.

Pronghorn "antelope" would not be practical in the same trip since the season is in early October.

Many ranches along the edge of the "Caprock" in counties such as Armstrong, Donely, Motley Briscoe, etc. will have mixed mule deer and whitetails, along with turkey, feral boar, lots of coyotes, and some will have populations of Aoudad sheep. They also have quail and pheasant, if not on the ranch itself, nearby on farmland. Prairie dog towns are abundant, and even in November the dogs are active. Asian and African exotics like blackbuck, oryx, etc. are not usually found in this area, but are available on ranches in Central and South Texas, about a day's drive away.

Guides are busiest on weekends, so if you book with them for a Monday-Thursday hunt you can drive a good bargain. A four day hunt is usually adequate to take a representative deer of each species, provided luck does not abandon you completely. If you want to spend more time hunting, consider wingshooting or varmint hunting.

I don't mean to sound like the Texas Chamber of Commerce, but hunting in Texas really is the best bargain in the U.S. I love to go to the mountain states and have hunted big game in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Alberta, but you won't see nearly as much game, nor generally hunt as economically as in Texas. You may not take a record book mule deer head, but you'll see alot more of them than most other places.

Drop me a line if I can be of any help.

Thanks to everyone for tips and advice, and sorry for my late reply..

When putting together this topic I thought of an outfitter based service only, but I can see that it's possible to arrange the hunt myself, but with more hazzle.
In the different drawings, are there certain quotas for residents, non-residents, "foreigners"? Are there any difference in non-residents and persons from other countries?

Is it possible to arrange for swap hunts? Meaning local hunters could take me out in their fields, in exchange for hunting in my country. Is this legal in most states?

Thanks again for all input!

From what I understand, a non-resident is just not a resident of that particular state. So I assume that a non-resident of the US is treated the same as a non-resident of the state. They reserve about 10% for non-residents in MT.

I'd recommend MT, but I won't until they make the new rules official (February-March) plus I want MT for me ( ). They are planning on changing quite a bit in several regions for deer. Region 7 (SE MT) is not going to change much. There is about a 50/50 chance of drawing a deer "A" tag right now. They are reducing the number of overall permits offered in MT so that may change, substantially.

Not too many bears in eastern MT, but lots of outfitters to choose from. I met a guy in Ekalaka (Jamie Byrne) that had some really good country for mulies and antelope. I used to live in Ekalaka. I'd say that an average outfitter hunt for deer is closer to $4500 or 5000.

Anders,

WOuld you be OK with substituting a white tail for an elk? An option for you to consider is a combo elk/mule deer combo.

As stated above, most states offer only one deer tag, but a few states can offer you an elk/deer combo. We do ours every year in Colorado. If you are interested, the Colorado "second" and "third" seasons offer an opportunity for both. That is my hunt of choice in late October.

Most likely you will need the services of an outfitter, or a private ranch. The hunts can range from trespass fee for as little as $1000, to a top end ranch for over $10,000.

You can research the many options on the net. If you see a few that interest you, you can also post the results for comments.

And Mexico can offer some incredible mule deer hunts, with an option on Coues deer.

Good luck!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jack D Bold:

And Mexico can offer some incredible mule deer hunts, with an option on Coues deer.[QUOTE]

I forgot about Mexico. A desert Muley or Coues would be a trophy!

Anders, an easy way to get around the problem of max 1 buck tag per year in many (most) US states, is to hunt Canada instead. Both BC and Alberta offer great hunting for mule and whitetail deer.

Another advantage of hunting Canada is that you don't have to worry about drawing tags. Some US states offer guaranteed tags (e.g. MT if you hunt with an outfitter), but the tags can get rather pricey...

In Canada, you'll have to hunt with an outfitter. This is probably the best way to maximize your chances as a foreigner, though. There are many good outfitters that offer muley/WT combination hunts.

If you feel rich, you could also make a mule deer/coues deer (small white tail subspecies) combination in Mexico. TX is another good option - as described above. There are just so many species (exotics) to hunt in TX. How about a free range Aoudad hunt, that should interest a mountain hunter like yourself...

- mike

Anders,

Mike beat me to it; I've hunted for mule deer and whitetail in combination, in Alberta, for the last 3 years... I don't know if you're predisposed to hunting in the USA, but if you're not it would be hard to beat Alberta from my experience. Trophy quality for both species can be great, and Canada is just an incredible place to hunt...

good luck to you, feel free to drop me a PM with any questions

Best Regards,
Craig Nolan

I'd look at ranch hunts in Idaho, Montana or the Dakotas. I used to live in Idaho where the two coexisted relatively close to one another.

Check these guys out:

http://bouldercreekoutfitters.com/elk_deer.html
http://www.doortoidaho.com/hunting.htm#Deer

Or look at using a hunting consultant that know western US ranches like Jack Atcheson & Sons.

Those states located where the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains contain huntable populations of mule deer and whitetail deer - often both live in the same country. This group includes Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana, North Dakota, and by extension up into the adjacent regions of Canada. Moreover, Idaho and Arizona have huntable populations of both deer - the Whitetails in Arizona are a small variety known as Coues deer.

If I were in your shoes, I'd look hard at hunting eastern Colorado, western Kansas, northeastern Wyoming, western Nebraska, eastern Montana, or the western Dakotas.

More specifically, there's a fella posting on this site "Kansas Deer Photos" - both muleys and whitetails and very BIG. ["Sagebrush Hunts"]. You might check it out.

Regards, AIU

Anders, one option that is available that can be arranged as a Do-It-Yourself type hunt where both a Mulie and a White Tail could be taken is in the North Western corner of the nebraska Panhandle in the Pine Ridge district.

There is roughly 180K+ acres in that unit and there are both Mulies and White Tails.

I have done the hunt twice and had good success on both hunts.

Stonecreek was right when he said the Texas Panhandle. There are areas around here that have dang good mule deer, and the whitetails are excellent as well. In addition you might could arrange turkeys (Rio Grande), and feral hogs. To get an idea, check out this website. The ranch bleongs to a friend of mine about 20 miles away from me, he owns it himself and guides the hunts. He is a good guy.

http://www.rollaoutfitters.com/

There are other outfitters around this area who do the same thing asw well, try to google Plaska Lodge. They are about 45 miles from me, I don't know much aobut them except they kill some big deer and hogs. That should give you some options to look at.

Oh yeah, we are a one buck county, but that means one WHITETAIL. You can shoot a mulie as well, and even slip across the line into Childress county and shoot another whitetail there. If you need a rifle around here just holler, I got ya covered.

If cost is not a problem, then I would say Texas will give you both with a pretty darn good chance of full tags. Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana-with outfitters-will give you both species and maybe an antelope in Wyoming or Montana.

Anders:

I hasten to say that this post is written with tongue in cheek - but do you really want to bother hunting a mule deer -after you have hunted the cleverest of all deer, the white tail? ( I have never been able to get the Westerners to admit that the mule deer just is not too bright. Maybe they will be honest with you for a change!)