All, I'm new to the forum, and need some help. After another year of struggling to find mature bucks on the land I have access to here in MI, I am ready to plan a whitetail hunt out of state next year. IL is the obvious first choice, given the proximity to MI. I'm not adverse however, to driving to OH, KS, or PA. Any recommendations on good outfitters in these states? I am looking for a 4-6 day hunt, lodging, pre or during rut hunt. I would rather not go with an outfitter that only offers "fully guided" hunts, as I enjoy setting my own stands (lone wolf) and scouting the land. I will be taking a group of 3-6. Please feel free to post your experiences here so I can make a good choice early next year. Thanks!
deerslayer... keep me in mind and possible check back in after this season...I may have the perfect opportunity next year for a group your size. We currently have a cabin and 65 acres...recently losing all of our big properties to the outfitting craze. But...I have some contacts with some great properties to lease...only problem being the costs involved. My goal next year is to secure a lease, and bring a small group in for a week hunt (along with using our cabin as this lease would be nearby) to help offset some of our lease costs. It would depend on total acreage and how many guys coming...but as an example, I'd hope to give a small group a full week access to lease and cabin (for fraction what they'd pay an outfitter). ...just in the planning stages...but keep me in mind - my goal is to secure some large tracts again - but could only do this by offsetting my cost with a deal such as this. Trust me in that I do not want to make a dollar off this - only secure more property for myself while at the same time offering someone the chance to hunt this area on the cheap (non-guided of course)
as for areas hunt the golden trangle north mo,iowa and ill. for huge deer im sure there are some semi guided hunts out there.
The Flint Hills here in Kansas offer some great quality deer. Here is an outfitter that has "semi-guided" hunts. http://www.flinthillsadventures.com/deerhunting.html Another great area is North Central Kansas. Here is an outfitter that is HIGHLY recommended by many. As you can see by the pictures, they won't disappoint. http://www.midwestoutfittersinc.com/whitetail.html Basically, just google "Kansas Whitetail Guide Services". There is a long list that you can sort through and find that "perfect" hunt. Good luck!
Bowhunting Trip. Another place to keep in mind is Wisconsin! Everybody always thinks Illinois, Kansas, Iowa. I will tell you that Wisconsin is $160 dollars for a buck tag and two doe tags! Look at those 3 other states and it is double!! I have 500 acres in SW Wisconsin and just within 5 miles of my farm, there is 20,000+acres of public land, do it yourself hunting. Most of this land is on the Wisconsin River so you know there are big deer in there. I feel that the public land around there doesn't get hit hard at all until gun season! If you would like some info, I have a bunch of topo maps and information because after the first 2 weeks of opening bow, I lay off my farm until the rut, and if I shoot a buck during early season, I am hunting the public sections that are EAB so I can always be in the woods hunting & filming. Good luck.
And also with that, I have a log cabin that could possibly be used for camp and information on area places to stay.
Because I've done the majority of my hunting in PA for over 15 years now, actually lived there for almost 10 years, still own property there, hunted in every region of the state, and the hunting is mediocre at best. It's better than most of the northeast region, but when comparing it to Ohio, IL, Wisconsin, Minnesota, etc...........there is no comparison. I would never travel very far to hunt PA unless I lived in New England, and even still..........I'd hunt NY instead. At least in NY you can hunt Sundays.
Check with Cabela's on their Kansas hunt packages. They offer some of THE finest areas in all of KS to bowhunt. Outstanding success rates at bucks over 150". Could be a guys best chance for that buck of a lifetime!
Because it deserves it. If given a choice between all those other states and PA, there is no rational reason to come here. Yes PA has gotten better over the years, but it's still very distant behind many other states.
