How much?

justr_86

Long Time Member
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Has anyone hunted in Sonora? All of the pictures look to be pretty promising of the buck of a lifetime. What does a hunt like that range in cost? Has anyone done it? What outfitter did you use? Were they good? Any info will be greatly appreciated thanks in advance. Do they offer archery hunts?
 
Been twice in the last two years.

Spent $5500 once, and $8500 once.

I went unguided both times.

Killed 29" bucks both times. Both less than 180"

It's a fun time of year to be hunting deer, and it's a nice change of climate from the cold and snow here in the west.
I'd recommend it at least once in your lifetime.

Don't kid yourself though about all the pics of big wide monster bucks. Even though there is a legitimate chance of killing a monster, most guys come home from Mexico with an average sized buck, or no buck at all. I'm not sure exactly how many hunters hunt Sonora, but I heard it's around 2000 for mule deer. Out of that number there are very very few 190" bucks taken, much less bucks over 200".

My advice to you is to do your homework, and research as much as you can. Mexico is a place with a lot of variables that you have no control over. Such as booking in the spring, then finding out Mexico had little or no rain all year during the antler growing season. You find out your ranch was hunted before you got there. Your ranch has more cows on it than wyoming has residents. The neighboring ranch planted alfalfa and yours has no does left on it. Your outfitter takes your tag off your buck and resells it to the next group of hunters, then puts another tag on your deer from a ranch you've never heard of. and on, and on, and on. There is a lot more to a Mexico hunt that you can imagine.

That being said, I'd try to find an outfitter that has a ranch, or several ranches that consistently produce great bucks. Find one that will provide you with references of hunters that you can call and talk to. Find out how their experience went. Find out what kind of bucks they saw that they didn't, or couldn't kill.

I think I'd rather go once with a truly great outfitter, on a truly good ranch, than go every year on a questionable ranch with a questionable outfitter.

Good luck, and have fun in Mexico!
 
I've been down there the past two years also. I believe deerbedead sums it up perfectly. It's hard to trust anyone down there anymore. If I were you I'd deal strictly with American's who outfit down there.
 
thanks guys I have done some looking now I just have to convince my wife... She should go for it thanks again.
 
The appealing thing about Mexico is you have a legit shot at a AZ strip type monster without paying a govenor tag price.Reseasrch your outfitter...and I do mean research.When your done researching, research some more.
If you can afford to go with the knowlege that you may come home empty or with an average type buck, Than go. Oh, and American outfitters are not the only reputable outfitters in Mexico. I went with a Mexican Outfitter and the hunt was 1st rate.

Mike
 
I have been down to Sonora several times. A couple of things I will add is that as much as you research an Outfitter either American or Mexican is that the good ones can go bad in a heck of a hurry. when they shoot a few good bucks they invariably get popular and sell too many hunts or book hunts on ranches that are no good. I have not met to many Mexican outfitters that like to turn down Gringos offering from $8000 - $12,000 for a hunt. Also last year down there was terrible. I talked with very few hunters shooting good bucks. I still love to go down there every year. The Desert is very beautiful and there is of course a chance to shoot a Monster
 
I did not mean that all American outfitters were honest, and all Mexican outfitters were not. As mentioned, you must do your research and check as many references as you can. Case in point, I've been down there the past two years with the same outfitter. First year was great, this past year (like most outfitters) was very tough. My biggest concern down there is that most every ranch is now leased and hunted (quite a change from a few years ago when there were alot of ranches not leased), and that most ranches are "churned" every year or so between outfitters and it's tough to know what's been taken off of those ranches year to year. Having the same ranches leased year in year out by the same outfitter would be my first criteria. An outfitter cannot control the weather, but he can control the management of his ranches.
 
I am curious why you mention the comment about the weather? I have talked with a bunch of hunters and all agree that last year was extremely poor in Mexico. It was not a particularly dry year down there. I have not heard any blame the weather for last years poor hunting. The interesting thing that I noted in my conversations with other hunters was the ones that hunted the good quality ranches actually so great numbers of bucks "by desert standards". They just did not see many Bucks that needed a second look. Also It seems the practice of creating bait piles with truck loads of oranges and other produce seems to be drawing lots of deer. I talked with some of my friends that saw quite large numbers of Deer around the Bait piles but no shooters.
 
I've been down there a couple years and never heard of any orange bait piles?? Hell maybe desert muley's and fruit is the secret. Corn feeders are fairly common on the high fenced operations.
 
This is all beginning to make more sense to me now! I never knew there were bait piles. I should have spent more time trying to find them so I could wait for a monster to come in and chow on the oranges!!!
 
Have been trying in Sonora for Muleys about 10 years. Still not really sure about much other than you have to go with an outfitter you trust and you cant look for a great Sonoran buck if you dont go! Great time hunting but never many big mature good looking bucks visible. One can get lucky though!!!!
 
Just wondering if it wouldn't be worth it to go down there for two or three years just for photo opportunities and then make a decision based on the knowledge you gain. I don't mind paying the price but I sure would like to know what I was getting into.

Hunt Sonora? Where are you man?

RUS
 
I for one have no desire to hunt the Sonora, too many horror stories, way too much money for a deer I could kill anywhere, I believe one post said they paid 5-8k to shoot a 170 buck????? No thanks.

I'll spend that money anytime on a canada or alaska hunt, hell even invest it somewhere, let it grow for a couple years and really do something nice.

I have a friend go to Mexico every year for deer, I've seen what they shoot, and I'm not impressed. I can't for the life of me figure out why Mexico has become the hot destination????
 
>I for one have no desire
>to hunt the Sonora, too
>many horror stories, way too
>much money for a deer
>I could kill anywhere, I
>believe one post said they
>paid 5-8k to shoot a
>170 buck????? No thanks.

I am not trying to be smart but what kind of a Mule Deer do you expect to shoot on a $5000 -$8000 hunt? Certainly the average hunt in Mexico with an outfitter is over $8000. I will also be willing to bet that the number of hunters coming back from Mexico with Deer netting in the 180 and over range is well under 20 percent. I think if you booked an outfitted hunt anywhere @ $5000 hunt and took a 170 Deer you should be darn happy. It's pretty hard to argue that Mexico is a good value. The reason Mexico is so popular is because there is not much else going on in December and January and there is a chance to shoot a Toad "especially if you watch the Oranges"
 
Thats right man, you just got to pay the money and sit tight on the orange piles. You never know when one of those droopy eared, black horned, 200 inch monsters will magically appear out of nowhere right on the bait.
 
You obviously don't get around much, or do much searching if you're an avid mule deer hunter. Sonora has produced more B&C typical bucks than any other "county" in North America over the past 10 years, and second only to Colorado. Are they everywhere down there? No. Your buddies are obviously not in the right place down there. Do a search on the B&C website and see where all the big bucks are coming from.
 
>You obviously don't get around much,
>or do much searching if
>you're an avid mule deer
>hunter. Sonora has produced
>more B&C typical bucks than
>any other "county" in North
>America over the past 10
>years, and second only to
>Colorado. Are they everywhere
>down there? No.
>Your buddies are obviously not
>in the right place down
>there. Do a search on
>the B&C website and see
>where all the big bucks
>are coming from.

Actually I have been down to Sonora over 15 times with several different outfitters both Mexican and American. You have been down there twice with one outfitter so I guess you are an expert. Anyway I did do a search and if you compare the entire State of Sonora to the "County" search for United States and Canada, Sonora comes up behind Rio Arriba County in New Mexico not Colorado as you incorrectly state. If one does a State search of the B&C database for typical Mule Deer for the time period 1998 -2008 which is what I suspect you were trying to say then Colorado is 1st and Sasketchewan is Second. That is Sasketchewan Canada not Sonora Mexico.In no way is Mexico second only to Colorado. If one does a search on the all time Database for the Boone and Crockett club you will see that Mexico has 47 Typical entry's which ranks 12th and 3 Non Typical entry's which ramks 19th right behind South Dakota.
I guess 50 total all time entry's both typical and non typical should show any genius like you where all the big bucks are coming from? I simply replied to this post because I found it interesting in the question of the amount of money one will spend to shoot a "trophy" Mule Deer. Someone said about 2000 people hunt Sonora each year for Muleys. That sounds believable to me. Then when you factor in the price of each hunt around $8000-$10,000 is it worth it? Obviously for some of us it is.
 
Mexico has a charm about it in the winter time....maybe because it's colder than heck in the Rockies and short sleeve weather in Sonora. Mostly, its because they kill some absolute toads.I don't think there is a place in the U.S. a person can go on an outfitted hunt with a legit shot at a 200+ buck for 8K. Those hunts in the US bring 12K plus.As long a guy don't have false expectations, I think a Mexico trip will be worth the time and the money. Just do your homework and hope you get lucky.

Mexico is alot like the AZ strip. Most guys who draw the tag will kill 170-180 type bucks, but for the few who are lucky and do there home work they will be bringing home the buck of a lifetime.

Mike
 

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