Aussie Looking for hunting advise
Hogs
Hi guys, My name is John Bates and I'm from Canberra Australia. Due to my work it looks like I will be heading to the States for the first time the last week of May 2017.
I have always dreamed of hunting Whitetail and Elk in the US but just have never managed to get the funds together. Seeing as I will already be over I'm planning on staying for an additional week or so and really want to hunt whilst I'm over there. I can see that May isn't very good for big game season so I'm after some suggestions for anything that I cant hunt at home in Australia. I will be in Nashville for a week but will travel interstate for hunting.
I was thinking maybe a guided bowfishing trip or exotics.
Any suggestions and help is very appreciated.
Thanks in advance John
You may not be interested but you could do a hog hunt for sure. I don't have any specifics for the area but I am sure someone will chime in soon.
There are spring bear hunts in some western states. I'm not sure of the season dates, but it might be something to check into.
You've got hogs and crocs in Australia.
Focus on bear in the West with a bow or prairie dog shooting with a high powered rifle(if you have access to one) in Kansas.
Not a big game animal, but May is prime time for turkeys & it is usually easy to get tags in most states.
I would recommend coming a week earlier if you could and do your hunting before your trip to Nashville. You would find much better spring turkey hunting and spring bear hunting then,, than 2nd or 3rd week of June.
Hopefully someone else can help with bow fishing or turkey that's local to where you will be. I'm (guess) I am 1300km from where you will be. You will have to travel to hunt spring bear (guessing again) 2000 km or more to find a spring season. Turkey hunting is good to great in my state of Pennsylvania, with the western part of Pennsylvania being much closer to Nashville Tn.. You are talking about the Nashville that's in Tennessee? It's just a bad time of the year (June) for hunting seasons..
Good luck and have fun.
Ed
Definitely bears. You probably don't want to do hogs or turkeys since you can hunt them to your heart's content in Oz. But if you can swing a spring bear hunt, definitely do it.
Big Oak Bowhunting Texas.
Batesey,
The reason why the Spring doesn't work as well (for big game) in the United States, is because the antlered animals will JUST be starting antler growth around that time. As a result, few if any big game hunting seasons are open at that time. As several others have mentioned, turkey and bears are two of your more commonly considered species. Many exotics will definitely be an option that you could easily schedule. While pigs and gators/crocs are also a consideration, you have those down under....so I will take a different approach.
Is your focus to stay in the United States? If you are just hoping to travel a short distance from Nashville, or wherever you will be....your best options have probably already been mentioned.
If your finances, itinerary, and available time allow, there ARE other animals to consider. For example, I shot a Wood Bison in May, in northern Alberta. Black bear are a common option at this place and this time of year as previously mentioned. Plains Bison might also be an option, but at that time of year, they may not be fair chase, if that is important to you (I mention them because you are considering exotics, which probably aren't fair chase either, but can be exciting, nonetheless).
I have hunted for Muskox in March/April.....but I doubt that they are in season anywhere in May. However, as good as the meat is, it would certainly be worth looking into.....
If another species occurs to me, I'll add it later.
Awesome, thanks for the feedback so far, really got me thinking now.
I hadn't even considered Wood Bison on my USA bucket list but will look into everything now.
So far I think Turkeys or Bear sounds like it would be an excellent option but I've also googed some of the exotics you guys have and you have almost everything. I like the look of the aoudad & from what I can see there are wild herds in Texas?
I'm pretty happy to travel to any state as long as I can hunt something cool, and if they have a Cabelas or bass pro for me to spend hours in and if that state has some Craft Breweries to visit even better. :-)
While there are a very limited number of Wood Bison now in Alaska, your best chance of hunting them will be in Canada.....so you'd have to plan accordingly. Does your trip HAVE to be in late May?...if it could be a couple months earlier, or later, you'd open up a few more possibilities.
Bear would be my suggestion, but a Nilgai hunt on the King Ranch in south Texas is another option.
Yeah May is the only option as I work for Asahi breweries and we are attending a trade event in the last week of May and I get the option to stay on for week. I'm looking into if I can come a week early at the moment. John
For a good bear hunt you'd be looking at close to $5,000.00 USD with all the travel you would do.
That would really be the best native wild animal hunt you can do.
The other options involve High Fence if that's what you want Texas is the place. The wild bison in Canada would be pricey compared to many Western States ranch/reservation hunts especially if you opt for a cow/young bull bison.
What is your budget?
My budgets a bit less than that maybe about $3,000, but I guess that's what credit cards are for lol. I think im going to look into turkey Hunts & maybe keep saving for a US trip in the future during Elk or Whitetail season.
John, I own an exotic ranch in Tx so happy to fill you in on your options there. For all transparency, We do sell hunts, but that's not what this post is about. For Tx exotics in May your primary will be Axis deer, Blackbuck (both of which available in Oz), and the sheep species for the most part. There's a myriad other choices, but those are the ones you can hunt free range in multiple locations at that time of year. Aoudad are definately a possibility, but be ware that it can be incredibly hot that time of year, and aoudad are a stalking game. Nilgai is another option to consider, which happens on the King and Kennedy ranches and can be combined with hogs, Javelinas, and fishing (you are a little late for turkeys in Tx). Do your research, if you want a challenging free range or large fenced hunt there are plenty of options, but there are just as many or more small acreage places that do a lot of put-and-take.
As others have mentioned would look hard at black bear or turkey. You could probably hit BC/Alberta/ or Saskatchewan on your way in without going too far off route - generally not a bad hunt to do on jetlag as actual hunts are limited to the evenings and fairly relaxed.
Just noticed your budget post. $3k ought to get you into Nilgai/javelina but you'd have to stretch it a bit for tips and other misc expenses. Otherwise a really good turkey hunt would be about half your budget.
WOW, I have been looking at all the exotic species you guys have and I'm blown away by the choice.
OK heaps of research still to do but thank you for all the feedback so far as it has really got me thinking.
I think Turkey or an exotic Sheep could be the go and maybe a little fishing. Turns out my wife wants to come for the additional week now so might only have a few days of hunting or she can come with me. lol
Any links to hunting ranches any of you guys have visits and recommended would be awesome.
Thanks john
Batesy, when I hunted Oz I was blown away by all the species you guys have! Camels and donkeys too...
Enjoy your visit here - good advice on a bunch of different options.
If you're only going to be here for a week and your wife is coming, I wouldn't waste a bunch of time traveling unless you were really determined to hunt. Spend a couple extra days in Nashville; go honky tonkin and visit the Grand Ole Opry. Then head a couple hours east and get a cabin in the mountains and visit the Smoky Mountains National Park; fish for native trout, see elk in Cataloochie, bears and deer in Cades Cove, hike some of the Appalachian Trail or any of the other 900 miles of trails, get matching tattoos and screen-printed t-shirts in Pigeon Forge, ride the roller coasters in Dollywood, the list go on and on.
After your post Buzz mc I think I need to put the hard word on my mum and see if she will have the kids for two weeks so I have time to do both, as all that sounds awesome. The grand Ole Opry is on my list regardless. John
John lots of good craft brews here but I didn't think those down under drank! Enjoy!
lol, don't mind a beer or 10. Love so much even work for a Brewery.
Hey Batesy,....glad you're hitting some of the local beers.
I had no problem getting my new "friends in " Australia to lead me to their favorites when I was down there.
A bunch of us were shown nothing but respect and great hospitality when we were in your country. You should find the same in ours!
Keep us posted, please.
(Do you guys have wild turkey hunting in Australia?)
G'day Writer, yeah I'm really looking forward to the visit. Yeah we have some wild turkeys but they are limited to a few of the islands off Australia on private land so aren't really pursued that much by most Aussie Bowhunters. Deer, Wild Pigs and goats are our main targets for the majority of the Country with Buffalo up in the Northern territory.
We have 6 species of Deer, Fallow, Red, Chital (Axis), Hog deer, Sambar & Rusa.
spring turkey in Tennessee ends about half way into May. there are not any other hunting seasons open other than coyote hunting and that would be hard to line up. if having to stay in TN, buzz mc's suggestions are good.
Check Texasbowhunter.com & go to rate the day lease message board. They will have several places you might be interested in for Exotics + those guys will know the good from the bad. Excellent with helping out a fellow bowhunter. Enjoy your visit.
I have a friend in Maryland that owns a guide service. He is a turkey hunting fanatic. Let me know if you want his contact info. Their season runs almost to the end of May.
You can get a good bear hunt for $2k-$3k if you look around.
Exotics can be found in many states & mostly High Fence. Private ranch Buffalo hunting is one did a few years back then took the Daughter on one a few years after that (we did meat, cow bowhunts). Everything should be pretty much in your budget. Enjoy your trip. If you were in the fall, I would offer a helping hand in something.. Take care.
tics in Tx & Oklahoma
Bears would be the way to go, John, but Canada, western states, or Native lands in Maine would be it as far as that goes. Most US states dont have a Spring season. Last week of May and fists week of June are typically about the perfect weeks for bear. Most outfits are likely booked by now unless they have cancellations. I know you all have Chital/Axis but that a good time to go after them in Texas. I'm driving down there that week and hunting them and hogs a few days the following week. End of May- Mid June is about the most concentrated time for Chital/Axis rut activity and hard horn animals there. Wrong time of year for Elk and Whitetail. Come over sometime Sept- Dec for whitetail and I'll help you out on them. I have access to a place a couple hours from Nashville. Non resident tags are fairly inexpensive and the genetics are good.
-Ray
ooops, I don't see Clarkrange on the sponsor list now. Still, great place.
Travel may be an issue an add to cost if you get too far north,turkey season is open in kansas until may 31 i believe
Batesy, look up the thread Desjardins bear hunt 17. Might work for you. Good price for a bear hunt.
I believe you will need a Hunter Education Certification before you purchase a State license. If you do not have one, you might check in on the requirements. Paul
