I fell in love with hunting very quickly. I knew after killing my first deer at 8 years old that hunting would be a part of my life until I die. By the time I had made it through high school, I had the same revelation about bowhunting in particular.Â
After learning and having new experiences in that for a few years, I had a new dream to chase: traveling to hunt. My mental notebook of places I want to visit and hunt grows daily.Â
It all started with watching the old Primos Truth About Hunting VHS tapes every night, and it lives on through the thousands of hours of content on YouTube. I constantly daydream about hunting new places.
Fortunately for me, I dove into traveling headfirst nearly a decade ago, and have chased big game and turkeys in almost a dozen states now. I’ve got new hunts on the docket for upcoming years as well. At one time, I didn’t think this was a reality for the average guy, but I was wrong.Â
I’ll go ahead and answer a few questions I’m sure you’re burning to ask. No, I don’t hunt for a living, I have a full-time job outside of the hunting industry. No, I’m not a super high-income earner. No, I don’t hunt with outfitters. And yes, I have a family at home.Â
It’s possible for anyone, but if you want to make that jump and go on your first out-of-state hunt, there is a process you must follow.
Too many guys let the dream die by intimidation. It can be a very overwhelming task to figure out another state’s tag allocation process and hunting regulations.Â
It can also be demoralizing to know that your dream hunting state has a 3- to 5-year waiting list. I get it, it’s hard the first time, but if you can keep an open mind and make the jump the first time, you’ll only work harder to make your traveling dreams come true.
Here is a basic guide to planning your first out-of-state hunt:
Budget
You have to start with a budget. Nonresident hunting can get expensive quickly, and if you don’t have enough money to fund your trip, it’ll be over before it even begins. So, it’s always best to start with a budget. If money is no object, then the possibilities are endless, but this isn’t the norm.Â
Outfitted hunts are great because the cost is often all-inclusive, and you only have to worry about travel and gratuity outside of the listed price. But most guided trips for basic species start in the $3000 to $4000 range and go up from there quickly! That’s way over budget for the average guy, but I promise you can go on a great hunt for much cheaper.
I’m not going to pretend I know your budget, but I can talk about mine. Two seasons ago, a buddy and I decided to tackle an out-of-state whitetail archery hunt in Oklahoma.Â
Both of us have young families, so the idea of spending $5000 was out of the question. We decided that we could probably give up $750 each. That’s not chump change by any means, but it’s very reasonable in terms of setting a savings goal.Â
Because we decided to hunt on public land, rent a cheap campsite, and split all gas and food costs, we came in under budget. Here is how we set up our trip budget:
- Oklahoma Archery Permit: $300 (has since increased significantly)
- Campsite for 5 nights: $75 (split between us)
- Expected gas at $3.50/gallon: $250 (split between us)
- Food for 5 days: ~$100 (split between us)
Establishing a budget, even a super low one, allows you to move forward with your planning. And as I’ve shown, you can make it happen without breaking the bank.
Tag Availability
After you’ve established your budget, you have to make sure that you can even get a tag. Elk, mule deer, and pronghorn tags are a little trickier to obtain due to lottery draws and complex application procedures.Â
Fortunately, a great majority of archery whitetail tags are over-the-counter. There are a few exceptions however, like Iowa and Kansas. Sadly, these states require multiple years of planning and the acquisition of preference points. But there are a pile of states where a tag can be obtained easily.
State game agency websites are a great place to start when researching how to get a tag. Some can be trickier than others, so don’t be afraid to use other web resources or call the game agency.Â
For ease, I like to focus on over-the-counter tags. They don’t require an application, and you can purchase them right before you embark on your trip.Â
I’m not recommending the following states, but I have experience with their tag process, and they are straightforward: Missouri, Kentucky, Nebraska, Indiana, Alabama, and Wisconsin.Â
If you are dead set on a specific state, make sure that tags are available and that all required licenses are in place.
Logistics
Now that you’ve established a budget and found an available tag, you have to dive into the logistics. Hunt logistics include just about everything under the sun. I like to start by specifying the property I will be hunting. I often revert to public land hunting because it’s easy to find and there is usually plenty of room to roam.Â
Maybe this interests you too, but it’s not the only option. Leasing is always an option, but is often limited by budget. Door knocking for short-term permission is also a good idea. If you take this route, though, make sure you have some nearby public land as a backup.Â
Don’t be afraid to get creative. I once got access to turkey hunt on 600 private acres in Kentucky by making conversation with an Airbnb host.
Speaking of Airbnb, you are going to have to sleep while on these hunting trips, and unless you plan to sleep in the truck (which is an option), you need to figure out your lodging arrangements. Airbnb and cabin rentals are great options for maximum comfort, but they can get pricey.Â
Make sure to research diligently; you may find a really good deal. Camping is the more cost-efficient option. Tents or small campers can make for a fun experience and often allow you to sleep close to where you are hunting. A high-quality campsite with electrical and water hookups can still run you $25-$40 a night, but they are significantly cheaper than other rentals.
Once you’ve found a place to hunt and a place to stay, make sure to do some research about the area. Answer questions like, how close is the closest gas station? Is there a grocery store or convenience store within driving distance? How about a tire shop or auto garage? I can promise you, from experience, that all of these places are handy to have close by and can make or break your trip.
Don’t forget that by taking a buddy, you split all these costs in half! I encourage taking at least one person with you for cost-splitting and safety.
Gear Preparation
Your first out-of-state hunting trip is getting close, and now it’s time to prepare your gear. It can get overwhelming with all the stuff you need to bring, but you don’t want to forget anything important. I usually start by making a list of everything that I think I need.Â
I start gathering the items weeks before my hunt and inspect their condition. You want to make sure everything is in good shape for your trip and have time to replace anything that needs replacing.Â
The following are must-haves for me any time I go on a hunting trip:
- Roadside kit: This includes everything I need to get my vehicle moving again if I break down. I include a jack, tire lug wrench, 12v air compressor, tire plug kit, jumper cables, battery starter bank, a tow chain, and ratchet set.
- Buck Boiler: I like to take a stock pot, burner, and propane tank on trips to boil my skulls before travel. Many states’ CWD laws do not allow you to take brain matter or spinal cord across state lines. So, I do a quick European mount before I come home.
- Knife set: I take everything that I need to skin, quarter, and debone a deer.
- Portable power bank: Two or three small, fully charged power banks are a good way to ensure that your phones can stay charged in the event of an emergency
- Bow tuning kit: I like to have confidence in my weapons when I hunt. Anything can happen in the field. You could drop your bow or break a sight pin. Keeping a small box with an allen wrench, string wax, and backup bow components could save your hunt.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, after reading this, you have a better idea of how to pull off your first out-of-state hunt. It can be a complicated process, and so many guys give up on the idea before they even give it a good try.Â
I broke that ice by sitting down and separating the process into the step above. It’s easier to look at one piece at a time. Once you complete one step, you can move on to the next.Â
The moral of the story here is that anybody can spread their wings and become a nonresident hunter. So, what do you think, are you going to make your first out-of-state hunt next season?
