So far I haven't found a North American big game animal I don't like to hunt, and ignoring record-book categories have taken a dozen species. The meat has always been a factor, and trophies used to be much more of a factor, but have always loved open-country hunting in wild country more than anything else.
If sheep hunting was more affordable or available would no doubt place them pretty high, and have liked my limited sheep hunting.
Have gone through periods of hunting elk really hard, but grew up in elk country and they have never excited me as much as some others, oddly enough, and these days would rate whitetails higher. Have taken one good grizzly and that is enough.
Got pretty excited over caribou for about 15 years, partly because of the real wilderness they live in, partly because of their extravagant antlers, and partly because they mostly live where fishing is really good. And they're good to eat too!
But number one has always been mule deer, with pronghorn a close second. They both live in great country, taste good, and can be hunted as hard-core trophies or meat animals, either in empty country or more casually with family and friends.
