Bowhunting in the USA?

[Eastman]

Greetings to all of you

Out of curiosity I have been wondering for quite some time now, how Bowhunting works in the US?
To explain, let me shortly explain how it works here in South Africa:

after all the preparing for the hunt is done (gear and practice wise), one books the amount of days you want to go hunt on a game farm. Just about all hunting is done on privately owned land, so there are pretty much hundreds of options available. On most farms hunting is open the entire year. After your weekend or so of hunting, you pay for the animals wich you have harvested and all other fees connected to the hunt (accomodation etc). But most hunters don't harvest more than one animal per hunt. Winter is the usual hunting time. 

I have only hunted warthogs on a friend's farm but I hope to go and harvest my first antelope with a bow this winter

[spyder1958]

You can go on a lot of paid hunts here. But most hunt public land or have friends/family land to hunt. also, alot of people join hunt clubs and pay a good amount for a membership, no ideal how much. Theres different dates to hunt, and each state sets there own dates by species. License and  tages required for big game, and small game hunting and fishing license required. 

[osage outlaw]

I bowhunt on mine and my parents land.  They are connected and total 75 acres.  Our bow season for deer starts Oct. 1st and ends in early Jan.  I am allowed 1 buck and several doe.  It is free for me to hunt on my land.  There are other seasons for turkey, squirrel, and other animals.

[JW_Halverson]

There are 50 different States here in the U.S. and each one has it's own highly convoluted list of rules, regulations, laws, and rules of thumb. 

That being said, generally one applies for a license, pays the license fee if the application is successful (many times more applications than licenses are available and a lottery is conducted), and makes arrangements with landowners to hunt on their land or they hunt on public land.  There are also licenses for small game where there are daily limits and possession limits. 

I have spoken with Albert Alberts about coming to South Africa to hunt.  He has recently contracted for some wonderful concession areas that are loaded with gemsbock, the animal I most want to hunt.  My grand idea was to find someone to stay with when I arrive with my tool kit, build a bow out in the brush, shoot it in over several days of scouting, then settle down to hunt gemsbock.  He's very interested in filming the whole process of making the bow thru the end of a successful hunt.  More than anything, I am interested in getting the horns home to make a bow from them!!!

[bubby]

wow JW, if that works out it would be fantastic, would make a cool video, Bub

[Eastman]

Thanks for sharing guys I really appreciate it!  Most bowhunters here opt to hunt out of blinds situated over waterholes.

Does anybody maybe have a link or some info on how scouting is done before setting up a tree stand there in the states?

[osage outlaw]

I set my stands up over heavily used trails.  I have two stands that are near a water source, a couple that are near a food source, and a couple near fields.  I use ladder stands so if I don't like a location I just move it to another spot.  I have used brush ground blinds before.  I plan on using them more next season.