Since I can always dream and may actually have some discretionary cash in the future.....

I have always read in magazines and watched on TV these nice trips for different big game in the U.S. and/or in Canada.

Realistically speaking though for the financially impaired, what would be the rough cost estimates for the following types of hunts in North America.

1. Whitetail in Saskatchewan?
2. Whitetail in Montana?
3. Muledeer in Wyoming?
4. Pronghorn?
5. Black Bear?
6. Elk (is there realistacly a financially feasible hunt for an out of state hunter in the west)?
7 Moose in Maine
8. Moose in Alaska
9. Caribou in Eastern Canada

I would not premis the hunts on "world class" trophies but rather good hunts, good outfitters, fun times, nice representative animals.

I would include items like guide service fees, licenses, local transportation costs, gun import fees to canada, special equipment needed for this particular game animal or area of the country....

I would not include air fare to nearest large airport, rifle or ammo, clothes, etc...

Thanks

Jim B.

Jim B,

I have a couple of contacts that might help you out. I have a pronghorn contact in New Mexico who sells his tags for $850 plus you need about $200 for the license. He gets a little more flexible near the end of August particularly if you are coming as a group of two of more. On this hunt you bring your own food, tent and beer (don't bring microbrews or imported stuff, domestics seem to be favored by the gang). This is quite a fun bunch of guys who seem to go on this hunt every year or every other year.

As for hunting in Maine, Moose hunting is on a draw and the odds are apparently not great so you might consider Newfoundland for an inexpensive Moose hunt. Newfoundland hunts are VERY reasonable for Moose and some include a helicopter charter to the hunting area for around $3500USD. Black bear hunts in Maine are VERY reasonable. I have seen them for between $650 and $1000 depending on whether or not you want to provide your own food or not. You can also combine Black Bear with some hunts in Newfoundland.

From one financially impaired hunter to another!

Regards,

JohnTheGreek

I'll take a stab at this, because this is something I'm always looking into.

1. Whitetail in Saskatchewan - $4000 + travel & tips.
2. Whitetail in Montana - $2500 + travel & tips.
3. Muledeer in Wyoming - $2500 + travel & tips.
4. Pronghorn - $1,500 + travel & tips
5. Black Bear - $2,000 (Manitoba or Sasketchewan) + travel & tips.
6. Elk - $6,500 + travel & tips.
7 Moose in Maine - no idea, why ???

At these figures you should get your game (respectable animals) on nearly every trip.
Suggest hooking up with a good booking agent.

Check out Cabela's outdoor adventures and you can see prices on about any type of hunt.
8. Moose in Alaska - $8,500 + travel & tips
9. Caribou in Eastern Canada - $3,000 + travel & tips.

For out of state elk, take a good look at USO outfitters. They are good at getting tags and taking care of paperwork and/or guiding.

For moose in Alaska, consider the drop hunts by Cabelas. It's 3k for a fully outfitted 6 day hunt including charters and food. For 4k you can get the same pkg for 9 days with moose and caribou. One of the better deals for both species especially since they will relocate you once for no additional charge.

Just curious why you think you need a guide for those hunts? Canada are the only hunts you listed that a guide is required. The rest can be had for a fraction of the quoted prices if your willing to do it on your own, expend some energy, and do your own homework. Basically any of them (except Canada) could be had for the cost of a tag and travel. The only animal I've ever used a guide for is black bear. I've killed with and without out a guide, but I like hunting in western Canada hence the law requires a guide. As for the other critters I've killed good representative to trophy class mule deer, whitetail, antelope and elk with the only cost being travel and tags. I guess it's your money spend it any way you want.

Jim B.
I left a message for you.

Barry

Big Sky -
You said ... I've killed good representative to trophy class mule deer, whitetail, antelope and elk with the only cost being travel and tags.

Duh ! You live in Montana, a state that is loaded with those sort of critters.
You westerners tend to take for granted the abundance of hunting you have out your back doorstep.

Unless a guy from the east, midwest, or south has unlimited time to hunt, his odds are considerably less. Heck, I hunt Wyoming annually unguided and have to invest nine days just to hunt five.

Not saying unguided is impossible, just saying if a guy can afford a quality guided hunt, his odds of taking a decent trophy increase considerably.

Whitetail in saskatchewan can vary from $2500 for a lower priced hunt to over $4000 for a high end hunt.Black bear in alberta or saskatchewan $2000 to $2500.

[ 09-19-2002, 08:06: Message edited by: stubblejumper ]

If those are "average" costs, hunting in the States is more expensive than imagined. For some of the prices quoted, I could actually hunt Africa cheaper...

Steiny do you assume that I've always lived in Montana...well duh, I haven't. Killed a good number of those animals before I lived here. I can see no reason to hire a guide for mule deer, whitetail or antelope unless you are just trying to gain access to some really prime land. None of those animals require any kind of magical skill to find or kill. Elk are a little tougher, and black bear can be as easy or as tough as you want. Like I said it's your money spend it were you want.

Well, I'm in one of these western states, and I think the do-it-yourselfer can have a very nice mule deer and elk hunt for about $1500 -- about half of that is tags, the rest is fuel and supplies. Pronghorn a little less, due to lower tag costs and less supplies.

I know that is a reasonable $ number, provided you are willing to do it yourself, bring your own truck, sleep in a tent, and spend some time on finding the right area.

Every year, I see more do-it-yourself out of staters in the good hunting spots than I see locals. If you have the patience to put in for good draw areas in a couple of states, and invest in the maps and research to do it, a western hunt is well within reach.

It takes initiative, time and persistance, but it can be done. If spending time to go hunting is a burden, I submit it would be a good idea to find another hobby. JMO, Dutch.

Dutch

I start a new job today. I have been out of work for a couple of months due to 9-11 finally catching up with me.

My schedule for the next 6 months is going to be 14 to 16 days on, 5 days off, off days will always be Monday - Friday.

I will be travelling from home for the days on and back in Alabama Del Norte on my days off. I will probably be able to swing it that I take some of the days off wherever I end up at, at the end of my 2 weeks. My planning is going to have to be pretty short and my hunting also.

Given that schedule and still wanting to get back into the deer hunting, yes, time is of a premium to me. If I can utilize other peoples knowledge and expertise in their geographical area then I will. If that means hiring a guide or getting some advice from a person on the boards about thier specific area then I will take advantage of that too.

Jim

Jim,

I suppose we all make choices. Nothing wrong with hiring a guide, my point was that it is not a "MUST". At all. Lots of places in the west where you can have a very high quality hunt on your own.

Even for most of the locals, going elk hunting is a bit of an expedition. It used to take me 7 hours to just GET TO elk camp from my house. "Fortunately", we got burnt out, and it now only takes 4 to get to our new spot. That means I get the Friday night hunt if I take off at noon. Two guys from the midwest, alternating driving, require no more than an additional 24 hrs to get to the same spot. If they take off on Thurs after work, they are STILL in camp Friday night if they are within about 1500 miles!

From central Idaho, that means Chicago is within range, but Detroit is a little far. Western Wyoming is well within Detroit / Cleveland range. But, for example, Atlanta to Gunnison, CO, is 1600 miles, or about 26 hrs of driving. Not easy, but doable.

From my perspective, life would really SUCK if I could only go elk hunting 5 days a year..... In the end, it's about choices. JMO, Dutch.

Dutch Well stated!
However..........
Even if I could find someone to go with, (and I have not been able to on my 2 elk hunts or first African safari) the scouting and such makes me VERY nervious. I don't want to spend hours on the phone selecting an area, apply for the tags and spend 1 or 2 days driving only to find a camper park at the area I planned to hunt.
Guides, while not necessary, are a great deal of help to those of us who don't live in the area and are hunting a "foreign" species. Where intimate knowledge of the area often times is the difference between sucess and failure.
Does it prevent a bad hunt. No! I had a bad hunt in Colorado on a semi-guided Elk hunt a few years ago.
The outfitter, even though his references(I spoke to 4 different hunters) were good, his definition of Resident herd and mine were totally different. To him Resident means he sees them every now and agin. The Elk were in the high country and even though we had a 10,000 ft mountain, they were several miles away. 4 guys in camp the week before I arrived saw a couple early in their week, We(5 of us) saw 2 passing through one afternoon.
For me an outfitter is necessary if nothing else as a source of Local knowledge and equiptment and packing support.

It's a long drive and I personally don't feel comfortable just going out to public land I have never been to before on my own that far from home. Here in Ohio it is a different story as I am not spending a day and 1/2 gettting to the area I plan on hunting and then spending the first few days eliminating area. I am doing that for deer now before the season opens.

Sort of wish the states could stop land owners from charging for hunting indiginous game animals. In states without significant federal land it seems unfair to individuals ,with limited financial resources, to not be able to hunt in their local areas. It is becoming a rich mans sport and I don't like that. Landowners are not charged a fee for the convenience of shopping and using city resources or medical facilities that are substantially funded by city bill and taxpayers or exist because of population density (ie Wallmart ). Some of us not so considerate or mentally challenged types may leave your fence gate open or shoot a cow but thats life and the world will always be full of dingbats - we should pay for any financial loss through a fund set up from licensing fees. Turner can charge to shoot one of his buffalo - which he brough in but not his elk or deer - they're just taking advantage of a good thing - there is nothing I like less than a cocky deer or elk that "knows" it can act like a zoo animal and cease to be a big game animal with some degree of natural instincts and skills. My solution is to move back to Montana, take a big pay cut, hunt the federal lands and chip in with my relatives to buy some bottom land for birds and whitetails and then when some guy asks for permission to hunt I'll say sure - give me a thousand - I'll use it to buy more land. Use to be you could bring the owner a turkey or bottle of wine or both - now its - "show me the money"

I can't speak for the other Canadian provinces, but here in Alberta you can hunt with a local if he gets a host hunter licence. He can do it every 2 years, and he's not allowed to charge for it. After that it's just tags, and the travel expense. Whitetail tags, for example, for alien non-residents are $180 CDN, about $120 US. Whitetail, mulies, moose, elk, antelope, and sheep are available, I believe. HTH - Dan

Greg,

Even us "locals" are faced with the age old dilemma when we drive up the night before opening day: "I hope no one is in our camp". It's the toll we pay for hunting for free, I suppose.

In my opinion, the key to having a succesfull hunt in nearly all state is limited entry. The tags are just as expensive, the drive is just as long, but the quality of the hunt is usually WAYYY above. Much less people, due to the limited entry.

Going without knowing is a bit more of an adventure than most of us would think a good idea. I would recommend that someone take a "vacation" in the west one time, and look at different hunt areas in different states. The good areas, either because they are flat (big deal for flat landers!) or managed for trophy animals, are usually limited entry, so put your name in the hat in two or three of them, and cross your fingers. Then, when the time comes, you will have a high quality hunt, without the crowds. HTH, Dutch.

Hello Jim

I ordinarily drive to Montana or Wyoming and freelance, sleeping in campgrounds or creek beds and hunting BLM land. It doesn't cost much past the price of license, tags, food, and mileage ( not inconsiderable ). I've flown in and rented vehicles on the other end a couple of times, which worked out well enough when the airlines were friendly. In Wyoming a non-resident is required to go with a guide if hunting wilderness, otherwise he can freelance BLM and knock on doors for permission to hunt private land.

I went with an elk guide once; it was a good investment in knowledge, but don't have the money to do it often.

Remember there is the price and their is the 'wife price'

Conduct all busines by word of mouth on the work phone and cash with no receipts.

Remember the % you downgrade the price by to arrive at the wife price. Some wives are wise to this and will ask multiple times so be consistant.

My son and I just got back from a nine day bowhunt for elk in Colorado. Tags were $470.25 each and figuring gas, food, and miscillaneous expenses it cost the two of us right at $1,600. Not too bad.

If ya count the new bow, the new tent, the new gore-tex rain suits, the new boots for Brian, the price of a new tire after a blow-out, the cost of a new rear end after the ring gear bolts broke...........I don't want to talk about it.

Already making plans for next year.

The biggest problem I see out west is the crazy price of tags and licenses. For the price of a Montana or Wyoming elk hunt I can hunt whitetail in Ky, IN., Il., Oh., and Wva.
Mule deer, unguided, in Colorado was so easy, I still can't believe it!
Elk was harder but, I used the old, they ain't here, they must be up there, method. I found that the big problem was MOUNTAIN BIKERS, they spoiled 3 stalks in 4 days the last trip.
I have gone 3 times by myself and the total cost for Co. including 2 nights in motels on the road and gas was about $1,000.00 -$1,100.00 each trip.
I camp on public land about 20 miles from the paved roads, and still saw a lot of atv types. In fairness to them they all asked which areas I was hunting and stayed well away the entire weekend,Hell 2 of them eveN helped me pack out my last elk!

[ 09-23-2002, 18:44: Message edited by: TERRY8mm ]