How would you spend 10k?

willfrye027

willfrye027

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I’ve been diligently saving every month for a while now with the idea to go on a sheep hunt some day. I’ve realized that those prices have quickly outpaced what is realistic for me and I could not stomach that kind of money for one hunt. My true love is mule deer and I think that’s how this money should be spent.

I’m planning for the longer haul here, 2025-2027 realistically and I’ll have 10k +/- to spend on an experience. I’m a good hunter and have killed a 190” buck and hunted several others in that caliber on otc type tags. The opportunity to hunt 180” deer is what trips my trigger. I hunt mule deer 4-6 weeks of the year and will continue hunting regardless; but this money has been set aside with a purpose and will get spent on a deer hunt regardless.

So, how would you spend 10k for the opportunity at 180” deer? I’m considering LO Nevada/colorado tags, Canada archery hunts, something guided? The experience matters to me; I’d rather have hunted hard and not harvested than roll onto an alfalfa field and shoot some buck from the road. I can hunt with any weapon and am good at scouting and working hard.

Feel free to PM ideas if you’d rather not post here.
 
Idk if you can get a tag, but i know the guide i went with in colorado unit 40 said they do archery buck tags in an awesome awesome location apparently. Said it was about 10kish
 
Horse packing trip with an outfitted camp is my vote. I feel like it would feel like a vacation when you got back from hunting and there is food ready.

Most likely a Wyoming wilderness hunt
 
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Just a thought here. It sounds like you can hunt 180 inch mule deer without spending the $10k.

Why not go for a unique experience that you haven’t already had and likely won’t have again?

It’s your money, do what you want with it. I would be looking at doing something different if it were mine. Grab yourself an elk tag, or a bison hunt. Or get some equipment you’ve always wanted but never thought you could afford and go on those deer hunts you already seem to have figured out with some better binos, etc in hand.

Or go on the deer hunt and have a heck of a good time! It’s your money, enjoy it how you want to.
 
Not trying to sound like a jerk. But the way the economy is going if you continue to save until you have let’s say 20k. That 20k will most likely buy you way less than the 10k today.
Top end optics & tripod, some camp gear, few tanks of fuel will eat up most of that 10k. Boy times have changed.
I prefer DIY, but if I was going to spend it on a hunt it would be doing something that I can not do myself. A wilderness horseback hunt would get my nod. Either deer or elk, maybe somewhere in Wyoming.
Never mentioned what state you lived in or how old you are. Those answers might nail down a better answer.
 
I’d do a wilderness pack in trip of some kind , an early hunt such as a Colorado flattop wilderness or a Wyoming hunt .
 
I have zero idea what an outfitted pack in trip for mule deer costs but I don't really have much interest in any other outfitted or guided experience. Really don't have too much interest in the outfitted pack in trip. Drop camp horse trip would be more up my alley.

Don't know what the landowner tags in CO cost these days but one of those in a good quality unit that I could hunt all public.

Probably what I would personally do us spend it on optics first if I didn't have everything that I desired in that department. That will eat it up fast! And impact far more hunting experiences.
 
Some good ideas so far..

I’m in my early 30s live in CA. I am set already on gear and optics. This money would specifically be to experience something I normally would not/splurge a bit.

Nevada is appealing to be able to hunt all the seasons and it’s the shortest drive.

Wilderness pack in hunt would be interesting..I’ll have enough points for at least region H by then which could give me a shot at bigger deer in the wilderness with a guide. Could also think about wilderness elk but they do not get me as excited as a big deer..
 
Hokkaido said:
Keep saving.
Someday you may be able to afford a Jarbridge wilderness hunt.
Click to expand...
Deer or elk? Would require a draw unless an outfitter there has access to LO tags..and that is very much a luck thing in Nevada no matter the points level. hunted that general area before and do like it not sure if it’s 180” buck country although I’m sure there are some.
 
I’ve got an idea that may or may not be a good one. Look at the BNC records and find a county that has produced the most entries in the past few years, get a tag in one of these areas if possible. There is a likely a chance that one of these counties in a given state has a lot of private land. Find a large landowner in that area and pay a trespass fee. High risk=High reward potential.
 
I'd do a September horseback wilderness elk hunt in WY.
Look at BC and AB for outfitted hunts for moose/deer.
A caribou hunt might be more than that now, but I'd go sooner rather than later. Populations worldwide are declining.
A DIY hunt in AK for bou our moose would be a good time.
Might be able to get a goat hunt in BC for that, or maybe Kodiak, but probably cost you another $5k.
 
Founder just posted some New Mexico private land outfitter that had mule deer hunts that seemed reasonable
 
The first question should be where is there a likely chance at 180" buck ? second, what will it require to get the permit? and third what will it cost ?

After you answer those questions you're most likely going to find you're better off looking for something else to do. and just hunt, a great share of the best bucks are taken by people that weren't even looking for a monster it just happened. it can happen to you as well.

I think NickJ is on the money, I've never had more fun than hunting blacktail on Kodiak. if that's not your thing start looking at decent quality elk hunts.
 
Mule deer are my vice as well but I'd be grabbing a buddy and burning that coin in Alaska somehow. Bob T might tell you the same thing... ;)
 
If I had 10k for any kind of MD hunt I want I would buy a unit wide land owner tag and do a DIY. I would not be interested in anywhere flat land, big bucks of CO eastern plains and canada be damned, dont care, no flat land hunting.

If you have 10K and points for WYO H I wouldnt use those 2 together, you can get 2 Tags for 2 DIY hunts out of that accumulation of money and points.
 
Honestly you might be able to get a couple of plo unit wide tags in Co for that jingle… like 2-3 tags would be a lot of time hunting depending on the season you chose. I would probably lean that way. Or might be able to get some good access on a giant ranch in AZ for otc archery or something. I’ll have to ask my FIL what the mule deer on a Spanish land grant costs, one I got to visit was likes 88k acres of awesome hunting ground
 
H00k3rs and blow.

When I have 10k to spend on one hunt. I am assuming my wife is dead, or I am done paying alimony, and that means the kids are grown.

Definitely going with the split tail and some fun…… remember the 3Fs.
 
From what I’ve heard the eastern plains of Colo aren’t what they used to be. That used to be a slam dunk with the right outfitter on private land.

My guess is that Canada still has some pretty good mule deer. Someone down-played Sonora but I know a guy that harvested a smoker buck there recently although it was a little spooky about some of the things going on and the uncertainty of some operations.

Colo used to be a mule deer mecca but things have fallen sharply in most corners of the state.

You better dig deep researching across the West because there aren’t many options right now. Most of the better muley hunts are sheep hunt expensive or with sheep tag draw odds.

It’s really a shame what has happened to mule deer across the West!
 
woodturner said:
How much are the Land Owner tags running?
Thinking NW Colorado area.
Asking for a friend.
Click to expand...
Depends. Seems like since Covid the advertised ones are way overpriced. Roughly $1500 per point required to draw, double if it’s in a historically big buck unit. At least that’s what I’ve seen. Probably helps to know a rancher.
 
Looked at some LO deer tags in February for a unit that takes 2 Resident points to guarantee tag in 3rd and 4 Resident points to guarantee in 4th. 3rd season tags were around $4500 and 4th were $9500 plus. that put an abrupt stop to me thinking of buying LO tags. To me I can find other hunts annually and wait for my points to increase.
 
Save it for the sheep hunt. Make it happen. It sounds like you’ve got the Muley thing figured out and will honestly only be disappointed in whatever you’re gonna get for $10k right now. Honestly there’s a lot of guys that are spending $30-40k on tags and outfitter costs in UT and NV and killing bucks that aren’t much over 180. Hell there’s years where the strip doesn’t turn out many that average over 180. Eastern CO or KS if you can get lucky and draw are the couple places I’d say match your criteria, that being said, there’s no mule deer hunt in this world that matches a sheep hunt so I’d keep saving.
 
yotebuster17 said:
Save it for the sheep hunt. Make it happen. It sounds like you’ve got the Muley thing figured out and will honestly only be disappointed in whatever you’re gonna get for $10k right now. Honestly there’s a lot of guys that are spending $30-40k on tags and outfitter costs in UT and NV and killing bucks that aren’t much over 180. Hell there’s years where the strip doesn’t turn out many that average over 180. Eastern CO or KS if you can get lucky and draw are the couple places I’d say match your criteria, that being said, there’s no mule deer hunt in this world that matches a sheep hunt so I’d keep saving.
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That’s not bad advice. If I can’t find something that gets me really excited to spend that money on, I may just keep it rolling and see if I can swing a sheep hunt 15-20 years down the road.

If not I think finding a more affordable Nevada LO tag and spending a ton of time scouting and hunting might be the direction I go.

For now the money sits just in case I draw something that I want/need an outfitter for.
 
10k can’t buy or guaranteed sucess in the mule deer game. What it can do is outfit you with a lot of the info and gear a guy might need to be self sustaining in his quest to continually put down 180+ class deer. Killing big deer is a lifestyle, a disease and for some an addiction. If you have the desire, put that money into something that will serve you for more than just one season.
 
If you have lots of time to commit to this I think a NV LO deer tag is the way to go. You'll get bang for your buck in terms of quality time spent in awesome country hunting big bucks. Scout, hunt archery, muzzle, rifle--you can drag it out as long as you want. Set expectations at finding a 180s deer but there will certainly be the possibility of better.
 
liecabucks said:
10k can’t buy or guaranteed sucess in the mule deer game. What it can do is outfit you with a lot of the info and gear a guy might need to be self sustaining in his quest to continually put down 180+ class deer. Killing big deer is a lifestyle, a disease and for some an addiction. If you have the desire, put that money into something that will serve you for more than just one season.
Click to expand...
You are right about that. I am lucky to be able to hunt mule deer every year and am well equipped..i killed a 190” in 2022 and hunted but did not harvest a big one last year. But I don’t live in a good mule deer state so there will be years of no good tags and longer stretches in between good hunts/opportunities..so I’m planning ahead for something different.
 
willfrye027 said:
You are right about that. I am lucky to be able to hunt mule deer every year and am well equipped..i killed a 190” in 2022 and hunted but did not harvest a big one last year. But I don’t live in a good mule deer state so there will be years of no good tags and longer stretches in between good hunts/opportunities..so I’m planning ahead for something different.
Click to expand...
Yeah having the opportunity to get the tags is the hard part anymore. I'm in the same boat. I'm trying to save my money and buy a CO voucher or something every other year in hopes of having an opportunity as I continue to accumulate points in other states.
 
willfrye027 said:
You are right about that. I am lucky to be able to hunt mule deer every year and am well equipped..i killed a 190” in 2022 and hunted but did not harvest a big one last year. But I don’t live in a good mule deer state so there will be years of no good tags and longer stretches in between good hunts/opportunities..so I’m planning ahead for something different.
Click to expand...
The battle is real! Here’s the thing though, dont equate 10k or how many points it takes to draw that tag with the amount of success it would seem it should carry. I’ve spent 5-8k on tags that would take you 20 years to draw and I’ll tell you that a unit you can get every couple years or make a strategy to hunt similar units every couple years is the steady key.
 
Rie bread said:
Founder just posted some New Mexico private land outfitter that had mule deer hunts that seemed reasonable
Click to expand...
Rie bread said:
Founder just posted some New Mexico private land outfitter that had mule deer hunts that seemed reasonable
Click to expand...
Beware anytime anything in New Mexico- they call it New Mexico for a damn good reason- 90 plus % of my hunts in that state were extremely expensive disasters back in the ‘80’s except one ☝️ that was the HOLifetime with fantastic guide out of Quemado- resulted in A Truly Monster Antelope - he was a total pro guide ! I quit hunting NM when prices & quality went to hell, except for 1 operation out of Socorro. Seasons now in August too -hot as hell there !
So beware !
Jerry Gold- Windsor, Colorado 😁🍀
 
Jerry said:
Beware anytime anything in New Mexico- they call it New Mexico for a damn good reason- 90 plus % of my hunts in that state were extremely expensive disasters back in the ‘80’s except one ☝️ that was the HOLifetime with fantastic guide out of Quemado- resulted in A Truly Monster Antelope - he was a total pro guide ! I quit hunting NM when prices & quality went to hell, except for 1 operation out of Socorro. Seasons now in August too -hot as hell there !
So beware !
Jerry Gold- Windsor, Colorado 😁🍀
Click to expand...
You repeatedly post generalizations about things you don’t seem to know much about.
 

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