Arrow Guru
New member
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2018
- Messages
- 34
I think a lot of people that are planning their first hunt could use this information. I thought I would post this because after taking several trips out west (I am from Georgia) I get a lot of questions from guys planning to come out for the first time. After talking with them I find there is a common mistake. A lot of the guys I talk to are in the mindset that they are planning a hunt that will be their one and only shot at killing an elk. So in some sense its a once in a lifetime hunt. Wether is be because of finances or time they are thinking that they have one solid opportunity. However they are not planning a hunt that will be likely to meet these expectations. You see, if you are in that boat, planning on a one shot hunt to fulfill a dream of killing a bull elk but are planning on a OTC or easy to draw hunt on public land DIY, you are planning the wrong hunt.
Public land is tough and the country is difficult. No matter how hard you think its going to be, it's going to be harder. Especially if you are a flat lander that lives at seas level like me. My first hunt was in Colorado in a unit that had no vehicle access. It was a total disaster. I packed way too heavy and I was not prepared for either the altitude or country. I thought I was! I ended up with acute altitude sickness and we ended up cutting the trip short before ever seeing an elk. However I learned A LOT. My second trip was better and we actually got close to killing an elk but it was still really hard. My last trip to Utah hunting mule deer was much much better. We saw a lot of deer and I put on several stalks and came pretty close to filling my tag.
I said all that to say this. If you are in the position that you really feel like you have one shot to go out and hunting western animals my strong suggestion would be to save your money and go on a guided hunt and do that on private land if you can. If you are in that boat and you are planning a public land DIY hunt you are going to really waste a lot of time and money. Now there are exceptions to very rule and I am sure that there are people that plan this kind of hunt, tough out the conditions and bring back some meat, but I bet they are in the minority.
In my opinion, DIY public land hunting is a process. I only recommend this type of hunt for someone that plans on going as often as they can. Each trip is a huge learning experiment. You get better at it and the biggest thing is you understand more fully what to expect. I am now fully aware of what my body is going to feel like at altitude. I know exactly how to treat myself, when to hunt hard and when to rest. Being prone the altitude sickness I have to plan a few more days than I had in the past. I need to be at camp and be pretty easy on myself for 2 or 3 days before I really go after the ridges and climbs associated with this type of terrain. I have also learned how to pack, lighten the load and have become very keen on not what to bring, but leaving the things that aren't necessary behind.
To sum it up, make sure the hunt you are planning meets the expectation of the hunt you want. If you are taking one shot at it, go with an outfitter. This may delay your hunt as you save your pennies but when it's over you will be much more satisfied with the result. If you are planning on learning how to hunt out there and fully plan on parlaying that into future trips, then there is nothing quite as rewarding as DIY western hunting.
I hope this makes sense and that maybe it saves someone a hard lesson, one that I learned the hard way. I am planning my nest trip to Utah this spring and possibly my first solo trip. It is my belief that I would never have been successful if I had planned this particular hunt the first time out. My previous trips were the classroom for having the confidence to try this now.
Stay safe out there boys!
Public land is tough and the country is difficult. No matter how hard you think its going to be, it's going to be harder. Especially if you are a flat lander that lives at seas level like me. My first hunt was in Colorado in a unit that had no vehicle access. It was a total disaster. I packed way too heavy and I was not prepared for either the altitude or country. I thought I was! I ended up with acute altitude sickness and we ended up cutting the trip short before ever seeing an elk. However I learned A LOT. My second trip was better and we actually got close to killing an elk but it was still really hard. My last trip to Utah hunting mule deer was much much better. We saw a lot of deer and I put on several stalks and came pretty close to filling my tag.
I said all that to say this. If you are in the position that you really feel like you have one shot to go out and hunting western animals my strong suggestion would be to save your money and go on a guided hunt and do that on private land if you can. If you are in that boat and you are planning a public land DIY hunt you are going to really waste a lot of time and money. Now there are exceptions to very rule and I am sure that there are people that plan this kind of hunt, tough out the conditions and bring back some meat, but I bet they are in the minority.
In my opinion, DIY public land hunting is a process. I only recommend this type of hunt for someone that plans on going as often as they can. Each trip is a huge learning experiment. You get better at it and the biggest thing is you understand more fully what to expect. I am now fully aware of what my body is going to feel like at altitude. I know exactly how to treat myself, when to hunt hard and when to rest. Being prone the altitude sickness I have to plan a few more days than I had in the past. I need to be at camp and be pretty easy on myself for 2 or 3 days before I really go after the ridges and climbs associated with this type of terrain. I have also learned how to pack, lighten the load and have become very keen on not what to bring, but leaving the things that aren't necessary behind.
To sum it up, make sure the hunt you are planning meets the expectation of the hunt you want. If you are taking one shot at it, go with an outfitter. This may delay your hunt as you save your pennies but when it's over you will be much more satisfied with the result. If you are planning on learning how to hunt out there and fully plan on parlaying that into future trips, then there is nothing quite as rewarding as DIY western hunting.
I hope this makes sense and that maybe it saves someone a hard lesson, one that I learned the hard way. I am planning my nest trip to Utah this spring and possibly my first solo trip. It is my belief that I would never have been successful if I had planned this particular hunt the first time out. My previous trips were the classroom for having the confidence to try this now.
Stay safe out there boys!