Whitetail hunt recommendations

tbryson7

Member
Messages
49
I'm interested in getting some recommendations for whitetail hunts, possibly for 2018. I'm open to any state, Kansas, Iowa, etc. I'd just like to hunt a place where there's an opportunity for a trophy buck. I'd really like to hear from those who have gone on a guided hunt and your experiences.
 
I've bow-hunted Iowa a few times, public land DIY. As a non-res, it usually takes 2-3 points to get drawn, or you can hunt every 3rd or 4th year.

Scroll through this forum. There are several pics of some nice Iowa bucks on here.

I've never taken a guided WT hunt so not much to offer there.
 
Not sure where you live but I would look to lease a property with friends or do a trade with someone. Lots of online lease sources. Leases in Kansas are popular because as a non-res you can get a tag every year. If you lease the property you can also hunt turkeys in the spring and upland birds if they are present. You also have the option to spread the cost of the lease out with friends or other hunters (for example if you do not turkey hunt allow some friends to turkey hunt or if you only bow allow them to gun hunt).

Throw out an offer to people in the states you want to hunt and offer to help finance their food plots or other work. This helps you too since you know that there will be good food plots when you arrive. I know guys that spend $3,000 to $4,000 annually on food plots and they might just say yes to an offer to help This way you probably get on ground that is lightly hunted and still get many of the guide benefits (stands, access, etc.).

I for one would never take cash for a guided hunt on our farms but someone offering to pay to help with something on the land in exchange to come hunt and develop a new friendship - I just might. I know it is semantics but the difference is important to me.

Another option might be to offer to help pay part of a lease. I have started to lease properties around my farms just to control the hunting - I do not need more ground but the previous hunting pressure was hurting our hunting. I would rather partner with an out of state hunter because I know they will come for a week or two at the most and then be done for the year whereas a local might be there all the time.
 
In 2016 I hunted the Kansas rifle hunt. I passed on a 135 inch 8 point on the first morning and got a glimpse of a 150 inch deer at dark on the sixth day. Didn't see much in between. So I ate my tag.

Several hunters there had been unsuccessful in the muzzleloader hunt and had came back for the rifle hunt. I think this was a low success hunt. I believe over half the people there either shot a small buck or ate their tag.

On a more positive note there was a lot of repeat hunters that had been successful in prior years.

My opinion of Kansas is that the Muzzleloader is too early and the rifle is too late. I don't have any doubt there were big bucks there, they were just totally nocturnal.
Archery would be the time to be there.

Two friends of mine went on the muzzleloader a couple of years ago. Temperature was 80 degrees and wind 30 MPH and they ate their tags. Hoping to get better weather this year they went back and the temperature was 90 degrees and the wind 40MPH and they ate their tags again.

Some things about Kansas:

If you are unsuccessful on your muzzleloader hunt you can come back and hunt the rifle season but you still have to use a muzzleloader.

You can use a crossbow during archery season.

Outfitters don't have to be licensed so get some references if you are considering this hunt.
 
About 10 years ago I hunted Saskatchewan twice. I killed a 138 and a 145 inch bucks.

But Saskatchewan has been up and down over the last 10 years due to bad winters and winter die off.

I experienced this myself. The first time I was there the camp average was 145 and this included some inexperienced hunters shooting 120 bucks. I went back two years later and the camp average was 130. There were six of us in my party and everyone got a deer but they ranged from 125 up tp 138, not what we were looking for.

I don't know how the 2017 season turned out for them but if I had some good recent references I would consider going back.

Ten years ago many of these outfitters had waiting lists for hunters, took two years to get in. But I think due to a few bad years this has slacked off.
 
My son hunted black bear with some folks in Sask. this spring and they just sent us there client white tail kill pictures from this fall. I thought they looked like darn heavy beamed Whitetails this year. Now my son wants to go back up and hunt white tail with them.

I think they are going to have a booth at the Hunting Expo in Salt Lake in February. If your interested, I can get you contact information.

DC
 
I live in Wisconsin and know a few world class outfitters quite well. The advantage of a Wisconsin tag is it is over the counter and only $160.00. What are you looking to spend on an outfitter and are you wanting to rut hunt? (First or second week of November) or pre-rut? I can maybe steer you their direction if you have any interest, but a 160-180" buck is a very real possibility with both of these outfits in Buffalo county (still the most B&C entries of any county in the country).
 
I hunted with Northern Rockies Outfitters in Montana a couple years ago. Awesome outfitter and some really great bucks!

Heywouldya
 
I wouldn't be afraid of taking a look into MN or ND if you are looking go with a bow on a DYI hunt. MN just bumped their Non-Resident Price up to $185 this year and I believe ND out of state is $250. Lots of public land in both states and long archery seasons. ND goes 8/31 till 1/6 and MN is 9/15-12/31 if you feel like sitting in a tree stand when the average monthly high is 16 degrees haha!
 
I think SD is your best bet coming from where you are ....tons of really great whitetails and a lot of public land
 
I saw your post from 2/18 Re Big Whitetails from Buffalo County, Wisconsin, & contacts there. I've never hunted Wisconsin but I've taken quite a few Whitetails in Texas years ago, just never any huge bucks. Also never hunted the famous south Texas Brush Country like around the King Ranch where huge bucks are taken yearly -- prices there have gone thru the roof in recent years plus availability is non existent with so many Corporate Leases & the huge oil/gas $$ all over that area.,

I'd be interested in the hunting in Nov rut time if a suitable property could be available for a decent price, & I don't know what that would even be ! Just starting from ground zero re Wisconsin. I live in Ft Collns, Co., just north of Denver off I 25. My hunting is usually for antelope, mule deer, elk, in Colorado /Wyoming. Getting a whitetail tag plus private land to hunt is very tough in both states.
Any information you would care to pass along regarding big buck Whitetails in Wisconsin in Buffalo County would be very appreciated ! I'm 72 years young by the way !
Thanks very much ! ??????
Jerry Gold
Fort Collins, Colorado
E M : [email protected]
Text Cell: 307-772-1623
 
No NR tags for the eastern part of the state.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
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I've hunted around the country. Best white tails I've seen, was old Mexico and Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan whitetail are world renown. There are several reputable outfitters there. Looking at another trip this year

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The grunt is deer hunting?s most important vocalization. You can buy grunt tubes at any guns shop, and mimic white-tailed bucks by softly blowing into them. Bucks grunt year-round to communicate with other deer, so always carry a grunt tube.
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-28-19 AT 10:01PM (MST)[p]>I've hunted around the country. Best
>white tails I've seen, was
>old Mexico and Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan
>whitetail are world renown. There
>are several reputable outfitters there.
> Looking at another trip
>this year
>
>
371395bf2f4e82a3a4b95822e214e9d226d64.jpeg



I would think Old Mexico Way out Produces Saskatchewan. I Manage 3 Ranches Personally in Old Mexico And the Numbers are through the hoof Down There right Now. If anyone Ever has Any Questions about a Ranch Or Outfitter Id Be Happy to Help you out if I Can. The Down Side is Mexico Is turning into The Pen deer Capital Just Like Texas the Last Few Years.
 

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