How does hunting in the US work?

[JERRY]

In many states, you can't hunt on Sunday.

oddly enough, in the rust belt (Ohio) where Im from you couldnt hunt on Sunday, but in the bible belt (Alabama) where I am now you can....go figure. i lived in Va for a while but cant remember if i hunted on Sunday or not.....

 

[oneounceload]

Which of the species is best tasting?

Which is the hardest to hunt?

IMO, moose is the tastiest, pronghorn in 2nd - but a lot depends on where they have been feeding - and the mountain goat and various sheep are the toughest to hunt - very physically challenging climbing up the shale slopes in places like NV to high elevations

 

[RhinoDefense]

Unless it's farm-raised, game meat (venison, elk, etc.) is illegal to sell here. Trying to do so will land you in jail or a potentially huge fine.

Market hunting in the US ended around 1900 due to the need to conserve animals and not lead them to extinction.

 

[Cosmoline]

Not only are state laws very different, but state TRADITIONS are very different. These are sometimes reflected in the laws, and sometimes not. So while a guide isn't always required, it's often a very good idea to team up with locals so you don't break the unspoken rules and customs. This is esp. important if you're crossing through private property or hunting on someone's private land. And there are a lot of obscure rules about what constitutes waste or a fair shot.

The complexity of the laws vary. Alaska has hunting regs so extensive they cover 26 game management units, some bigger than whole states. Each GMU has its own seasons and bag limits. Sometimes each river drainage within the GMU has its own rules. The state makes things easy when they want a species culled (like black bear) and difficult when there's a lot of demand for a favorite (like moose). If you study the rules beforehand and time the trip right, you can really clean up. Same thing for fishing. Go to Alaska and hunt BLACK bear and you're going to be looking at very high success rates and lots of bears with few headaches. Or come up and fish for our stocked trout or other "B list" species. I've found small game hunting up here to be a load of fun and the bag limits are just absurd. Nobody else is bothering in most cases because they're fixated on moose and caribou. What they don't tell you about moose is the dead ones weigh a ton and will invariably fall into the worst bug-infested devils club thicket they can.

And then you have overlaying FEDERAL law for things like migratory birds (some of which are not and have never been migratory), marine mammals (some of which are on land) and various protected species.

Federal land plays a huge role out west. Generally the National Park Service openly hates hunters and does not allow hunting, while the Forest Service, wildlife service and BLM are usually much more open to hunting and in some cases encourage it.

 

[dragon813gt]

The trend in the US is for more private hunting through leases with land owners for the right to hunt there. Sometimes a day hunt can be purchased or hunting for the season, but the bottom line is you pay for the privalege to hunt.

This is not the case at all where I live. And I suspect it's the same way in most states. I know in Texas you pretty much have to pay to hunt. But it's still extremely easy to get permission to hunt private land in PA. This does depend on where you live and who you know. But the herds of white tail do so much damage that the land owners want you to get rid of them for them. And out west there is a lot of public BLM land that's open for all to hunt.

One thing that I didn't see mentioned yet is firearms restrictions. This varies by state and game being hunted. It even varies by county in PA. Like all the other regulations you have to check them for where you're hunting. Semi-auto rifles and handguns are not allowed for hunting in PA. But semi-auto shotguns are allowed for some species. Then there is ammo capacity limits.

It's easy and fairly cheap to hunt in the US. But the regulations and seasons vary greatly from state to state. I have to read the digest every year just so I know when I can hunt in the WMUs that I frequent. Some have different seasons.




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[Andrew Leigh]

The ballot system is a very novel way to limit numbers.

Over here a game farmer would control his own stock through natural breeding while being mindful to purchase new stock especially males to bring genetic variation to his herds. As we are blessed with an abundance of species many farmers will also have the same variety on their farms, depending on the area.

You can go upmarket and go to hunting farms with all the bells and whistles but most I know prefer the farms having more spartan and rustic accomodation which are self catering. I suppose you guys are not different but hunters here love to cook, especially cuts from a recent kill like the liver or the backstraps.

In terms of the "local customs etc" we too have our own hunting ethics, not to enter any debate on the validity (that is a different thread which can get the hackles up on most) here are some. They are all aimed at making a hunt into a "fair chase";

- We would not shoot an animal when at an man made feedlot or over water.
- We could shoot off the back of a vehicle, that would be culling not hunting and is frowned upon by hunters.
- Hunting at night for most would be taboo.
- The use of suppressors while frowned upon by some, find favour with other farmers as they tend to make the game less skittish towards the end on the season.
- Generally the smallest calibre for small deer is a .243, many a farmer will not let you hunt with anything less.
- A farmer will also generally insist that you "sight" your rifle in on arrival, this has more to do with the fact that they want to see if you can shoot. If you can't you may be refused permission to hunt.
- We have for the most part strict rules on the readiness of the rifle for shooting. When on a vehicle you will generally not have a round up the spout. On two occasions have had farmers ask to see my weapon under the guise of pretending to like it. They will then open the bolt slightly and peer inside the chamber, it is all very subtle.
- You wound it you pay for it, the guides word is gospel.
- You take out of the bush whatever you took in leaving only foorprints.

Just a couple of our quirks. We have many hunting fraternities and each have their own code of ethics which are basically the same. They will generally follow the Rowland Ward code.

On the hard to hunt, talking only popular species now - the Kudu is called the grey ghost and for good reason, the Bushbuck can be very illusive as can big Warthog.

On the good to eat - many here hunt only to make jerky and a dried venison sausage which is also a form of jerky. For me the Eland tastes the best as it seems to have a compromise between beef and venision, that very wild venision taste is absent. Most will say that a Springbuck is the best eating.

 

[Patocazador]

We didn't eat eland when I was there but I thought that both warthog and gemsbuck were better than springbuck or kudu.

As it was told to me by our Namibian guide, the farmers/ranchers in southern Africa spent decades trying to exterminate the game animals on their land so the livestock (mostly cattle) would have more grazing. The government finally threw up their hands and turned the ownership of game over to the landowners. This changed their outlook as it changed the game animals into "livestock". The farmers then purchased and farmed game animals and the resource was saved.
I imagine that this happened in the 1970s as it was rather new when I was there in 1982.

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

Ohio

Here in Ohio, most game animals and birds have definite open and closed hunting seasons, daily bag limits, and require a low-priced, good-for-everything license. However, no license is needed if you are hunting on your own property. There are weapons restrictions depending on the animal (e.g. no rifles for deer due to the state being somewhat built-up).

There is no closed season or bag limits on wild pigs, coyotes, and ground hogs.

 

[Daveboone]

Generally a hunter safety course (or proof of equivalent from another country, like a license) mandatory everywhere. In NY, a state wide big game license entitles you to one antlered whitetail, and one bear. The state (like most others) is broken into separate management zones, allowing the taking of doe deer. Muzzleloading rifles and archery tags are available for a separate fee, each allowing another deer of either sex. License holding does not entitle one to free access though. Generally land owner permission is obtained (smart to do even if the land isnt posted private property). There are millions of acres of publicly accessible land in NY, most of which is huntable by individuals. Many hunters belong to private clubs with their own or leased lands. These also must follow state game laws. There is a very limited number of pay to shoot game farms. These are not to be confused with the type of hunting you can do in africa. These are very limited in size (sometimes only a few acres!) where one can go without a license or irregardless of season...because the animals are raised and privately owned) to shoot an animal. Most true hunters have a low opinion of such enterprises.

 

[Elkins45]

Here in Kentucky hunting is a relatively inexpensive pursuit, especially if you own land. I became a landowner three years ago and as a result I no longer need to purchase a hunting license because I now hunt only on my own land. The only additional tag or permit I might need is one for some species that is federally regulated such as geese or ducks. I still have to buy a fishing license and the state makes me buy a hunting license if I want to participate in the elk tag lottery.

I still have to follow all the state regulations about bag limits, and in the case of deer I still have to report my kills to the state using their telephone check system. I'm exempt from the requirement that I have a hunter safety certification card because I was born before 1975, but I understand that I would need to take the hunter safety course if I ever wanted to hunt in another state.

Prior to 2010 when I hunted on private land owned by a friend I was required to buy a hunting license and also a deer permit that was good for two deer. The two were about $50 combined. Because I'm fortunate enough to live in an area with a large population surplus there was the option of buying an additional set of deer tags to take two additional females only, and those tags were only $10 for the pair.

 

[MachIVshooter]

So when you get to your hunting area you are free to hunt alone without any form of guide?

On any public lands, yes. However, there are plenty of outfitters for people who lack the experience to hunt on their own, who have finite time and want an animal badly, or are after true trophies.

Of course, a lot of the guides could take you directly to the animals, but may have you hiking around for a couple of days first so that you actually experience the hunt. Make it too easy, and it isn't memorable. Being a guide isn't just about getting your client their animal.

What happens when you wound an animal and cannot find it, do you surrender your tag or shoot another?

You make every reasonable effort to find it.

If you can't find any blood, you kinda have to assume a miss.

If you track for hours and the blood trail stops with no animal to be found, assume a flesh wound. The animal will probably survive.

If you're confident you scored a good hit, you track until you determine it's hopeless.

Basically, it's an ethics thing in most places. There is no hard and fast rule about how long or how far you must track a wounded animal, but if a DWM/game warden sees you shoot something and not pursue it, he certainly can take action.

you can buy venison cheaper than you can hunt it. Looks like you boys have access to some real cheap venision

For many of us, the license is the cheap part. Supplies, food, fuel and time off work get expensive quick. Then there's game processing costs once you get the animal.

I make about $300 net per working day, but I'm self employed (no vacation time). So a 5 day hunting trip that includes two weekend (non-working) days costs me close to $1,000 in lost wages. Figure about $100 worth of food stuffs, another $100-$150 in fuel for semi-local hunting. I seem to spend a bit every season on new or replacement gear.

So if I don't get an animal, the trip wil usually cost me about $1,500. If I do get one, the processing fees are usually about $2/lb. So if I bag a cow elk that yeilds 150 lbs of meat, I'll have paid about $12/lb for that animal.

I had a friend trying to work out how much money he could save hunting versus buying beef. He quickly realized that it is not about saving money in most places. Generally speaking, hunting is anything but cheap, whether in Africa or the USA.

 

[jrdolall]

I suppose the general over riding fact is that hunting in the US is cheap, even if you go to another state

.

Hunting is most definitely NOT cheap unless you hunt on public land that is near where you live. Licenses are relatively cheap but the expenses add up after you buy the license. I do most of my hunting on land that I own or a friend owns so I don't have any lease payments. Of course the purchase price of the ranch FAR exceeds any lease payments I might make to another owner but I don't use the land just for hunting. Around here an acre of land can lease for $8-$20 per acre so most people wind up in clubs with multiple members that they don't really know well. Strangers equipped with 4 wheelers, 4x4s and high powered rifles are not my favorite things. Most of the people I know who are members of hunting clubs will pay between $800-$2,000 per year in dues PLUS any camp/land upkeep like food plots and firewood etc. For this money and about 100 hours of work they usually kill 3-5 deer per year.

If you own land or hunt on land where you do not have to pay then hunting is definitely fairly cheap. Otherwise it is pretty expensive for most of us. My wife once figured that my venison cost me about $265 per pound.

 

[helotaxi]

OK so I was a little niave in the fact that I thought hunting regulations state to state would be similar.

I suppose the general over riding fact is that hunting in the US is cheap, even if you go to another state.

Cost is relative. Some states only charge for the hunting license, such as Alabama, but they charge a great deal more for an out-of-stater. My dad lives in North Florida and hunts in Alabama because he has a place to hunt there on private land with a lot of quality deer, so for him, the extra cost is worth it. Your license buys the opportunity of two deer per day with no tags required as well as hunting whatever else is legal.

Out West, things change a bit. I'll talk specifics for New Mexico. First you have to buy your license. That is the entry fee to apply for the lottery. From there you apply for everything that you want to hunt, paying the tag fee (refundable if you do not draw) and an additional application fee. The state is divided up into numerous Game Management Units. For each species, there are specific hunt dates and numbers of tags available in each GMU where hunting that species is allowed. You can apply for up to 3 hunts per species specifying the GMU and hunt dates for each hunt. For deer and elk there are "fourth choice" applications as well where you don't specify anything more than the species and quadrant of the state and you can get any "leftovers" after the regular draws are done.

The types of hunts available are pretty varied and some have very specific application requirements. There are youth only hunts where the hunter must be younger than 16. There are muzzleloader and archery specific hunts where you may only hunt with the prescribed weapon type. There are mobility impaired hunts for those with disabilities. There are restricted area and veterans hunts where you have to be a member of the US military, a government employee with an access badge for the restricted area out here or a veteran of the Iraq or Afghan wars to apply.

Species that can be hunted in New Mexico are also widely varied and include wild populations of some African species. We have elk and deer (whitetail and mule deer, both desert and Rocky Mountain), pronghorn antelope, Barbary sheep and javelina that you can apply for and potentially draw a tag for every year. In addition, there are once-in-a-lifetime trophy hunts for several species like oryx, ibex, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and desert bighorn sheep. You can apply every year for these until you draw. Once you draw, whether you actually are successful in your hunt or not, you can not apply again for the rest of your life. In the case of oryx, there are also broken horn, and "at large" hunts which are not once in a lifetime but aren't going to yield a trophy mount but they will put some excellent meat in the freezer.

So when you get to your hunting area you are free to hunt alone without any form of guide?

Most hunts are public land, on your own. You can increase your chances of drawing a particular species by signing on with an outfitter (guide) ahead of time and including that contract with your tag application. A certain number of tags for each hunt are reserved for guided hunts in order to support their business.

What happens when you wound an animal and cannot find it, do you surrender your tag or shoot another?

Unfortunately, you may shoot another.

In terms of "deer" available to shoot. You would have the Whitetail and Coue's Deer and the Mule and Columbian Black Tail Deer. Are the two subspecies common to shoot or are they difficult to find?

It varies widely depending on area of the country. In Alabama, for example, the state is overrun with whitetails to the point that you can shoot two a day. In the GMU here in New Mexico where I shot my mule deer this year, they issued a total of 2400 tags for the two rifle seasons this year. Of all my friends that drew a tag, I was the only one that even saw a deer. Success rates for that particular GMU for deer is the lowest in the state and there has been a serious push from the locals here to get the state to limit, or even eliminate, deer tags for a few years and increase the cougar harvests to help the deer population recover. I lived in Montana for a few years and large mule deer were plentiful in some parts of the state and large whitetail in others.

Then you would get the Pronghorn, Elk, Moose.

Which of the species is best tasting?

Which is the hardest to hunt?

Taste? Elk. The buffalo hunters in the 1800's hunted the plains elks species to extinction because they tasted so much better than anything else available. Elk is probably the best tasting meat I have ever eaten, but I've yet to try oryx.

Hardest to hunt? Have to be some of the high mountain exotic/rare species of sheep or goat. Of those you listed, though, trophy elk and moose can be very physically taxing, depending on the region. There are several regions here in New Mexico and one I know of in particular in Montana where there is no vehicular access for dozens of miles in any direction to the hunt areas for elk. Because of the remoteness of the region, the hunter density is low, the trophy elk density is high and the hunts are very demanding of the hunter. You have to either walk or travel by horse or pack mule into the hunting area, hunt and then pack out whatever you kill. The terrain is very steep and the forestation can be very thick as well. The weather may or may not cooperate. In that wilderness area of Montana, grizzly bears are drawn to the sound of rifle shots and have mauled several elk hunters who were dressing out their trophies in the last few years.

Now that is all public land hunting in the West. The private land rules are a bit different here in New Mexico. If you have land owner permission, you can forgo the tag lottery and simply buy a tag for deer, elk or pronghorn "over the counter" for a 5-day period and go hunt. Many outfitters will lease hunting rights on cattle ranches and charge clients to use that access. The fee usually gets you a guide who knows the land and the habits of the animals that live there. They can charge pretty much whatever someone is willing to pay and some charge additional fees for trophy grade animals. The law here is that you can only get one tag for any species in a given year, so if you drew a public land hunt, you can't buy a private land tag and vice versa.

There is one other special hunt in the state, and that is the Valles Caldera Wildlife Management area. Valles Caldera is an extinct volcano crater just west of Santa Fe and is one of the primary breeding grounds for Rocky Mountain elk. The area is a public land trust and is managed by a board of trustees. To raise funds, every year they essentially raffle off all the elk hunting tags in the WMA. Each person can buy up to 20 tickets for the hunts and divide their tickets between the various hunts as they see fit. The specific hunts are drawn such that each hunter is assigned a parcel of several thousand acres of the WMA that they have either sole hunting rights on or share with 1-2 other hunters for the 5-day hunt. Many huge trophy elk are taken out of there every year and the success rate is nearly 100%. It is a remote region and it is a physically demanding hunt, but because of the odds and the very high chance of shooting a massive trophy, I'll probably buy in every year until I'm just too old to hunt. Figure I've got at least 25 more years in me.

 

[Andrew Leigh]

Thanks for all the contributions, this has been both most informative and most interesting.

Thanks guys.

 

[splattergun]

Native wild game animals are the property of We the People. In some states, where game farms are allowed to raise native and non-native species as a cash crop, hunting seasons and licenses may not be required. Hunting on public property, seasons are always set by regulation, there are no trophy fees, only the cost of hunting license and/or tag. State residents always pay a more reasonable price for licensing than non-residednts. Gaining permission to hunt on private land often requires payment of a trespass fee, or even an exclusive hunting lease.

There are some commercial game farms where you pay to play. Trophy fees can run into thousands of dollars. Guided hunts can occur on private or public land. Private land hunts are often the most expensive, but usually have the highest success rates.

 

[helotaxi]

I forgot to add that bighorn sheep tags are limited to a dozen total for all hunts and regions for Rocky Mountain bighorn and 16 for desert bighorn and the tags are once in a lifetime. The state has two special tags each year, one auctioned and one raffled. The auctioned tag sold for north of $100,000 this year.

Tag fees range from $42 for deer to $161 for bighorn and oryx for state residents. Out of state tags run from $290 for deer to $555-780 for elk to $1630 for oryx and ibex to $3180 for bighorn. So like I said, cheap is relative.