The first agent I spoke with is Jim McCarthy of Jim McCarthy Adventures. He has three interesting hunts available. The first is with an outfitter who hunts mule deer and whitetail in Montana. There are still a few deer licenses available at a cost of $775. While mule deer is the most common species on his ranches, there are a few very nice whitetails. You should expect 4 x 4 mule deer bucks with 24- to 26-inch spreads. And the whitetails here can be anywhere from 130-class up. A three-day hunt with this outfitter costs $2,450, with 1 x 1 guiding. A four-day hunt is $2,900. Clients fly into Rapid City, where the outfitter can arrange for a shuttle, which costs $100. Accommodations are in a comfortable double-wide trailer that has been modified into a very nice lodge complete with a trophy room. Meals are home cooked and more than adequate. I have hunted with this outfitter twice and can highly recommend his operation.
McCarthy also has private-ranch hunts for mule deer in New Mexico. Both muzzleloader and rifle hunts are available for bucks in the 22- to 26-inch range. He says that there are lots of deer here. The muzzleloader hunts are scheduled in October, while the rifle hunt is in November. Both hunts cost $2,950 and are guided on a 1 x 1 basis. As a bonus on this hunt, you can take a free-ranging Aoudad for a trophy fee of $2,000. The deer license here runs $358, and the Aoudad license $300.
Clients typically travel to Roswell, New Mexico, where the outfitter arranges for shuttle service to the main ranch house; or they fly into El Paso, Texas, and rent a car for the drive to camp. This hunt is conducted using 4wd vehicles to get around........(continued)
