Everybody has different ideas of what a good hunt, or a trophy hunt is, and thats great! Different strokes for different folks is what keeps the industry alive. What do you consider to be a good/great/trophy hunt and if you havent done it, what would it be?

For myself, what makes a good hunt is the cumulative efforts that went in to taking the an animal: pre season scouting, diligence, perserverence, good judgment, timing, hustle, tracking, and last but not least is the chance at taking an ethical shot that hopefully drops the animal in their tracks. Notice that I mentioned "chance". I have been on many great hunts where I didnt shoot anything, but the hunt was fantastic. I did everything that I could have done to be successful, but the cards just didnt play in my favor, and that happens. That doesnt change the fact that I had a great hunt.

In my opinion, what makes a trophy hunt is doing that and taking the smartest and oldest animal that the location has to offer. Antler size is of some value, but not near as much to me now as it was a few years ago. I would rather take the smart and elusive old bull with worn down physical traits than anything else. The one who has learned to endure and survive.

My dream trophy hunt takes place in Africa if I can ever afford it. If I ever get the chance to hunt in Africa, the cape buffalo I will be going after will be the one with majorly worn down bosses with scars all over his body. Imagine the fights he's had, the struggles endured, the lions he has done battle with to survive. Thats the animal that has been tough enough and smart enough to survive the odds and rule the roost. Though no SCI trophy, he would be the trophy of my hunting life next to my boys first deer.

So what is your idea of a good hunt or a trophy hunt? Have you had it yet? If so, tell us about it and what made it so special. If you havent had it yet, what do you hope it to be?

Similar to yours.

I will add I have shot a buck or two that I rattled/grunted in that were maybe not the biggest in the area that I considered trophies because of the excitement of the hunt. And one of my best hunts ever I rattled in a nice buck on a pretty crappy lease we had years ago. He stood there in the early morning sunlight looking for the fight. For some reason I didn't squeeze the trigger and just watched him. Still a trophy hunt in my mind.

I guess im different. I love to hunt on my property or on an invite or a buddies place etc. But if im on a bought and paid for trophy hunt then I EXPECT to get a viable shot at a trophy animal. I don't mean that im not willing to work for it, but I don't believe not being presented with viable shot opportunities is failure on your guides part.

I would be looking for a clean kill on a mature animal. Don't matter if I get lucky and bust him on the first morning or hunt hard and get him on the last day, but if Im paying for a trophy hunt I expect to come home with my trophy. No I am not a supporter of canned hunts.

This.

If its family or friends ground, I am happy putting in the effort and someone in the group getting a trophy. If I'm shelling out the big bucks, then I expect bigger results (haven't done this but a couple times, so not much to go off of).

actully, now that I think of it. I've never paid for a big game hunt, so I retract my comments.

I hear you. But I have gone on several guided hunts all over North America-and there is nothing more satisfying than watching or occasionally taking a good buck from your own place/lease you have nurtured over the years. (OK my public land 6X6 elk and Yukon ram come close. )

I have several trophies everyone oohs and aahs over but I honestly smile more when I look at my whitetail mounts many would consider nice but middling bucks. Because I know the work and patience it took to grow those deer. Now, this photo taking has really added to my "trophy" collection.

60 yr old scotch.

Some of the best bucks I ever shot on leased land are rivaled by the first doe I shot off of our own property. Although I have much prettier and bigger deer shot off of leased property they will never compare to the ugly scraggly no mass having 7pt that was the first buck I shot off our place. Its just different!

people always brag on this whisky or that scotch etc. I try them and am continually let down. I go get me a cheap bottle of the house brand and just as happy. I guess we are not all connoisseurs.

The age of the deer is the trophy. If a lot of $ is getting shelled out it increases expectations on antlers.

let my cousin and a few friends of his and mine hunt on my place as they like, within reason. Every year I'll pick out a buck that I WANT and only hunt that buck. It works out some seasons, most it does not. They think I suck at hunting, inside I smile. Those few times that I get the one I was after make it worth while. Besides, the sooner they tag out, the sooner I have the place to myself. I'm after one this year. We'll see how it goes. Either way I'll be happy if I'm out there hunting him every chance I get.

Edited to add: I've never told anyone I do this. Every deer is fair game to all. I don't "call dibs."

So if you are PAYING for a trophy, you expect a guarantee? If you don't see anything, it's the guides fault? Are you serious?

You will never get an outfitter to book you on a hunt then if that is your expectations on a hunt. The best guide in the world can not make an animal get up and move out of cover if it does not want to. The guide can not control the weather either. You are not really a hunter at that point but more a killer who is paying for the glory of the kill and not enjoying the total experience. You are basically wanting a canned hunt sugar coated by the guarantee. It sounds like you would be hunting for all the wrong reasons IMO.

I have killed a lot of WT I have mounted and love to hunt them but for me nowdays my favorite hunt is for Mule Deer. I have been on a lease now in West Texas for 7 yrs hunting for Mule Deer and it is the one thing I look forward to each year. In the last 7 years I have been to Alberta twice on a rifle hunt for Mule Deer and been successful both times. I have also been to Kansas twice for Mule Deer with a muzzleloader now and been unsuccessful in that same 7 yr period. I could have killed a Mule Deer on both my hunts in Kansas but those deer were not what I was looking for. All have been great hunts and with no pressure to have to kill a deer on any of them. As long as I physically can I will always do at least one Mule Deer hunt per year. There is just something about glassing to find a Mule Deer that keeps me wanting to hunt them.

A good hunt is any hunt you enjoy really. Being there with friends/family always makes it great. I agree that that the age of the deer is more important than the score.

to actually see a trophy....

I don't do canned hunts either but I do purchase package hunts. I expect them to be guaranteed in that I will at least get an opportunity at the class of animal I'm after or I will be allowed to come back at no extra charge until I do get that opportunity.

I'm not paying thousands of bucks just to hang out for a few days. If I want something non-guaranteed, I'll go back to leasing.

For me it's simply taking a mature buck. Following through off season with pictures feeders and rattling and dragging. Lots of hours in the stand and passing on young bucks. That's a good trophy hunt. Paid off this year.

I like to think that a trophy hunt is not only about the animal that you harvest but also the company that you keep. I think I get just as much joy by sitting around the fire and drinking scotch with the family as I do walking up to that buck I just shoot.

I would like to add that the biggest deer I've ever shot is barely pushing 120" so my opinion may change once I get that 200"

That might be a reasonable expectation on a baited black bear hunt or caribou hunt where the outfitter touts near-guaranteed success. But it is totally unrealistic on,say, an elk/sheep/mountain goat hunt where many factors come into play. I have been on a plane where guys were on their third and fourth hunts for Stone sheep and had yet to connect. It's not all like they show on TV once you get out in the bush......

That to me would be a trophy hunt. I have yet been on a trophy hunt. I just drink patron.

I have hunted throughout Alaska, Wyoming, Africa, Texas, etc.

Dream hunt is a hunt that you still remember after 30 or 40 years. I have those....

Doesn't mean I wont enjoy the hunt or consider it a success. But if Im paying 10k for a hunt if I don't get a deer I expect the guide/outfitter to eat as much of the cost as I do. If I don't do my job at work I don't get paid. Outfitters shouldn't if they don't do theirs either. This is probably largely the reason I have and may never go on a guided hunt.

Then you better stick to sitting in a box blind over a bait station since you will be in for a huge surprise if you ever book a hunt with an outfitter who does not hunt from blinds. No one can tell you what the game will do or where it will be every second of every day on a hunt. Will the guide have to eat a large chunk of his payday if you are out of shape, noisy, can't shoot off of sticks/bipod or screw the hunt up? If you can not go home emtpy handed and still be happy then paid guided hunts are not for you.

That's why you pick guides and locations wisely.

Well thanks for the condescension and assuming we are all out of shape Texans that sit in a box and watch a feeder and deer on a timer.