If you could start over hunting out west with what you know now what would you do?

[Deleted member 16014]

First, l am not the sharpest guy around, but I started buying points at a fairly young age for every species in most every western state, realizing I wouldn't be able to afford to go on these hunts for many years. Look at it as a long-term investment, but the key now is to also invest wisely. I did the same for my wife and kids. The payoff is there, as we have had great hunts and will have MANY more for MANY years to come. Sometimes it was tight buying points and applying, but I worked harder or took on side jobs when necessary to pay for what I loved to do.

Second, research and dig more than other people are willing to do. There are so many good to great OTC hunts and hunts that take only one or two preference points in almost every western state. Most hunters would never have the time to enjoy them all. Trust me they are there, my family and a few close friends hunt them regularly! It is crazy what opportunity is available if you look hard enough. No hunter should EVER complain about a lack of quality hunting opportunities on public land in the western states in my opinion!

Third, I wish I had saved even earlier than I did to buy top end optics and learn how to REALLY use them. A complete game changer.

Fourth, stay in reasonably good shape and keep weight off your entire life, not just a month or two before the hunt. Hunting will be more enjoyable and successful.

Finally, learn to trust a GPS, get comfortable walking out and coming back in the dark, and carry what you need to survive overnight if something does happen.

This is exactly what I would tell myself 30 years ago. Take it for what it's worth and good luck!

Lots of great info there.
As far as finding a partner, of course everyone is different, but I'd rather have no partner than a mediocre one. Traits I'd look for in a partner:
-Good attitude
-Wilderness savvy
-Learns stuff quick
-Physically fit

I'd rather hunt with a pleasant person who will work hard (whether or not they've ever held a gun) than a tool who has been hunting for forty years. The ol' internet seems abundant in the latter.

 

[HighDesertSage]

Better paying job

 

[1_pointer]

Lots of great info there.
As far as finding a partner, of course everyone is different, but I'd rather have no partner than a mediocre one. Traits I'd look for in a partner:
-Good attitude
-Wilderness savvy
-Learns stuff quick
-Physically fit

I'd rather hunt with a pleasant person who will work hard (whether or not they've ever held a gun) than a tool who has been hunting for forty years. The ol' internet seems abundant in the latter.

If we can negotiate on that last trait; I can send a CV...

 

[BlakeA]

Lots of great info there.
As far as finding a partner, of course everyone is different, but I'd rather have no partner than a mediocre one. Traits I'd look for in a partner:
-Good attitude
-Wilderness savvy
-Learns stuff quick
-Physically fit

I'd rather hunt with a pleasant person who will work hard (whether or not they've ever held a gun) than a tool who has been hunting for forty years. The ol' internet seems abundant in the latter.

^^ This

 

[Deleted member 16014]

If we can negotiate on that last trait; I can send a CV...

Ha, come on out.

 

[LopeHunter]

Get a more accurate rifle for everything smaller than elk. Get a more accurate elk rifle. Better optics. Better gear. Better boots. Join Huntin' Fool sooner as the tags I was drawing as a non-resident often had previous hunters that would share intel. Only get Euro mounts. Make more jerky.

 

[onpoint]

Instead of borrowing money to get a piece of paper from Montana State University, in 1985 I woulda' scraped, schmoozed, and sold myself to some financiers. After procurring funding I'd have approached some really select Montana ranches with a business plan to lease up the hunting rights in exchange for a cut of the profits and exclusive control - keeping the unwashed hoardes from disturbing the landowners with copious amounts of requests for hunting privileges. Over the years I would have turned this into a lucrative business, being by now set for life with the $$ earned and the connections made.
I would not be a low rent yutz on a public land public hunter website going on and on about public land issues and such.
Laugh - but this did happen for some good ol' Montana kids back in the day.
But not me - I'm an underachiever.
Think I'll chase roosters tomorrow on a block management area - glad some ranches aren't worthy of the kings of industry...............................

 

[PrairieHunter]

Only get Euro mounts. .

This is a really good one. Why waste $500 on a shoulder mount when you could buy a tag or 2 with that money.

To add to that, learn how to do your own euros. It's really not hard.

 

[Zim]

I would have never bought into the Oregon point game 22 years ago. I would have jumped ship in Utah as soon as SFW took over 15 years ago. Would have jumped ship in Nevada after drawing my elk tag in 2007. Would have hunted New Mexico every year until outfitter welfare took over there about ten years ago. Would have concentrated on 3-5 point units in all remaining states, esp. CO elk & deer.

But by far and away #1.........I would never have married my unemployed welfare ex in 1984. That was a catastrophic $700K mistake from which I will never recover.

 

[antlerradar]

I would have spent a lot more time in the hills when I didn't need to take an Aleve to keep my knees from hurting on a all day hike.

 

[1_pointer]

Ha, come on out.

You might regret that! I do have a max -1 deer points that I need to use...

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I would build points in the cheap point states MT & UT, apply for the flat lottery states where it doesn't matter you got in late ID and NM and then hunt every year in OTC units. I think I worried more about hunting 'good units' and points when I started out, and to be honest didn't spend that much time actually hunting. Go OTC every year somewhere, even if you never get an elk you will learn a ton and then actually be able to kill one when you finally draw. There are tons of guys out there who just hunt the back 40 and build points and then come out west with there 18 points and get skunked because they don't know what they were doing. When I look back on my first couple of seasons it's I just laugh, I carried 3X as much stuff as I needed, I wasn't hunting in the right terrain, I wasn't there the correct time of day, etc etc etc... you can read forums and magazines all you want but you don't learn that stuff until you have gone out and done it.

 

[----]

The limiting factor that seems to hold me (and most every hunting buddy I have) back, is time.

I have probably at least ten hunts I want to do each year, and that's with only building points in 3 different states. I have the money, points and gear to do these hunts, but what I'm limited by is those 28 days of PTO I get each year. Luckily I live where I hunt a good portion of the time, so if I'm not working between September-December, I'm able to hunt. It still is incredibly frustrating how I'm limited time-wise.

If I were to start over, I would try to choose a career that would give me more time to hunt in the fall.

I'm constantly reminded of Jim Harrison's quote, that Ben Long uses in his signature- “The danger of civilization, of course, is that you will piss away your life on nonsense.” That seems incredibly fitting.

 

[TheTone]

I'll agree with Randy11 completely. My biggest limiting factor is simply time in the fall. Its my busiest time of year for work and thus limits me almost exclusively to day hunting from home. I earn plenty of time off, its just not really looked at well if I use it in the fall. That said if I draw something great in another state I'm going, it will probably just take quite a bit of negotiating to get it done. I do have the benefit of retiring fairly young, but putting off something today for the future seems more foolish all the time.

 

[huntin24/7]

Id have started buying points for as many states and species as I could afford. I would've also picked 3 or 4 out of state general hunts and species that I could draw every couple years and learn areas on those general hunts. Point creep is so bad, there are so many states where you can't even get started and expect to ever draw. In glad I at least started 7 years ago in some states so will be be able to draw some tags for the next 8-10 years.

 

[Nameless Range]

This is an interesting thread. I think Randy11 is spot on with time being the limiting factor. I suppose a different job that allowed more time off would be a good strategic move if hunting were what the whole deal revolved around. So assuming that hunting is what the whole plan revolves around:

-Start building points as early as possible
-Buy more guns before marriage
-Wait a little longer till I knocked the wife up
-Start archery hunting as early as possible
-Hunt many different places. Almost every time I go somewhere new I am glad I did
-Push yourself

 

[VAspeedgoat]

I think I'll amend my previous post and add this. Find an accountant by the name of Newberg and talk hunting when he does my taxes. My w-2 would be small and my taxes easy so it would leave plenty of time to talk about hunting.

 

[rustneversleeps]

I would have moved out West right out of high school and never looked back. Life's too short.

 

[noharleyyet]

Add to list; bum a ride with Buzz.

 

[T Bone]

1. Count myself lucky and blessed to be raised in Idaho, and having lived as an adult in Idaho, Nevada, South Dakota and Colorado.

2. I wish I'd of never sold a house, but just rent them. If I'd of done that, I'd be a millionaire.

3. Hunt as much as the budget, spouse, and life allows. Hunt OTC, hunt 2nd choice, hunt the dregs while applying every year for every tag possible. As Buschy stated, there are excellent opportunities in the easy tags if one prepares and works for it.

4. Optics. Should of bought better quality earlier.

5. I had the chance to move to AK and work for Chugach Electric....The wife said she wouldn't follow me. I should have called her bluff...

6. Fewer rifles. I could get by with 4 rifles and a shotty. I have no clue why they keep reproducing.

7. I would love a do-over of 1 day of my first sheep tag in the Big Horn Crags. I see that ram in my sleep often. I've not seen a ram of that size since. Truly a once in a lifetime opportunity, that happened twice, and twice I failed.