So, you are thinking of hunting the lower 48 or Canada. So, it may be hunt in the same state that you live in or maybe a hunt in another state .
The first question is are you hunting alone or with a friend. If you are booking a hunt with a guide or on a drop camp, its cheaper to hunt 2 on one and if you are driving, then you have someone to spilt the cost with.
Now if you are hunt a couple hundred miles from home, then the same question as above comes into play too.
The first thing is to find out if you need to draw any of the tags for the animals you want to hunt and if so, which areas are you going to apply for. To find this out, there are a number of ways to do this .1st way is to book with a outfitter and talk to them . Call the state fish and game offices. Belong to a hunting group that applies for you for the state draws. Talk to people that have hunted where you want to go.
Here are the questions you want to ask:type of terrain, trophy size, number of predators, private to public land, number of game animals, walk in or open roads, camping areas, state info on the regulations.
Call or visit great professional taxidermy studios like Capp’s Taxidermy Studio LLC and they will tell you how to care for the trophy, the meat,etc. How to ship or travel with the skins. They will tell you tips on travel, the areas you are thinking of hunting, they are full of info for they deal with hunters that travel all the time
Then you need to book travel, if driving then check out the rig, maybe new tires, a topper, etc,. Or maybe you have to fly and do not have to worry about the icy roads, then you have to book a airline ticket,buy or borrow a gun case for the plane, hotels before and after the hunt.
Start practicing the shooting , off trees, sticks,and whatever else you can think of. Reload or buy extra loads, if headed to Canada, then you need a passport and that that’s a little time to get. Buy a new sleeping bag for -25 below min. Start getting in shape and that’s the mind and the body. you are spending money on this hunt and if it comes down to running up a ridge or whatever to harvest the game animal , you want to be able to do it.. Go over all of the hunt in your mind over and over so you know what to do if you need to do something. If in the western states, buy a new GPS and the land map app for it and you will know exactly where you are all the time and do not have to rely on someone telling you.
Bring a good camera, great rain gear, great warm clothes, bug spray, etc. There is a lot to bring,depending on the type of hunt you are going on. The best thing I can think of is contact Capp’s, your booking agent,the state offices of fish and game and references and they will tell you all tell you all you want to know… Go have an adventure .
