Self guided whitetail hunt

[aim small...release]

Hey guys and gals I desperately am wanting to do a whitetail hunt out of the state of michigan. I dont want someone to hold my hand and say dont walk here or there ect. Ive never hunted out of my home state and I want to do so with my dad. before time passes and i cant anymore. I live to scout snd bowhunt whitetail deer. family...then deer...then work lol although you gota work to hunt. anyhow id love to hunt ohio or somewhere realtively close to michigan and I do have a budget with 2 little ones at home. Im just lookin to get out of michigan and hunt a farm that atlesdt theres a chance of gettin a crack at a 120" deer. Any help would be so much appreciated to help me finaly reach a dream of miine. thanks as alwayd for everyoned help this is the best group of hunters out there.

[hunterbob]

There is some great state game land within 15 min of my place and I have access to 70 acre farm. I am in new Waterford Ohio.all you would need is hunting license. And maybe hotel unless you are wanting to camp. And there is places close for that also.

[Mike Vines]

Head west young man.  I wish I had done it sooner.  The western animals are managed much better than the animals in the Midwest in my opinion.

Contact Trad Archers' World magazine (a Tradgang Sponsor and purchase the Fall 2013 issue.  I wrote an article on how to go mule deer hunting on a budget).  Whole trip to Wyoming from the time I left till the time I got home cost just over $800, including a European skull mount, and that cost was all inclusive.  It ended up costing me $1000 because when I got home I took everyone in the family out to dinner to show them my thanks for tolerating my addiction.  I too have 2 little ones at home, but if you make enough sacrifices, you can afford just about anything.

I'm not saying Ohio is a bad choice to hunt, what I'm saying is don't sell yourself short by limiting your options.  I wish I had hunted with my Dad in other places than Michigan (He and I hunted rattlesnakes in New Mexico when I was stationed down there).  Kudos to you for wanting to hunt with your Dad.  My recommendation is to do some thorough research and pick your best option.  

BTW, I passed up 21 bucks that were 100-120", and shot a massive 137" Mulie.  I stopped counting does at 100 on the 2nd day, and I had plenty of encounters with elk and some WAY TO CLOSE encounters with a couple different moose.  Compares to NOTHING I have ever experienced in Michigan.

[T Folts]

Mike when are (we) lol going back?
Oh crap wait my wife wants to go to Hawaii in 2015.

[T Folts]

oops

[cacciatore]

Hey Mike if Terry gives up I 'll be glad to join you!LOL

[Bowwild]

There are some terrific midwestern white-tail states.  If you want to hunt a herd that is managed for older age class bucks (read, larger average racks) look for one of two things:

1. Rifle season that is late November or early December -- after peak of the rut. (This protects bucks more leaving them for he bow hunter.)

2. One buck rule -- the deer hunter is allowed to kill only one buck per year.

States that fall into one or both of the categories include: OH, IN, KY, IL, IA, & KS.  IN is the current sleeper. That state switched to 1 buck just a few years ago and is going to change very quickly.

I've lived in IN, KS, MO, and KY. I rate KY #1, IN #2, KS #3, and MO wouldn't make my hot spot state. (Yep, I was shocked how KS's reputation and my experience while there 3.5 years didn't match up.)

The down side for IN is that the rut falls right in the gun season. That's good for the gun hunter but bucks are more vulnerable then.

You could focus on NE Indiana.  The best place I ever had to hunt in my life was on the IN/MI line (Elkhart County, IN).  

By the way, I agree with Mike about the west. I started hunting WY in 1981 when I had two babies at home, a job that paid little, and I was in my early 30's.  I killed a 141 PY Mulie (net) on my first hunt. I hunted irrigated alfalfa from ground blinds. The first evening (I still have the VHS video) there were 146 deer in the field! I shot the 2nd largest buck that was coming to the field.

It is terrific fun to hunt terrain, cover, and critters that are so different from our whitetail country.

I'd also recommend, (wish I had done this) that you establish an elk hunting tradition as soon as you can. Get with some others, budget the DIY, and  start learning. I'd go to Colorado for that.

Oh, one more recommendation. Start applying for Bighorn Sheep permits in Montana! It can take years to draw and the more points (failed drawings) you get the more times you go in the drawing. This is my #1 hunting regret now that I've entered my 6th (yuck) decade.  I'm going to apply for the first time this year.

[aim small...release]

Thank you guys very much you. I am going to do some major research now.

[Gator1]

Get a group and go to Kenny Ms place....

Great hunt and private ground...