Hi, Im from the UK where I have done extensive hunting all my life, I am now 55yrs of age and more interested in bowhunting then rifles or shotguns these days but bowhunting is illegal in the UK. I would like to travel to the US and try for a few hogs and maybe a whitetail if possible but have absolutely no idea where to start. I would really appreciate any advice from you guys, I don't really want to go down the route of professional guides and outfitters, I have no wish to sip Champaign from luxury blinds while I wait for the guaranteed, semi-tame deer to be served to me, I don't need trophy's I just wish to hunt for the pot and to participate in real hunting with truly wild game where success, if it comes at all, is hard won! The problem is I really have no idea where to begin, The US is huge and I have no idea which states to hunt or what area's of which states, or where to find hunting or even how to go about finding hunting. Can I rent a cabin for instance or are there area's where I can find accommodation and purchase a license to hunt? As you see I really am a green horn on this and hope that you experienced guys can take a little time and patience and help a clueless Brit get a little taste of what you guys are lucky enough to enjoy every single season. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks Steve
I am new to my state, and hunting in Montana can be a little spendy for big game, but I would be more than happy to host you. Mamma always said be careful of strangers on the internet, but this is a bowhunting forum, so you can't be all bad. You will need bowhunters ed to hunt archery here. Lots of places offer it online, but then you have to do a field day to finish. If you could find someone from Nebraska to take you it would be a lot less expensive, and I think they wave the hunters ed requirement if you are over 35.
Kansas would be a good state. Plenty of public land out west and you can always find a cheap motel to stay. Are you planning on keeping the meat? If not you can donate it. I don't believe you need any special classes to hunt there.
If your goal just a Representative whitetail make your life easy and stick to an eastern state with ample public land and uncomplicated tags and seasons. You most likely wont be packing camping equipment so the eastern state will off plenty of lodging close to public hunting. Buy or borrow a climbing stand and safety harshness and you will be in business. States/ places that come to mind on off the top of my head. NY...western NY plenty of pubic land and good deer numbers, easy access and long season. stay west of 81 and your golden. West VA has plenty of deer and easy access to public land, same can be said for Tennessee.
If I was traveling from England I would invest in an outfitter, any of the upper midwest states are going to have pretty good hunting.
I would get an outfitter if I were going to another country to hunt. Check out White Tail Heaven in Ky. I don't know them but have heard good things from others. Good luck.
Each states Department of Natural Resources website should have lists of public lands. Once you narrow down a specific state you might want to find a forum dedicated to that state where you can talk to people who've hunted those lands. Some states cost $500+ for a license and some only ~$160. Paying for a guided or semi guided hunt through an outfitter doesn't neccesarily mean you'll be hunting tamed game farm deer. You're just paying for them to do the scouting for you and possibly provide stands and a place to stay/eat which will mean more time for you to focus on hunting a wild animal. Still no guarantees.
Hi Shane and thanks for your reply, are there Turkeys in Kansas? Have watched some of the Turkey hunts on YouTube and it does appeal to me. Thanks
Thanks guys to everyone for your very good advice, it seems that perhaps an outfitter may be a good idea for my first few trips. I like the idea of public land and now, thanks to you guys, have a few places to start researching. The other thing Im thinking of is to lease the hunting on a small plot somewhere, nothing fancy but with a few turkeys, whitetail and hogs to keep me busy. Im retired now so length of stay isn't really an issue, as long as theres some kind of accommodation either on the land or very close. Have any of you lads leased the hunting rights before and if so are there any pitfalls I should be aware of? As always, thanks in advance.
