Mountain Cur

I live in Louisiana and have never been on a paid deer hunt before, for that matter, I've never even hunted out of state either. I would like to go somewhere next year with a very real chance of taking a something for the wall, for me that would be 130 and up. But I would like to find a place that is inexpensive, like semi-guided or pay for room and board and hunt on my own. I just can't stomach spending 3,000 to 6,000 for a deer. I would like to spend 2,000 or less. This may be asking to much. Any one know of such a place in Missouri, Miss., Alabama, Tennesee, etc., somewhere within a 12 hour drive from north central Louisiana?

mobow

www.imbmonsterbucks.com

Located in northern MO and a HuntingNet sponsor.

Mountain Cur

Thanks Mobow, I'll look at them again, I've been to their website in the past, but don't recall what prices they charge.

rtread

Check out Logging Camp Ranch, Bowman ND. http://www.loggingcampranch.com/
I just spent 3 days up there...Vietnam vets reunion. John Hanson is a great guy and they have trophy whitetail and mule deer....bowhunting only. Also have a sizeable bison herd....long trip but I'm going back up there in '07....

tdf6997

Was checking out your posts on the place to pay-to-hunt....Thanks for the info...[8D]

RedAllison

MC I'm afraid you aren't going to find many 130" bucks for only $2k, the market just commands a higher price. I suppose you "could" possibly find somewhere in central TX that MIGHT have some culls on their place that are in that range. I doubt seriously any place in southern TX would let a 130"er go for only $2k. My suggestion would be to spend $2k on a lease in LA that has produced bucks of that size, a 130"er isn't that hard to grow and almost any place will grow bucks that size if they are given 3-4 years to do so!

If you just want to get out of state and DIY on a limited budget then perhaps you should look at hunting in the various state and national forests in Arkansas and possibly even the various Mark Twain Forests in southern MO. There certainly are trophy caliber bucks in those places but it will take some pre-season work and some scouting around.

Personally I think that in the long run you would be MUCH happier if you just waited another year or two and socked back a couple thousand more dollars and then went after a quality buck somewhere in TX. But remember now, simply paying for the hunt fee itself is NOT enough. Alot of guys think a $4,000.00 hunt is gonna cost them $4k and that is it. That's NOT it. Typically that only includes the hunt itself, it may or may not include license fees and certainly doesn't include travel, tips (which ARE recommended), taxidermy costs and that little extra bit of equipment you'll probably buy for the hunt. Typically such costs can be from %50 too as much as another %100 of the cost itself.

One example I give is of my father-in-law and his hunting club that went too Colorado annually during the early-mid 90s. They drove out, stayed in cheap hotels and ate "on the cheap" and I am sure they had great memories and the comraderie of the hunt but in about a 5 year span they only had a couple of average muley bucks, a few cow elk and one scrub bull to show for it. Add up all the trips he took and he could've gone on one quality hunt in NM or some quality area and had a much better odds of a true trophy. After I killed a huge bull in the Gila and got it back from the taxidermist in AZ, he took one look at it and told me he wished he would've saved his money and gone on a hunt like that instead of all that time, money and bootleather he had spent in CO with nothing much to show for it.

Please don't get me wrong, I am NOT trying to discourage you from doing it on your own. If that is the only thing you really want to do then get some maps and have a blast. But alot of guys think they can just chunk their rifles in the truck, drive 2 days too another state and come home with something like you see on TV. It happens on occasion but statistically you are "pissin up a rope" in all reality!

Good luck whichever way you go,
RA

lou-lou

IMB has some great bucks up there, Darrin does a great job, but for the same price you could go to www.Timberlandhunts.com with Ben Plattner and get a fully giuded hunt with everything from food to lodgeing and guides all in one. I'm going up there in 06 for a combo hunt, been around the block when it comes to outfitters, some good some real bad do your research. Going to Ben's place because he's the best I've found and he meets my personel goals. Email me about Ben's place and I'll fill you in in why I choose him. I don't work for him or even met him yet, I've talked to him enough to know what's going on.

RedAllison

I took at look at that Timberlandhunts site and he has some GREAT bucks and what's not to like about hunting in Illinois? BUT I seriously doubt an outfitter in an obviously quality area of IL is going to sell hunts for 140"+ bucks for only $2k! If he does he is crazy and is leaving ALOT of money on the table each season.

Just to give you an idea of the "market price" for some bucks, there are several places also in IL that have realistic chances at bucks over 190" like some of those on that website. You can't touch a one of them for less than $15k+ and in many cases those bucks are "sold" for over $20k. This is a competitive business and you can bet that 150"+ bucks are known about WELL BEFORE season and the realistic outfitter is going to put his most monied clients in those areas because he knows he will get the largest tips and return hunts when he handles such hunters like that. That's just the way it goes and that happens with respect too ANY trophy hunting in the world!

Good or bad, the market is just CRAZY right now for quality animals!
RA

ps
MC it sounds like you just want to go on a trip out of state and that is great, but strictly speaking in the interest of time and money there are some HUGE deer very near your location. Check around the many locations up and down the MS River in LA and MS. BUT here again they are gonna cost more than your price limit. Good luck anyway!

Mountain Cur

Thx everyone, Red I know where you're coming from, I'm 36 and have been at it since I was old enough to tote a weapon of some sort. It just gets frustrating sometimes, for 6 years me, my brother, Dad, and Bro-in-law let everything walk that was a 1 1/2 yr old, regardless of rack size, on our 450 acres. Last year we came to the sad realization that it didn't do diddly squat for us, folks around us are slaughtering 'em. It ain't much, but it's where we grew up, it adjoins our private property and if we didn't lease it someone else would.Actually, just leaving my area for a hunt in some other state should increase my odds dramatically.

ccm352

I had a good time at www.falklandfarms.com

I saw some nice shooters down there around 130" and I saw one about 150..

In 5 days I saw 70 deer and 300 turkeys. I saw two different 8 pointers around 130. I was a schmuck and missed one because I was too excited. The other was out of range.