Self-guided hunts are extremely enjoyable because the process often takes an entire year; the anticipation makes the excitement of the preceding days nearly impossible to endure.
![pIMG_8213[1]](http://griffinsguide.comwp-content/uploads/2014/07/pIMG_82131.jpg)
Best of all, you have a multitude of game animals to pursue, including elk, whitetail deer, mule deer, and pronghorn antelope.
Many public lands out West limit the number of licenses in a particular unit, so that there’s no “pumpkin army” of hunting pressure, as with public lands in the East.
Patrick Meitin highlights his top-ten DIY hunts in this post from Petersen’s Bowhunting magazine.
In today’s economy, the dollar just doesn’t stretch as far as it once did. This leaves many of us out of luck when it comes to fully guided hunts. Even the basic bowhunt for whitetail deer on decent ground has become out of reach for the average blue collar bowhunter, with costs reaching upwards of $3,500, not including licenses and travel expenses.
You can’t really blame an outfitter. He’s feeling the pinch, too, with fuel reaching the $4 per gallon mark in many areas, the government taking ever-bigger bites in the form of “user fees” and professional license costs, and we live in the age of $50,000 pickup trucks.
I have nothing against guided hunts—they’re normally a sound investment if for no other reason than a quick acquisition of hunting knowledge—but the fact remains: Most outfitted hunts are financially out of reach for most of us working stiffs.
However, even for those who can afford a guided hunt, it doesn’t compare to the satisfaction that comes through doing it on your own. The do-it-yourself hunt is an American institution, where a Git-R-Done attitude and plenty of wide-open spaces available to the public allows us to take to the field with family and friends to earn success the old-fashioned way. For those DIYers out there, here are some awesome prospects to consider.
