What states are worth the trip and cost of out of state license?
I've heard good things about Kentucky.
[ Post made via iPhone ]
Top 10 public land states for mature buck
-
- 500 Club
- Posts: 4188
- Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2013 10:00 am
- Facebook: mheichelbech@gmail.com
- Location: Charlestown, IN
- Status: Offline
Top 10 public land states for mature buck
"One of the chief attractions of the life of the wilderness is its rugged and stalwart democracy; there every man stands for what he actually is and can show himself to be." — Theodore Roosevelt, 1893
-
- Site Owner
- Posts: 41590
- Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:11 am
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingBeast/?ref=bookmarks
- Location: S.E. Wisconsin
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
-
- 500 Club
- Posts: 9756
- Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2011 11:28 am
- Location: Central WI
- Status: Offline
Re: Top 10 public land states for mature buck
In no particular order
Iowa
SE Minnesota
N Missouri
W Kentucky
S Indiana
S & W Wisconsin
S & W Illinois
E Nebraska
S Ohio
Kansas
In many regards, you get what you pay for. There is no secret state that is cheap.
[ Post made via Android ]
Iowa
SE Minnesota
N Missouri
W Kentucky
S Indiana
S & W Wisconsin
S & W Illinois
E Nebraska
S Ohio
Kansas
In many regards, you get what you pay for. There is no secret state that is cheap.
[ Post made via Android ]
-
- 500 Club
- Posts: 1124
- Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2013 2:18 pm
- Location: Allenton , Wisconsin
- Status: Offline
Re: Top 10 public land states for mature buck
I would take ANY state if I had good land to hunt on. Even here in Washington co Wis. the genetics are unreal.. One of the guys on this sight said if Wis would limit the harvest we would beat Iowa. He might be right. When I go into Iowa I dont see much that would make it a trophy state. Nice land but I dont see the big black muddy marshes, cattails, and dogwood. I just see disproportionate amount of corn to woods. Not that I have been to a whole lot of Iowa but there doesn't seem to be all that much for them to eat in the winter time. Just what I have seen. I have a chunk of land in Shawano co. , west of Shawano. ( amazing to many, I dont hunt it.) East of Shawano, some Texas boys bought up a whole lot of land and paid a whopping price for it. I asked my BIL why Shawano? I guess those Texas boys looked all over the country for the very best genetics and soil for trophy bucks. They settled on Shawano co. Wis. They said it was the best there is. The only thing I can think of is noone knew the area could hold such big bucks cause the hunting pressure and mentality of Shawano co. hunters for 80 yrs has been get your buck. If it had 8 points and would have scored high 70's you got free beer cause you were da man. So, noone knew the potential of letting them get to 5 yrs old. The place is fenced in and you can see absolutely giant racks in the fields there. I have not see it yet though but my BIL has friends with land close by and talk about it all the time. I never was a QDM guy, most likely never will but I think it is time to start limiting buck harvest and maybe antler restrictions. It will only take one year and the whole state will see a huge improvement.
-
- 500 Club
- Posts: 1008
- Joined: Sat May 01, 2010 4:32 pm
- Status: Offline
Re: Top 10 public land states for mature buck
They are popping up all over the place in allot of the OTC states with liberal rut rifle seasons, once the ink dries on the big dogs it's to late or time is limited for the DIY guy.
[ Post made via iPad ]
[ Post made via iPad ]
-
- 500 Club
- Posts: 4188
- Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2013 10:00 am
- Facebook: mheichelbech@gmail.com
- Location: Charlestown, IN
- Status: Offline
Re: Top 10 public land states for mature buck
Southern Indiana is terrible! Don't waste your time! Okay....since it's the Beast....I think it can be good prior to gun season...as with most places I would imagine....you are almost risking your life going into the public woods in shotgun (to be rifle) season. Especially opening weekend.
[ Post made via iPhone ]
[ Post made via iPhone ]
"One of the chief attractions of the life of the wilderness is its rugged and stalwart democracy; there every man stands for what he actually is and can show himself to be." — Theodore Roosevelt, 1893
- Hawthorne
- 500 Club
- Posts: 6217
- Joined: Mon Dec 15, 2014 2:13 pm
- Location: michigan
- Status: Online
Re: Top 10 public land states for mature buck
The problem with Indiana is the state is like 95% private land so the public is over ran. Ive hunted down there. There was a check station in town that had pictures on the wall of the bucks that came thru there. Some giants. This was northern indiana. I think Indiana and Ohio has got it going on with their one buck rule. They passed it about 15 years ago in Indiana and all the hunters say it has made all the difference. Coming from Michigan, its a different hunting culture down there. Guys are passing lots of bucks cause they don't have the free tag to shoot a little buck or they are done for the year.
[ Post made via Android ]
[ Post made via Android ]
- Stanley
- Honorary Moderator
- Posts: 18734
- Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2011 4:18 am
- Facebook: None
- Location: Iowa
- Status: Offline
Re: Top 10 public land states for mature buck
BassBoysLLP wrote:In no particular order
Iowa
SE Minnesota
N Missouri
W Kentucky
S Indiana
S & W Wisconsin
S & W Illinois
E Nebraska
S Ohio
Kansas
In many regards, you get what you pay for. There is no secret state that is cheap.
[ Post made via Android ]
If I were to put together a list it would be close to this list. I have hunted in 6 of them.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
-
- 500 Club
- Posts: 4188
- Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2013 10:00 am
- Facebook: mheichelbech@gmail.com
- Location: Charlestown, IN
- Status: Offline
Re: Top 10 public land states for mature buck
southern Indiana has a fair amount of good public I think. I agree that it is also a lot of private with permissions already locked up. Maybe the same everywhere else but the key is scoring before gun season. Everyone I talk to complains about the number of gun hunters. Not saying it's not possible to score then but October is 100% better from a pressure standpoint and a not getting shot standpoint.
[ Post made via iPhone ]
[ Post made via iPhone ]
"One of the chief attractions of the life of the wilderness is its rugged and stalwart democracy; there every man stands for what he actually is and can show himself to be." — Theodore Roosevelt, 1893
- Horizontal Hunter
- 500 Club
- Posts: 2936
- Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2014 1:08 pm
- Location: Western Massachusetts
- Status: Offline
Re: Top 10 public land states for mature buck
mheichelbech wrote:southern Indiana has a fair amount of good public I think. I agree that it is also a lot of private with permissions already locked up. Maybe the same everywhere else but the key is scoring before gun season. Everyone I talk to complains about the number of gun hunters. Not saying it's not possible to score then but October is 100% better from a pressure standpoint and a not getting shot standpoint.
[ Post made via iPhone ]
That is the key. I have some friends that hunt private in Ohio. They flew down in the spring and knocked on some doors which resulted in a very large piece of private land to hunt that turned into a nice friendship.
Bob
[ Post made via iPad ]
Vegetarian: vejiˈte(ə)rēən/noun: old Indian word for lousy hunter.
Excalibur Exocet, GT Laser II, 2" Bhoning Blazers 125g NAP Spitfire
Excalibur Exocet, GT Laser II, 2" Bhoning Blazers 125g NAP Spitfire
-
- Advertisement
Return to “Public Land Hunting”
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 20 guests