My Dream Hunts List

[ScottR]

I recently put together my dream list of hunts that I am going to make happen. There were a lot of mule deer on there...

With that in mind I am probably going to be looking at land owner tags for a few of the hunts. How many of you have used them? What was your experience? Would you do it again?

 

[dirtclod Az.]

My #1 Dream Hunt is Trophy Bull Elk In Az. on the
White Mountain Apache Indian Reservation.#2 is
Mule Deer on the Kiabab Plateau.

 

[minn elk chaser]

My #1 Dream Hunt is Trophy Bull Elk In Az. on the
White Mountain Apache Indian Reservation.#2 is
Mule Deer on the Kiabab Plateau.

I would agree with you as to those being my head of the list hunts. My budget certainly precludes me from the Indian Reservation and I doubt I will ever be lucky enough to draw the Kiabab.

 

[kidoggy]

most any ol hunt is my dream hunt.
cept guided hunts. in my mind , if I can't do it myself ,it ain't worth doing.

 

[sneakypete]

Mine would be a Yukon moose hunt, trophy mule deer hunt!

 

[ColoradoV]

I feel very fortunate but I am living my dream hunt just about every year. Yep as luck would have it looks like I will be chasing giant mule deer above timberline w a bow again this year!!

 

[dirtclod Az.]

I would agree with you as to those being my head of the list hunts. My budget certainly precludes me from the Indian Reservation and I doubt I will ever be lucky enough to draw the Kiabab.

My budget won't allow me to hunt Elk anywhere anymore.Let alone draw.
Don't give up on the Kiabab.My Brother drew 2 years in a row with no points!
I don't know who he knew or whohe Ble....w/Hacked but he went and he was unsucessful.

 

[JimP]

I have been lucky in some of my dream hunts.

A limited entry hunt in Utah for elk and a 343 bull
A high draw hunt in Colorado with a muzzle loader = real nice old 5x6, I have never measured him
2 Arizona coues deer December hunts with one real nice buck
A limited entry muzzle loader deer hunt in Utah, didn't get the buck that I wanted but the one that I got will do.
A grizzly hunt in British Colombia, came home with a black bear and only saw one grizzly at 578 yards on next to the last day of a 10 day hunt. I just didn't want to chance a shot.

A fantastic safari to South Africa. Brought home 5 animals for shoulder mounts and one euro. I still need a warthog and perhaps a zebra for a rug.

Still have a few to do back here in the US, but as I get older a lot of the hunts are going onto the back burner. All except for a few that I have more points built up on than I really should but too many to back out on a chance to hunt the animals.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

I have been lucky in some of my dream hunts.

A limited entry hunt in Utah for elk and a 343 bull
A high draw hunt in Colorado with a muzzle loader = real nice old 5x6, I have never measured him
2 Arizona coues deer December hunts with one real nice buck
A limited entry muzzle loader deer hunt in Utah, didn't get the buck that I wanted but the one that I got will do.
A grizzly hunt in British Colombia, came home with a black bear and only saw one grizzly at 578 yards on next to the last day of a 10 day hunt. I just didn't want to chance a shot.

A fantastic safari to South Africa. Brought home 5 animals for shoulder mounts and one euro. I still need a warthog and perhaps a zebra for a rug.

Still have a few to do back here in the US, but as I get older a lot of the hunts are going onto the back burner. All except for a few that I have more points built up on than I really should but too many to back out on a chance to hunt the animals.

Keep at it Jim,many years left to fulfill your dreams.

 

[JimP]

Keep at it Jim,many years left to fulfill your dreams.

As long as I can keep kicking. I'm 66 now and taking pills but as long as I can get up at 4am and still hike I'll go. Perhaps a lot slower than I used to go but I'll still go.

 

[ScottR]

One of mine is a rut mule deer hunt, hence the land owner option. Curiosity has me thinking about cost etc for that. No one has done that option?

 

[JimP]

I know a doctor from Utah that did that last year in Nevada but then he bought all the tags that the landowner had so that he could hunt it all by himself.

I didn't have the nerve to ask him how much it cost him. This wasn't the first time that he had done that.

But one option that is open for you is to get the auction tag for Antelope Island in Utah, it should only cost around $300k-$400k for it. Or become a resident of Utah and put in for the resident tag. The odds for that one might be 200,000:1

 

[JimP]

I made a mistake on the Antelope Island deer tag for a resident.

It is 1:1743

 

[Naturebob]

I am 63 in 2 weeks ,Been a AZ. resident since 1977 didnt hunt here till 1988 and have been LUCKY! Early rifle bull tag in unit 1 in 1996 with only 3 points. Another early Elk tag in unit 10 this time 20 points 4 years ago . Last year I drew the lat Kaibab 12A west hunt with only 11 points. Then I am a Turkey guru and 2 years ago I drew a goulds tag with 11 points only. Going to Colo. for first time Muley this year and next Year I have 10 points for Elk in Wyoming. Couple behind Max but hope to find some private with big bulls. I Know turkeys aren't trophies to some but I love and have drawn spring tags here in 25 years of it I have only not had a tag 3-4 times, and have 4 species only need my Osceolla from Florida ,hopefully next Spring and I will have 5 Slam what ever they call it. Royal slam I don't Know. Hang in and keep applying thats all I can say . Hunt different states while You are waiting on the great tags. I am not wealthy either But I think it has contributed to My separation from my long time wife. So be carefull Guys . Gotta have balance with Family too.................BOB!

 

[ScottR]

I know a doctor from Utah that did that last year in Nevada but then he bought all the tags that the landowner had so that he could hunt it all by himself.

I didn't have the nerve to ask him how much it cost him. This wasn't the first time that he had done that.

But one option that is open for you is to get the auction tag for Antelope Island in Utah, it should only cost around $300k-$400k for it. Or become a resident of Utah and put in for the resident tag. The odds for that one might be 200,000:1

Yeah, that is a bit more than I will be able to spend...

 

[KHSRanger23]

I made a mistake on the Antelope Island deer tag for a resident.

It is 1:1743

So your telling me there is a chance?

 

[dirtclod Az.]

As long as I can keep kicking. I'm 66 now and taking pills but as long as I can get up at 4am and still hike I'll go. Perhaps a lot slower than I used to go but I'll still go.

Sometimes slower is better,especially spot and stalk on Coues.
You got any of them "Happy Pills"?Ha!,Ha!

 

[JimP]

Sometimes slower is better,especially spot and stalk on Coues.
You got any of them "Happy Pills"?Ha!,Ha!

Nope, that still works. At least I hope that it still works.

 

[mallardsx2]

Never really had a dream hunt. Most of the hunts a guy dreams about he cant afford unless he hits the lottery.

I always wanted to kill a huge whitetail on public ground with my bow or my flintlock. Hasn't happened yet but god willing, I got time to do it.

 

[Rich M]

As for the landowner tags - it depends where and what the demand is. The kind of buck you are looking for could be pricey.

In 2008 I almost went to MT on a landowner tag. Paid the deposit to guide, had license, and then lost my job. Lost about $2200-$2400. I think the landowner voucher was about $250-$350. This was a combo mule deer & antelope hunt - a long time dream hunt. 9 years later started down that road again.

Dream hunts - did first one in 2017 WY antelope, 2019 is dream hunt No. 2 CO mule deer - turns out there is an opportunity for elk, so might do that as well. Got 2 more - another antelope and another mule deer or elk. Then dream hunts will be done.

Used to want to caribou hunt but they shut Quebec down and it isn't worth $6-$10K to me to go to AK. My entire western hunting budget is about $10K. LOL!