well ill bite. you have to be in area that has big bucks and the genetics and they have to be given the chance to live long enough to achieve the size and age to grow the antlers we wish to hunt need to learn WHEN to hunt your best stands, not overhunt or hunt when the wind is so-so i have killed three 130-150 class deer from the same tree, that only gets hunted under 5 sit's per season and i never scout it,never check it, i use a api climbing stand and only hunt the peak rut, i leave no sign to the deer or other hunters that im hunting this spot. deer are a nocturnal animal and if it wasnt for the rut, we would proudly never kill them. when a hot doe comes in heat in the thickets near my food source i move in when the wind is right a lot has to be said for good neighbors letting deer get to prime age and keeping prime bedding areas people free,if deer spend 70 percent of the activity at night it's more likely they are simply tracking your movements and not the other way around so tipping the big deer off to your movements before the rut kicks in is a prime mistake most of us make. it's simply hunting smarter and not harder and sometimes less is more.
http://www.23mm.com/deer/campfire.cfm just one of thousands of same info . tomato/ tamato when are state allowed spotlighting as a scouting tool, most people would not believe the size of bucks that only move at night.
I agree that pretty much all the choices are simply excuses, but if I had to choose it would hands down be #1. The other ones aren't really a concern to me being I know the big guys are out there, but I do have to try to work around some of the owners being around on the property. They don't bowhunt, but they run all over the farm on ATVs just to basically drive around. We are in the process of acquiring new properties to hunt next year so hopefully we won't have those issues with the people being I lost this evening's hunt entirely due to them having four ATVs running around the entire property checking their stands for next weekend, but it's all part of it. I also had a shot at a good buck this year, and a twig saved his life so I can't really complain at all. I just wish I had more vacation time to use during bow season, but that will come with time and seniority.
I agree. Most of the time they just sit on an edge of a food plot. It's not like it takes Albert Einstein to figure out that strategy. The Lakowski's moved from MN to Iowa to shoot bigger bucks and start their hunting show and there is certainly nothing wrong with that...they are living a dream. But, if all that matters is the hunter's ability...then why the need to move from MN to Iowa? There is a reason that whenever you see TV hunters it's usually the same handful of states they are in.
100% positive I or any other slightly above average hunter would......not could. In other words about 90% of the guys on this site. I was in Illinois for 5 days this year and was at full draw on a 160" deer on day 2. Never saw the farm before and was "scouting" with my summit on my back. I could consider it luck if I didn't see him 2 more times and have chances to kill other bucks in the 130-140 range as well. That's not luck.............and this wasn't the Lakoski farm........just some run down dirt farmer whose "house" I wouldn't sleep in on a bet. No food plots, no game cams, no video cams, no bucks with names, no nothing.......just a few hundred acres of low pressure land in a location with plenty of BIG bucks roaming around. I have hunted in NY for over 20 years and EVERY buck I saw in Illinois was bigger then anything I have ever seen in NY. 5 days vs 22 years??? There is a reason why they film 99% of hunting shows in Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Montana.............and not in Florida or California. Same reason why they film Elk hunts in Colorado and New Mexico.........and Antelope hunts in Wyoming and Montana........not on the east coast.
Spot on Atlas. I double dog dare Lee and Tiff to give me the opportunity to hunt their farm for a big buck. I won't even take the two days of scouting and I still like my odds. I was the friend Jeff referred to that hunted Illinois and saw 40 bucks in 4 days-8 of which were in the 140 class. I killed a 140 incher in the first thirty minutes of my hunt. At one point, I could have cast an arrow into the sky towards a cut cornfield-without aiming. I can safely say that arrow would have killed a deer. Duke, two sleeper states that show forgot to mention: Nebraska and S. Dakota. Neither should be overlooked for big deer and there's tons of public access.
I thought the whole list was backwards. Was trying to figure out what they were basing it all on??? And where in the Haitis do you hunt in Illinois where you saw 40 bucks in 4 days.. Huck? 8 of which were 140's..??? I've hunted Illinois for my whole life and I cannot figure out where everyone is going to see these things. I'm lucky to see 1 or 2 a season.. and if I don't get a shot on them.. that's a missed opportunity.
#5 is a no brainer for me. Simply put, more big bucks the better your odds get. are they easy to hunt,,,,hell no!!
Referencing the Lee and Tiff debate here. I read in an article where, off of their 5000 acres in Iowa I believe, there are usually about 10 bucks taken during hunting season. Also, in a seminar I heard Lee mentioned hunting 52 straight sits on their property without drawing his bow on a mature buck. Granted, the 52 sits and bucks per year may have have been a bit of a stretch (I do like to put faith in my fellow man sometimes, though), even then, many on here are good hunters as are the Lakoskys, but what makes us think it'd be so easy that we could step off the plane and take a deer within 2 days when their success rate and the success rate on their farm isn't nearly this high?
I'm gonna say something here that's gonna catch alot of grief. The likelihood a New Yorker who kills 1 and 2 year olds is going to moive to Illinois and kill 4 and 5 year olds is laughable. I'm sorry.. but realistically the BEST deer hunters of the world will come from those midwestern states everyone thinks is so easy to kill big bucks from. Especially the high pressured midwestern states like Michigan.. parts of Wisconsin etc. I'm sorry to disappoint.. but the difference between hunting a 2 yr old and a 4 yr old is HUGE. They are completely different animals and a hunter from another state with no background in hunting them will get lost very quick. Someday I'd like to go Elk hunting. I'm not going to be very good at it.. and I know that. Cause I don't get to hunt them. There's no way I could compare myself to someone who routinely hunts for them. NO WAY. I'm not trying to push any buttons.. but wow have a few of us gone overboard lately. I mean.. who's going to be better at hitting breaking-balls.. a guy who sees them everyday or a guy who sees them once a year? If you're killing 4 yr olds in your home state wherever that may be.. like Troy in Idaho.. then you can kill them anywhere. But if you're taking 2 yr olds and comparing it to a 4 yr old in any one of the big buck states.. that's laughable. Fire away.
[ here is my list in order 5. Having more big bucks in your area ( 5 & 8 are related ? PA WOODS are full of Hunters) 8. other hunters 2. No reponsibilities at home, your mind is completely focused on hunting big bucks (no Kids, no wife ,just you) 1. More time in the woods 3. Less stress at work 9. not enough land to hunt 4. being in better physical shape 1. More time in the woods 2. No reponsibilities at home, your mind is completely focused on hunting big bucks (no Kids, no wife ,just you) 3. Less stress at work 4. being in better physical shape 5. Having more big bucks in your area 6. You are lazy as hell 7. You don't know exactly how to hunt for them 8. other hunters 9. not enough land to hunt 10. im an excuse maker and full of BS [/QUOTE]
Disagreed. It just ain't that easy boys, it just ain't that easy. I also disagree wholeheartedly that the Lee and Tiffany aren't "hunters". They are. They own their own land, but in the time and work necessary to get the job done. They hunt their own deer. I've never been impressed with someone who can travel with guides and get the job done. But people who get it done year in, and year out on their own turf. Respect. Duke, I think you hit the nail on the head. I think people are getting it confused with other types of hunting. I could likely go to Arkansas and kill some ducks. I put decoys out, I sit, and I call here and there, following what some other hunters are doing on public land. Do that with deer, and the deer will run circles around your ass!
Duke, I was hunting on a friend’s family farm, a complete section of river bottom, East of Petersburg. Granted, I hit the rut perfectly two years ago. The deer were chasing and I got to see plenty of them- the numbers I quoted are exact. Was this an anomaly? Maybe so, I have only hunted Illinois once and, thus, have no basis for comparison. It seems the friends kill toads every year though. I concede, hunting more mature bucks is harder. When you’re ready to hunt elk, drop me a PM. I would gladly share my spots with you. Maybe you can come next year? There are a bunch of us getting together… For everyone, Doing some basic math, Colorado has 104,094 total square miles. Let’s assume white-tailed deer are scattered within 50% of that total land mass (eastern plains), and there are 7500 total deer-50% which are bucks. 7500/2= 3750 bucks 104,094/2= 52047 sq. miles (Any)Male deer per square mile= 3750/52047 or .072 dpsm Illinois has 57,914 total square miles and holds 750,000 deer. Using the same basic math: 750,000/2= 375,000 bucks 375,000/57,914= 6.475 bucks per square mile So, between the two, if you are going to cast an arrow with the highest probability of success, which state would you select?
Huck, NO WAY! Petersburg is 20 minutes East of me! Shoot me a PM, if you would. That is a very good area. Cool. Would love to try and get together if you come down over again. Also, I don't think there is a doubt that IL is better then lots of states, probability wise. And I really really don't think out buck to doe ration is 1:2, prolly more like 1:4, or even 1:6 or 1:7.
Jeff.. this has nothing to do with me. NOTHING. Please don't use my name in this.. I'm just tired of all the belly-aching and complete absurdity of so many statemenets I read on here about what another "thinks" they can do "if only". Give me a break. But there still is no way a guy who kills 2 yr olds is gonna come to Illinois and be on 4 yr olds consistently. I'm sorry.. but that ain't gonna happen. And everyone throws out all these population numbers all the time.. which I also find amusing. I mean.. NC's deer pop. is like 2 million.. or roughly 125% greater than Illinois. So which state by Huck's math do you have a better chance at killing a buck in? NC.. obviously. Right? I'm in no way saying the hunters of Illinois are better. But.. those who take 4 yr olds in Illinois are better than those who take 2 yr olds in Virginia. That's just the way it is. But the guys in Virginia who takes 4 yr olds is gonna KNOCK 'EM DEAD in Illinois. Which is why I say Michigan likely has the best deer hunters in the world. Strong population of 4 year old bucks and the pressure that any state doesn't even want to imagine. If you can kill 4 yr olds in your state.. then yes.. I believe you will find heaven lays here in the midwest. But your average eatern hunter who's killing 2 yr olds will find himself VERY discouraged when he tries to hang with the 4 yr olds of the cornbelt states. No slam on any hunter.. that's just truth. I've hunted Illinois my whole life.. and I can't do it. Cannot do it. Hunters on the internet give themselves way to much credit. They somehow believe that their kind (those also on the internet) are actually the top of the class of hunters in the world. (As if there is such a thing). They are fooling themselves.
See Jeff.. your misunderstanding what I thought was clear. You took it personally. You have killed 3 and 4 yr old bucks.. so you're going to do the same here in Illinois. I thought I made that abundantly clear? But where I don't see eye to eye with are the 2 yr old killers who think they'll step off a plane and kill 4 year olds all of a sudden. They just won't. And I'm sorry.. but we have alot of those on here. And I have no problem with what anyone kills.. but when they compare an apple to an orange.. it's laughable.
And about what my state does differently to protect bucks. I'll tell you the secret.. actually Grizz touched on this awhile back and nailed it on the head. Mindset. Here in Illinois our hunters let the deer get bigger. We WANT them to reach 4 and 5 years of age. We know what that could mean. It has nothing to do with gun and everything to do with this mindset of our population of resident hunters. To us.. you're either part of the problem or part of the solution. My first buck is a PRIME example of this.. a 3 year old I should have let walk. I know this.. and know if I want to kill 4 or 5 yr old 150"'s.. I have to let 3 yr old 130"'s go. I was part of the problem that morning. I'm still kicking myself over it. I'm weak.
Implement 6 weeks of gun hunting from the first weekend of Nov through the middle of Dec and see how well that "mindset" protects your states bucks... MN lead the country in Booners for decades before states like IL, Iowa, etc. made changes to their seasons which have improved the age classes of bucks...that is what has made the difference.
I never thought about what states have better hunters, that is interesting. Jeff - Never would I impede! I'm serious though, in that I'd love to get together.
