Which state has the best whitetail season?

[Bowwild]

I hunt in KY (Home) and Indiana (best friend) every year.  Indiana's move to the one buck rule bodes very well for that state as an even better deer hunting location.

[Benny Nganabbarru]

Thanks, fellows. Real interesting. Good luck this season to all of you!

[Red Beastmaster]

Certainly not Pennsylvania!

We are allowed one buck with either 3 or 4 points to a side depending on the area. And we can purchase doe tags by a first come first served basis. I can usually get one until they run out.

We have an early 6 week season that ends right when the rut is kicking in. The first 2 weeks are hot but we have the woods to ourselves. Then comes a week of muzzleloaders (including in-lines), 3 days of senior/junior rifle, then a zillion turkey hunters for the rest of the season. The few deer we have left are mostly nocturnal because of all the intrusions.

We also have to wear orange most of the time. Even the turkey hunters are allowed to use rifles!

On top of all that, crossbows are allowed this year!

Our late season is for 2 weeks after Christmas, we share the woods with flintlock muzzleloaders. It's a nice time to be in the woods but the chance of shooting a deer is slim.

No Sunday hunting is allowed. Really, really stupid.

We do the best we can and I love every minute I spend in the woods.

[Swamp Preacher]

Low Country counties in South Carolina start August 15 to January 1. Rest of the State opens September 1 to January 1.  Some counties have not limit on Antlered bucks, with plenty of doe days and doe tags.

[RC]

Here in Ga. The season came in Sept 11 - January 15th. 2 bucks and 10 does.Best deer and hog Public land I know of.RC

[Hud]

Ben, I am just guessing, but Barry & Gene Wensel live in Iowa, does that help.

[Altiman94]

I feel like Iowa has it right.

You are eligible for one any-sex bow tag and one any-sex gun tag.  Gun seasons do not coincide with bow season unless its early muzzeloader (a week long) or late muzzleloader (3 weeks after christmas).  Additionally, you can purchase doe tags (county specific) for as many as the quota allows.  The licensing laws are such that each county has a quota of doe tags.  Some are as many as 5,000 and some counties have 0, depending on the deer numbers.  

I usually purchase one bow tag, one doe bow tag, and hunt late muzzleloader during the cold winter months.

This year my wife and I moved a little farther South due to a job change for myself, so I'm hunting some new land and using it as an excuse to scout and take the recurve full-time.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Second Saturday of September till Second or Third Saturday in February the following Year. There is some Counties that have Unlimited DOEs. So You can get Lot's of meat, But You only get 1 Archery Buck tag (free)and have to pay for any other tag.

[swp]

Missouri and Nebraska allow 2 bucks and unlimited doe tags all over the counter.(Residents) MO you also get two turkeys along with the deer all for the low price of $19.    September 15 to January 15 although there are all kinds of gun hunts in there and the general gun season right in the heat of the rut in November.

[primitivealltheway]

here in alabama  its october 15th to janurary 31st 2 deer a day

[Shawn Leonard]

Here in the southern zone of NY state bow seaon runs from the 3rd. Sat. in Oct. to the 3rd. friday of Nov. but their are bow only areas that run until the 15th. of Dec or so. In a bow only area you may harvest up to 4 bucks and 3 does by using all your tag options. You can actually  shoot unlimited does in the bow area by filling one tag, turning it in along with the does head and getting another tag. Once ya shoot a buck on the bonus tag you are done. I have killed 17 deer in a year herein NY by shooting lots of does. In NYS it is very complicated so I advise anyone to read all hunting regs. carefully!! Shawn

[slivrslingr]

Ben, one thing to think about is wether you will be hunting public or private land.  There is plenty of public land to hunt in most states but lots of other hunters as well.  If you can find private land to hunt on there will be fewer if any other people and likely more deer.  Missouri would be my choice, 2 deer and 2 turkey tags for less than $200 for a non-fesident, lots of public land, and fairly easy to get to (2 major airports, Kansas City and St. Louis).  Plenty of other options though and lots of TGer's to help out!  As Shawn L. pointed out, read and understand the regs for whatever state you choose as they can be pretty complicated.

[KEG]

Here in California you can take two deer with two tags you buy separately . Each tag is specific for the area in the state where you can hunt, the method of hunting (gun, bow etc), doe or buck, and the length and dates of the season.  I usually get a archery only tag that allows me to hunt different gun zones in the state but with a bow. This is for a buck only locally. The other tag I get is an A22 that is an either sex archery only hunt here in San Diego county.
The A22 season starts the first Saturday in September and goes for 44 consecutive days. It reopens the third Saturday in November and goes to December 31.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Originally posted by mysticguido:
Second Saturday of September till Second or Third Saturday in February the following Year. There is some Counties that have Unlimited DOEs. So You can get Lot's of meat, But You only get 1 Archery Buck tag (free)and have to pay for any other tag.

Sorry this is for New Jersey.

[Dave Lay]

to add to arklongbow
in Arkansas, we do have a 5 month season, with a lic. fee of 25 dollars resident, 5 deer limit max. up to 2 antlered deer, i have a little diffrent observation in that I am seeing really nice bucks in southern as well as northern Ar. but I am not seeing the numbers he is, with  little larger does,  i guess just diffrent parts of the state... to bowhunt the full 5 months ya gotta put on the orange or find a management area that is closed to gun hunting at the time.

[creekwood]

There are no deer in Iowa.  

[Van/TX]

Looks like Arkansas is the winner with 5 months?...Van

[**DONOTDELETE**]

All most a full 6months for New Jersey