Dream Hunt

[tree_ghost]

If there were no logistical limitations to any hunt of your choosing i.e. money, transportation, tags etc...what would be your dream hunt?

I'd have to choose Red Stagg with archery equipment in New Zealand

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[AT Hiker]

Tough question because each of my "dream-hunts" are som different. Living in the Wyoming high country wilderness during the FULL month of Sept chasing rutting bulls and timber line mule deer would top my list because I know that dream can be a reality. However; AK bush plane drop camp, Canadian high country sheep, or anywhere that is so remote you simply cannot get there by driving, walking or horseback.

A truly remote New Zealand hunt, the Alps, Spain, Ireland, etc would all be great adventures. My wife and I are talking about doing a coast to coast hike in Ireland within the next 10 years, I would honestly rather do that than hunt overseas. Something about hiking pub to pub in the motherland is awe inspiring[emoji41]


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[Atchman2]

I'd love to go to Alaska and go on a bear hunt.

 

[AT Hiker]

I'd love to go to Alaska and go on a bear hunt.

Id love to plan a group hunt one day. Do a bear and sitka combo. Catch fish and crabs for dinner, talk about a sweet trip.


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[AT Hiker]

I'd love to go to Alaska and go on a bear hunt.

Id love to plan a group hunt one day. Do a bear and sitka combo. Catch fish and crabs for dinner, talk about a sweet trip.


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Until then, you can always join me on the annual poor man's Tennessee Deer/bear combo hunt at the end of Dec. No bear or deer has yet to be seen, but every man needs a dream. :lol:

I doubt my schedule will allow this year. Just found out I drew a AZ coues tag for Dec!


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[tree_ghost]

I'd love to go to Alaska and go on a bear hunt.

Id love to plan a group hunt one day. Do a bear and sitka combo. Catch fish and crabs for dinner, talk about a sweet trip.


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Yeah if I ever landed a trip like that me and my wife might decide to try and not come back...:dreamer:

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[Land Between the Lakes]

Deer hunting Saskatchewan Canada during the rut. Or Elk hunting during the rut in Arizona, New Mexico, or another western state.

 

[blondebear]

I'd love to go to Alaska and go on a bear hunt.

Id love to plan a group hunt one day. Do a bear and sitka combo. Catch fish and crabs for dinner, talk about a sweet trip.


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Yeah if I ever landed a trip like that me and my wife might decide to try and not come back...:dreamer:

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tree,atch and at,

bear,sitka,fish and crabs ! been there ,done that. great dream hunt ! great diy hunt ! prepare for lots of rain if not perpetual rain in the tongass. dry firewood is almost nonexistent unless you truck your own in. reference the tv show alone ! lol ! the weather is worse in alaska along the s.e.coast.

forest service cabins available for a small price but can be fished and hunted out within walking distance. deer especially will be shot out and bear availability dependent on the salmon. usually smaller bears near the cabins. i remain mobile and my camp goes wherever. big bears need to be hunted in the spring. they head up to sleep by the end of august just as non resident seasons come in and mostly small bears will be available at that time. residents start hunting sitka about a month before non residents and the easy big boys are gone. plenty muy grandes left at the highest elevations but are difficult to get to without a bush plane. trails available to the top with actual man made wooden steps on the steeper slopes ,but the locals ain't gonna help u find them. big bucks available during the rut at lower elevations but the bear are sleeping and the salmon are rotting at the bottom of the streams.

as for fish many places u can catch 4 of the 5 species of salmon inland. kings must be caught in salt to get a grand slam on the same trip. with salmon timing is everything. for novice salmon fishing its pretty difficult in freshwater and will take a few trips to become proficient. halibut ,lings and rock cod are fantastic...if their biting. saltwater trips are a bit expensive in alaska. dollies seem to be everywhere u find salmon and are fun and quite tasty between salmon bites. just toss your crab traps out anywhere to fill your pot.

i plan on at a minimum 3 weeks and prefer 4 or 5 for this type of trip to s.e.alaska. its really quite an adventure to drive and then take the maritime highway (ferry) to a destination of your choice. not only good hunting and fishing but plenty of sight seeing and picture taking to be done. great food especially sea food. all along the inland passage keep in mind that activities and attractions are scheduled during docking time of the cruise ships. outside of cruise ship docking everyone will assume you are a local. ask a purty local girl where to get a fantastic plate of halibut and when she realizes your not local , u got a dinner date and a night of joy. too funny but places like ketchikan at one time had a 100 males to every female. they want something different.

remember that as a non resident u can only hunt black bear without a guide. try to schedule any bear hunt where there are blacks only. islands especially can either harbor blacks or browns exclusively. where they intermingle as a rule the browns are dominant and the hunting is far more difficult.

as for my dream hunt i think of a 28 day tanzania full bag safari with 42 species available with multiple permits per specie. am now kicking my own azz for not going when the opportunity presented itself. now the full baggers are down to a 21 day license. this dream is now easily 6 figures plus and i may never get the chance due to age and physical conditioning to get the most out of it. do your dream hunts before its too late !

 

[tree_ghost]

that sounds like one hell of a time blondebear... id love to one day be able to take a trip like that...Im guessing that the price tag is somewhere around 50k...I definitely have the aspirations to make some dream hunts come true I just need to get my finances as motivated as my hunting nature is LOL. I really enjoy hearing yalls stories so keep em coming!


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[Atchman2]

Until then, you can always join me on the annual poor man's Tennessee Deer/bear combo hunt at the end of Dec. No bear or deer has yet to be seen, but every man needs a dream.

I might do that! One of my friends has dogs, he could maybe help us with a hunt if you are interested? On private land you can bait for a few weeks prior to see if there are any there. Also there are some guides here that aren't too expensive. Couple hundred for a morning or evening hunt.

 

[AT Hiker]

Cool stuff blondebear! Except for the driving to Alaska part, thats a haul!


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[tree_ghost]

Cool stuff blondebear! Except for the driving to Alaska part, thats a haul!

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Hunting is so expensive :cry:

Man your not kidding...it's funny how historically is been a status symbol in the western world for hundreds of years. Back in England only the elite royal class were aloud to hunt the deer in the kings forest...dang I should have been born a price :jaded:


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[blondebear]

that sounds like one hell of a time blondebear... id love to one day be able to take a trip like that...Im guessing that the price tag is somewhere around 50k...I definitely have the aspirations to make some dream hunts come true I just need to get my finances as motivated as my hunting nature is LOL. I really enjoy hearing yalls stories so keep em coming!


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tree,

last trip to s.e. alaska was about 6 or 7 years ago. went for 5 weeks and i believe total costs was less than 5 grand. that includes mounting and sending a bear home. i'll make some suggetions to save time and cash in another post.

 

[blondebear]

Cool stuff blondebear! Except for the driving to Alaska part, thats a haul!

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Yeah, I just don't ever foresee having that kind of time. 10 day trip could be doable, maybe even 14 if I had some internet access for a couple of days in there.

My wife is new to hunting, but she's potentially interested in doing some kind of adventure type hunt so long as it contains the right combination of vacation elements. I've been trying to come up with something that meets that criteria.

One thought was Anticosti Island as it seems like a potentially unique experience and there are some different options when it comes to staying there. You can opt for the rustic lodge for the lowest price point. The drawbacks are that it is a bit contrived and, in general, tends to cater more to the wealthy class. It could be cool in some ways, but, stylistically, I'm not sure if is a fit. Its also International hunting (Quebec) which involves more headaches. The island has Whitetail deer, which is hardly unique, but they are supposed to be some of the most interesting tasting Whitetails around because they eat a lot of seaweed.

The latest contender is hunting for Sitka deer on Raspberry Island, but staying at the Wilderness lodge: http://raspberryisland.com/
They take you out by boat each morning and drop you off at the base of a drainage. Its like $2,600 per person for a week. $300 roundtrip flights out of Anchorage + $500 roundtrip flights to Anchorage + tags (Deer are reasonably cheap) and freight. Gets expensive quickly. We would probably spend a few days in Juneau (friends live there) first. IDK. You can totally do this trip DIY and camp on the island for FAR cheaper, but with 60 mph winds and needing an electric fence to keep the Grizzly bears out of camp, probably too much adventure and not enough vacation for my wife. We usually do a big trip every 3 years or so, so this could be a contender, but it would also be the most expensive trip, probably bar far, we've done. The advantages for me personally would be getting to hunt Alaska and getting to hunt Blacktail, both of which sound extremely stimulating unto themselves. Undertaking it as a deer hunt the first time also seems more logistically manageable than trying to tackle a hard to draw tag (Roosevelt Elk) or having to deal with especially expensive freight when bringing meat back. A deboned Sitka deer will fit in a cooler and weigh less than 50 lbs. That's remarkably streamlined, compact and comparatively cheap.

Hunting is so expensive :cry:

poser,

interesting remark about the whitetails eating seaweed and tasting great on anticosti. i remember when i was a kid wanting to go there when they opened it up for foreigners to hunt. i've tasted whitetails,muleys and blacktails from florida to alaska and everywhere u go the locals tell u they have the best tasting deer. only exception are the muleys in sage and pinyons. when i tasted the sitka blacktails for the 1st time , i came to the conclusion the alaskans aren't liars ! lol ! the sitkas in my book are the best so far. maybe one day i'll try the anticosti whitetails ,cross my fingers for a comparison.

 

[blondebear]

wanted to get back with u fellas a little sooner with some suggestions on a diy trip to s.e. alaska. been on firewatch here and loading for an evac and then unloading and now staging again. should have taken a pic of the truck loaded down with mounts,rugs,skulls and antlers inside and out. i'd make jed clampett proud.

travel is of course more time consuming and costly fron tenn. sooo...

i'd fly to seattle and rent an r.v. and drive to bellingham and catch the ferry there or drive to prince rupert and catch it there to save a little more time and cash. an option would be to catch a commuter to bellingham and do the same.

the r.v will keep u high and dry in comfort with heat for drying clothes. this would be a great option to split costs with other hunters or maybe make a couples trip. it may just help open the purse of the little lady when u tell her shes going on that cruise she always wanted. lodging in alaska is quite high depending on the season. more bucks saved with the r.v. with this option u may want to rent a 4 wd upon landing on the island. that was 80 bucks a day last trip. sounds like a lot then but if u run much it will save wear and tear on your own vehicle. especially the tires.

an r.v. would cut down on the amount of gear ya need to camp. could always buy blankets, food and such before ya hit the ferry. ditch them on the way home. cheaper than excess baggage. food is much cheaper before u hit canada and alaska. enter the grocery there for the first time and u instantly lose your appetite. as a side note about 14 or 15 years ago myself and a co-worker went to purchase water to make coffee on a job site in kotzebue up on the circle. a 2 1/2 gallon jug was $17.95 . when my buddy said we can get whiskey cheaper a native gal whipped out her i.d. card and got us a 2 dollar discount. a local bought a pound of bing cherries for 9 bucks and change. i wouldn't eat one when offered as i could buy a pound at home for a 1.50 when i went home for the weekend. just to get an idea of food costs in alaska. prices vary greatly depending on how remote u are.

if u hunt in pairs, just share a rifle to save baggage costs.

i'd plan this trip to prince of wales as it is the closet and easiest for a d.i.y. hunt /fish trip.

if u didn't try do everything your 1st trip, this could be done in a 10-14 day timeline including travel giving 2 1/2 days each way for travel. i'd suggest just fishing and sightseeing or maybe bear hunting and sightseeing 1st time. bear are easier than deer. in alaska u can purchase a bear tag and while hunting u spot a big sitka its legal to put your bear tag on the deer.

if any of u plan a trip that includes unguided salmon, by all means p.m. me if i'm still here. i'll help u cut down the learning curve. i've learned the hard way and for quite a few years now when in alaska salmon fishing folks often think i'm a local. i stick out my chest a little when the locals mistake me for a local and i give them how to's and even identify species and sex their fish. literally i've caught as many 50-60 salmon and get tired of it while some newbies can't get a strike.

 

[tickweed]

Dall Sheep

 

[AT Hiker]

Dall Sheep

Is it the sheep or the adventure of killing the sheep?

I would love to tag along on a sheep hunt, doubt I will ever actually kill one. Im to poor to buy a hunt and do not apply for the semi-affordable state tags.


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[fairchaser]

Cool stuff blondebear! Except for the driving to Alaska part, thats a haul!

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Yeah, I just don't ever foresee having that kind of time. 10 day trip could be doable, maybe even 14 if I had some internet access for a couple of days in there.

My wife is new to hunting, but she's potentially interested in doing some kind of adventure type hunt so long as it contains the right combination of vacation elements. I've been trying to come up with something that meets that criteria.

One thought was Anticosti Island as it seems like a potentially unique experience and there are some different options when it comes to staying there. You can opt for the rustic lodge for the lowest price point. The drawbacks are that it is a bit contrived and, in general, tends to cater more to the wealthy class. It could be cool in some ways, but, stylistically, I'm not sure if is a fit. Its also International hunting (Quebec) which involves more headaches. The island has Whitetail deer, which is hardly unique, but they are supposed to be some of the most interesting tasting Whitetails around because they eat a lot of seaweed.

The latest contender is hunting for Sitka deer on Raspberry Island, but staying at the Wilderness lodge: http://raspberryisland.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
They take you out by boat each morning and drop you off at the base of a drainage. Its like $2,600 per person for a week. $300 roundtrip flights out of Anchorage + $500 roundtrip flights to Anchorage + tags (Deer are reasonably cheap) and freight. Gets expensive quickly. We would probably spend a few days in Juneau (friends live there) first. IDK. You can totally do this trip DIY and camp on the island for FAR cheaper, but with 60 mph winds and needing an electric fence to keep the Grizzly bears out of camp, probably too much adventure and not enough vacation for my wife. We usually do a big trip every 3 years or so, so this could be a contender, but it would also be the most expensive trip, probably bar far, we've done. The advantages for me personally would be getting to hunt Alaska and getting to hunt Blacktail, both of which sound extremely stimulating unto themselves. Undertaking it as a deer hunt the first time also seems more logistically manageable than trying to tackle a hard to draw tag (Roosevelt Elk) or having to deal with especially expensive freight when bringing meat back. A deboned Sitka deer will fit in a cooler and weigh less than 50 lbs. That's remarkably streamlined, compact and comparatively cheap.

Hunting is so expensive :cry:

I've hunted Anticosti island twice. Truly a unique whitetail hunting experience. I wish I had known about the taste of the venison, because we gave away the meat. It would have cost $10/lb to ship it. It's a beautiful and pristene place and the hunting is good but the bucks have smaller racks on their big Canadian bodies. The accommodations and food are first rate. I would highly recommend it for a couples hunt. Lots of still hunting.

 

[tree_ghost]

that sounds like one hell of a time blondebear... id love to one day be able to take a trip like that...Im guessing that the price tag is somewhere around 50k...I definitely have the aspirations to make some dream hunts come true I just need to get my finances as motivated as my hunting nature is LOL. I really enjoy hearing yalls stories so keep em coming!


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tree,

last trip to s.e. alaska was about 6 or 7 years ago. went for 5 weeks and i believe total costs was less than 5 grand. that includes mounting and sending a bear home. i'll make some suggetions to save time and cash in another post.

That would be awesome

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[easy45]

Combination Elk/mule deer hunt


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[1shot1kill]

Dall Sheep in the Chugach Mountains of Alaska. Boils my blood just thinking about it!

 

[7mminatree]

Red deer or Sika in Ireland at my moms homeplace in Mayo county. Or Himalayan Tahr in New Zealand

 

[tickweed]

Dall Sheep

Is it the sheep or the adventure of killing the sheep?

I would love to tag along on a sheep hunt, doubt I will ever actually kill one. Im to poor to buy a hunt and do not apply for the semi-affordable state tags.


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All of it. Im probably to old now, even if I could afford it, much less get a tag. I just love the High, and I mean High country.

 

[TN Larry]

Not considering a whitetail hunt.............it would have to be chasing elk with a bow when they are bugling hard somewhere like Arizona or New Mexico.

 

[cmn]

Just returned from NM. They were bugling great at the end of the season.... Hope they will be in TN

 

[tree_ghost]

I just love the High, and I mean High country.

You can always hunt in Colorado then where the "get high and glass" tactic takes on a whole new meaning in CO

rotf!


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