Looking for a First Western DIY area to hunt

Unoboats

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Have hunted with guides in Wyo, and Idaho. Have killed Antelope, Muleys and Elk. Just want a hunt to car camp and hunt for Deer and or antelope. Have all the camping gear as well as spike and bivy camp gear. Getting long in the tooth at 60 years this year. Any suggestions? New to this site, but been on Rokslide, longrange hunting and Kifaru for years.
Chip
 
That's a pretty broad question. What are you wanting to hunt? Combo hunts? You are limited more by your imagination than anything.

Edit: Based on the fact you are posting in the deer forum, I'll assume you are focused on that. What kind of terrain do you want to hunt? What is your expectation of success? Rifle, bow, muzzleloader?

If it were me, I'd focus more on finding areas I thought would be fun to hunt as my primary factor, with trophy quality second. But, that's me.
 
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JLS just wanting a few pointers as to accessible areas in the west that I can drive from NC to and set up to hunt Deer, antelope, or Elk. Prefer Archery, but ML or Rifle works as well. So I still have not narrowed this thread down, but open to any suggestions to get out of NC this year and create an adventure. Wanted to be open minded to any ideas.
Thanks for your response.
Chip
 
Buy a leftover Montana deer/elk combo and pick any mountain range that is a general unit. Go bowhunt to your heart's content.

If Montana sells out (which they likely won't), then buy an OTC Idaho elk license and bowhunt to your heart's content.

I'm really not trying to be a smart ass, but it's awfully easy to make this much harder than it should be. Get a couple of Delorme Gazetteer Atlases and start looking. Buy national forest maps or get an OnXMap chip for your GPS.

Sometimes the best adventures are the ones you do by the seat of your pants.

How much time do you have to hunt?
 
Go here...

\https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Hunting/Hunt-Planner

Look at the maps for BLM and State land.... Call the WY DNR and talk to them and/or the biologists. Spend days if not weeks on google earth and look for public roads that lead to the BLM and State land. Look at the draw odds to find a for sure tag, buy leftovers or buy the special tag.

Go hunt....
 
With archery being your choice I would think the options are almost unlimited. For an physically easy hunt, I'd look at pronghorn in eastern Wyoming.
 
DIY hunts

No points, have spent the last few years hunting Idaho. I may look for landowner tags somewhere to help the project along.
 
If you've hunted Idaho for a few years, you should have a good grasp of the ins and outs of that state and start there. It's not easy sorting all of the logistics out from the side of the country, and the drive, and I am fully aware of what it takes.
BTW, welcome to the site. Also from NC, and hunt MT!
 
Thanks Genesis, i have thought about Idaho as well, but was thinking of trying some areas not as inacessible as the areas I've hunted in Idaho. Great state to hunt in, but would like to try something or somewhere different, hopefully a days travel closer than where I have been hunting in Idaho. Two days travel and then a weeks hunting.
 
You would have a chance of drawing a archery deer tag in the units north of Steamboat springs CO. It's a 0 point min draw. Last year i think it was around 50 %. There is also pronghorn in unit 5 near big and little red parks but have never hunted them. We'll be there from Sept 10th till end of archery camping at Steamboat lake state park deer and elk hunting. Good luck
 
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If you're looking for a good, fun, and beautiful hunt I'd also like to suggest western North Dakota. Some absolute slobs were taken out of the Killdeer mountains, badlands, and Medora areas this year. TONS of public lands, PLOTS lands, and fed land. Good luck with your decision. Unfortunately, ND does not have a Antelope season in the forseeable future (at least this coming year).
 
If you're looking for a good, fun, and beautiful hunt I'd also like to suggest western North Dakota. Some absolute slobs were taken out of the Killdeer mountains, badlands, and Medora areas this year. TONS of public lands, PLOTS lands, and fed land. Good luck with your decision. Unfortunately, ND does not have a Antelope season in the forseeable future (at least this coming year).

Thought it was almost impossible for a non-res to get a deer tag in ND?
 
Thought it was almost impossible for a non-res to get a deer tag in ND?

I've heard that as well, but honestly it must vary a lot by our units here. There are no over-the-counter tags but my first year here I was still a non-res and I drew. I've heard of others doing the same or at least drawing in their first 3 application years.
 
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