Most Overrated Hunt and Most Underrated Hunt

[Rumrunner]

Most overrated. Anything waterfowl. I just can’t take the wet cold.
Most underrated. Tucked away in an open tree stand (think a couple 2x4s) or a tripod on a game trail. Climb in before daylight and just sense the woods coming to life for a new day.

 

[Muskox]

I know there are exceptions but I can emphasize with this. I had a whole points plan going for awhile and then stopped. I was seeing points creep and realized that since I didn't start gathering points from when I was young, I couldn't really get there for the areas I was most interested in.

I have 5-6 years of hunting pretty solidly starting in 2027. I am moving back to the USA next year, so this works.

 

[Sabre]

Overrated: many western draw hunts where rarely is anything killed. Guys go over and over on some DIY camping adventure and never draw blood. Fine adventure but not for me.

Underrated: a safari on large acreage in the Eastern Cape. Most folks here have no idea how challenging yet rewarding a tough hunt in the EC can be. But when there get there, watch out!

Dude, I am in like 5 or 6 states as a 5-12 point holder. I would never do it again. this is 100% true.

I see the appeal. I had that image in my head when buying points in Wyo for pronghorn.

My imagination: I am going to drive out, spend some time with my son, glass around, and kill a decent shooter pronghorn.

The reality: I am going to coordinate with a guide, drive out with my son, and hopefully have some expert guidance and have a decent chance at seeing a good animal.

The imagination thing dropped off when I had two kids. I give a ton of credit to the people who do it 100% DIY though.

Hunting in western draw states is what ignited my interest in traveling to hunt. But it is a broken system for non-residents. And now, it is a broken system for a lot of residents as well in many states.

Between point creep, Anti-Non-Resident cost increases, policies, and sentiment, massively increased cost of guided hunts, etc. The value just isn't there, unfortunately.

At this point, for most people the best case scenario is to find a good outfitter out west with a guaranteed tag in a good unit and go with them. But the cost for that is massive in comparison with what it used to be and out of country hunts.

So when you are trying to decide between paying $10,000-30,000 to go hunt out west, freezing cold, eating mediocre meals, living in a tent, for one animal. Or, fly to another country, stay in a nice lodge, eat amazing meals, have a nice private room, and hunt 6-12 animals. Well.......

I've done plenty of both versions of hunting. But, when you are looking at how to spend $10,000+ I can tell you which seems much more appealing to me after doing quite a bit of both.

 

[Milo]

Most overrated. Anything waterfowl. I just can’t take the wet cold.

Mexico will solve that problem. Hunting in shorts and crocs is a game changer for an Alaskan who is used to having the boat froze to the trailer in the morning.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Mexico will solve that problem. Hunting in shorts and crocs is a game changer for an Alaskan who is used to having the boat froze to the trailer in the morning.

Yep. So much fun hunting ducks while swatting mosquitoes and dodging water moccasins. Not interested! I'll take frosty mornings every time.

 

[Russ16]

Yep. So much fun hunting ducks while swatting mosquitoes and dodging water moccasins. Not interested! I'll take frosty mornings every time.

I’ve shot ducks in Mexico twice. No mosquitos or snakes either time. But it’s not the best duck hunt. Greta shoot not a great hunt.

Throwing a huge spread of dekes to pull in your one a day limit of late season canvasbacks on the Chesapeake is a great hunt.

Backpacking a dozen dekes a mile into public ground in ND to shoot morning limit and watch a muskrat try to steal one of your dekes before dawn is a great hunt.

The day the ring necks found the one hike you cut in the ice and you and three buddies limited in under and hour is a great hunt.

Spreading straw to cover the snow and make the geese thing there is a place to feed and keep calling and reciting birds after you’ve filled your limit on the last day of the season is a great hunt.

Dry land ducks out of layout blinds in the early season is a great hunt.

And all of these are made better if the best dog you’ll ever have is by your side and picking up birds. I’m lucky enough to have experienced that. That dog distracted me from big game hunting for about a decade and the 55 species of birds he picked up in 17 states were worth every minute of it. The memories will last me forever.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I’ve shot ducks in Mexico twice. No mosquitos or snakes either time. But it’s not the best duck hunt. Greta shoot not a great hunt.

Throwing a huge spread of dekes to pull in your one a day limit of late season canvasbacks on the Chesapeake is a great hunt.

Backpacking a dozen dekes a mile into public ground in ND to shoot morning limit and watch a muskrat try to steal one of your dekes before dawn is a great hunt.

The day the ring necks found the one hike you cut in the ice and you and three buddies limited in under and hour is a great hunt.

Spreading straw to cover the snow and make the geese thing there is a place to feed and keep calling and reciting birds after you’ve filled your limit on the last day of the season is a great hunt.

Dry land ducks out of layout blinds in the early season is a great hunt.

And all of these are made better if the best dog you’ll ever have is by your side and picking up birds. I’m lucky enough to have experienced that. That dog distracted me from big game hunting for about a decade and the 55 species of birds he picked up in 17 states were worth every minute of it. The memories will last me forever.

I do a fair amount of waterfowl hunting but typically too much sit around and wait for my liking. Shooting can be fast and furious but usually not for long. Pheasants keep me and the dogs moving all day. They stay warm and usually fairly dry. That can extend their lives substantially. My little French Britt is looking forward to her fourteenth season in a month. Amazing. Still gets around great, though her hearing is almost gone.

 

[Russ16]

I do a fair amount of waterfowl hunting but typically too much sit around and wait for my liking. Shooting can be fast and furious but usually not for long. Pheasants keep me and the dogs moving all day. They stay warm and usually fairly dry. That can extend their lives substantially. My little French Britt is looking forward to her fourteenth season in a month. Amazing. Still gets around great, though her hearing is almost gone.

Rigby was a great duck dog better goose dog but the best pheasant dog I ever hunted with. He could be counted on to catch a wild rooster on his own almost every year. A lot of that 55 species were upland birds.

I’m more of an upland guy but the best waterfowl days are hard to beat. Partially because of their rarity.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Rigby was a great duck dog better goose dog but the best pheasant dog I ever hunted with. He could be counted on to catch a wild rooster on his own almost every year. A lot of that 55 species were upland birds.

I’m more of an upland guy but the best waterfowl days are hard to beat. Partially because of their rarity.

My Lab Ellie has yet to catch a rooster but she has nabbed several hens (always released). We hunt late season cagy wild birds only and she is primarily a pointer. Not a typical pointing Lab either. Ellie hunts like a cat and she works close. She is so deadly it's almost not fun. Ordinarily we never lose a bird but last year was different. Maybe half a dozen. I'm sure it was because conditions were so dry and dusty. She's also getting long in the tooth.

 

[Russ16]

My Lab Ellie has yet to catch a rooster but she has nabbed several hens (always released). We hunt late season cagy wild birds only and she is primarily a pointer. Not a typical pointing Lab either. Ellie hunts like a cat and she works close. She is so deadly it's almost not fun. Ordinarily we never lose a bird but last year was different. Maybe half a dozen. I'm sure it was because conditions were so dry and dusty. She's also getting long in the tooth.

Rigby was nothing like cat. He was a bulldozer of a flushing dog. But smart as hell figured out how to run at a sprint down a tree line or field edge the work it back towards me pinning the birds to flush or be caught. Early in his life I hacked at him thinking he was trailing out of range. Then I figured out what he was doing and let him work. He was great with a big group but my favorite upland hunts were just him and me.

Sorry to hijack this post with dog memories but once they come it’s a bit of a waterfall.

 

[Sabre]

Sorry to hijack this post with dog memories but once they come it’s a bit of a waterfall.

It did get a bit off topic there, but I grew up with a pack of bird dogs for siblings, so I understand the passion. Bird hunting hasn't ever been what really got me going, but for many in my family it was their reason for existing. I love the dogs and love watching them work.

 

[Foxi]

For me, there is no such thing as an underrated hunt, one that truly deserves the name.
Each hunt has its own qualities and requirements.

But you have to free yourself from the idea that the more money you spend, the better it will be. That is very often a mistake.

 

[Muskox]

I personally believe any hunt can be gratifying, or complete shit.

Nice to kill stuff.

Seeing nothing for days on end and going home empty handed or with something you are not handy with sucks.

Seeing a lot of wildlife and picking out a good one, with tons of blown stalks, and taking an animal in the middle of the hunt is the best.

Seeing zero wildlife and after killing yourself and taking one the last day is emotionally draining.

Shooting something 5 minutes out of the truck on the first morning, feels like a gift. But it robs you of the suffering.

I am glad there is no script. I can't imagine how bad that would make it.

I have done a lot of free range hunts and a few high fence hunts. I had one high fence hunt on a heavily timbered 3000 acre place and we spent 3 days trying to find the right one. Was a lot of fun, but we saw good animals every day.

I have had in the wild bang flops 5 minutes from the truck. Didn't have time to fart before it was over.

 

[Philip Glass]

Hunting in western draw states is what ignited my interest in traveling to hunt. But it is a broken system for non-residents. And now, it is a broken system for a lot of residents as well in many states.

Between point creep, Anti-Non-Resident cost increases, policies, and sentiment, massively increased cost of guided hunts, etc. The value just isn't there, unfortunately.

At this point, for most people the best case scenario is to find a good outfitter out west with a guaranteed tag in a good unit and go with them. But the cost for that is massive in comparison with what it used to be and out of country hunts.

So when you are trying to decide between paying $10,000-30,000 to go hunt out west, freezing cold, eating mediocre meals, living in a tent, for one animal. Or, fly to another country, stay in a nice lodge, eat amazing meals, have a nice private room, and hunt 6-12 animals. Well.......

I've done plenty of both versions of hunting. But, when you are looking at how to spend $10,000+ I can tell you which seems much more appealing to me after doing quite a bit of both.

Well said!

 

[Muskox]

Having grown up in the west and seeing the epic changes for the bad on hunter interest and opportunity it is a challenge.

It will be an uphill battle to keep the current status.

1. Old heritage landowners have been replaced and are being replaced by the mega wealthy or corporate land owners. Who push for landowner tags quotas to increase.

2. Social Media and people like Randy Newberg and the younger social media crowd have given everyone an easy platform for entry. Increasing demand by both residents and non-residents. I don't think there are as many hunters, but I think more hunters are trying to do more. I know a lot of people hunting or trying to hunt more than their own western state. of course those that don't live in western states want the same thing.

3. New tools like go hunt, onyx maps and others providing data any dummy can use to be successful.

4. Many State agencies have gone to Squared or Cubed points to appease high resident point holders. This locks out anyone new to the game.

 

[Milo]

I’ve shot ducks in Mexico twice. No mosquitos or snakes either time. But it’s not the best duck hunt. Greta shoot not a great hunt.

Throwing a huge spread of dekes to pull in your one a day limit of late season canvasbacks on the Chesapeake is a great hunt.

Backpacking a dozen dekes a mile into public ground in ND to shoot morning limit and watch a muskrat try to steal one of your dekes before dawn is a great hunt.

The day the ring necks found the one hike you cut in the ice and you and three buddies limited in under and hour is a great hunt.

Spreading straw to cover the snow and make the geese thing there is a place to feed and keep calling and reciting birds after you’ve filled your limit on the last day of the season is a great hunt.

Dry land ducks out of layout blinds in the early season is a great hunt.

And all of these are made better if the best dog you’ll ever have is by your side and picking up birds. I’m lucky enough to have experienced that. That dog distracted me from big game hunting for about a decade and the 55 species of birds he picked up in 17 states were worth every minute of it. The memories will last me forever.

I've had great hunts all over North America. Seaducks on 2 oceans. 43 of the North America 41. Interrupting opening day to shoot a moose and still finish my limit before dark. All great hunts.
I still thoroughly enjoyed Mexico and it was a shit ton more pleasant.

 

[Milo]

Having grown up in the west and seeing the epic changes for the bad on hunter interest and opportunity it is a challenge.

It will be an uphill battle to keep the current status.

1. Old heritage landowners have been replaced and are being replaced by the mega wealthy or corporate land owners. Who push for landowner tags quotas to increase.

2. Social Media and people like Randy Newberg and the younger social media crowd have given everyone an easy platform for entry. Increasing demand by both residents and non-residents. I don't think there are as many hunters, but I think more hunters are trying to do more. I know a lot of people hunting or trying to hunt more than their own western state. of course those that don't live in western states want the same thing.

3. New tools like go hunt, onyx maps and others providing data any dummy can use to be successful.

4. Many State agencies have gone to Squared or Cubed points to appease high resident point holders. This locks out anyone new to the game.

Preference points are Satan incarnated.

 

[Russ16]

I've had great hunts all over North America. Seaducks on 2 oceans. 43 of the North America 41. Interrupting opening day to shoot a moose and still finish my limit before dark. All great hunts.
I still thoroughly enjoyed Mexico and it was a shit ton more pleasant.

Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed Mexico it is fn. getting your birds shot and being back to have fish tacos in the beach and lay around drinking Pacifico is great. Ton of fun. I just wouldn’t call it a great hunt in terms of satisfaction.

Similar to Argentina. I do one or the other every few years and both are a blast. Just a different category from what I consider the best hunts.

 

[Muskox]

Preference points are Satan incarnated.

They do not serve anyone but the game departments making money off the pnonzi schemes.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Snipe or Rail hunting using a push boat in South Carolina is a very traditional, classic hunt.

Hunting Marsh Rail Birds on North Carolina's Cape Fear River

Rail hunting was once described as the "Sport of Kings" and enjoyed by the likes of Roosevelt and Ruark. While these odd marsh birds are no longer as popular as they once were, they're still insanely fun to hunt.

www.fieldandstream.com

I can only attest to the lack of waterfowl hunting and fishing the Cape Fear back in the late 70's while stationed at Fort Bragg. There were better places to waterfowl hunt and fish with less worrying about snakes ending up in the boat.