Remembering 2020, we decided to be optimistic and focus on the best things that happened this year. Here are the five most popular species for which hunters booked their hunts in 2020, the most popular destinations of 2020, and our five most popular blogs published in 2020.
Animals
Due to travel restrictions in 2020 it shouldn’t come as a surprise that four of the five most booked species of game animals on BookYourHunt.com in 2020 are North American.
Number 5 is the Mountain Monarch: Elk
Number 4 is the only species on the list that doesn’t come from North America, but is the royal trophy that is pursued by hunters literally all over the world, not only in its home range in Europe, but also in Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina: the Red Deer
Number 3 of the most popular species is the biggest extant species of deer, the king of the boreal forest: the Moose
Number 2 is the species that was the most popular animal in 2019: the all-American Black Bear
And the most popular species to hunt, according to bookings made on BookYourHunt.com in 2020 was…
… drum roll…
(quelle surprise, lol)
It can be argued that, in Africa, for example, few hunts are booked for specific animals – it’s either a package deal including many species, or a generic ‘plains game’ hunts. But let’s have a look at the most popular destinations for hunts booked on our online marketplace in 2020.
Destinations.
Number 5 of the top five destinations where hunts were booked in 2020 is the Lone Star State: Texas, United States
Many Texas ranches have large populations of African and Asian species such as nilgai, axis deer, blackbuck, aoudad, zebras and oryx, providing Americans with a unique opportunity to hunt them without having to leave the U.S. In 2020. That combined with excellent whitetail deer hunting, it’s not surprising Texas is in Top 5, it’s surprising it’s not No 1.
Number 4 is the only destination on the list that is outside North America: New Zealand.
New Zealand is one of the most scenic countries in the world, and a top destination for hunting chamois, Himalayan tahr, and other species – but most notably the red deer (sic!). Travel bans may have stopped hunters from coming in ’20, but they couldn’t stop them from booking for ’21 and beyond.
Number 3 is the province of British Columbia, Canada.
Since the mid 1800’s, the world’s hunting fraternity has known that BC was home to some of the world’s most magnificent big game populations. But BC residents have a strong number of enthusiastic hunters among themselves (Jim Shockey, for one), and when international hunters couldn’t come, the locals booked the hunts!
Number 2 is another Canadian province: Alberta.
Pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, black bears, cougars, Rocky Mountain elk, Canada moose, mule deer, white-tailed deer, bison, wolves, as well as outstanding waterfowl and upland bird hunting – it’s no wonder Alberta is a hunter’s magnet that is too strong for the virus, for local and international hunters alike.
Number 1 – Wyoming, United States
Any hunter who dreams of wide-open spaces and herds of plentiful big game will find that their hunting dreams lead to Wyoming. American hunters whose international adventures were stopped in their tracks took to exploring their home country with doubled enthusiasm – and found an abundance of hunts on BookYourHunt.com. And so can you!
See you again in 2021 to see if things change – and now let’s turn to five of our most popular blogs published in 2020
Blogs
5 – The Evolution of High Fences in South Africa
Over 95% of hunts that take place in South Africa occur behind high fenced properties. Why so, and why it’s not a problem for an ethical hunter.
4 – Elk Hunting in Montana: What you need to know
The difference between elk license and elk permit, tips on how to choose a good unit with high success draw rates, and more about one of the most popular elk states.
3 – Bushpig Hunting in South Africa
A Bushpig hunt is always a free-range hunt, even on a high-fenced game farm: this porker just won’t be contained. If you’re after this unusual African creature, you’ll need these tips
2 – Eight Questions about Mule Deer Hunting Answered by Guides and Outfitters
One person’s opinion is one person’s opinion, but when many experts agree on something, there’s got to be something in it…
And, the Number 1 post of all that were published on the BookYourHunt.com blog in 2020 is – Hunting After COVID-19: Survey results inspire optimism
COVID-19 made 2020 arguably the worst year in recent history, but we at BookYourHunt.com remain optimistic – and we’ve got figures to support the optimism!
Let’s see what 2021 will bring. Happy New Year – and happy trails in 2021!
