Best state for public land bowhunter to live?

[mike_mc]

Considering things such as amount of public land, season length, weather, employment, taxes, and species to hunt, what state do you feel is the best to live in? Any preference for a certain part of that state?

[rfickes87]

I checked "other" for Western PA.

[Hawthorne]

Michigan. Has the most public land east of the Mississippi

[hoyt31786]

Any state out west would do for me way less pressure and way more land than Ohio!

https://www.summitpost.org/public-and-p ... tes/186111 Heres link breaks down the amount of public land by state.

[ChasingFLATS86]

Minnesota. There are alot of terrain options. Hills in the southeast, farmland to the west, marsh/swamps in central/ east central, and big woods to the north. There is a mixture of terrain in some areas. The bow season starts in September and runs until the end of December, the amount of public land seems endless. The firearms season in November is a turn off for some. I grew up and enjoy central/east central MN. There is nothing better to me than a knee deep swamp. As for the weather, I'm kind of an odd duck. I like the cold more than the hot and I don't mind the snow all that much. Long winters seem to cause cabin fever but like anything else you have to make it what you want it to be. I've lived in Wisconsin, Ohio, Iowa, and Illinois and I always find myself missing MN and coming back home.

[Dewey]

Iowa. Doesn’t get much better for quality habitat to produce quality bucks. Even though it’s nowhere near as good as it was 10-15 years ago it’s still way better than a majority of states including WI.

[PK_]

It’s hard to beat being a MT resident if you like to hunt.

[mike_mc]

Iowa. Doesn’t get much better for quality habitat to produce quality bucks. Even though it’s nowhere near as good as it was 10-15 years ago it’s still way better than a majority of states including WI.

I seem to remember you posting that you were thinking about retiring in Montana. Have you changed your mind to Iowa now?

[Dewey]

Iowa. Doesn’t get much better for quality habitat to produce quality bucks. Even though it’s nowhere near as good as it was 10-15 years ago it’s still way better than a majority of states including WI.

I seem to remember you posting that you were thinking about retiring in Montana. Have you changed your mind to Iowa now?

Both are appealing but I never planned on retiring to either. Actually I would like to retire in the northwoods. I’m at least 5 years from worrying about that. I will be doing much more musky fishing than hunting when I get older.

[OH nontypical]

Never been to Iowa but the THP bous do great.
I like Ohio but public can get crowded.

[camelcluch]

I put Missouri but for a different reason than just the one state. After the liberal tags in the state you are close to many other states. Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Alabama and probably a few others. I just passed out thinking of the hunting possibilities....

[tgreeno]

I would say out west somewhere. Multiple deer species, bear & elk. And much less hunting pressure.

[thwack16]

If just talking bowhunting big whitetails, gotta be Iowa due to non reg tags.

Perfect world you’d be close to a border, if not two. SE corner with MO and IL would be my preference. NE corner with MN and WI would be awesome too. Either option would give you September openers while waiting on Iowa to open.

[greenhorndave]

Not a ton of public in Kansas, but enough. If only I knew then what I know now when I lived there... I do know some areas though... Would be interesting to go back on public there.

[tbunao]

Not Montana