If I could afford it, I'd probably hire a guide or outfitter myself. Damn expensive, but trying to go it alone just sucks. I have nobody to go with, and have no idea where to go either. And who has the time or gas money to drive all over the state scouting? I sure don't. If you don't know a friendly landowner with critters or a good public place, you're pretty much sca-rewed.

I bought a leftover tag last year for unit 104 because it's close to home and there's lots of deer, but there ain't a speck of public land there, and my tag was for white tail doe, not mule deer. There ain't no goddamn white tails there either, not that us unwashed heathens can get to anyway. The CPW folks will tell you they don't want white tails in this state and want to get rid of them all, but they won't help you get one either.

Shooting and gutting the animal is the easy part, getting it out of the field is another challenge altogether. But IMO, the really hard part is finding a place to go in the first place. For that, a guide/outfitter just might be worth it. If you can afford it.