• Antelope
• Barbary Sheep
• Bear
• Bison
• Caribou
• Coues Deer
• Elk
• Moose
• Mountain Goat
• Mule Deer
• Sheep
• Whitetail Deer

Bison

For me, bison (also known as buffalo) are the iconic species of the American west. Hunting wild bison is one of the greatest experiences a western hunter can have.

Hunting opportunities for free-range bison are limited.

Arizona offers hunts in the Kaibab region. In past years, these hunts seemed very appealing. Now, however, they seem to be largely for cows, the population density seems terrible, and the cost is exorbitant ($5,000). The spring hunts for the House Rock herd are much more attractive. Nevertheless, I stopped applying for these a while back.

Utah offers two primary hunts. The most famous is in the Henry Mountains, and this is supposed to be an excellent hunt. Draw odds are brutal (1-in-300), however. The second is on Antelope Island on the Great Salt Lake. This is a closely managed hunt that would detract from some of the wildness of the experience, but with more "reasonable" draw odds of 1-in-100, it's the one I apply for.

Wyoming has a confusing system, but is well worth the trouble. During January, you can apply to be added to the "Wild Bison Priority List." In May, they send you a letter with a ranking assigned (something like "92 out of 460"). The letter says that if a hunt is held, they'll try to contact you if and when your name comes up on the list. This is totally confusing and misleading. Basically, Wyoming offers 20 bull tags for residents and 5 for non-residents. So, if you're a non-resident and in the top 5, you'll get a tag. They also offer cow tags, but the cows stay on the Park and the success rate is poor -- go for a bull! The hunt is held on the edges of Grand Teton National Park near Jackson Hole.

Montana just started their hunt in 2005. The hunt has been surrounded by controversy, as have all other aspects of bison management in Montana. The hunt occurs outside Yellowstone, where for years the state has slaughtered bison to prevent possible (but grossly unlikely) brucellosis transmission to domestic cattle while the bison are on their wintering grounds (the obvious question being: why can't we keep the cattle out instead?). To the extent that bison need to be controlled, a sport hunt is clearly the way to do it. One serious detraction from the Montana hunt is that a group called the Buffalo Fields Campaign has volunteers that follow hunters around. They stop short of harassing the hunters, claiming that they are just documenting the hunt. But, obviously, having an uninvited guest is going to be undesirable.

Ranch hunts for privately owned animals exist, but these typically offer limited challenge and have never appealed to me.

Due to the traditional and historical appeal of bison, many hunters choose to pursue them with more traditional types of weapons such as archery tackle, black powder weapons, and 1800s-era centerfire cartridges. Choosing to hunt the largest mammal in North America with weapons of limited power is a bad idea.

I hunted (wild) turkeys on a South Dakota ranch that offered hunts for bison that they owned and raised. The rancher acted as guide for the bison hunts, and many of his hunters used primitive weapons. A typical scenario would involve the hunter putting 2 or 3 arrows in to a bull, then being overcome by guilt at the suffering he was causing the animal, then asking the rancher to finish the bison with a single centerfire rifle shot to the brain. If you choose to do a ranch hunt, please consider using a weapon capable of cleanly killing such a large animal. If you are fortunate enough to draw a tag to hunt wild bison, the good news is that most of the state game departments do not allow primitive weapons for these hunts. Legally, you'll typically need a .270 or larger.

My experience with bison is limited. In 2005 I beat the 1 in 90 odds and drew a tag in Wyoming (see photo above). I killed a bull, with a single shot to the brain, on the 4th morning of my hunt with the Grand Tetons as a backdrop. I almost didn't shoot him, since he was so much smaller than the other bulls I had been seeing. Despite this, he easily made Boone and Crockett. The hunt for these monsters was a blast, and I highly recommend it. Packing out a bison is an experience that can't be over-stated. It took me about 8 hours, single-handedly, to butcher and pack my bull 200 yards to the truck. It was the most challenging physical thing I've ever undertaken.

Read more about the details of my 2005 Wyoming hunt and details of HTW subscriber Jacob Bishop's 2008 hunt.

State	Notes	General Tag Quality	Limited Tag Quality	Odds of Drawing Limited Tags	Strategy
Arizona	Mostly cow hunts in the fall, but bull hunts out of the House Rock Herd in the spring. Most expensive bison hunt in the West. Given the cost ($5K+), this one is tough to justify applying for.	N/A	Poor	Poor	Pass.
Montana	Draw deadline is in September. Has the potential to be a great hunt, but hunters are harassed by protestors and the hunt is tainted by the anti-bison policies of the Montana Department of Agriculture.	N/A	Good	Poor	Pass.
Utah	You can only apply for bison, sheep, goat, OR moose. The Henry Mountain hunt is the most famous (and hard-to-draw), but the Antelope Island hunt sounds worthwhile too.	N/A	Good to Excellent	Poor	Apply!
Wyoming	Awesome hunt on the edges of Grand Teton National Park near Jackson Hole. Must apply in January.	N/A	Excellent	Poor	Apply!