Really-How good is western hunting?

[Abolt]

LAST EDITED ON Feb-04-12 AT 06:30PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Feb-04-12 AT 06:28?PM (MST)

New guy here, but I have been a lurker for a long time, so you clubhouse fellows in the campfire section weren't too much of a suprise.
As I'm thinking about school/career choices, Im really planning on heading west. My family is from out west (arizona) and my immediate family is currently here in Florida because of careers. Hunting is a huge determinate of location, probably second only to some sort of gainful employment, so im wondering how good the hunting really is. I know its hard to generalize an entire section of the country, especially one so diverse.

Here in FL, my hunting liscence costs $17.50 plus a $5 deer permit. Our deer season runs from september to january, with a virtually unlimited amount of deer allowed to be taken. I took two this year, buck and a doe. here's the buck.

I hunt turkeys in the spring and varmints year round, and a lot of folks around here hunt hogs. i have no desire, disgusting little beasts.

I'm not trying to toot my own horn about how great the south is, but im wondering If i suffer from a "grass is greener" syndrome. Despite all this, western hunting seems the stuff. Spot and stalk, rugged country, no treestands or feeders, great public land access, and the mule deer...but then again, half the posts on this site are about the decline of mule deer herds.I hunted elk with my dad once in arizona and we scored a nice 6x6 and I spend a good amount of time each year out west, just not hunting big game, so I know some of what I'm getting into.

What do I have to look forward to once I get out there?

 

[YukonDall]

LAST EDITED ON Feb-04-12 AT 06:46PM (MST)[p] LOTS OF WOLVES, TAGS THAT ARE HARD TO DRAW, EXPENSIVE POINTS TO BUY, POLITICIANS STEALING OUR TAGS, DROUGHT, ANIMALS NUMBERS ARE DOWN, HABITAT LOSS, TOO MANY PREDATORS, TOO MANY ATVs, TAG COST ARE UP, & POACHERS !!!!!!.....DID I MENTION WOLVES?????

OTHER THAN THAT, YOUR GOOD TO GO.......................YD.

 

[theox]

most seasons are roughly a week long, 1 buck if you draw in most places. most archery seasosn are nearly a month 1 buck.

PLENTY OF COYOTES TO HUNT, some turkeys, some antelope, hard to draw elk tags except colorado(low quality).

you will not be hunting unlimited deer that long here. coyotes and jack rabbits are open year round to hunt tho!

 

[stillhunterman]

Awwww, don't let nay sayers get ya down. The west is a magical place to hunt.

Hunting out here is a whole other experience all together from down south or back east and the Midwest. You can find yourself dizzied by the vast labyrinth of the badlands where a mulie can melt into the canyons like a ghost in the mist.

The deserts are filled with so much more than meets the eye or expectations, and are home to some smart old mulies that will have you wandering around like a lost puppy trying to figure them out.

The coastal blacktails and their elusive nature will have you crawling on your hands and knees through rainforest vegetation so thick you have to look for legs and feet before you can see those wiley bucks!

Then you have the mountains: Once you witness a sunrise spraying a meadow crested by granite cliffs and thick pines at 10,000 feet, you'll think you died and gone to heaven. But, in your zest to see what's over the next ridge top, you will find your lungs burning like they were fried in a cast iron skillet, your legs shaking and twitching with a dozen ice picks stuck into the muscles, and your heart thumping so fast you'll think it's going to explode out of your chest.

Yep, all in all hunting the west is different?but it's the grandest hunting of all, chasing those mulies from which dreams are made? Sure, they are hanging on for dear life, and are not what they once were in numbers, but they are there, for the hunting and the making of memories that will last you a lifetime.




www.unitedwildlifecooperative.org

 

[Castnshoot]

>Awwww, don't let nay sayers get
>ya down. The west
>is a magical place to
>hunt.
>
>Hunting out here is a whole
>other experience all together from
>down south or back east
>and the Midwest. You
>can find yourself dizzied by
>the vast labyrinth of the
>badlands where a mulie can
>melt into the canyons like
>a ghost in the mist.
>
>
>The deserts are filled with so
>much more than meets the
>eye or expectations, and are
>home to some smart old
>mulies that will have you
>wandering around like a lost
>puppy trying to figure them
>out.
>
>The coastal blacktails and their elusive
>nature will have you crawling
>on your hands and knees
>through rainforest vegetation so thick
>you have to look for
>legs and feet before you
>can see those wiley bucks!
>
>
>Then you have the mountains:
>Once you witness a sunrise
>spraying a meadow crested by
>granite cliffs and thick pines
>at 10,000 feet, you'll think
>you died and gone to
>heaven. But, in your
>zest to see what's over
>the next ridge top, you
>will find your lungs burning
>like they were fried in
>a cast iron skillet, your
>legs shaking and twitching with
>a dozen ice picks stuck
>into the muscles, and your
>heart thumping so fast you'll
>think it's going to explode
>out of your chest.
>
>Yep, all in all hunting the
>west is different?but it's the
>grandest hunting of all, chasing
>those mulies from which dreams
>are made? Sure, they
>are hanging on for dear
>life, and are not what
>they once were in numbers,
>but they are there, for
>the hunting and the making
>of memories that will last
>you a lifetime.
>
>
>
>
>www.unitedwildlifecooperative.org

Very well said!!!

 

[projp]

I once visited a place that didn't have mountains.

I came home quick.

 

[TOPGUN]

I'll ditto that x ten!!!

 

[tailchasers]

YD is right on the money but he forgot energy developement, miles of new roads being cut in, land owner tag grabs, wolves, winter kills, media hype, outfitter tag grabs, to many coyotes, lions, bears, bobcats, wolves, eagles. Long dayum list... Its not all doom and gloom. I came from the midwest and was down to seeing very few deer and other wildlife in my hunting area. I also here people out here complain about the shear numbers of the orange army in the mountains each year but yet this is nothing compared to the orange army in the midwest. Habitat is so limited as is hiding places in the midwest that crowding is severe as is competition, I hated it... Now when I am able to hunt muleys, elk, antelope, bear, and lion every year and for the most part I choose which animal I harvest and am able to get away from the crowds but that doesn't go without saying its not a massive amount of work.

"Courage is being scared to death but saddling
up anyway."

 

[YukonDall]

OK...OK...........ITS NOT ALL THAT BAD..........BUT, ITS NOT HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION EITHER. I FORGOT TO MENTION ANTI HUNTERS, WINTER KILL, & ENERGY DEVELOPMENT.............YD.

 

[sagebrush]

Hunting out here is terribly. You can't hardly get a tag. Stay in Florida, unless you promise to apply only for units I don't apply for. ;-)

 

[BuzzH]

There has never been better elk hunting than we have right now. So much opportunity its not even funny.

Whitetail deer hunting in the West is great.

Sheep hunting...way better.

Goats...better in many areas.

Moose...better in many areas.

Pronghorn...hard to imagine a time that was any better.

Bear hunting is great.

Lion hunting is great.

MT and ID now have wolf seasons.

Mule deer are probably the only species that I would say are worse off now.

The West doesnt suck right now...despite the claims of some.

 

[fatrooster]

I'm from Jacksonville, Florida but have been in Nevada since 1994 and don't plan on leaving. Its not about harvesting lots of animals but instead harvesting the time spent in the mountains and the desert. The taking of game is just icing on the cake. If you like remoteness, harsh winters, fire hazards, fighting with horses, trying to figure out muleys and just enjoying the pleasure and the abuse the West can give you then you will love it. Its a different world and I'm glad I know it. fatrooster.

 

[txhunter58]

You should at least take a look at Montana for a school choice. I don't know of any other Western state that offers the length of hunting that it does. Most states give you around 7-10 days to hunt for a particular game animal. Not sure, you may be able to get a resident tag as a student??? You get to hunt the elk/mule deer/whitetail archery season, then if you haven't tagged out, continue to hunt the long rifle season.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

 

[Abolt]

This is what I was hoping to hear. Last year I was around the havasupai reservation in AZ at night and saw bull elk after bull elk on a ridge silhouetted against a full moon. Beautiful.

We definitely have our problems in florida too, development and loss of lands being the biggest.

Sage, no promises!

I looked into residency issues, and since I'll still be a dependent on my parents in FL i would have to fork over the extra cash. oh well.

Also, what are hunters like as a whole? By far the best people on earth, but in FL we get alot of drama. small land parcels with limited public land, so there is alot of "you're killing MY deer" and such.

 

[stillhunterman]

Hunters are also a cross section/representation of society as a whole, so you have the good, the bad, and the ugly in both. Pretty much the same everywhere I have hunted. Keep your ethics and standards on the high ground and you will be fine.



www.unitedwildlifecooperative.org

 

[Bambistew]

Stay on the East Coast. The west doesn't need any more people.

The hunting sucks anyway.

 

[mntman]

Like already stated, the seasons are shorter here "generally" but the variety of species is greater substantially. Not only in big game but the west has the same small game species and even more. That is what I like about being out here in Colorado. From waterfowl, multiple upland birds, tundra birds, coyotes, fox, many big game species. You can basically hunt year round on many different species. Hunting as a resident is very reasonalble for example here in CO elk tags are 50, deer are 33, combo fishing and small game are something like $40???? (guessing).

Speaking of fishing that is the one thing I don't like. I grew up in Minnesota so I am used to having 30-90 lakes within 30 miles of home to choose from, here in CO I have 20 within 100 miles to choose from and 16 of them only have trout...
To fish here if you live out on the front range you end up basically making it a whole day everytime you want to fish...


Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"

 

[tailchasers]

Hahaha Mntman. I like the way you added "only have trout". Same way I feel. Them trout are turd fish and finding a lake with some warm water species is a tough find and nearly an all day ordeal. But the few lakes I have found with walleyes and big bluegills or crappie are well worth the day or weekend trip.

"Courage is being scared to death but saddling
up anyway."

 

[Abolt]

>Stay on the East Coast.
>The west doesn't need any
>more people.
>
>The hunting sucks anyway.


Be nice now, I am the first in my family to live outside of Arizona since the late 1800's. But I hear ya, I think everywhere has too many people. I wont hug wolves, I promise.

And about the fishing...I don't know what Im going to do about that. It seems like there are oppertunities everywhere and you just have to seek them out, but I am also used to being surrounded by water. trout are cool enough. I guess. Do you all actually like flyfishing guides out there?

And the variety of hunting seems pretty cool, birds and waterfowl and small game and such. Is anybody a serious waterfowler?

I appreciate everyone taking the time to answer my questions. If for some reason any of yall want to hunt educated whitetails the size of large dogs on tiny parcels of land in heat and humidity...I'm your guy.

 

[MTSHEDHEDZ]

It sux stay in Florida

 

[Triple_BB]

Montana is definitely the promised land...

 

[Zeke]

It looks like tags are cheaper in Florida and the seasons are generous. I've never hunted Florida so I have no way to compare it to western hunting.

Some will tell you how poor the hunting is but for every animal except 1 the hunting is better than it's been in any of our lives.

The mule deer numbers are dowm but there are several States where the hunting is still great and the tags can be obtained. You'll pay some serious cash to hunt multiple States each year but it's the way to go it you want to maximize your western experience and extend your season.

I enjoy hunting the secreted haunts the best. It's easy to get away from people in the mountains. It seperates the guy with desire from the guys without.

Good luck in your quest for a place to call home.

Zeke

 

[shotgun1]

You should move to Utah, they've got it all.

 

[Gator]

It cold out here 3 months out the year. But if you like snow and cold by all means head west.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

 

[carterj16]

lived in florida for 3 years and could not get out of that flat, hot state. fast enough. missed the mountains and rivers. now if you like to fish I would stay in florida but I like hunting way more than fishing.
Hogs were the best thing to hunt in florida, if your not doing that I would leave for sure.

 

[nontypical]

Get ready for culture shock if you choose Wyoming.Also,you may want to spend a grand on cold weather gear.We only have 3 seasons here-July,August,and winter.I've watched a buttload of southerners come and go over the years...winters can be brutal.

 

[Abolt]

Oh yeah I'm planning on leaving for sure. There are things i'll miss, but hunting is number one priority.

Culture shock? Havent spent a whole lot of time in Wyoming, but if its anything like rural AZ and MT, not a whole lot of difference between that and rural Fl. Unless you're talking about a positive culture shock with a more dedicated hunter population instead of our poaching, spotlighting, dog running good 'ol boys.

 

[huntazido]

I was born and raised in AZ. when I graduated from college my first job was in Dallas, TX. I was there for two years and then I got transfered back to AZ. I swore I would never move anyplace that did not have a healthy elk population and I would never mover further east than NM.

If I wore a younger mans clothes, my place of residence would probably be someplace in Wyoming or possibly Grand Junction Colorado.

Arizona was once a great place to live and now it is only an okay place to live. Too many people from other places that want to change it to be like where they came from. For the life of me I have never understood that reasoning. If where you came from was so great, then why did you leave it? I'm sick of people saying "back home......".

I was in Orlando last April and there is no way I could call that place home. Nothing taller than a tree there. I need mountains and dryer climate.

Good Luck on whatever you decide.

 

[tx_packmule]

It's a different world than in the far south in terms of scenery and big game hunting opportunities. I'd never want to live there, but a summer vacation home isn't out of the question.




The above post was written with all due respect....

 

[mmwb]

In general, western hunting is about as good as you are willing to make it. Include predator calling and trapping and you can stay busy all year. If it is more about hunting itself than inches of bone than you will love anywhere you can get tags. If the bone makes or breaks the hunt for you, then you will need to be more selective about what specific game, in what states, and where in those states.

I've lived in Wyoming for 35 years and while there are a couple of little areas in one or two other states that I could live with, I hope I live the rest of my life and die here!

 

[Abolt]

>I was born and raised in
>AZ. when I graduated
>from college my first job
>was in Dallas, TX.
>I was there for two
>years and then I got
>transfered back to AZ.
>I swore I would never
>move anyplace that did not
>have a healthy elk population
>and I would never mover
>further east than NM.
>
>If I wore a younger mans
>clothes, my place of residence
>would probably be someplace in
>Wyoming or possibly Grand Junction
>Colorado.
>
>Arizona was once a great place
>to live and now it
>is only an okay place
>to live. Too many
>people from other places that
>want to change it to
>be like where they came
>from. For the life
>of me I have never
>understood that reasoning. If
>where you came from was
>so great, then why did
>you leave it? I'm
>sick of people saying "back
>home......".
>
>I was in Orlando last April
>and there is no way
>I could call that place
>home. Nothing taller than
>a tree there. I need
>mountains and dryer climate.
>
>
>Good Luck on whatever you decide.
>


I hate that. We have plenty of northerners who come down here and then try to make us just like that hellhole they just left. I had one lady tell me how backwards FL was. Almost hit her.

There is definitely a subtle beauty to our swamps and oak hammocks, but still...

and tx_packmule, I take no offense. But the gulf coast is pretty cool, just stick with North FL/AL for a vacation home. South Florida is essentially northern cuba or southern new york.

I'm more of an oppertunity/variety focused hunter, but i still do love inches. any specific states I should avoid?