Funny you mention that...as that's how a lot of my season has gone (at home) - I "traded" a lot of whitetail days this season to make that Elk hunt - and gladly so...but now that the season end is near I always get the itch real bad again (and then Rocky tells me Team 9 is within spittin' distance of Team 6...might push for a couple extra sits next week)... For those mentioning interest in IL (Heck, I'm guessing Will has more pull in my home state than I do)...unfortunately I've gone from 600+ acres of prime ground down to just our 65 the last couple seasons- these bucks are HUGE business around me...but there is some awesome public hunting to be had - I spend quite a bit of time on public ground. One particular section requires non-resident to draw for just one 7 day access, but this is prime ground...and I know it like the back of my hand...I'd do whatever I can to help.
I need some advice on applying for tags in either Iowa or Illinois.. Unfortunately due to school and work, the only times I will be available to go is Thanksgiving week.. but thankfully, from what I understand, that is prime rut in both areas.. give or take a few days.. As I said, I have a friend that is going to be making the trip with me and he and I are both frustrated with hunting here in the south and need a little change of pace.. No matter how hard we try, we can't seem to get anyone on board with management as everyone wants to kill horns.. no matter how big... and very few will take the does and pass on small bucks that this requires.. Any information/ invitations would be appreciated... We are interested in public or private land hunts and would be more than willing to swap a Thunderchicken hunt or some hand-grabbing for a little stand time...
I know what you mean. I've been saving my pennies for almost two years to get out there. I have a really close cousin who moved to Montana 4 years ago. I won't need to pay for room/board, food, or a guide at least.
I am going for elk and deer in southwest Montana, a late season Muley hunt in Idaho, and the normal chasing blacktail in 100 degree weather in July. Schultzy I heard about Montana changing their prices as well. Before the difference in money between a draw tag and an outfitter sponsored tag went to private landowners for public access on their property. Now it's a small percentage of the increase in price going to the private landowners. I don't know how this will affect if they continue to let people on their property due to less revenue coming in for that particular program.
I will be in South Dakota chasing Merriams this May. I hope to be in New Zealand shortly after for a week or two chasing whatever. Other than that, I hope to keep the place I picked up last year where I killed my buck. Implement some food plots and hope to down another bruiser. I was hoping for this summer to be my all out summer, and still may try and do a hog hunt down south....but with my new truck purchase....I can't help but think I should pay off the remainder of my truck loan instead of spreading myself too thin.
I'm hunting your typical average whitetail as per usual. But.. I am planning a trip out west with a few dudes off this site in search of Elk.. or at the very least.. a good time.
IDK, but it's an Indian Reservation. A few of the guys went last year. Stupid amount of turkeys, lol. We are going as a group of 6-8 hoping to kill 12-16 birds on film to give us a cushion to fall back on for spring footage. We will be tailfanning these birds in, on the ground no blind. Should be fun, how we killed most of our birds last year.
sounds awesome, I hear the black hills are a blast. My buddy goes every year. I'd go this year, but I don't think the funds will be there with the Colorado Elk hunt, and I start my new job in April...so time will start being an issue as well.
Well, there is a chance I may be moving to Northern Mississippi for a job and so if that is the case then I will be hunting Eastern Whitetails for the first time in my life! Pretty excited about that! The great thing is I get 4 months off a year with the job and it just so happens to be during Oregons hunting season so I will be getting my Mule Deer and Elk tag as always. If any of you are looking at Elk hunting, Oregon isn't bad. It's almost all over the counter tags! more than likely you won't find any monsters (Oregon has had only one bull in it's history break 400) or even a P&Y minimum bull. But you could always break yourself in by getting a cow or going after a Roosvelt Elk on the coast range. They live in the thickest crap you can imagine. You can hear & smell em' but you may never see them. FUN! Any one interested hit me up. I DIY it in the wilderness for a few days at a time and can rarely find anyone will to hike in with me. Or if you got any general questions just ask.
Oh, and you can hunt either Mule Deer, Blacktails, & if your real far north E. Whites at the same time as elk. Always a bonus!
Turk... Depending on what part of No. Miss you will be moving to, the hunting can be really good... The Delta is known for producing big whitetails.. Areas west of I55 and North of HWY 61 are all very good.. also anywhere across central MS around the Big Black River are known to produce trophies.. I have heard rumor of an older gentleman in this area with a wall full.. more than 10.. bucks that net over 170'' all killed within a few miles of his home... And there is the Tony Fulton buck killed in the early to mid 90's that you may want to Google.. Myself, I live farther south.. Around Hattiesburg... and we have smaller deer with larger populations and "hunters" who aren't generally fond of management... On a side note, I recently killed my largest buck out around Copiah County... a 120" 8 point... You may also want to check out the Magnolia records program on the Dept of WFP... Madison County in particular...
Turk.. Check these out... http://www.bullnettlenews.com/forum/yaf_postst13050_Yazoo-county-monster-18058.aspx http://www.bullnettlenews.com/forum/yaf_postst12749_184-INCHER.aspx http://www.bullnettlenews.com/forum/yaf_postst12541_Panther-Swamp-Monster.aspx Just a little tast of some of the possibilities...
I haven't lost anybody up there yet and don't plan to anytime soon.your legs shouldn't be that sore you hike your butt off shed hunting you'll be fine.
MSBowMadness, Thanks for the tips! If i do move there I will be living in the Tuepelo area. Im not overly concerned with getting anything big right away. I hunt more for meat than I do bone. That being said I sure ain't gonna pass on nice buck! So how doe's it work down there? do you need to own property? Meet people and hunt there's? Hunt the National Forest? It's all BLM and USFS around here so im curious.
