BruinPoint
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It looks like a lot of the whitetail only tags are pretty low demand and could be easy second choices. Would it even be worthwhile to try to hunt whitetail on public land?
Public land whitetail?
- Thread starter BruinPoint
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LAST EDITED ON Dec-11-13 AT 12:57PM (MST)[p]The whitetails are mostly on private lands that are irrigated and in river valleys where I hunt every year and that's probably where most are throughout the state. Having said that, I've heard a lot of ranchers say they don't like them and that they, along with pronghorns, are a pain in the neck and they feel they aren't helping the mule deer populations. I know they tend to be a lot more aggressive compared to mulies and some say they push mulies right out of an area. That may be a stretch because I've seen many mixed right in with mulies in the fields and they seem to co-exist okay and even do some inter-breeding with the whitetail buck being the sire almost all of the time. You might try to ask around to see if you can find a place or two that would let you on for a very small access fee or even for free to shoot whitetails only since a lot of ranchers don't like them.
nfh
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Just got to spend the time to find the land and learning a whitetail patterns. I wouldn't plan on shooting a huge monster. This western bucks are super smart. The big bucks turn nocturnal.
Some farmers do allow hunting. They don't like whitetails in their crops but the muleys do damage to. We do a small amount of farming and the farmer on the other side of the river has a ton of corn fields and both the whiteys and muleys share the corn field. So finding a farmer with a corn field is a huge benefit.
A whitetail eating corn is some of the best deer meat I have had.
Just take your time and plan on a part the state you want to hunt. Check maps. Talk to farmers/ranchers. If you bowhunt it is great. You get no hunting pressure
Some farmers do allow hunting. They don't like whitetails in their crops but the muleys do damage to. We do a small amount of farming and the farmer on the other side of the river has a ton of corn fields and both the whiteys and muleys share the corn field. So finding a farmer with a corn field is a huge benefit.
A whitetail eating corn is some of the best deer meat I have had.
Just take your time and plan on a part the state you want to hunt. Check maps. Talk to farmers/ranchers. If you bowhunt it is great. You get no hunting pressure
BruinPoint
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About what I expected. I've seen whitetail hunts filmed in ponderosa forest and even sagebrush in MT and WY which got my curiosity. Am I correct in thinking that any of the major drainages in the eastern 2/3 of the state will have whitetail?
Most of the major drainages in Eastern Wyoming will contain whitetail (and many of their ephemiral streams), but they are in pockets. Some areas you will find them, and some you will not. You really need to have agricultural land near by, good escape cover, and water. The majority of this is private land. It's possible to find good whitetails on public, but a majority of the public land is marginal whitetail habitat. Just looking at a map is not sufficient in finding good public land whitetail habitat. Google earth is a step closer. Calling the game and fish bio/warden will usually enlighten you a little. I've been told by ranchers in an area I hunt that they won't allow permission until the population recovers a bit. Even for whitetail, finding permission is getting harder and harder.
BuzzH
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Bruinpoint,
nfh and others have given you good sound advice on the whitetail situation in most of Wyoming.
I'll give you another angle to consider...not all whitetails are tied to agricultural lands and private lands.
The Blackhills in Wyoming are an example , most all of Western Montana, and portions of Eastern Montana as well. Even though I've never hunted Idaho, I can say for sure that the panhandle and other areas in Idaho (Kamiah/Clearwater/Selway) areas of Idaho have lots of whitetail not tied to ag. and private.
The whitetails I hunt in Montana never see an agricultural field in their entire lives and never leave public land.
I've hunted the Blackhills in Wyoming and there are solid numbers of whitetail on public land there. They receive a lot of pressure, but I've never had any problem finding bucks there on public lands.
The ag. areas, just like the others have said, the amount of public land is limited and whats there gets hit pretty hard. If you're willing to spend some time though, there are WT on some of the public.
Good luck.
nfh and others have given you good sound advice on the whitetail situation in most of Wyoming.
I'll give you another angle to consider...not all whitetails are tied to agricultural lands and private lands.
The Blackhills in Wyoming are an example , most all of Western Montana, and portions of Eastern Montana as well. Even though I've never hunted Idaho, I can say for sure that the panhandle and other areas in Idaho (Kamiah/Clearwater/Selway) areas of Idaho have lots of whitetail not tied to ag. and private.
The whitetails I hunt in Montana never see an agricultural field in their entire lives and never leave public land.
I've hunted the Blackhills in Wyoming and there are solid numbers of whitetail on public land there. They receive a lot of pressure, but I've never had any problem finding bucks there on public lands.
The ag. areas, just like the others have said, the amount of public land is limited and whats there gets hit pretty hard. If you're willing to spend some time though, there are WT on some of the public.
Good luck.
nfh
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I agree with what Buzz has to say.
Also a little tip about whitetails is don't push them. Sit In one spot and wait for them to come to you. Whitetails don't like smelling human scent and pressure. It works for me but everyone has their own way.
It might take a couple years to find that good spot. I got 170 acres with a lot of good bucks but I would rather drive another 45 min to some walk-in-areas that produces some very good bucks.
just do your research. in the end scouting is going to be the biggest key
Also a little tip about whitetails is don't push them. Sit In one spot and wait for them to come to you. Whitetails don't like smelling human scent and pressure. It works for me but everyone has their own way.
It might take a couple years to find that good spot. I got 170 acres with a lot of good bucks but I would rather drive another 45 min to some walk-in-areas that produces some very good bucks.
just do your research. in the end scouting is going to be the biggest key
It's odd that whitetails in the black hills and other areas will occupy mountain habitat but in areas I've hunted so far (I'm a fairly green whitetail hunter), they stick to the bottoms. I never have seen one up high on the ridges. Most of the prime country there is locked by lots of cash.
BuzzH
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My family, and a few close friends, have killed 117 whitetails within a 5 mile radius of this picture, all on public land.
This picture is about a half mile away...all primo whitetail habitat.
We've also shot 33 elk while hunting whitetails in this country and some mule deer as well.
This picture is about a half mile away...all primo whitetail habitat.
We've also shot 33 elk while hunting whitetails in this country and some mule deer as well.
BruinPoint
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That looks like a good spot. Is that WY? For what I've got in mind I wonder if Montana is a better option.
treedagain
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Plenty of walk in areas in NW Wyoming.
How to start an argument online:
1. Express an opinion
2. Wait
How to start an argument online:
1. Express an opinion
2. Wait
BuzzH
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Yep...keep in mind, I've probably spent less than 5 days hunting whitetails in Wyoming.
Shot these 2 as fast as I could work the bolt...
My wife shot this one this fall:
I passed several smaller 5x5's, a 6x5 (split eye-guard on the passenger side), and a bunch of smaller 4x4's this fall in Wyoming...hunted 2 days on my way to Montana.
Shot these 2 as fast as I could work the bolt...
My wife shot this one this fall:
I passed several smaller 5x5's, a 6x5 (split eye-guard on the passenger side), and a bunch of smaller 4x4's this fall in Wyoming...hunted 2 days on my way to Montana.
M
MULEY204
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GREAT BUCKS BUZZ, THANKS FOR THE SHARE
Wyoming Hunting Guides & Outfitters
Urge 2 Hunt
We focus on trophy elk, mule deer, antelope and moose hunts and take B&C bucks most years.
