How do you rank/compare/contrast the difficulty and overall experience of hunting each of North America's Big Game Species?

[Northern Shooter]

There are categories and then there are categories...
White tail deer--any old deer off the old corn feeder--easy peasy
Mature trophy White tail deer that KNOWS IT IS BEING HUNTED...supernaturally HARD.

THAT GOES DOUBLE FOR A 30 INCH MULEY!!! Hard to come by. Supernaturally wary.
Elk--you hunt them with your legs. Think elephant tracking hard.

I'm looking forward to my upcomming spot and stalk elk hunt in the mountains, will be a new experience.

I'm trying to get comfortable taking shots out to 600m although I don't imagine shots will be quite that long.

 

[HankBuck]

I think a 30"+ mule deer may be the toughest trophy in North America today. Sheep are mainly a challenge to get the permit/tag. The rest is a not as tough.

NEVADA Mike, is a 30” Mule Deer a “tough trophy” because Mule Deer themselves are difficult to hunt? — or because there are damn few 30” Mule deer? I’m from the Northeast, so whitetails are available here. My experience has been whitetails are much more difficult to find a good trophy in States like NJ, NY, Maine, ——. My trips out West (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho) have seemed relatively easy - multiple opportunities each hunt on “good” mule deer bucks and usually time to judge the rack and plan a stalk. I saw racked 4 x 4 Mule deer bucks daily on my 4 hunts out West (might not see an 8 pt whitetail every season in PA or Maine). Now, I’ve never killed a Mule deer over 175” so maybe my idea of a trophy Mulie is “modest” but I did get one with a 29” spread that I was pleased with. I’ve also never killed a whitetail over 150” and consider the several I’ve taken in the 135”-140” range Trophies-for-Me. But like you mention - I’ve heard a 30” Mule Deer is the bench mark most Western Hunters are looking for.

 

[WAB]

I lived and hunted in WY before moving to Alaska. It’s more an age class issue than anything magical about 30”. Government issue 3 1/2 year old 4x4 mulies are pretty easy to come by. 5 1/2 year old and older bucks are a stripe of a different color, particularly on public land where they’ve lived with pressure.

 

[Nevada Mike]

Just curious, where in WA and BC did you typically hunt? That coastal WA rainforest seems to me about the most difficult hunting there is.

In Washington I hunted in the SE - Blue Mtns and Snake River canyon. In BC the Rockies and Purcell Mtns. The west (coastal) side of WA and BC is a jungle. I never hunted Roosevelt elk.

 

[Nevada Mike]

NEVADA Mike, is a 30” Mule Deer a “tough trophy” because Mule Deer themselves are difficult to hunt? — or because there are damn few 30” Mule deer? I’m from the Northeast, so whitetails are available here. My experience has been whitetails are much more difficult to find a good trophy in States like NJ, NY, Maine, ——. My trips out West (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho) have seemed relatively easy - multiple opportunities each hunt on “good” mule deer bucks and usually time to judge the rack and plan a stalk. I saw racked 4 x 4 Mule deer bucks daily on my 4 hunts out West (might not see an 8 pt whitetail every season in PA or Maine). Now, I’ve never killed a Mule deer over 175” so maybe my idea of a trophy Mulie is “modest” but I did get one with a 29” spread that I was pleased with. I’ve also never killed a whitetail over 150” and consider the several I’ve taken in the 135”-140” range Trophies-for-Me. But like you mention - I’ve heard a 30” Mule Deer is the bench mark most Western Hunters are looking for.

In the 60s and 70s mule deer populations were much better than today. In northern Nevada, eastern Idaho, Arizona Strip, western Wyoming, or southern Utah you could expect to find a good mule deer buck if you worked at it and had a bit of luck. My best mule deer was a 31-1/2" buck taken in 1973. And I have seen 40"+ bucks - true monsters - that were taken in those years. Some of them came from the Grey's River area in Idaho/Wyoming.

Mule deer seem to have declined across much of their range. There are still trophies around, but they are fewer and certainly it's harder to draw a tag for prime areas. In my state of Arizona I think it is easier to draw a rifle tag for elk during the rut than to draw a mule deer tag in the prime northern areas. There are some big desert mule deer in some of the Sonoran desert areas.

 

[HankBuck]

In the 60s and 70s mule deer populations were much better than today. In northern Nevada, eastern Idaho, Arizona Strip, western Wyoming, or southern Utah you could expect to find a good mule deer buck if you worked at it and had a bit of luck. My best mule deer was a 31-1/2" buck taken in 1973. And I have seen 40"+ bucks - true monsters - that were taken in those years. Some of them came from the Grey's River area in Idaho/Wyoming.

Mule deer seem to have declined across much of their range. There are still trophies around, but they are fewer and certainly it's harder to draw a tag for prime areas. In my state of Arizona I think it is easier to draw a rifle tag for elk during the rut than to draw a mule deer tag in the prime northern areas. There are some big desert mule deer in some of the Sonoran desert areas.

Nevada Mike, I get the 30” spread “quest” for Mule deer just like some focus on a 20” spread for whitetails. That’s much a reflection of genetics and many mule deer will never reach that regardless of age or population density. While I like my 29” mule deer just fine - it is Not my best - several others with tall/narrow racks have better mass and tine height, deep forks….thats fine by me. But I wish I was around during the golden age for mule deer 1940s, 50s, 60s. I would guess Whitetails are Now in their “golden age”.

 

[buffybr]

Snipe....definitely snipe

Actually Snipe are a waterfowl shore bird that I used to successfully hunt when I was in Colorado.

 

[lawrence_court]

A 3.5 year or older whitetail buck in a high-pressure area is the smartest, most secretive, most alert, most sensitive creature I've ever hunted. Nothing else I've hunted comes close to that level of difficulty. Totally wild Buffalo or Leopard are the next hardest, in my experience, but still not a patch on a pressured, mature whitetail buck.

 

[buffybr]

I've successfully DIY hunted all of Montana's big game species except Buffalo and Mountain Lion where I used a guide. 40+ years ago those hunts were much easier than they are now, both in drawing tags and in the actual hunting. It seems that the mountains have gotten steeper and higher now, and the difficulty in drawing tags has certainly increased.

 

[vlwtx348]

Actually Snipe are a waterfowl shore bird that I used to successfully hunt when I was in Colorado.

They are here in NE Texas as well. I've never hunted real snipe, but have had several scare the bejesus out of us as kids when we were coon hunting. Our uncles would drag us through the briars and the brambles. Just as you'd breathe a sigh of relief when the traversing became easier, a snipe would flush from under your feet.

I've had more than one heated argument with city boys (and occasionally country boys) who were adamant that there was no such thing as snipe. Based solely off of their "snipe hunting" experience

 

[WAB]

They are here in NE Texas as well. I've never hunted real snipe, but have had several scare the bejesus out of us as kids when we were coon hunting. Our uncles would drag us through the briars and the brambles. Just as you'd breathe a sigh of relief when the traversing became easier, a snipe would flush from under your feet.

I've had more than one heated argument with city boys (and occasionally country boys) who were adamant that there was no such thing as snipe. Based solely off of their "snipe hunting" experience

Their flight line is erratic. They are one of the toughest birds to hit. Track the shot at all and you will miss.

 

[Northern Shooter]

If budget wasn't an issue which would you prefer to hunt if the following?

White Tail or Mule Deer?

Elk or Caribou or Moose?

Black Bear or Brown Bear?

Mountain Goat or Dall Sheep?

 

[Fatback]

1. Mule Deer
2.Alaskan/Yukon Moose
3.Brown Bear
4. Mt. Goat

I’ve hunted all of the animals you have listed, except Mt. Goat, and they all have their appeal. So my first choice out of your list is the goat. That’s a good list and some tuff choices to make. Hope your eventually able to hunt them all.

 

[Milo]

If budget wasn't an issue which would you prefer to hunt if the following?

White Tail or Mule Deer?

Elk or Caribou or Moose?

Black Bear or Brown Bear?

Mountain Goat or Dall Sheep?

I've kill all those at least twice, except 1 dall sheep. Out of those listed, I still want to shoot another moose - a really good moose.

 

[buffybr]

If budget wasn't an issue which would you prefer to hunt if the following?

White Tail or Mule Deer?

Elk or Caribou or Moose?

Black Bear or Brown Bear?

Mountain Goat or Dall Sheep?

It's taken me over 40 years to get some of my 19 of the NA 29 animals.

I've successfully DIY solo hunted everything on this list plus 3 Bighorn Sheep within 100 miles from my home in Montana and at a cost of less than $100 each, except my Brown Bear and Dall Sheep were guided hunts in Alaska and Canada's NWT, and my first Caribou was a 1980 DIY hunt in Alaska with probably $1000 in transportation costs.

If budget and my 78 year old legs weren't an issue, Stone and Desert Sheep would be at the top of my list.

 

[fourfive8]

Snipe!
Tricky and erratic. Snipe fly like sand grouse drop into water source for pre-roost sip

 

[WAB]

If budget wasn't an issue which would you prefer to hunt if the following?

White Tail or Mule Deer?

Elk or Caribou or Moose?

Black Bear or Brown Bear?

Mountain Goat or Dall Sheep?

I’ve DIY hunted everything on your list. I would have to say:

Mule Deer
Elk
Interior Griz (I know not really on the list but a much more interesting and aggressive animal than the coastal bears)
Dall Sheep (Dall sheep is the best game meat I have ever tasted. My dogs won’t eat an old Billy goat).

 

[Happy Myles]

All four North American sheep species plus Mt Goat can make your tongue hang out. Plus a lot of strategy planning.

 

[Longwalker]

Northern Shooter, Brickburn gave some good advice for Alberta. I've hunted for all the species on your "either - or" list except brown bear. I really think the location, and local situation makes a big difference. I was a moose hunting fanatic for many years. Hard-hunted moose in wilderness are a very worthy quarry. Hard to find, hard to approach, and hard to deal with after the shot. Paddling and portaging a canoe into deep wilderness with a light camp outfit and a good companion is rewarding in itself. I've only killed a half dozen moose in about 20 "self guided" hunts. I hunt the easy ones in the farm land lately, they taste just as good.
Elk are exotic and difficult for most people. I've killed just over 30 now. I like eating elk, so I hunt where I know I'll be successful.
Mountain goats are the only animal I've hunted with dedication and planning and perseverance, and failed. Every time. In fact mountain goat hunting almost killed me twice. If you're young, tough, and determined, I'd say goats are the biggest challenge in Canada. Mountain goat country is quite unreasonable. Remote, very steep mountains covered in thick bushes, giving way to loose scree slopes, and eventually rocky crags and cliffs where the big old billies hang out. That's an easy place to die from falls, falling rock, land slides, snow slides, hypothermia, falls, bad weather, and perhaps heart failure. If I was 20 years younger I'd still be trying.