1. Elk Hunt

When I was a little tyke I can remember all guys in the family getting home the night before the Minnesota firearms deer season opened. They pulled into the driveway with a truck full of elk. They had pictures and stories that from that second, made me want to go on this hunt. They were in Colorado for a firearms elk hunt. Using a guide with horses, wall tents, and all the necessary equipment for this type of hunt. I can recall specifically one major part of the story where a plane flew over and dropped a milk jug into their camp, “Get out, the snow is coming.” The tents were already covered in snow and it was only going to get worse. So they had no choice but to head down the mountain. The pictures prove that the snow wasn’t a joke, it was half way up the horses body. To me this is the hunt I want to experience more than any other. With huge racks, loud bugles, and undisturbed forests, an elk hunt is my number 1 hunt!

2. Grizzly/Brown Bear

Yeah, so I might regret this hunt when I’m about ten yards from a pissed off grizzly bear, but hey, it could be fun. I once saw a full mount of a grizzly bear in a mans home. This mount towered over you as you walked into the living room. It was such a massive creature, with a head and mouth bigger than you would ever think! These bear can grow to about 10 feet tall, weighing up to 1000 pounds. When I think of a grizzly hunt I don’t think much about the physical aspect of it. I think about how I could control my mind that is telling me to run, fast, and far! A hunt through Arctic North Guides runs just under $15,000 an expensive adventure but one that you could have a dirty pair of underwear to remember it by.

3. Minnesota Moose

I’ve posted on moose hunting before and if you read it you already know what I think. This is one of the most challenging hunts you can experience in our region. The hunt requires you to haul all your gear in a canoe, over portages and lakes, through the sun and rain, the cold and warm. If you do manage to shoot a bull, this is what your up against… Try putting a 1000 pound weight in your canoe and haul it back to civilization. To me this is the ultimate challenge! A once in a lifetime Minnesota moose hunt, it’s worth all the work! After all, it is a once in a lifetime hunt for a reason.

4. Red Stag

A trip to New Zealand and a hunt? Sounds like a plan to me! When I said that caribou were among the top antler bearing animals, this was the animal that kept it from being the top. Red stag have absolutely unbelievable antlers. The size of a stag is rated in different levels, silver, gold, super gold, platinum, diamond, diamond 2, and diamond ultimate. These levels matter because unless you have an extra $70,000+ sitting around you won’t be taking an ultimate diamond bull. Hunts start at around $4,000 so a hunt for a decent bull is something the average joe could afford with a few years of penny saving.

5. Saskatchewan Whitetail

Mass, mass, mass! Saskatchewan whitetails seem to have everything I dream of in a buck. Mass, width, and huge body size. Hunts here require hours of sitting in a blind or tree stand, waiting for a trophy to present himself. The bitter cold conditions add to this hunt, only making it more difficult, and more fulfilling. A hunt will cost you around $5,000.00 US dollars. This is a hunt I will definitely try my best to experience sometime in my life, and one I am already looking forward to!

6. Canadian Caribou

Double shovels! That’s what I want! When it comes to antlers caribou are among the best. There are 7 subspecies of caribou, the one I would like to hunt carries the biggest rack, the Quebec-Labrador caribou. This is definitely a hunt that bow and arrow hunters can successfully take a trophy animal. Waiting for a migrating bull to pass in front of you while hiding behind cover. This is my #6 hunt!

7. Big Horn Sheep

So I might not make it through a big horn sheep hunt, but I at least I would have tried. In my opinion this would be one of the hardest and most fulfilling hunts in North America. The country these animals live in is high, steep, rugged, and downright frightening! The horns these sheep boast are thick and curling. A good hunt, a great animal, and a excellent workout! This hunt has it all!

8. African Safari

Elephant, hartebeest, hippo, impala, kudu, leopard, lion, rhino, springbok, warthog, waterbuck, wildebeest, just to name a few. While on an African safari the hunting options seem to be endless. I have a friend who is a taxidermist, he has been to Africa multiple times. The game he has taken is proudly displayed throughout his home. Some of the animals are absolutely gorgeous! I would love to someday have a chance to harvest some of these animals, but with prices for a hunt being about $6,000.00 it will have to wait a bit.

9. Mountain Lion

The cougar is a slender and agile cat. The length of adult males is often reported at around 8 ft. long nose to tail, with overall ranges between 5–9 ft. nose to tail suggested for the species in general. The higher end of this length range equals that of the jaguar, but the cougar is less muscled and powerful than its cousin. Males have an average weight of about 115–160 lb. In rare cases, some may reach over 260 lb. Female average weight is between 75–105 lb.

This isn’t your household kitty cat! These animals are fast, agile, and a little bit scary. Cougar hunting is still common in the United States, and is permitted in every state from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean with the exception of California. A hunt will cost you around $5,000.00, although that is a good chunk of money, it’s a something I would like to experience once in my life!

10. Canadian Black Bear Hunt

I’ve been on a couple of black bear hunts in Minnesota, but a Canadian hunt seems to be a totally different experience. The possibility of seeing numerous bear and maybe harvesting a monster is much more probable. These creatures are amazing! Even though they weigh up to 600 pounds, they walk in complete silence. They seem to appear out of nowhere and disappear in the same way.