The Hunting Beast

Kinda far off but I’m starting to think about next season and traveling already. I had planned on hitting Nebraska again in November but I took an apprenticeship at work and im pretty sure I’ll have to take 8 credit hours next fall which will make it tough to be away from home for a whole week. I’m skipping work and school a whole week this year but I have half the class load. Anyway I’m looking at options for big game hunts out of state before the last full week of August. Right now options are:
1. Utah mule deer
2. Wyoming antelope for a week in August, with the option of a bomber extended weekend trip back in October with a rifle
3. Idaho or Colorado mule deer and skip the first week of school
Any input? I don’t have any preference points anywhere so it’ll have to be an otc or high odds draw hunt. I need to stay under $1000 preferably and want a diy preferably western, mountains etc.

I like the way you think.

No experience with anything you listed, but the idea of an early season high country mule deer hunt is intriguing to me.

jwilkstn wrote:No experience with anything you listed, but the idea of an early season high country mule deer hunt is intriguing to me.

I badly, badly want to do a Colorado high country mule deer hunt. Have no points but supposedly you can draw quite a few units with 0. First week of season is typically last week of August. Combine Labor Day and you get ten days for five vacation days.

I’m in the works of planning a cow elk trip over the week of thanksgiving with my dad who is a teacher.

The guys that go every year on average spend about $800 each for the trip. They do a herd reduction zone and always tag out.

Not betting on it happening next year as we need lots of cards to fall in our favor with timing

thwack16 wrote:

jwilkstn wrote:No experience with anything you listed, but the idea of an early season high country mule deer hunt is intriguing to me.

I badly, badly want to do a Colorado high country mule deer hunt. Have no points but supposedly you can draw quite a few units with 0. First week of season is typically last week of August. Combine Labor Day and you get ten days for five vacation days.

Yeah that's what I've seen in my limited research, also. The most difficult aspect would be physical I suspect. Even if you're in shape and can handle the hiking, the altitude could be problematic for us not used to it.

jwilkstn wrote:

thwack16 wrote:

jwilkstn wrote:No experience with anything you listed, but the idea of an early season high country mule deer hunt is intriguing to me.

I badly, badly want to do a Colorado high country mule deer hunt. Have no points but supposedly you can draw quite a few units with 0. First week of season is typically last week of August. Combine Labor Day and you get ten days for five vacation days.

Yeah that's what I've seen in my limited research, also. The most difficult aspect would be physical I suspect. Even if you're in shape and can handle the hiking, the altitude could be problematic for us not used to it.

Yep, but man it would be fun once/if you got adjusted. It’s tentatively my plan for this coming season. May not happen, but atleast it’s helping me wake up at 4:30 am to get in the gym every weekday.

Kudos to you for that! I do great in the winter getting out scouting the mountains here in TN between deer and turkey season, but allow life to get in the way the rest of the time.

Jonny wrote:I’m in the works of planning a cow elk trip over the week of thanksgiving with my dad who is a teacher.

The guys that go every year on average spend about $800 each for the trip. They do a herd reduction zone and always tag out.

Not betting on it happening next year as we need lots of cards to fall in our favor with timing

That’s a good option, I’ll keep it in mind. I try to be home for thanksgiving to keep the peace, and I love snow tracking and that’s the best week for activity here imo. Was it tricky to get access that late? I figured late in the year they’d be at low elevations on private

thwack16 wrote:

jwilkstn wrote:No experience with anything you listed, but the idea of an early season high country mule deer hunt is intriguing to me.

I badly, badly want to do a Colorado high country mule deer hunt. Have no points but supposedly you can draw quite a few units with 0. First week of season is typically last week of August. Combine Labor Day and you get ten days for five vacation days.

That’s kinda what I was thinking. That and skip my classes before anything important happens

cedarsavage wrote:

Jonny wrote:I’m in the works of planning a cow elk trip over the week of thanksgiving with my dad who is a teacher.

The guys that go every year on average spend about $800 each for the trip. They do a herd reduction zone and always tag out.

Not betting on it happening next year as we need lots of cards to fall in our favor with timing

That’s a good option, I’ll keep it in mind. I try to be home for thanksgiving to keep the peace, and I love snow tracking and that’s the best week for activity here imo. Was it tricky to get access that late? I figured late in the year they’d be at low elevations on private

Honestly I don't know. The guy who has access got it probably 20+ years ago, and uses it to access public that from my knowledge is landlocked. He was tipped off about it from a rancher who he did some work for. From what I've been told, he takes out a couple groups each season, and once they find the herd, it's whacking and stacking.

Thanksgiving works best for my dad and I since I am off from college that week, and my dad can use 2 comp days to get the entire week off. We would have to miss gun season, but I think I'll live with that