Spot on as usual!! My first non bird hunt was for pig in NorCal… It was worth the fee/ access.. Graduated to antelope in Wy… Found a great guide there…. Learned much from him and took my first Bull Elk last year with him…. Blessed we have these freedoms and no better connection than hunting / fishing for food…
I’m 40 now but didn’t start hunting until I was 29. My buddy at the time said “just go you 🐈 you will either love it or hate it but at least you will know” I’m officially more of a hunting nerd/addict now than anyone I know.
I really appreciate these videos sir. I'm one of those hunters you are describing. My father passed away when I was 5, and although he took me hunting, what is a 5 year old really going to learn? I'm so happy you have this information available to people who may not have had an ideal opportunity for exposure. That said, I have taught myself to a large extent, and over the past 15 years I have harvested 6 whitetails. But 3 of them have been in the last two years, so I am not a great hunter by any stretch of the imagination but I am in love with the American west. I have backpacked several times and i desperately want to hunt out there. But I have also fallen into the meateater trap. You watch those shows and it seems like you can just get up and go do the thing after buying all the fancy first lite gear. Time after time I found myself not hunting out west because I couldn't afford the gear the world at large told me I needed. You are such a refreshing watch because I get discouraged looking at the cost of all the stuff and the terrible draw odds. I still am at a complete loss as to how I'm supposed to actually draw a tag out west or what unit or how I'm supposed to gain access to some of the public lands. I'm still very much discouraged and frustrated and confused. But you make it seem more realistic and possible. I very much appreciate your content and your positive mental attitude.
Man a lot of bear tags are over the counter and substantially cheaper than any other big game tag. Great species to start out. Wyoming or Idaho would be my recommendation but do your research and go.
one thing I didn't notice you mentioning is over the counter tags in states like Wyoming. These tags are readily available and are easy to fill...such as general deer and elk tags.
Awesome! New hunter here, living in CO. I got a Buck tag and getting a OTC Bull tag to pair with it. Going out the end of the month. I’m excited. Thank you for all the information!
I'm doing my first hunts this year and interestingly they will be antelope, whitetail/mule deer, and elk (all resident WY). 2022 was not a guarantee on WY antelope though with the decrease in tags due to drought.
Good luck 👍 I wish I would have made it clear in the video that opportunity is always changing - hopefully some of the advice stays true over the years… and your antelope power through the drought! Fun hunts
Thank you for the video! Lucky me, I am a resident here in our great state of CO. It is my first hunt, so I am applying for 1st Season-Rifle Elk hunt with either sex. The first monster that comes within 300 yards is going straight back to my freezer LOL. Currently overseas, and I'll be back next week just in time to for March 1 application. Wish me luck. Many blessings to you and yours from Malta!
Newer hunter here thanks for making this video... Unfortunately i live in Texas which is scarce of public land especially for rifle hunting. However I'll be sure to save up and try this out.... All while still buying draws for exotic here in tx for the points of course
Most east coast states, public land is becoming scarce due to development especially if you live within an hour or more of a major city. I personally wouldn't recommend deer hunting in your home state especially if you live outside of DC in VA or MD or WV. It's the same in upstate NY. Land that is available is private. People in my area are very guarded about hunting. Land owners are not too keen on giving people permission to hunt. In urban locations in my area do have urban archery available. But there are stipulations on that.
Cliff, love your channel man! Where are you pulling these draw odds from so quickly? $6-8k is beyond expensive for me, but I love these tips to do in state hunts (I'm out west) to keep the costs down.
I’m sure I had some notes for the video, but I get them off the State fish and game websites. For CO and WY I use to have a lot of them roughly memorized. Unfortunately, particularly for WY antelope, a lot of them have changed since this video.
@@CliffGray ya I didn't draw an antlerless antelope in WY this year. Was really looking forward to that being my first hunt. All good. It's for the best for their future numbers
Just remember, Wyoming is windy and desolate so Colorado is the place to go for any reason... Being real, it's nice we have so few people but it's feeling crowded after Covid on public land.
Don't count on ranch access in WY cow elk... or any big game animal for $200. Times have changed. We are inundated with non-resident hunters the past few years. Prices have shot up, but moreso the vast majority of private ranches have gone to contracts with outfitters, and you will pay a premium. Ranchers get tired of door knockers and phone calls, so just letting outfitters handle the headaches has become the solution. We live here and it is nearly impossible to find trespass fee hunts of years past. Secondly, WY had to cut tag allocations due to the extreme hunting pressure , disease and drought... so doe tags are becoming tough to come by. Love almost all your content and I thank you for it. But... I believe this video makes things sound WAYYY simpler than reality. 😁
Thanks Richard! I’m sure there is a lot of validity in what you are saying - particularly pricing and tag availability. I was going off years past, and my experiences. I wish I could go back and edit this video and mention that all the hunts mentioned can be a moving target… there is always a value hunt out there for guys starting. I’m sure some of the other hunts are still feasible and I’m sure there are some I don’t even know about. Regardless, I appreciate the updated info for folks. Thanks
@@CliffGray You are a wealth of info Cliff... for beginners and seasoned hunters as well. I always seem to pick up extra overlooked tidbits and tricks when watching your vids. Love the content and your enthusiasim to help the hunting community. Thanks again!
Hey Cliff, I have a question not exactly related to this video, but not entirely unrelated. I am a South Africa, and grew up hunting for meat (rifle hunting specifically, but I'm getting into bow hunting now). I will be in the US for a few months at the end of the year, and it would be awesome for me to be able to hunt in the US to experience hunting culture outside of my home country, but the guided hunts I've seen advertised are outside of what I can spend on a hunt. Given the budgetary restraints, I'm turning my situation into a challenge for myself - what is the cheapest medium/big game hunt a non-resident (without his/her own rifle) can get away with in the US? I would love some of your insight and advice on where to look, and things to consider seeing as I'm really just Googling random things that I can think of at the moment.
Checkout the leftover tags in Colorado. There are probably mule deer hunts on there that you can do on your own, as long as you have a decent vehicle and the ability to hike a couple miles. I would say antelope (as I mention in this video), but since creating the video those tags have gotten much more limited.
Don't forget we have tons of wild/ferral hogs in the southern US. The are fun to hunt and good eating. Texas is our favorite. Usually no bag limit. Hunted a place that's called Independence Ranch in Gonzolas Tx. It has been fun. 3-day hunts are pretty plug and play and food was great. I'm sure there are others, but we've had good luck there.
7-8,000 for a hunt? That's been my annual income for the last 16 years. Fishing license 15$ ate my own body weight in Brown's and Brookies in the first year stopping off on the way to town, the the grocery store? I've walked waist deep into the Henry's fork in the 🥶 winter wearing jeans and irrigation boots to unsnag a 5 dollar spinner that's my monthly allotment for "guy crap" as the wife says. 16 yrs. ago was given an old 30.06 with 8 boxes of reloads for doing yard work. Presto hunts on combo license +8 dollars, deer tag 16$, walk along Fall River, sling 0.00$ Samsonite suitcase strap (it squeeks some). Good things good food not filing for food stamps. The only paperwork I do is in the morning.
HEY CLIFF! I'm super new to hunting just getting into it this year with bow hunting the forest at our farm in Ontario Canada, I was wondering if your list would change for Canadians or if you would still suggest the Colorado hunts or if you would suggest more bear hunting in northern Ontario and maybe moose in newfoundland or bc? I know that most of your experience is in Colorado but wanted to get your opinion on the Canadian side of things. thank a ton for all the great info and look forward to watching more of your videos seeing as i do plan on going down there for atleast a couple hunts wile im single and have money :P
Hi Brandon, I'm not familiar with Ontario, but I am fairly familiar with BC. In general, Canadians have some phenomenal opportunities. As you mention, I would focus on Spring bear and moose up there near you. Hunting down here is also great for you guys... we don't limit non-citizens. They are just considered "non-residents" to each State. So you can get the best of both worlds. Don't discount going on hunts close to home... savings on time, money, logistics really add up to more exposure in the field. Good luck man! thanks
1000-1500 for a hunt is ridiculous. It's cheaper to just buy the meat. I've never spent more than the the cost of equipment and a tag and alot of those equipment cost are a 1 time purchase or at most once every several years.
Wow, that is not at *all* what I would suggest. First of all, I wouldn't recommend any out of state hunts for new hunters. If you're not even sure if you like hunting, you shouldn't be spending all that money on traveling and non-resident tags. An in-state hunt for deer, squirrels, turkeys, waterfowl, upland birds, or whatever people around you like to hunt would probably be a better experience than driving 18 hours just to spook antelope because you have no idea how western topography works. Someone once told me "If you can't be a good hunter where you live you have no business traveling to hunt."
Take a good friend/family member and it's a pretty enjoyable road trip. We drive straight through from Michigan to Wyoming and we always have a good time on the drive out.
The reality is, once you account for travel costs/licenses/etc..., it's tough to pull off a decent hunt with $1k budget. If you are in areas with local white tail, mule deer, turkey, or antelope populations - start there. If not, your least expensive hunts are going to be in Texas. Good luck!
Jcows12: it really depends where you live. If you have to do a lot of driving, it’s going to tap in to that money fast. The cost of tags for out of staters is also going to dip in. That’s not going to leave you much for a room and food. If your near the east coast, look at Pennsylvania or Michigan. You can get tags cheaper, plenty of animals.
