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Best place in America to Hunt Whitetails

kyler1945

kyler1945

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Messages
6,895
Location
Willis, TX
I’m staring down kid number one, work, and lots of other hobbies and interests.

I have traditionally been able to hunt successfully in Louisiana near where I live(less than 3 hour drive), and made trips to several other states and enjoyed success. Going forward I may not have the time money and focus to plan so many logistics.

This might just be crunching the Nutterbuster spreadsheets, but I figured I’d get other opinions as well.

I’m looking for the best place to spend my money. As a combination of public land with low hunter density, high deer density, the ability to kill 4+ deer per season(both sexes), reasonable chances at big deer, and pretty country.


I’ve been able to piece this together traveling around. I’m looking for one state to spend a season.

Let’s hear what you guys think.
 
Maryland eastern shore or little ol DE. My hunters choice and buck tag is $20...that's two bucks and four does. MD is a big sleeper state. Guys hate marsh, lol.

Can't remember MD, but just as many if not more, and sika are same tags. My buddy spends a week on MD public every year. They shoot things people don't talk about.
 

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Prolly need to define "big deer". Close by OK and AR meet most of the criteria. I would argue that AR is more scenic. Both have 6 deer tags per license. AR also has a bear season. Not sure if OK has opened one yet or not.

Ohio I believe has 6 tags and KY has 4 and both are plenty scenic and have big deer.

All 4 states would be $350 or less based on my cursory search.

Been putting a list together myself of places I either want to go back too or hunt before I am too old to do it the way I want too. All the other states of interest to me are 2 tag states with the option to buy additional doe tags for the most part.

I still need to look at GA and NC to complete my list.
 
kbetts said:
Maryland eastern shore or little ol DE. My hunters choice and buck tag is $20...that's two bucks and four does. MD is a big sleeper state. Guys hate marsh, lol.

Can't remember MD, but just as many if not more, and sika are same tags. My buddy spends a week on MD public every year. They shoot things people don't talk about.
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Shhhhhhhhh
 
I think if you’re able to pull off out of state hunts with a new baby you should share the bulleted plan for that here, for the benefit of humanity.

Heck if you’re even able to keep the garage clean for the next couple of years I’m still interested.
 
Since having kids I've come to appreciate what's in my relative backyard a lot more. Oh, and I went through the stages of grief where I mourned my old life for sure. I moped around for a couple hunting seasons. First out of state hunt in 5 years next week, sneaking down to neighboring WV for a couple days! I'd be happy with a decent large-basket 8 point.

Sacrifice man. It's a sacrifice for sure. From my own experience (3 kiddos are 6, 4, and 6 months) it's all just an allocation thing, like much of life. You get X number of days to allocate, how are you going to spend it? I know guys that take an elk trip still and that's pretty much their hunting for the year. I wasn't jonesed at that prospect so I've chosen to embrace what I have locally more and really dive into that. It gets better but in your case you at least seem to be aware it's about to get worse for awhile before it does.
 
Chase your dreams @kyler1945.

Here is another perspective to consider as a father of a 7 year and 9 month old. Getting away once you have little kids is going to be hard. You will start to feel guilty that you're not there. You will speak to your wife on the phone who is giving you the cold shoulder because you're not there. I did a 5 night trip and that went over the worst. The other couple 2 night trips I have done have been more tolerable for everybody.

All of that being said, having the new baby this year I knew hunting time was going to be precious. I didn't even think about doing a multi night trip. In preparation for this baby I started re-scouting all of the areas closest to my home hard the day I tagged out last November 3rd. I shot my earn a buck doe on my second sit, the second day of the season. I shot my first buck of the year on Oct 2nd on my 6th buck sit of the season. I did not hunt again until October 30th and hunted that day morning and evening, a long morning sit on Oct 31 (to get home for halloween festivities) and then shot my second buck on the morning of Nov 1. So I shot 3 deer in 12 sits this year, 2 bucks on 10 buck sits. It worked out exactly how I drew it up and I've been home with the family enough to keep my wife happy :). I've squeezed a bunch of scouting trips in as well since I had the free time. I know you scout like me so I wanted to throw this out to consider, even if it just helps you have a little more success closer to home in addition to your trip.
 
elk yinzer said:
Since having kids I've come to appreciate what's in my relative backyard a lot more. Oh, and I went through the stages of grief where I mourned my old life for sure. I moped around for a couple hunting seasons. First out of state hunt in 5 years next week, sneaking down to neighboring WV for a couple days! I'd be happy with a decent large-basket 8 point.

Sacrifice man. It's a sacrifice for sure. From my own experience (3 kiddos are 6, 4, and 6 months) it's all just an allocation thing, like much of life. You get X number of days to allocate, how are you going to spend it? I know guys that take an elk trip still and that's pretty much their hunting for the year. I wasn't jonesed at that prospect so I've chosen to embrace what I have locally more and really dive into that. It gets better but in your case you at least seem to be aware it's about to get worse for awhile before it does.
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Seems like we're on the same page here!
 
Spend some time scouting the big "T" before you get too heavily involved in finding out of state hunts unless you're purposefully trying to get away. Now, I cannot speak from personal experience but my plan is similar to yours just different as I'm nearing retirement and want to do much more out of state hunts. I never did one until two years ago and just went to PA but it was still a fun time scouting new areas etc. I think I could have been successful too as I was drilling down on some great spots. Anyway, my research so far has places like Indiana, Kentucky for early season, OH for late season, and Missouri and Kansas for during firearms seasons so doing them instead of in my home state firearms season as when the guns start going off here the deer get mighty pressured mighty quick and blind luck is sometimes your only chance at a mature animal. Overall pressure is starting to decline a little bit here as overall hunter numbers keep tanking. I've also heard great things about North Dakota and Oklahoma. My daughter lives in MO and is close to OK and KS so as I get closer to retirment those states will become more of reality to me. I don't have actual numbers they are way more cost effective than IA and there are some big deer being taken in these states. IL is another but it's getting like IA to some extent I believe.
 
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I should add, I've had two lives so to speak. My oldest daughter is 23 and my other two daughters with my second marriage are 13 and 12. I've learned with my wife, who appreciates hunting but is a non-hunter herself, that communication about your plan and plans is paramount. Being proactive about what and how you want to do it and then discussing it with your spouse to see what and how they are thinking about it is crucial to effective and positive familial interrelations. I've found that I've had to educate my wife a lot about the hows of hunting and the timing because at first she was like, why don't you just go now, the weather is nice, etc. and so explaining how hunting works and timing and the rut and weather inter relatedness as opposed to early season and late season etc.... if they don't understand your strategy, it makes it worse in my experience. Once you explain how the timing of hunting progresses through the season that goes over much more effectively. They understand you logic and then appreciate that you are trying to work family time and commitments into your hunting plans.

Alternatively, try to find somebody like Kaitlyn Maus or Outdoors Ally... yum!!!
 
redsquirrel said:
Chase your dreams @kyler1945.

Here is another perspective to consider as a father of a 7 year and 9 month old. Getting away once you have little kids is going to be hard. You will start to feel guilty that you're not there. You will speak to your wife on the phone who is giving you the cold shoulder because you're not there. I did a 5 night trip and that went over the worst. The other couple 2 night trips I have done have been more tolerable for everybody.

All of that being said, having the new baby this year I knew hunting time was going to be precious. I didn't even think about doing a multi night trip. In preparation for this baby I started re-scouting all of the areas closest to my home hard the day I tagged out last November 3rd. I shot my earn a buck doe on my second sit, the second day of the season. I shot my first buck of the year on Oct 2nd on my 6th buck sit of the season. I did not hunt again until October 30th and hunted that day morning and evening, a long morning sit on Oct 31 (to get home for halloween festivities) and then shot my second buck on the morning of Nov 1. So I shot 3 deer in 12 sits this year, 2 bucks on 10 buck sits. It worked out exactly how I drew it up and I've been home with the family enough to keep my wife happy :). I've squeezed a bunch of scouting trips in as well since I had the free time. I know you scout like me so I wanted to throw this out to consider, even if it just helps you have a little more success closer to home in addition to your trip.
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This is perfect advice!!!
 
I've always said I'm glad my wife doesn't hunt. I have a loner streak and definitely need my "me time" in the woods.

I take the kiddos while she goes shopping and out with her friends and whatever else. Other little things that form a sort of barter system for my hunting. Not sure how well it would go if we had to settle who got to watch the kids on a peak rut coldfront day.
 
In the same boat as you this year, currently have a 4 month old at home and just decided to put the out of state trips on the back burner for this year. I feel your pain as far as in state hunting, if your part of LA is like south MS then October and November hunting are pretty low odds especially on public land. It’s hard to get motivated to hunt areas around the house where I know I have zero chance of killing a buck anywhere close to my biggest. Having said that, I’m gonna take my lumps this year, enjoy my time with my boy while he’s this little and plan to get back after it hard next year.

To your questions though, I think KY would fit what you’re looking for.
 
woodsdog2 said:
Spend some time scouting the big "T" before you get too heavily involved in finding out of state hunts unless you're purposefully trying to get away. Now, I cannot speak from personal experience but my plan is similar to yours just different as I'm nearing retirement and want to do much more out of state hunts. I never did one until two years ago and just went to PA but it was still a fun time scouting new areas etc. I think I could have been successful too as I was drilling down on some great spots. Anyway, my research so far has places like Indiana, Kentucky for early season, OH for late season, and Missouri and Kansas for during firearms seasons so doing them instead of in my home state firearms season as when the guns start going off here the deer get mighty pressured mighty quick and blind luck is sometimes your only chance at a mature animal. Overall pressure is starting to decline a little bit here as overall hunter numbers keep tanking. I've also heard great things about North Dakota and Oklahoma. My daughter lives in MO and is close to OK and KS so as I get closer to retirment those states will become more of reality to me. I don't have actual numbers they are way more cost effective than IA and there are some big deer being taken in these states. IL is another but it's getting like IA to some extent I believe.
Click to expand...

I've hunted Sam Houston and Davy Crockett. I preferred the latter.

Time may be more difficult than money, so paying to get on ranch is the most efficient. But it's a different style of hunting.
 
redsquirrel said:
Seems like we're on the same page here!
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Same Boat.. mine are 6,4, and 20 months.... I'm essentially not even thinking about travelling for hunting... I will hit nearby WMA's after work sometimes and I typically only hunt the mornings during prerut and rut... which I'll be gone 2 weekend mornings and i'll take a couple weekdays off so I'm home in time to pick up the kids from school (if I don't bag a deer anyway)... it's a super tough time to leave the house and not feel a bit guilty.. I had a few days this year where I left at 4:45 but my wife ended up having to get up at 5:15 because my youngest is teething has been a monster.. honestly got to the point where I was like.. yeah.. i'm done with mornings for the year...
 
I feel more fortunate as I follow other hunters from around the country. My daughter is going to be 15. I have all the deer I can handle within darn near sight distance.

I chase adventure too, but my deer hunting is strictly local...maybe MD again sometime soon.
 
Been there and done it. Here's what worked for me. Starting from LA, the closest good Midwest states or semi-Midwest are Kentucky and Missouri. Look at north Missouri and west thru central Kentucky. Make a couple of hunts on public areas, maybe lease a couple of years, then look into buying where you like the most. Bring the family to the place you buy for extended trips. Make it a home away from home they'll enjoy. It gives them a good place to be introduced to the outdoors and let's you hunt there and roam the public areas around it.
 
I hear ya loud and clear. My girls are about to turn 5 and 7, and I started hunting 3 years ago. For a long time before then I didn't make time for my hobbies (haven't homebrewed in like 6 years now and the kayak spends a lot of time sitting there with me looking at it) I don't suggest this, it wasn't mentally healthy for me and I'm still getting back to normal.

I'm not going to speak to what the balance is because that's a personal decision for your family re:how many days in a row you could be gone etc., Though that would obviously factor in to where to hunt to an extent. I'm still finding and losing and refunding that balance here. Generally my wife and I trade off so for every saturday I go hunting she gets Sunday to herself and I have the kids etc. But that works ok for us, may not for you.

If you do make it up to Maryland I'd love to grab a beer or shoot a deer with ya. Do you have any interest in going west for elk hunting? That seems like more of a going on a hunting trip than chasing whitetail ok a different state, perhaps that difference would also get your partner to view it as more of a vacation than hunting.

That or I hear Texas has plenty of high fence hunts for ya, that's definitely your thing, we all know.
 
TooheyBirdie said:
Same Boat.. mine are 6,4, and 20 months.... I'm essentially not even thinking about travelling for hunting... I will hit nearby WMA's after work sometimes and I typically only hunt the mornings during prerut and rut... which I'll be gone 2 weekend mornings and i'll take a couple weekdays off so I'm home in time to pick up the kids from school (if I don't bag a deer anyway)... it's a super tough time to leave the house and not feel a bit guilty.. I had a few days this year where I left at 4:45 but my wife ended up having to get up at 5:15 because my youngest is teething has been a monster.. honestly got to the point where I was like.. yeah.. i'm done with mornings for the year...
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We've veering off topic a little but I'll give you a little more unsolicited advice. This was really good advice. Generally if I do a morning hunt now I only do 1 morning of the weekend and let my wife sleep the other. Last year I could do both because her and my daughter would sleep in until 9 together so I was barely missed in the morning. But now that the baby is here it makes a big difference for me to take her one of the weekend mornings so my wife can sleep in. Basically the only weekend I even think about 2 weekend mornings right now is opening weekend when I'm trying to get my doe. More advice, try not to be gone all day. Even if you hunt 2 days of the weekend, hunt only one sit. If you hunt 2 sits in a day it helps if you get back home and spend some time with the family during lunch if you are close enough. Trust me, I've made most of the mistakes that you can make in this regard. Sometimes just a little bit of effort or consideration will go a long way.
 
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