Whitetail destination
- Thread starter AT Hiker
- Start date
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
I have ZERO desire to travel for whitetail... just yawn.
I thoroughly enjoy hunting small racked bucks in south MS swamps, with a few trips annually to TN to hunt the land I grew up hunting and farming.
But as far as the Black Hills, I don't think I've EVER seen that many deer per square mile except for the MS delta when I was out there turkey hunting this past spring. The forestry service is making a LOT of small clear-cut and thinnings in the ponderosa pines, and the deer are everywhere. I saw LEAST 1000 deer in 5 days. That being said, if you get a 120in er you've done something special. I bet in 5 more years, they will be growing some 140in ers with the improved habitat.
I thoroughly enjoy hunting small racked bucks in south MS swamps, with a few trips annually to TN to hunt the land I grew up hunting and farming.
But as far as the Black Hills, I don't think I've EVER seen that many deer per square mile except for the MS delta when I was out there turkey hunting this past spring. The forestry service is making a LOT of small clear-cut and thinnings in the ponderosa pines, and the deer are everywhere. I saw LEAST 1000 deer in 5 days. That being said, if you get a 120in er you've done something special. I bet in 5 more years, they will be growing some 140in ers with the improved habitat.
AT Hiker
Well-Known Member
I've seen some 350" plus bulls in those hills and some decent whitetail, some how those pines can grow em.
I'll bust a fluffy November 120" Black Hills buck in a heart beat. Those thick grey haired deer just look cool to me!
Hunting is always going to have an element of work to it, but it is primarily a form of relaxation to me. I really enjoy hunting those same farms i grew up hunting, even if the likelihood of a big buck is lower
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
Too bad those 350in elk are off limits to all non-residents
I dont get that...why not allow 10% of tags to go to NRs... I know they have a smallish elk herd compared to the rest of the west, but for zero tags to go to NRs on federal lands seems overly harsh.
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
Oh, if you do spot a 350in er, drop me a pin to send to my buddy in Rapid City... between him, his wife, father, brother, and friends, one of them usually pulls an elk tag every third year for the Black Hills.
I sent him pins of all the elk sign I found while turkey hunting... and where I almost crashed into a herd crossing the road in my rental suburban this past turkey season.
I sent him pins of all the elk sign I found while turkey hunting... and where I almost crashed into a herd crossing the road in my rental suburban this past turkey season.
AT Hiker
Well-Known Member
I'll never forget, prob 7 or so years ago I was driving into Deadwood in October after a mule deer hunt over toward Sundance. Ready for a cheap motel, warm meal and some sleezy gambling fun, the last thing I expected to see was a giant field dressed bull in the back of a Single cab, long wheel based mid 90's model Chevy.
Fast forward a few years later and my wife and I were a little further South, around the Jasper burn looking for Merriams. Found a small elk shed, seen a bunch of lion tracks and stumbled upon a herd of bulls. Bigger ones still holding antlers. I think we we're to far up and away from the private to find any turkeys but we definitely found the elk.
It is odd they don't issue any NR tags. Just think of all the fees from applicants and bonus points they are missing out on.
Go further North toward the MT/WY line and some of those hills have some nice herds too. Amazing how pocketed they are out there. Just like the whitetail, miles snd miles of plains then boom…a wooded creek bottom full of whitetails. Even more amazing is during the rut I've seen them crossing that plain country in search of a hot doe. Maybe that's how they sometimes interbred with muleys?
Fast forward a few years later and my wife and I were a little further South, around the Jasper burn looking for Merriams. Found a small elk shed, seen a bunch of lion tracks and stumbled upon a herd of bulls. Bigger ones still holding antlers. I think we we're to far up and away from the private to find any turkeys but we definitely found the elk.
It is odd they don't issue any NR tags. Just think of all the fees from applicants and bonus points they are missing out on.
Go further North toward the MT/WY line and some of those hills have some nice herds too. Amazing how pocketed they are out there. Just like the whitetail, miles snd miles of plains then boom…a wooded creek bottom full of whitetails. Even more amazing is during the rut I've seen them crossing that plain country in search of a hot doe. Maybe that's how they sometimes interbred with muleys?
Will let you know how my SD hunt turns out.
Milk River is in MT
AT Hiker
Well-Known Member
I forgot you drew that tag! Sadly we didn't get out MT tags this year, 60% increase in applicants.
Excited to hear the story when you get back.
Mule deer in Idaho
Elk in Wyoming
Bear Alaska
Moose Alaska
Elk in Wyoming
Bear Alaska
Moose Alaska
I love Montana, Wyoming and the Dakota's just for the simple reason I can literally hike all day and not see another person or road. That to me is the real draw of a hunt. I throughly enjoy getting far away from any sign of human life and even fishing a trout stream on a hunt. I would love to shoot a monster but I think I enjoy the adventure of the experience the most.
Rakkin6
Well-Known Member
Honestly I don't blame them for only letting residents hunt them. Just my opinion but I think that would help with the turkey population in Tennessee if they got rid of the non resident tags on state lands. Just my opinion and it won't happen here because of money.Too bad those 350in elk are off limits to all non-residents
I dont get that...why not allow 10% of tags to go to NRs... I know they have a smallish elk herd compared to the rest of the west, but for zero tags to go to NRs on federal lands seems overly harsh.
DoubleRidge
Well-Known Member
Not sure it's possible to ever get over the mule deer bug....and there are several big game animals I'd love to hunt someday but as for a whitetail destination...I'll go with Kansas or Iowa....a dream mule deer destination would be in the Sonora Desert of old Mexico.
You are correct. Montana not Colorado
I am going to hunt the South Carolina midlands this year. I will take a couple of weekends and I intend to hunt the dog hunt on the Crackerneck WMA too. I used to work at the Savannah River Site and I am looking forward to the dog hunt. It is such a blast to hear the pups baying away about 5-10 minutes behind the deer. It is a lot of fun. Plus I have been quite successful in the past. No wall hangers but fun never the less.
waynesworld
Well-Known Member
I am from SD so hunting there is not on my bucket list but if you really want some great hunting I would suggest you do a mixed planned hunting/fishing. If you look at around Pierre you have hills and planes for the deer. You also can do it during the pheasant hunting also. To wrap up your trip you can go fishing for walleye. Hope you have a few weeks to enjoy it all.
If you do decide to look at Pierre let me know I have a friend that still has some contacts up there. He goes up and hunts there each year, I may be going up there this year and do some bird hunting.
JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
I agree completely, redblood. On any given day, I would rather kill a 130" buck off of our farm than a 150" anywhere else. It just means so much to me. Seeing how your blood and sweat pays off over time is more rewarding than anything else , imo.
Having said that, I love throwing myself in different situations and foreign experiences. Experiences that really challenge you, because you are virgin to them. Doing this really hones your skills to be the best all around hunter you can be. I can't tell you the many details I have picked up and gathered during elk and muley hunts that have had applicable factors in helping me succeed in hunting whitetails here in middle TN. I'd love a western whitetail hunt like AT mentioned, maybe a Montana or SD trip. I've never hunted ag or river bottom land, nothing other than ridge and hollow hardwoods - that's it! I'd love to be challenged in a vastly different habitat like that. Though, up until now, I can't talk myself into paying for a whitetail hunt. Elk and muleys, most definitely, because we don't have them here and it's a 2 week out of the year thing for me.
Ever since I moved down to Florida from Utah last year the hunting has been dismal. At this point just making it up to TN every year or two to make use of my lifetime license is going to have to suffice - the public land hunting up there is better than most of the hunting down here I've encountered!
I'd love to do a coues archery hunt. As for other whitetails, I don't know if I'd ever be more interested in anywhere else than southern Ohio. It's got big woods, hills & hollers, farms, swamps, and river bottoms. And there are big ones to be hunted in all terrains. For an adventure hunt I'd really like to hunt blacktails in Alaska.
