Spot on as usual!! My first non bird hunt was for pig in NorCal… It was worth the fee/ access.. Graduated to antelope in Wy… Found a great guide there…. Learned much from him and took my first Bull Elk last year with him…. Blessed we have these freedoms and no better connection than hunting / fishing for food…

I really appreciate these videos sir. I'm one of those hunters you are describing. My father passed away when I was 5, and although he took me hunting, what is a 5 year old really going to learn? I'm so happy you have this information available to people who may not have had an ideal opportunity for exposure. That said, I have taught myself to a large extent, and over the past 15 years I have harvested 6 whitetails. But 3 of them have been in the last two years, so I am not a great hunter by any stretch of the imagination but I am in love with the American west. I have backpacked several times and i desperately want to hunt out there. But I have also fallen into the meateater trap. You watch those shows and it seems like you can just get up and go do the thing after buying all the fancy first lite gear. Time after time I found myself not hunting out west because I couldn't afford the gear the world at large told me I needed. You are such a refreshing watch because I get discouraged looking at the cost of all the stuff and the terrible draw odds. I still am at a complete loss as to how I'm supposed to actually draw a tag out west or what unit or how I'm supposed to gain access to some of the public lands. I'm still very much discouraged and frustrated and confused. But you make it seem more realistic and possible. I very much appreciate your content and your positive mental attitude.

I’m 40 now but didn’t start hunting until I was 29. My buddy at the time said “just go you 🐈 you will either love it or hate it but at least you will know” I’m officially more of a hunting nerd/addict now than anyone I know.

Excellent info thanks man this is oddly harder to find info than I had thought but you hit the nail on the head

Some really great information. All of your videos are excellent. Thank you!

Awesome! New hunter here, living in CO. I got a Buck tag and getting a OTC Bull tag to pair with it. Going out the end of the month. I’m excited. Thank you for all the information!

Great information. Thank you....

Getting 5-6 hunts a year is a good way to get kicked out of the house 😜. Great tips though!

Cool! Thanks.

Excellent information!! 😀

Thank you for the video! Lucky me, I am a resident here in our great state of CO. It is my first hunt, so I am applying for 1st Season-Rifle Elk hunt with either sex. The first monster that comes within 300 yards is going straight back to my freezer LOL. Currently overseas, and I'll be back next week just in time to for March 1 application. Wish me luck. Many blessings to you and yours from Malta!

Newer hunter here thanks for making this video... Unfortunately i live in Texas which is scarce of public land especially for rifle hunting. However I'll be sure to save up and try this out.... All while still buying draws for exotic here in tx for the points of course

big game is awesome, but dont forget about coyotes, rabbits, birds/waterfowl

First-year going hunting and got drawn for muzzleloader in Northeastern New Mexico which is basically Rolling Hills any advice?

Just remember, Wyoming is windy and desolate so Colorado is the place to go for any reason... Being real, it's nice we have so few people but it's feeling crowded after Covid on public land.

Incredible information. Really happy I found your channel. I’m a new hunter and really soaking up the information. Do you still guide hunts?

I would add montana black bear, very reasonable out of state cost.

Most east coast states, public land is becoming scarce due to development especially if you live within an hour or more of a major city. I personally wouldn't recommend deer hunting in your home state especially if you live outside of DC in VA or MD or WV. It's the same in upstate NY. Land that is available is private. People in my area are very guarded about hunting. Land owners are not too keen on giving people permission to hunt. In urban locations in my area do have urban archery available. But there are stipulations on that.

Thanks for your videos. Does Colorado have a archery only cow elk hunt tag or over the counter tag?

I live in Texas, and lemme tell ya - unless you want to pay for a lease - pickins are slim.

HEY CLIFF! I'm super new to hunting just getting into it this year with bow hunting the forest at our farm in Ontario Canada, I was wondering if your list would change for Canadians or if you would still suggest the Colorado hunts or if you would suggest more bear hunting in northern Ontario and maybe moose in newfoundland or bc? I know that most of your experience is in Colorado but wanted to get your opinion on the Canadian side of things. thank a ton for all the great info and look forward to watching more of your videos seeing as i do plan on going down there for atleast a couple hunts wile im single and have money :P

I'm doing my first hunts this year and interestingly they will be antelope, whitetail/mule deer, and elk (all resident WY). 2022 was not a guarantee on WY antelope though with the decrease in tags due to drought.

Cliff, love your channel man! Where are you pulling these draw odds from so quickly? $6-8k is beyond expensive for me, but I love these tips to do in state hunts (I'm out west) to keep the costs down.

How do you pack & bring the meat home!?

Don't count on ranch access in WY cow elk... or any big game animal for $200. Times have changed. We are inundated with non-resident hunters the past few years. Prices have shot up, but moreso the vast majority of private ranches have gone to contracts with outfitters, and you will pay a premium. Ranchers get tired of door knockers and phone calls, so just letting outfitters handle the headaches has become the solution. We live here and it is nearly impossible to find trespass fee hunts of years past. Secondly, WY had to cut tag allocations due to the extreme hunting pressure , disease and drought... so doe tags are becoming tough to come by. Love almost all your content and I thank you for it. But... I believe this video makes things sound WAYYY simpler than reality. 😁

Awesome info! What sites do you use for success percentages?

Can you do a OTC hunt and still maintain pts in Wyoming or Colorado? For mule deer

I think it is insane what some of these states, WA, being one of them can get away with for out of state tags.

Iam thinking doing 4th rifle in unit 25 or 24 in 2021 any advice OTC

What are some decent first hunts in Utah? Any unit recommendations?

Hey Cliff, I have a question not exactly related to this video, but not entirely unrelated. I am a South Africa, and grew up hunting for meat (rifle hunting specifically, but I'm getting into bow hunting now). I will be in the US for a few months at the end of the year, and it would be awesome for me to be able to hunt in the US to experience hunting culture outside of my home country, but the guided hunts I've seen advertised are outside of what I can spend on a hunt. Given the budgetary restraints, I'm turning my situation into a challenge for myself - what is the cheapest medium/big game hunt a non-resident (without his/her own rifle) can get away with in the US? I would love some of your insight and advice on where to look, and things to consider seeing as I'm really just Googling random things that I can think of at the moment.

1000-1500 for a hunt is ridiculous. It's cheaper to just buy the meat. I've never spent more than the the cost of equipment and a tag and alot of those equipment cost are a 1 time purchase or at most once every several years.

But not Idaho? Weird...

Lol the drive to some of those places yikes

What would 1000 dollars get me? I'm trying to add a little adventure to my life.

Wow, that is not at *all* what I would suggest. First of all, I wouldn't recommend any out of state hunts for new hunters. If you're not even sure if you like hunting, you shouldn't be spending all that money on traveling and non-resident tags. An in-state hunt for deer, squirrels, turkeys, waterfowl, upland birds, or whatever people around you like to hunt would probably be a better experience than driving 18 hours just to spook antelope because you have no idea how western topography works. Someone once told me "If you can't be a good hunter where you live you have no business traveling to hunt."

get into the field, repeat YT can provide tips but not skill

7to8 thousand is not doable for most people for an out-of-state hunt especially for a doe or cow elk hunt that would be a expensive learning price