What state for big deer and good seasons?

[5.56×250]

I remember a few years ago, a young man bow killed a new possible record, around 206", as measured by a few official scorers. I saw that kid at the shot show with a replica of his deer. I told him that his buck isn't gonna make it because 2 of the tines on one side looked too close together and the panel would call one of the 12+" tines an atypical point and bust it down. I told him as gently as I could, but he still thought I was full of it and got kinda mad.
I saw a pic of that deer the following year in a NAW mag , with a short story telling how his buck panel scored 177. Something about a couple tines sharing a common base they said, if I remember correctly. I hated it for him.

 

[skipglo]

I just got sick up and fed with the 3-little pigs (aka hunting the USA). Too many yahoos in the field, game herds in shambles from decades of mismanagement, fire devastated habitats, insane trespass fees, insane trophy fees, guides that nickel and dime you to death, extortionist license and tag fees, insane taxidermy charges...

I found that you can hunt in South Africa for less than you can hunt in the USA for, it's not just taking your gun for a walk and you have a Tmore fun.

I find it difficult to eat right after throwing up! (Couldn't resist)

 

[KyCarl]

I think right now you couldn't get me to Africa..Mexico..Commifornia,,With the state of things. I hunt for fun/relaxation and being scared isn't fun. I hunt Ky. Oh.and W.V,
The freezer is never empty?

 

[18whlsrolin]

I just got sick up and fed with the 3-little pigs (aka hunting the USA). Too many yahoos in the field, game herds in shambles from decades of mismanagement, fire devastated habitats, insane trespass fees, insane trophy fees, guides that nickel and dime you to death, extortionist license and tag fees, insane taxidermy charges...

I found that you can hunt in South Africa for less than you can hunt in the USA for, it's not just taking your gun for a walk and you have a TON more fun.

I hear ya but more specifically you're talking about the western U.S. The southeastern States are very affordable on out of state license and most of the locals either hunt near road access on public land or on private/lease land. There is a lot of public lands/parks that allow hunting and if you walk a bit you'll find you're all alone. It can be challenging to find long shot opportunities but if you look for steep valleys you will often find older growth trees on the slopes. Set up in the middle of the hill and you will almost always have 100-250 yard shooting lanes and thickets along creek/river at the bottom and along top/ridges.

 

[30378wbymag]

I just got sick up and fed with the 3-little pigs (aka hunting the USA). Too many yahoos in the field, game herds in shambles from decades of mismanagement, fire devastated habitats, insane trespass fees, insane trophy fees, guides that nickel and dime you to death, extortionist license and tag fees, insane taxidermy charges...

I found that you can hunt in South Africa for less than you can hunt in the USA for, it's not just taking your gun for a walk and you have a TON more fun.

Just too bad that those of us who like to eat their harvest and fill a freezer full of meat can't do that unless you live in S. Africa. No import of game meat from the Dark Continent ...

 

[338 dude]

Just too bad that those of us who like to eat their harvest and fill a freezer full of meat can't do that unless you live in S. Africa. No import of game meat from the Dark Continent ...

Hunting is definitely about more than just a trophy for me

 

[nicholasjohn]

Im starting to think about geting out of Oregon to hunt deer next year. Looking for recomendations on states that have good populations of mature deer. Mule deer or white tail. Also over the counter tags and a season that runs through the rut. Here in western Oregon the black tail are sneeky elusive and often small. Get a shot at a legal buck take it cause another opportunity probably wont come around. Our season ends at the end of October or very beginning of November. Just before rut. I hear about people in other states passing up deer and or seeing multiple bucks in one day. I want in on some of that action. Not the 28 days of hunting to shoot a forky that I'm used to.

I have hunted the late muzzleloader season in the Applegate unit a couple of times, and there was plenty of rutting activity and big, big bucks running around all over the place. It takes a ton of preference points to draw the tag, though. I have done this hunt twice in twenty years - one time I killed a monster; the other time I screwed up and missed. There are also archery hunts that are late in the year and catch the rut in that area. Don't know how many points you'll need to draw that tag. Outfitters have most of the good private land locked up in leases. I bit the bullet and hired an outfitter, and was extremely happy with the hunt every time. ( I've also done rifle hunts in the regular season.) If you do it, try to hunt the last week of the season. That far south, the weather can be warm well into November, and bluebird weather really puts a damper on deer activity. If it's snowing hard up in the Siskiyou's, though, the foothills will be crawling with animals. If it's raining in the lower elevations, you will have steady deer traffic all day long. Don't go back to camp mid-day - stay in your tree-stand all day and rattle in a big one. It's a whole different world in southern Oregon during the late season. That's why it's so hard to draw those tags.

 

[BallisticsGuy]

Hunting is definitely about more than just a trophy for me

I don't hunt for trophy's or for meat. I hunt because I like to hunt. Killing something at the end of the hunt is not always part of that hunt. People can virtue signal all they want but we all know that we hunt because we like to hunt. What return in the form of meat or trophies that you get out of the hunt is immaterial because you could buy those for less than the cost of getting them through a hunt.

I find it difficult to eat right after throwing up! (Couldn't resist)

What's making you so nauseated bud? I can smell some sarcasm but I'm afraid you'll have to be more explicit if you're wanting me to get it. I don't have a sense of humor I'm aware of so sarcasm often falls flat for me.

I think right now you couldn't get me to Africa..Mexico..Commifornia,,With the state of things. I hunt for fun/relaxation and being scared isn't fun. I hunt Ky. Oh.and W.V,
The freezer is never empty?

That's the kind of baseless fear that total inexperience brings. If you'd been to any of those places in the last few years you'd probably change your tune. South Africa and Namibia are as safe if not just a little safer for tourists as anywhere in the USA. I live in California and while the game herds are basically done for, it's no more dangerous in the hunting woods than Pennsylvania and no more dangerous on the streets than any city in the country. Mexico is also quite safe so long as you don't hang around with narcos/autodefensas/police/soldiers. The rest of the country is just folks and is in reasonable shape.

I hear ya but more specifically you're talking about the western U.S. The southeastern States are very affordable on out of state license and most of the locals either hunt near road access on public land or on private/lease land. There is a lot of public lands/parks that allow hunting and if you walk a bit you'll find you're all alone. It can be challenging to find long shot opportunities but if you look for steep valleys you will often find older growth trees on the slopes. Set up in the middle of the hill and you will almost always have 100-250 yard shooting lanes and thickets along creek/river at the bottom and along top/ridges.

The southeast is almost entirely private land with still high trespass/lease fees and overcrowded public land. Spinning it with positively phrased wording doesn't change it from being true. Distance limitations are immaterial. It's no cheaper to hunt down in alabama than it is in nebraska or california or oregon. Apart from that, outside of the western states folks commonly sit in blinds which isn't very fun hunting though it is slightly more fun than waiting for a bus.

Just too bad that those of us who like to eat their harvest and fill a freezer full of meat can't do that unless you live in S. Africa. No import of game meat from the Dark Continent ...

That is a downside but not a 100% truth. I eat some of what I kill there every year. This year I ate something near 30lbs of game meat that I'd shot while there. The rest is eaten by the land owner and his family. So no you can't fill your freezer with it but you will fill A freezer with it.

 

[skipglo]

I don't hunt for trophy's or for meat. I hunt because I like to hunt. Killing something at the end of the hunt is not always part of that hunt. People can virtue signal all they want but we all know that we hunt because we like to hunt. What return in the form of meat or trophies that you get out of the hunt is immaterial because you could buy those for less than the cost of getting them through a hunt.


What's making you so nauseated bud? I can smell some sarcasm but I'm afraid you'll have to be more explicit if you're wanting me to get it. I don't have a sense of humor I'm aware of so sarcasm often falls flat for me.


That's the kind of baseless fear that total inexperience brings. If you'd been to any of those places in the last few years you'd probably change your tune. South Africa and Namibia are as safe if not just a little safer for tourists as anywhere in the USA. I live in California and while the game herds are basically done for, it's no more dangerous in the hunting woods than Pennsylvania and no more dangerous on the streets than any city in the country. Mexico is also quite safe so long as you don't hang around with narcos/autodefensas/police/soldiers. The rest of the country is just folks and is in reasonable shape.


The southeast is almost entirely private land with still high trespass/lease fees and overcrowded public land. Spinning it with positively phrased wording doesn't change it from being true. Distance limitations are immaterial. It's no cheaper to hunt down in alabama than it is in nebraska or california or oregon. Apart from that, outside of the western states folks commonly sit in blinds which isn't very fun hunting though it is slightly more fun than waiting for a bus.



That is a downside but not a 100% truth. I eat some of what I kill there every year. This year I ate something near 30lbs of game meat that I'd shot while there. The rest is eaten by the land owner and his family. So no you can't fill your freezer with it but you will fill A freezer with it.

I wasn't aware of the fact that you don't have a sense of humor....sorry....but your initial post..first line...re-read it...the comment was solely intended for humor...not to offend

 

[338 dude]

I wasn't aware of the fact that you don't have a sense of humor....sorry....but your initial post..first line...re-read it...the comment was solely intended for humor...not to offend

I definitely like to hunt I would never argue with that meat in a trophy is a bonus and I don't know where or you can buy wild game meat around here to sell it is illegalAlso I don't know what virtue signaling exactly means but I've run across a couple instances here we're people shoot a deer and cut its head off and leave the rest and it's not cool that was my point

 

[KyCarl]

Baseless? Hardly...I can read..I can watch the news..And there is nothing that walks or fly's that interests me that much! ..I'm Great...Have Fun! I will never go anywhere I can't legally carry my pistol! No airplanes..No Ill./Chicago..No Calf.

 

[257X50]

Canada...... Muleys and White tail over 400 lbs.....

 

[Dosh]

My friend's son guides in Mexico. The mule deer there are huge. The prices vary, but are quite reasonable. A 190+" 3X3 isn't something common in the states. There are many typicals over. 200". Ranches are big and safe. Also Coues and Desert Bighorn.

 

[5.56×250]

I find it difficult to eat right after throwing up! (Couldn't resist)

I got it.