Guided Hunt vs. DIY

[Pucky Freak]

Even a DIY hunt is becoming a wealthy mans game.

You can do a NR DIY elk hunt for $2000. If you save up over 24 months that’s $83/month. That’s financial discipline, not riches.

 

[ol_spark]

Doesn't sound like you learned much ... except who to avoid the next time. I see my African outfitter has a starter deal on now. Four animals over six days (four hunting) for $2,400: wildebeest [blue or black], blesbuck, springbok, impala. If a warthog showed up that would be a cheap extra (one landowner I know insists that you shoot them). That includes everything but $24/day tax. My first trip over I shot all but springbok before noon of the first morning + warthog. Springbok the following morning on a different property + very fine gemsbuck. You'll see hundreds of animals and dozens of different species. My first encounter on first property was a couple of decent impala rams. Well, I thought they were decent. PH says no way and owner says we should come back when we're done and cull them both. And we would have but our truck had all it could carry by then. Drive on around the corner and almost collide with a cow rino. My PH just sent me a photo of a leopard in the road of that property as he was leaving two weeks ago. Very cool! Flight to South Africa can be bagged for between a thousand and fifteen hundred round trip if you shop early. Finish your list early and there's always management culling available. My first trip I culled a cape buffalo for a song. A guided trip for dall sheep is over twenty grand and no guarantee one will be shot. Or seen! I'd love to shoot a sheep but if wall hangers are what's important then spend the same money (or less) and go to the dark continent. Personally, I go to see spectacular country and tons of animals. The lodge scene is fancy enough but eating a lot, getting gassed on expensive booze, and BSing around the fire with dudes in fresh bought safari duds isn't a big drawing card for me. This time I stayed mostly in the property owners' farm houses and that suited me just fine. Felt like I was part of the family. Indeed, my PH is like family now.

Who to avoid is mostly what I’ve learned also.

 

[LCH]

Way I look at it.. I can do 5, 6, 7 diy hunts for the cost of one guided hunt. I'm going to learn a lot more going on my own every year than going just once with a guide.

I did do a semi-guided hunt about 10 years ago.. For pronghorn. To be honest, the whole thing felt kind of weird. Just not my thing, I guess. Soon after that I learned that a fella actually could buy a tag, drive to public land, and just hunt. That was just a foreign idea to me, even though I grew up hunting family and neighbors' land.

Maybe I've just been lucky, but I probably run around 75% on filling tags on my DIY hunts now. I won't say never, but at this time I just don't see myself doing it any other way.

 

[Bldrinker]

You can do a NR DIY elk hunt for $2000. If you save up over 24 months that’s $83/month. That’s financial discipline, not riches.

I have done DIY since around 2012’ish every year except 2021.

I’m fortunate enough where that is easily affordable for me. But I also understand it is out of the question for allot of people.

 

[Trap]

Way I look at it.. I can do 5, 6, 7 diy hunts for the cost of one guided hunt. I'm going to learn a lot more going on my own every year than going just once with a guide.

I did do a semi-guided hunt about 10 years ago.. For pronghorn. To be honest, the whole thing felt kind of weird. Just not my thing, I guess. Soon after that I learned that a fella actually could buy a tag, drive to public land, and just hunt. That was just a foreign idea to me, even though I grew up hunting family and neighbors' land.

Maybe I've just been lucky, but I probably run around 75% on filling tags on my DIY hunts now. I won't say never, but at this time I just don't see myself doing it any other way.

Good post. It’s interesting I grew up
hunting Montana and then moved to Idaho, which meant we always just bought tags and hunted public with high success rates. To pay a guide or trespass fee was a completely foreign idea to me. It actually seemed absurd when I was younger but I have since learned there are situations or hunts where it makes sense if you have the funds. I still hunt 95 percent on my own but for certain animals or hunts I would go guided. I will be doing a guided auodad hunt in Texas in 2023 could not figure out a way to do that diy that made sense to me especially since it will most likely be a one and done hunt.

 

[thusby]

If I drew a sheep/goat tag, I would definitely need some help just to make sure I didn’t screw it up. I would screw it up.

 

[djohn0913]

I have nothing to add except this is a great thread for someone who is just starting the planning process for an elk hunt.

After reading through here I am definitely leaning toward guided than DIY as I may only hunt elk once or twice. Plus, odds are my few friends who hunt whitetail would never do an elk hunt.

Now I need to figure out a good compound bow as I've been using a crossbow for deer in Ohio.