I have not seen anyone put up a thread that asks this question, so I thought I would. I personally have only hunted Michigan and Tennessee. I am curious what everyone else says. I am talking everything from weather to number of deer (buck or doe). While hunting my last year in Michigan, the state allowed a late season bow hunt. I believe it was all of December. Man, was it cold. I kept thinking, if I do see a deer, am I going to be able to come to full draw?? I believe the temperature that day at @ 7:00 a.m. was around 10 degrees above zero. So, considering weather and number of deer and even size of deer, what do ya'll think would be the BEST State to hunt whitetails?
i have only hunted in southern illinois. white county. but there are some very nice deer that are taken from around here!
kansas has to be on the list. We have big deer, and lots of them. As far as weather, you can hunt them with a bow for 12 weeks starting the end of september. You can bow hunt during the rut. and I believe I read a study where kansas also charges the most money for a deer hunting lease than any other state, therefore it has to be good You can also shoot both muley and whitetail here. We also allow multiple doe tags along with the buck tag. only down side is kansas only has 2% public land, so you should be ready to ask for permission.
Illinois is pretty good if you can get past the political part they will do anything in order to get more money but we do have quality whitetails.
I've hunted PA MD OH IN and KY. if you are looking public land and low pressure with the possibility of some awesome bucks, my 1st choice would be Indiana.
Michigan has some giants. At least around here in Clinton County. I missed a 150 class 8 pointer on opening day. They allow to shoot 5 does a day I believe which is amazing. On one morning I had 20 big does come right under my tree stand. Some licked my tree steps. I want to hunt Illinois some time. I drove through it and deer were everywhere.
No brainer.... Iowa.... VERY little pressure and with preference points their DNR has there chit together
Wisconsin- You can bowhunt 17 weeks, Unlimited baldie tags in 1/2 the state, OTC buck tags, public land is 25% of the state and #1 in book entries the last 10 years. Packers, Badgers, Brats, Beer. Nuff said.
This is one of those questions that will never be settled haha. Anywhere in the midwest is a great state i hear. But I'm from PA, what do i know. In my state, a 3-4 year old deer is "mature".
I'll agree with all of the above except the public land part, speaking only in reference to my county. I can't speak for other areas since I have no experience with them. Statewide the public land may be only 2%, but in Woodson county alone I can think of 3 great large tracts of public land that receive little to no pressure. I live between two of those tracts and have seen just a handful of hunters over the past four years since I've lived there. In my opinion, since 98% of the state is privately owned, and good leases are so coveted, people forget all about the public ground. therefore, they hold great deer with very little pressure. Especially in regards to bow season.
Sorry boys but the answer to your question is not a state rather a province. Ontario!!! North western Ontario to be particular.
NC Doesn't have a lot of big deer but, we can hunt on Sundays and bow season last from opening day of deer season until the last day of deer season!
I have hunted in va, pa, and iowa. By far my pick would be iowa. In my area of the state there is not a whole lot of pressure on deer at least till shotgun season starts. Lots of corn and bean fed deer.
