Why do you do it? More deer? Bigger deer? Friends invite? Just because you can? Just curious. I would love to someday do this with someone who is knowledgable of the area.
The only out of state hunt that I would see myself doing anytime in the near future would be to NY. I have a buddy that heads a group of guys that run to NY state park land for Sunday hunts. They do it every weekend, not for me, but I may join for a trip or two at some point. Sundays are a cooling off day for me most weekends, but he's been bugging me. So I will go with friend invite,it sure ain't for bigger deer.
I live in PA but hunt NY for a couple of reasons, probably first is I get to hunt Sunday and the border is about 5 miles from my house...second I have 300 acres that my wife calls my playground, probably because I spend alot of time there.
When I do it, it will be for (mostly) different animals, a different environment and different challenges.
Bigger Bucks. Healthier Deer. Bigger Bucks. Healthier Deer. Bigger... Oh. Sorry... what was the question again? Oh yeah.... Bigger bucks. Healthier...
That would be my reason(s) Greg. Other than that, I might like to go Elk hunting in the mountains just to experience it.
Man, it's all about the experience. And I don't mean experience in a knowledge accumulating sort of way, I mean.....life experience. We only get to do this once. I'm hunting out of state this year for most of the reasons you mentioned, including big bucks. But I can honestly tell you that's secondary to the experience. They guy I'm hunting with is an awesome guy, we have a lot of fun together. I have the opportunity and finances this year to do it, so I am. I may or may not get to again, but I can this year so I am. Do I hope to kill a slammer? Of course. But it's not my main goal. The experience of just getting to is what it's about. Hangin out with a good buddy, sittin around a campfire and oh yeah.......seeing lots of deer too.
Whitetails are an amazing animal to me. To think that they can live from Maine to Washington, Florida to Northern Saskatchewan and everywhere inbetween in a variety of different habitats. Sure they're the same animals, but really they are not. Its all about the different experiences and different country. I've been very fortunate to hunt them in a lot of different places and I wish everyone could experience the same things I have.
I figure I get to go around this world one time and there is nothing I love to do more than hunt whitetails and even better yet with friends in different whitetail habitats! Its not about bigger bucks for me, as a matter of fact I think my standards drop when I go out of state because I dont have the entire year to scout and do all the prep work like I do here at home. I just shoot what makes me happy when I am out of state which usually means I target a mature 4.5 year old buck these days. What he scores really doesnt matter. Sure I love to kill the big boys but out of state is way more than that for me because I only go with friends that I plan on being buds with the rest of my life, so its more about making good memories, like hunting with Tim last year, one of the best times of my life. Same as when I have my buds here for elk or whatever they want to hunt, its about getting after the elk and having a great time together in the mountains.
MoBow describes it very well for me.Where I live and hunt in New York the hunting is not great.I have hunted in Idaho for the last ten years.The country is beautiful,I hunt with people who are my very closest friends and we have a great time.Yes we hope to take nice deer,and most years we do,but just to spend time in those woods and mountains to me is every thing.I hope in the future to take additional hunts,to venture further within my own state and to hunt neighboring states. I have said it a number of times before if any one ever wants to hunt in the catskill moiuntains they are more than welcome to join me.The deer hunting is not the greatest,the turkey hunting is excellent,and we have some very good trout fishing.
Yes, yes, yes and yes. Not to mention, different and more time in the woods away from my single buck tag state.
I am excited to hunt outside of the state of Virginia for the first time this year in North Carolina with GMMAT and hopefully a couple of others. Next year I will hopefully be in Colorado with iamyourhuckleberry and a few guys from here as well. I have already started saving. Excited is an understatement.
Well, I hunt out of state for different ops and to add time to my season. This last season I hunted NM, MN, IA,and MO and killed two 2 Pope and Young whitetails, an elk, a 3rd very respectful whitetail buck, and one of the largest whitetail does I have ever taken;,plus two big tom turkeys....all with my bows. I couldn't have had the best season in my life staying home. As long as God keeps blessing me, I will continue to be a hardcore hunter.
I have yet to travel out of state...but will next year for first time for Elk in CO - a long time dream of mine. For me it's all about the experience...different animals, different scenery/terrain, and meet new friends. I hope this is the start to many more hunt trips...there is SOOO much to see in this world. It's also amazing how much extra excitement I now have knowing this hunt is on the horizon...fun to have something to work towards/plan/prepare...