Honestly... all of the above.
Get a shotgun, a 20ga will work with some #6 shot and hit the hills for grouse. Watch for deer and elk, learn their patterns. IMO its better to learn a single area in detail, than spread out all over the place only spending a small amount of time out of the year.
DO start applying for deer tags. If you can take alot of time off to hunt, you can pick any general unit in the state and hit it hard... if not, closer to home makes it easier to grab a gun after work and hit the hills. You mention you are willing to hike, thats going to give you a HUGE advantage over most hunters who stick within a few hundred yards of the road.
For specific hunting advice, we need more parameters. Elk hunting is different than Deer hunting. Hunting with a Bow is very different than hunting with a Muzzleloader, and again rifle. Primarily because of the time of year, big game patterns change dramatically from August to Sept, then Sept to October.
-DallanC
Get a shotgun, a 20ga will work with some #6 shot and hit the hills for grouse. Watch for deer and elk, learn their patterns. IMO its better to learn a single area in detail, than spread out all over the place only spending a small amount of time out of the year.
DO start applying for deer tags. If you can take alot of time off to hunt, you can pick any general unit in the state and hit it hard... if not, closer to home makes it easier to grab a gun after work and hit the hills. You mention you are willing to hike, thats going to give you a HUGE advantage over most hunters who stick within a few hundred yards of the road.
For specific hunting advice, we need more parameters. Elk hunting is different than Deer hunting. Hunting with a Bow is very different than hunting with a Muzzleloader, and again rifle. Primarily because of the time of year, big game patterns change dramatically from August to Sept, then Sept to October.
-DallanC
