What kind of hunt for dad?

INgunner54

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Hey guys. I was hoping you could help me out figuring out a hunt to do with my dad. I'd love to take him on a DIY elk hunt, but I don't know how far he would be able to hike/ pack out if we had success. He mentioned a buffalo hunt, but this would be a "canned" high fence hunt which is really not something I'm comfortable with.

I can't afford anything super expensive. I'd like to keep the budget under 4000 a piece if possible, but If it is something more then I could save for a couple years. He's not getting any younger and I'd really like to have a good experience while we are still able. What do you guys think? Thanks for the help!
 

dayhunt85

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Mar 19, 2017
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I don't have insightful advice but kuddos on the hunt with your dad.

I got an opportunity at two of my bucket list hunts this year, CO archery elk and Canada waterfowl. I choose elk because I'm making the trip with my dad. We are going DIY, and got invited into a friends camp. I'm nervous about how much he is going be capable of at 58 years old bc he is a smoker. Even if we don't pound the ground and chase one down, it's still going to be an awesome experience.

Good luck!

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WRO

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Hey guys. I was hoping you could help me out figuring out a hunt to do with my dad. I'd love to take him on a DIY elk hunt, but I don't know how far he would be able to hike/ pack out if we had success. He mentioned a buffalo hunt, but this would be a "canned" high fence hunt which is really not something I'm comfortable with.

I can't afford anything super expensive. I'd like to keep the budget under 4000 a piece if possible, but If it is something more then I could save for a couple years. He's not getting any younger and I'd really like to have a good experience while we are still able. What do you guys think? Thanks for the help!
You should be able to do a crow reservation free range buffalo hunt for that.

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Also, who said that he had to pack out his elk. Hunt together and let him take the first shot opportunities so he can tag out first. You do the meat hauling and he carries your day hunting kit in his pack. You can also line up an outfitter with horses ahead of time who will pack it out after you carry back the first load. A sat phone to make the call from the mountainside and he might even be able to be at your camp when you get there for the next trip up the mountain.
 

Glendon Mullins

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If you wanna hunt elk with him, i would look into a drop camp, all the hard work/meat packing is for the most part donw via horseback, bu you still get somewhat the diy hunt, unless u go fully guided
 

Don K

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Your budget gives you lots of options.

Hire someone to pack the elk out if you go DIY.

Also, there are outfitters out there that use tree stands for elk. I would bet you could get something like that close to your budget.

I took my Dad on a Caribou hunt about 10 years ago and it was one of the best things I have done with him. He still talks about it all the time.

As Randy Newberg says "You will run out of health before you run out of money"
 

bpctcb

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I took my dad to Chama, NM on a guided private land cow elk hunt. We had a blast and took home two elk. It's not a real physically demanding hunt either. Call Lee Weiss at Fishtail Ranch if you're interested. Accommodations & food were excellent.

BP
 

sneaky

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First thing that popped into my head was an antelope hunt. You guys could have a good time and not be stressed.

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hodgeman

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Lots of good hunts that aren't particularly physically demanding and your budget is big enough to give you options.

You could do a boat based black bear or Sitka hunt in Alaska on that. For that matter- you could do a luxe duck hunt and a deer hunt from lodges on that as well.

Hunting with your Dad will be more important than any of the details of the hunt itself will be in the long run.
 
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INgunner54

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Thanks for all the great replies guys! I'd love to do Alaska, but I guess I just always thought that it would be too expensive. Looks like I've got some research to do. I never even thought about antelope. That could be a good option.
 

boom

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cow elk hunt at Inn of the Mountain Gods..in ruidoso NM..which is unit 36.

very affordable..but you have to draw. i'm assuming your dad is elderly and cant strap on a kifaru and chase them up high?
 
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INgunner54

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cow elk hunt at Inn of the Mountain Gods..in ruidoso NM..which is unit 36.

very affordable..but you have to draw. i'm assuming your dad is elderly and cant strap on a kifaru and chase them up high?
Not elderly. He will be 59 this year. Still gets around fine, but has a bad back so long hikes and pack outs would be tough for him.
 

WRO

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If you just want to kill an elk, my friend does damage cow tags for 1k, nearly 100% success rate.

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Mk7mmSTW

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Contact tag n drag in jackson hole wy. They do horse back double cow elk elk hunts with 100% success on the elk refuse grounds. It's cheap cheap, think around $600 a person and they do the hard work for you and drag them back to the truck. My co worker takes his dad every year. You still have a few days to lock in a tag for this year.

Or take him on a pig hunt in CA. Good friend runs Hoss Hog Hunting in northern CA. Second largest hog population in the country and it's all wild hogs on private cattle ranches. Mike is a blast to hunt with and it's not a hard hunt and great amenities.
 
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I invited my dad, a 75 year old busted up mountain man. Honestly, he is coming to ride in the Ranger and get back in the mountains. Probably wont even carry a weapon. He just wants to be with me, in my mountains and remember his days of glory as a trapper/hunter.
But I am looking at a spike elk tag for him. OTC $55 for me a bit more for him. If the cow elk season would be in warmer weather, Id get him in on that.

I planned on Spike hunting with him, bought the plane tickets already, then I drew out for LE Elk, Archery. So now I have to figure out how to work all this in so he can be a part of this.

Both the LE elk and him flying out to Utah are once in a life time events, but to me he is the more valuable of the two. He is gonna love the bugling.
 
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