For guys from "back east" who want to head west to kill mule deer on the cheap there are alot of factors to consider. Here are a few from where I sit.........
transportation west.......going to drive or fly? flying advantages are of course time and sometimes money.......flying and renting a 4x4 isn't cheap either and most rentals have crappy low ply tires; driving is a about a minute a mile, not that cheap and then how do you plan to get any meat home?
where do you plan to hunt....public or private....are you capable of getting into the back country on foot? Need 4 wheelers? renting horses if that is an option? hunting public access or private land? have the necessary software in your GPS to figure out where you are and where you can be and need to be..... u might want to have a couple of C-notes in your billfold if you need to walk up to a ranch and attempt access on private ground , how do you plan to retrieve a big old stinky in a bad drainage pre-rut where the old boy hasn't rutted out and weighs 230 field dressed? Hunting late in the season where snow can sock you in?
it's funny, i was talking to a friend who is a successful guide in Montana the other day and the thing that he always laughs about is how so many guys think they need to go buy a new rifle and scope to kill a mule deer or antelope when that money could have gone into much better binocs, a GPS and good boots that are broke in. That rifle that has been killing little whitetails for years works just fine if you practice shooting it. Practice to me means putting a couple, if not 3 or 4 of boxes through the rifle at distance Boxes. Figure out your ballistics and go practice. Buy some ear protection and go shoot, take your wife, let her shoot......have some fun practicing at 250, 300, try a 350 or 400 for grins .....have fun, get some confidence, get uncomfortable and then get comfortable at distance with your gun. Practice more and then some. If need be get a good scope and get it mounted properly. I like the DNZ products for scope mounts. Makes sense to me. I would never go hunting with a rifle that I am not 100% confident in. I shoot a little old .243. Been shooting that caliber since I was a middle schooler. It works for me. I have taken 6 pt bull elk off their feet at 300 and killed antelope at ranges i won't even type here because you would think i'm BS'ing. .243's work for me. I shoot a BAR simply because i miss my first shot once in a while and a fast followup shot or shots puts me in position to kill the animal and the proven, time tested BAR suits my needs.
I think alot of hunters who have never had the opportunity to kill animals on the run miss good opportunities when working a bolt. I killed many tons of deer with a bolt Remington .243 but probably would have been better off to shoot a BAR if I could have afforded one. I have bought most of my BARS all used except one and some off the internet.
Figure out what is realistic to kill in the area you are hunting. If you are a score guy figure out what size of deer you can realistically expect to hunt in the area you are hunting. Kansas whiteys are not ND whiteys. Colorado muleys are not MT muleys. In my experience in Montana about every 25 to 30 bucks I bump there is a good shooter buck. If you want to shoot a deer go ahead and shoot one. If you want to hunt for a few days hunt a few days. Get it in your mind ahead of time what you want out of your hunt. Is it just to shoot a deer out west? Hammer one and be happy. If you want to hunt, get the area figured out, scout some and hope to slap a tag on a big boy, great. If you are willing to eat tag soup while waiting for a real bomber good luck.
Some of these questions are rather uncomfortable. A lot of guys think they need to kill a deer "out west" because they bought a license and spent a bunch of money. Maybe that will be the only trip they can pull off or want to do and that is what they want, to kill a mulde deer. Maybe in a few years they might come back and have more time to hunt for a larger deer. I just think that spending the money, putting in the time and figuring things out well ahead of time are very important. Having a good hunting partner is key too. It's of course alot cheaper to be on a 2 on 1 guided hunt than a 1 on 1. I would prefer to hunt with somebody I knew and could trust. I hate being around people I don't know with high powered rifles but that is just me. Weird but honest.
I always wish for guys headed west to have the best trip of their hunting careers. You can always get some beautiful pictures. This is a beautiful country. There is still some wild country out there and some great horns with your name on them. It's often uncomfortable to get out of your comfort zone and do what you dream about. Montana has 10,000, 000 acres of public land. You can find a deer on public land in Montana for free. I have been to many other states and had bad weather, found only teenie bucks, on and on. It's hunting not shooting. Some days you win, other days not so much.
I wouldn't have it any other way. I wish you the best.
