Best whitetail state and why!

[Gary Logsdon]

What Ryan said describes the situation in a lot of KY as well. I've never gotten a straight answer from any of our deer biologists concerning them scheduling the 10-14 day gun season during the rut. That is no way to fine tune the age structure or increase the number of mature bucks. A friend of mine, who works in KY wildlife management, recently told me that "Bubba rules", and that "as long as he does we won't be doing anything that upsets him.  That might cause losses in license, and/or permit sales." Bottom line, they are more than likely going to continue giving the most people the easiest opportunity to take deer using centerfire rifles during the peak of the rut.

[Hoyt]

You can shoot 2 bucks a day in parts of Florida from mid Sept. into Jan. Give or take a few days between seasons.

[doug77]

5 years ago I would have said Iowa. It's still a great place for some mature bucks but it has went down hill in most places.

doug77

[maxfit]

all i know is Ny has really gone downhill  :(

[dnovo]

Missouri is pretty good. You can take 2 bucks with abow, another during gun season, and you can hunt during gun season with abow if you want on a gun tag. Most of the state has unlimited doe tags for $7 for a resident. I don't know what our non resident fees are but they are nothing like IL or IA.
Our problem is the same as Kentucky. Gun season during the rut.

[CAT22]

I've only ever lived in Ohio. It's just shocking to me that people can shoot multiple bucks in some states. It just sounds wierd. Our gun season is the first monday after thanksgiving with shotgun/slug & muzzleloaders, no rifle. I'm sure that saves a bunch of bucks every year. The range and timing of the gun hunt.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Missouri non-res tags arent bad - they went up some though.  I think they are in the $300 range for 2 deer tags and 2 turkey tags all on one license (correct me if I'm wrong there).  Not dirt cheap, but not bad in this day and age.

CAT, I know what your saying about multiple bucks/multiple deer.  I grew up in north central Ohio, of course, and back in them days it was one deer only, buck or doe, then you're done.  When you killed a deer it was a several day long celebration....when I moved to Indiana I was surprised that the locals thought of killing a deer more like a rabbit - go out and get another tomorrow.  With my lifetime license in Indiana I could kill something like 5-6 does a year in just my county, and one buck - then I guess move county to county killing does 'till you run out of arrows or get sick of it.  Do that every year and never have to buy another license or deer tag.  The lifetime license in Indiana was a great deal when it was available.  In practice, though, I generally shoot 1 doe a year and a buck if he's big enough - thats plenty deer for me.

Ryan

[TJK68]

I like my little state of WV, lots of deer, some nice bucks in most of the state, some huge bucks in the bow only counties, friendly folks and beautiful scenery. Maybe not the best but I like it.

[RC]

Not Ga. A three month gun season kinda makes a deer a bit on edge. If you try to read our reg book and your not a lawyer you will need one to figure most of it out.RC

[moose eye levi]

I love Ohio and have always felt it was an underated state but thats why I really like it. It seems to be catching on a bit more and that scares me more leases less "good" ground, people buying big tracts from out of state or from the city that are in it for the "horn porn". I think it will eventually become like Iowa or Illinois. No disrespect towards those great states, I just think the money/commercial aspect will take over. I live near Derrasic Park some big bucks get sold to big ranches for big money. I also don't agree with the new taging system, guess thats why I'm goin to school to maybe change and regulate this stuff someday. But I do love the hunting here and believe it's some of the best in the country.

[buckeye_hunter]

The new tagging system in Ohio is going to increase poaching. No one ever has to see the deer. Carry a handgun in your backpack and a bow in your hand. Unless they stop you, which isn't going to happen, you can shoot as many as you want with a gun under an archery premise. No one will know if you butcher it yourself. I think it will be less safe for archers and decrease our population of older deer. For now we are ok, but I don't think the future holds good things for us as a state. Hopefully I will be proven wrong.

[Don Stokes]

Ryan, the MO NR archery license is $225 this year, good for two deer and two turkeys, and small game in season except for furbearers. I'll be headed up that way soon.

[dragon rider]

I sure hope it's Kansas 'cause several of us are headed out there in about 3 weeks.    

[Recurve50 LBS]

New Jersey

1. I live in NJ.
2. NJ offers many days in the field. A hunter can hunt Sundays on WMA's and private property.
A hunter can deer hunt from the second weekend in Sept to mid February. 3. There are a lot of deer in NJ
4. NJ has a very liberal bag limit on deer. In some zones the bag limit is unlimited antlerless deer.
5. NJ does hold some very nice bucks if that's your thing. I'm after putting meat in the freezer not after antler scores. Besides I still haven't found a good recipe for cooking antlers.

Well here is my opinion. I know some may not agree but it's here anyway.

[cacciatore]

Anyone looks good to me!!

[Doug in MN]

I guess all of the other 49.

Ninnesota has few deer, and small dwarf bucks.

I sure would not waste my time coming up here to hunt. Only a few million acres of public land as well.

[Doug in MN]

dbl post

[DaleinOhio]

All you Ohio guys worried about the new tagging system need to talk to someone in  a state who already has the same kind of system.  I live in Ohio, but I am from Missouri.  I still go back to hunt there with my Dad and I really like the system they have.  

I need to find the exact stats, but I was speaking to a conservation officer I used to teach hunter's ed with last time I was there.  He says there has been no significant increase in poaching that they can tell.  He said, and he is right, that poachers will find a way to kill deer illegally even if you had an officer behind every tree.

How many untagged deer do you think rode right past check stations in the back of trucks with the old system?  Thousands I say...not to mention the ones that get killed, butchered and eaten on the same property.  I seriously doubt there will be an appreciable rise in poaching of deer that can be directly attributed to the new tagging system.

[Gatekeeper]

Originally posted by buckeye_hunter:
The new tagging system in Ohio is going to increase poaching. No one ever has to see the deer. Carry a handgun in your backpack and a bow in your hand. Unless they stop you, which isn't going to happen, you can shoot as many as you want with a gun under an archery premise. No one will know if you butcher it yourself. I think it will be less safe for archers and decrease our population of older deer. For now we are ok, but I don't think the future holds good things for us as a state. Hopefully I will be proven wrong.

Charlie,

Here in Missouri we have tele check (phone in the kill) for our deer and turkey. No more going to the checking station. Just place the tag on the animal for transport and call in by 10 PM to report the kill. I like the tele check system and I don’t think it has a negative effect on our game. There will always be that criminal element out there that tries to cheat the system in some way, but that same group was trying to cheat the system before the tele check system. Yeah someone could kill a buck and say they killed a doe or kill a deer with a gun during bow hunting season and call it in as a bow kill, or kill a deer without buying a tag. But what would keep the same person from poaching an animal and not reporting it on the old system? Nothing! A criminal is a criminal.

In Missouri we have landowner tags that are free to the landowners. It used to be a landowner could make their own tag, put it on the animal and take the animal in to have it checked. Then the system was changed so that all hunters had to have state issued tags. Landowner tags were and are still free, but there are no more handwritten tags. Under our system why would a landowner bother to go get tags? The answer: Because it’s the law. What keeps a landowner from ignoring the state hunting rules and killing as many animals as they want? The answer: Self-respect, honesty and a willingness to follow the law.

My wife and I have land and it would be easy for me, after I kill an animal, to haul it back to my shop butcher it and put it in the freezer without anyone being wise to my actions but I don’t. I carry my tags with me and I use them when I kill an animal and I call the kill in via our tele check system. Being caught, being labeled a criminal and losing my hunting privileges is not worth the risk when doing the right thing is so simple.

Your comment, as you may have noticed, struck a nerve. Reading you comment makes me think that you believe that most outdoorsmen are dishonest and have criminal intentions. I am in the other camp.

Good luck this season.  

[Raineman]

CAT...I'll be making my first trip this season to your state. Very excited about it.