I was just curious is all. Antelope hunting is alot of fun, totally different hunting compaired to whitetails. The tough part is getting them close enough to ya! (Water hole hunt them) Good luck hunting them!

I've never used an outfitter for deer or turkeys, but if I were going out west to hunt elk or pronghorns i'd probably use one. It's such a different game that I wouldn't know where to begin.

Great story Mike,,,,,Now with Craigs property, its somewhat like renting it right?

There are a lot of considerations.Do you intend to go back to the same state and area repeatedly? If so DIY is the only way to go,especially if you are hunting deer.How much time will you have to devote to your trips,the longer the amount of time the more a DIY makes sense.
If you are hiunting larger species such as Elk or Moose do you have the equipment and knowledge to get the animal out of the woods in sufficient time not to ruin the meat? There are a lot more variables when hunting larger game and if taking a one time trip of this nature a good outfitter may make that trip a lot more pleasant.
It is definitely my preference to DIY,I like to have the outcome determined by my own efforts.
Contact Fish and Game in the states you wish to hunt ask to speak to the biologists for the particular species you wish to hunt,they can provide a lot of excellent information,tell them what your goals are and ask them given your goals what area's of the state should you be focusing on,sometimes they can even direct you to rental housing,cabin,house,motels etc.
If you decide to go the route of an Outfitter come back on the board here or PM me so myself and others here can help you with that process.There is nothing worse than a terrible outfitted hunt!

The kicker is time and money. If you don't have the time to travel to scout and prep a bit and have some dough than go for it.

It seems alot of guyslump outfitters in with high fence operations which is not fair.I DO know from experience that some "guides"will put you in a stand you would ever dream of setting up there if itwas your choice.

I did a $1500.00 " (CHEAP) guided" week long PA hunt a couple of years ago and in hind sight I could have had better odds if I had given myself three days to scout on my own prior to hunting and just hunted a couple of days.

I love hunting the Edmonton Bow Zone for giant whitetails. If you're a non resident you MUST hunt with a guide in Canada, it's the law.

Thats what bites about hunting in Canada if your not into the guide thing, alot of monster game in that country!

Do whatever you think best according to the time, money, and challenge you prefer. Personally I prefer DIY hunts though I have only hunted once out of state. Went on an elk hunt with a guy who invited me along. Long story short, he has a prosthetic leg and is limited to his travel and terrain. I am determined to get an elk DIY on public land, but I will choose where I go next time. Lots of research available from state's department of natural resources on success rates in different areas, game populations, hunter numbers, laws, and permit availability.

I would also check out Craig Neace @ bowhuntingwhitetails.com

He basically has land that is available for hunting. You do the work, he gives you access. He's very reasonable as well.

It's all a tradeoff, being successfull, unless you are VERY lucky, takes time to research the area to find "zones" to hunt, get access to private property if needed, then scout and find smaller areas to concentrate on. Then there's the learning curve needed if going after a new animal.

If you have the time, money and ability to do the above in a timeframe to your liking, go for it.

Outfitters cut that above time to zero, or close to it, you still need to research the outfitter!

I've been on 3 guided elk hunts and agree with GMMAT, i won't go guided for whitetails, i can do that here. Though who knows what the future will bring. However I LOVE hunting bugling elk but its a different world than sitting in a treestand waiting on a whitetail.