5 IMPROVING STATES ON THE LIST OF BEST DEER HUNTING IN AMERICA

[Graybeard]

https://www.wideopenspaces.com/improving-states-best-deer-hunting/?

Posted by Emily Kantner   20 hours ago

If you're planning your next whitetail adventure, consider these states that have been offering some of the best deer hunting year after year.



When naming the states moving up on the list of best places to hunt whitetails, it's all relative and depends on what makes prime deer hunting to you. If you're looking for world record trophy whitetails, the Boone & Crockett Club ranks states by the number of record book entries it has. Currently the top state is Wisconsin, followed by Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri and Kansas.

But some of us are less concerned with antler records and more excited about good hunting and the opportunity to kill a mature buck. If that's more your speed, consider the findings from the latest Deer Report from the National Deer Association (previously the Whitetail Report from QDMA).

For the 2019-2020 season, Michigan had the top buck kill per square mile at 3.7, while Mississippi had the most bucks killed per 100 hunters at 70. With its vast area of private land and limited hunting pressure, Texas recorded the largest buck harvest at 460,242.

Some of these states are easy for anyone to hunt on sprawling acres of public land, while other states in the Midwest are nearly inaccessible to non-residents without preference points or booking through outfitters.

The stats and success rates also vary based on archery, muzzleloader and rifle seasons, so consider your tackle before booking your bucket list hunt.

With all these factors in mind, here are five of the top best states for whitetail hunters that are moving up the list.

Wisconsin


With over 1,800 B&C entries and six of the best-producing counties in the country, Wisconsin has to top the list. Non-residents can buy OTC licenses, and the long archery season allows for plenty of opportunity.

Ohio


Ohio also boasts OTC tags for non-residents, long seasons and over 1,000 Booner trophy bucks.

Illinois


Luke Brewster killed the non-typical whitetail that now ranks third on the all-time list in Illinois in 2018. Ease of securing a non-resident tag here depends on the season and region.

Kansas


Kansas certainly has the big bucks - over 860 record book whitetails. Non-residents must draw a license through a lottery, so this one isn't a guarantee if you're planning a trip.

Kentucky


Kentucky offers OTC tags for non-resident deer hunters and currently sits at #6 on the Boone & Crockett list for most record bucks.

[Buckskin]

Interesting.  I did not know Wisconsin was top of the list. As I would guess goes for most places the B&C number is way low as most do not bother to get into the book, at least around here.  I have 2 in my basement and know of 5 others that would make it just from the guys in our group. And I don't know how many P&Y's.    I will say if your planning on hunting Wisconsin, don't hunt the northern third of the state.  Numbers are way down due to forestry practices, wolves, bears, etc.  Farmland areas are where the numbers are and the big boys.  We have more deer around now than ever.

[Mule 11]

Yeah. Hunt Wisconsin and Kentucky, and Pennsylvania has over 2 million deer. Whatever ya do don’t hunt Michigan...

[Moleman]

Deer harvest numbers were down where I hunt this past year in MI I believe due to EEE outbreak in the marshy area I hunt in.  I saw one 6pt that looked like he's be a good deer in a few years which got a pass early in the general firearms.  Then nothing until late doe season when two does were eating in the field I was hunting on.  Rangefinder pegs out at 499yds, and it looked like they were at least another 100-150yds past that.  Very few nearby shots throughout the entire season and very few new tracks as compared to other years.  My boy who hunts the other side of the farm from me also only saw the same three deer.   Usually see plenty of deer so we're hopeful that some more will move back into the area.

[DDZ]

In Pa. I don't think the antler restrictions got the bigger bucks like the game commission thought it would. Maybe in some areas it worked, like where there are bigger woods. Pa has a lot of farm ground with small woodlots. If there is an exception buck that is 18 months old and ends up with three points on a side, its getting shot the majority of time. Same goes with the second year bucks. As soon as they have the required 3 or 4 points to a side they have a small chance of making it to the next year. 

The area I have lived and hunted all my life, I have seen the antler restrictions actually hurt the health of the deer herd. Its small wood lots surrounded by hay, and corn fields. Used to be it was rare to see a spike or 3 point, but after a number of years of the antler restrictions we see a good many spikes, along with 2 and 3 year old bucks with small ugly looking racks. Even the occasional big buck, its rack is not even and not very nice looking.  Even the doe do not look healthy. Fawns going into winter look skinny and sickly looking.

Used to be many of the small bucks with not good genes got shot, and were not around to do the breeding the next fall. Now with the antler restrictions these small scrubby bucks are not being shot, and are doing the breeding come fall.  In my area of Pa the antler restrictions
have been a bust. I know the game commissions plan was to grow all these big bucks in Pa, with the dream of selling a bunch of out of state licenses to people coming in to shoot big bucks. That certainly has not worked.  In the Game commissions quest to extract more money from hunters. it has actually worked the opposite way they intended.   So yeah, lots of deer in Pa, but if its a bigger buck your looking for, there are a lot of other states I would head to first. 

[Buckskin]

Interesting that an article that touts B&C bucks doesn't put a picture of a single buck that is even close to a B&C..

[DDZ]

Interesting that an article that touts B&C bucks doesn't put a picture of a single buck that is even close to a B&C..

Right, the bucks pictured are just a bit above average. they could have at least thrown a picture in of a 170 class buck.