As far as opportunities to kill "deer"...I can't look past my two stomping grounds. NC and SC. Lots of animals to see. The perception that all Southern deer are small is stupid. That typically comes from people that have never even hunted down here. Are they smaller than Midwest deer? Hell yes. Are they smaller than Canadian deer? All deer are smaller than Canadian deer. As far as "big" deer, I look at the midwest...hence the reason I'm going on a week long hunt in IL in October.
I don't really have any perceptions I guess. I'm like Duke, it so entirely dependent on which property you are on. There are pockets in MS where you will be hard pressed to find bigger deer anywhere in the country, then there are areas where a 100" 8pt is a giant.. I suppose each state has areas like that.
And Michigan LOL!!! I dont know a thing outside the Mid-West. But I do think the best states to hunt Big Bucks in the Mid-West you can only get One Buck tag. I wish we would do this here.
My only experience has been here, in the mid section of the show-me state. Same lease for the last 8 years and public land prior to that. My opinion is that the conservation department has not taken the steps to grow bucks to reach their potential due to a fear that license sales and department revenue would decrease. They have placed and antler restriction in a handfull of counties, one being mine, as a pilot program a few years back which has had a some impact. I believe that Missouri will never have 150 class reputation that our Iowa, Illinois and Kansas neighbors have unless more drastic and smart managment practices are implemented. For instance, moving gun season out of the rut.
It seems no matter where you're at the grass is always greener some where else. Unless you're in noth western PA, we have it all.
Yes, but no. LOL.....our archery tag is good for 2 bucks, only 1 of which can be prior to firearms season, and our firearms tag is good for one, which can also be harvested w/ bow. So yes, it is pheasible that a MO hunter could kill 3 bucks/year with archery tackle.
Brother, I agree. I've long said the entire purpose of this damn AR was financial, deer be damed. But that's a story for another day.......There aren't many states I can thing of that a guy can kill 2 bucks on his archery tag either......
I've been fortunate enough to make the majority of my perceptions become reality experiences in the past few years. Not havin' a whiff and kids around helps the situation. My perceptions of the NE... Lots of pressure. Experiences - Midwest, good numbers of big deer smaller fingers of timber and lots of crop fields make hunting somewhat easier. West - lots of game, lots of work, extremely rewarding. South - lots of deer, lots of opportunities... bowhunting mesquite fields is difficult.
