Foreigner's hunting

[PreglerD]

Hello, is it possible as hunter from Germany to hunt in the US for whitetail and if so which is the best state/area and how are the costs?I'm thinking of ML-Hunting.

 

[bigbore442001]

I don't think there would be a problem for someone outside of the US to come here to hunt with a muzzleloader for whitetailed deer. There are a number of routes that you could take with this. It depends on how much money you want to spend as well as what level of success you are looking for.

You can go on a do -it-yourself hunt in many places on public land, but your success rate might be very low. You would have a wonderful experience, but may not get anything.

Guided hunts. Many states have licensed and registered guides and outfitters that offer deer hunting packages. This would increase your rate of success but some guided hunts aren't cheap.

As far as what is the best area of the US for deer, that is a very subjective question.

One could say that Texas would be the best considering the deer population and that many landowners manage their land for sport hunting. But it would be one of the most expensive hunts going. A good deer hunt could run you thousands of dollars. Also, Texas to the best of my knowledge doesn't have any special muzzleloader seasons. They leave that up to the landowner.Another thing to consider is that some guides offer special muzzleloader hunts for deer. One place that may be of interest in central New York State. You could hire one of their registered guides for a muzzleloader deer hunt for a relatively low rate as compared to some places. This would give you a good chance of getting a deer or two and have a great experience.

On the other end of the spectrum, you could go to a state like Maine or upstate New York. Buy a hunting license over the counter and camp out. You would be on your own but it would only cost a few hundred dollars. On the plus side, both states offer special muzzleloading seasons, so if you ran into other hunters, they would be hunting like you are. It would also be much more challenging.There are many deer hunting operations in Texas that offer hunts over baits or behind a high fence. It may not be as much of a pure hunting experience as you would like.

Another option would be to make friends at this board and see if anyone would invite you along for a deer hunt. That may be another option.

As far as muzzleloaders in the US, I am not sure what the rules are for importation but here in the US for the most part, they are not considered to be a firearm. Even here in Massachusetts where the gun laws are stringent, one doesn't need a license for a muzzleloader. You do need one here for a handgun, modern rifle or modern shotgun. You can go to the Thompson Center Arms website. They have a link to all the fish and game websites for each state. That can give you an idea of what the seasons are for each state.

 

[bezoar]

Several routes can be done here.

First you can do the cheap method and just come and hunt with someone on the forum who wouldnt mind taking you along.

Or if you have money, you have two options.

First you can go to a deer farm, pay 3,000 to buy a deer, and they slaughter and process it for you. Or you can go to a game ranch out west, pay 3-5,000 for the deer of your choice and pay 1-2,000 to stay in thier hotel lodge for a week and pay all butchering, taxidermy, and hunting liscence fees. And youll get to pay for customs to stamp paperwork to let the deer parts out of the country.

 

[PreglerD]

I wouldn't like such a kind of hunt as you described in Texas or other states. I'm looking for a natural hunt with the native hunters in a camp or so, as it was described for the state of New York. I only want to hunt deer, doesn't matter how big they are. The bigness of an antler doesn't mean much to me. i'm a meat hunter as you would say. I want to come together with US-hunters to live our passion.

 

[Alberta Black]

Kirrmeister

you might want to consider Canada as most provinces welcome out of province hunters. BC might be the best povince to go to if you have some connections there. Alberta and Saskatchewan have some big deer but a lot of the country is prarie. I hunt the Alberta foothills mostly.
Ontario has a good deer population and it is mostly bush country with Northern Ontario being the best choice.

AB

 

[PreglerD]

For that time I don't have any connections at all. Hope to get one with members of this forum. I would give a hunting invitation for Germany in my own hunting ground, but there is not a hurry.

 

[XXX]

Come on over! I would have looked into it
a year ahead, but there is still time. I would
avoid the costly guided hunts and stick to a
cheaper do-it-yourself whitetail hunt on public
land. NY, NJ, Pa, Ky, NC, MS,MO,Al, are all
good bets. I suggest checking the seasons and
licensing requirements for the states you are
interested in. Most of the state fish and game
websites have historical kill data by species
broken down by county or region. You should also
be able to spot federal and state land open to
hunting on any road map and work up a plan from
there. Staying at a campground or a motel is the
cheapest way to go in the way of places to stay.

 

[dmills]

Paul wrote: One could say that Texas would be the best considering the deer population and that many landowners manage their land for sport hunting. But it would be one of the most expensive hunts going. A good deer hunt could run you thousands of dollars. Also, Texas to the best of my knowledge doesn't have any special muzzleloader seasons. They leave that up to the landowner.

A couple of points on a Texas hunt.

Some south-Texas counties do have a special ML season. Here in north-Texas where I live and in east-Texas where I hunt on a leased portion of a large ranch, there is no special ML season.

Texas defines ML as:

Muzzleloader: Any firearm that is loaded only through the muzzle. Note: A cap and ball firearm in which the powder and ball are loaded into a cylinder is not a muzzleloader.

In the counties with a special ML season, it runs from Jan. 13-21, well after the rut.

A south-Texas hunt with guide, etc., would be among the most, if not the most expensive whitetail hunt going. But there are unguided day/weekend hunts offered in other parts of Texas at a much more reasonable rate. I've never done one. I think on those you will be going to a stand overlooking a feeder that the owner maintains and rents out every weekend during the season.

Texas does have large areas of public land open to hunters using shotguns or MLs only. My experience has been that there are so many hunters wandering around in those areas that chances of success are very low.

 

[BrownBear]

One important point to check: Unless things have changed recently, I'm aware that you aren't allowed to bring game meat back to Germany. What are you going to do with the meat from your whitetail?

In Alaska there are very rigid Wanton Waste laws, which forbid you to waste meat. Even if you can't use it yourself, you are required to bring it out of the field and donate it to someone who can, such as a senior citizen home or one of our native hospitals.

You aren't even allowed to bring out the horns or cape from a trophy until the meat is taken care of.

And the fines are severe and may include jail time, confiscation of guns, airplanes, etc, in the worst cases.

Learn about the laws for any state you plan to hunt unless you want a really bad trip.

 

[PreglerD]

Thank you for the good information. Certainly I will have to check all these point before the journey. I think I will start in 2007 in autumn.Before that I try to get more ML-hunting expirience here in Germany.

 

[PreglerD]

I think PA will be interesting because there are historic places of the civil war that could be visited when not hunting.Could we come together by e-mail for more information?

 

[renovato]

If you're not in a big hurry. When I get moved to my land in Colorado and can scout out the hunting territories, you're always welcome to come hunt with me. It won't be for a while yet, but it's something to remember down the road.

 

[PreglerD]

Hello ,

many thanks for the offer. As I said I will plan it for the year 2007, even later. Perhaps we can stay in contact per e-mail so that could come closer together for a better undertanding and knowing of each other.

 

[jernestc]

Hello,
Pennsylvania is one of the few states with a flintlock-only hunting season. It starts after Christmas and runs for almost 3 weeks. There are millions of acres open to public hunting. Nonresident tags cost less than in most other states(although prices will probably go up soon) and with statewide antler restrictions there are many nice deer. :v Check out the state wildlife links in the muzzleloader links section of this forum.

 

[renovato]

It will probably be at least 2007 before I can get moved there. Colorado has very good hunting and I'm looking forward to it. I will gladly stay in contact. I have sent you my email address in PT.

 

[jethro224]

Have you looked at the "Member Resources" section of the forum? There is a list of links to all the state game departments. You can find lots of information there about the costs and dates etc. Even info. for public hunting areas. :thumbsup: