The Best Offseason Summer Hunts

Wild Pigs

Above all other options, wild pigs offer the best summer hunts. Found in 35 states, there are at least 9 million in the US, allowing most states to deal with this by allowing liberal seasons and bag limits across most of their range. Whilst not as cherished as deer or elk, they’re still incredible animals in their own right, providing hunters with a target-rich environment perfect for sharpening skills. And they can taste fantastic, being a versatile and flavorsome alternative to domestic pork.

One of the greatest challenges to wild pig hunting is access, especially in the Southeast, where minimal public land makes guided hunts preferable. Below are options for budget-minded hog hunters, looking to fill the freezer with wild pork.

Texas: Holds the bulk of the US’s wild pig population, and hence offers the most affordable hog hunts. For the DIY hunter, West Texas Hunts offers affordable packages across various different ranges, ranging from around $150-$600 per hunter, some of which include unlimited wild pigs per day.

Florida: For residents, it’s recommended to explore FWC-managed public lands, especially around Lake Okeechobee, where numbers are very high. For out-of-state hunters or those limited with time, guided hunts are a great option, with outfitters like Hunt Hogs in Florida offering hog hunts for around $195-245 per person.

California: California offers a huge amount of public land occupied by wild pigs, especially in the north-central valley region where numbers are the highest. Guided hunts are more expensive in the golden state; for instance, Garcia Hunting Reserve offers a base package at around $850 per person.

West Texas Aoudad

Aoudad sheep should always be a high priority for summer hunters, not just because they’re open year-round on Texas private land, but also because of the wilderness hunting experience they offer. Like wild pigs, they’re an introduced invasive species, competing directly with species like desert bighorn, so much so that many landowners want hunters to take as many as possible. So, whilst a hunter may spend a lifetime waiting to draw a sheep tag, aoudad hunts in the same mountains are a fraction of the cost and offer just as much adventure. As an added bonus, species like javelina, wild pigs, and coyotes also inhabit the same areas, at the same time.

Aoudad tags are available on Texas public land, but it’s a lottery hunt, with only a 4% chance of a hunter drawing a tag as a resident. A more realistic option would be to look at West Texas Hunts, with some semi-guided options for around $3,300 for an aoudad ram and javelina. That price point still requires a bit of saving up, but it’s still much lower than comparable bighorn sheep or mountain goat hunts. The only drawback is that they book out often a year in advance, so a bit of planning is required.

For hunts like these, you’ll need tough gear as tough and adaptable as the West Texas mountains aoudad thrive in. Using a clothing system that keeps you cool whilst battling hot weather, but still warm when the desert night hits is essential for a successful hunt.

Hawaiian Island Invasives

Amongst hunters, Hawaii is famous for the abundance of introduced species such as axis deer, mouflon, and feral livestock. The absence of natural predators allows populations to far exceed the habitats carrying capacity, making it necessary for human hunters to consistently hunt these animals all year round.

All of this means that for most species, hunting is cheap. On Lanai, hunters can buy year-round public land archery and rifle axis deer tags for $125 each for non-residents, and just $20 for residents, with close to 100% draw odds. Even better is the option to add a free mouflon ram tag after any deer tag purchase. Feral goats are also another great option, especially on the Big Island and Maui, where archery tags can cost a mere $25 for three animals. These hunts are far from guaranteed success, as much of this public land is rocky, steep, dense with brush, and filled with animals constantly aware of hunters. But a bit of hard work and dedication can yield some incredible hunts at a super affordable cost.

On private land, the seasons and bag limits are even more liberal, but hunts can be costly. For a high success rate hunt for axis and blackbuck, try Pineapple Brothers Outfitters, for their trophy and management axis and blackbuck hunts, as well as for feral goats and pigs. And for an unconventional hunt, a Vancouver Wild Bull hunt is a good option. They can cost a fair bit ($1,000 to 2,000) but also produce 1,000 pounds of high-quality meat in the process.

Texas Exotics Management Hunts

Texas exotics have a reputation for being exorbitantly expensive, and that’s very often true on trophy hunts. Often though, landowners will sell management hunts for a fraction of the price (often under $1,000), targeting females and culling males that need to be taken off properties. Even on high fence operations, this can offer hunters the chance to harvest some truly impressive animals for very cheap prices.

Nilgai, axis, blackbuck, and oryx are amongst the most common species, in both high and low fence operations, but the thrill of low fence hunting is second to none. King Ranch in Texas offers nilgai cow hunts for $2,400 each (and extra cows for $900), and bull hunts for slightly more. Axis doe hunts can be found for $800 and under, and broken horn oryx hunts for around $2,000 in some cases. Some high fence operations will also offer cull hunts for species like sika, fallow, red deer, elk, and African antelope, as well as some truly weird species like kangaroo or zebra. Hunts become even cheaper if you team up with a few mates, as you can then share the guiding fee with each other. So, if that’s up your alley, keep an eye out for offers like these.

Kodiak & Afognak Island

For many hunters, the allure of hunting the Alaskan wilderness may seem ultimately unaffordable, but Kodiak and Afognak Island have incredible early-season hunts on offer, most notably for Sitka blacktail deer. Introduced to Kodiak in 1924, the island is now home to 80,000 deer, offering hunters great opportunities to fill the freezer with incredible meat.

Non-resident hunts can buy a single buck tag for the rifle season starting August 1, whilst the bucks are still in velvet. For most hunters who aren’t experienced with hunting in bear country, it’s best to use a hunting lodge for these hunts, where they take care of accommodation and meals most nights, but then drop you off to different areas of the island by boat to chase bucks. Before flights to and from the island, such hunts can cost around $3,000 to 4,000, a pretty attainable price for hunters seeking the Alaskan experience on a budget.

Unknown to a lot of hunters, Kodiak also has introduced populations of mountain goats and feral reindeer on the island. Both are over-the-counter tags, with caribou opening on August 1, and mountain goat opening slightly later, on August 20. Both species are less common than blacktails, and therefore harder to find and kill, but they’re still incredible hunts in their own right. Adding to the aforementioned big game hunts, red fox season opens at the same time. Being some of the largest foxes in the world, their dense coats make for incredible tanned pelts, far better than most foxes in the lower 48.

Just because it's summer, it doesn’t mean you have to stop hunting. By planning ahead and searching for the best options close by, summer hunting can not only be the adventure of a lifetime but also a super affordable way to fill the freezer.