Whitetail destination

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AT Hiker

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What's your destination whitetail?
Ive got several points for a SD deer hunt I hope to use one day. Something about hunting them in the Black Hills just lures my attention.
I also want to hunt them on plains as well. Get up high and glass down into a timbered River bottom, then make a plan. I plan to do this in SD as well, possibly WY or MT if I ever get over the mule deer bug.

Ive got some Iowa points I need to use one day as well but that drive to hunt them has dwindled, mainly due to the massive increase of pressured public land. I've considered a lease or outfitted hunt during the rut but I cannot justify the money they want, especially when I feel like I could spend it better on other, more adventurous hunts. Sitting in a tree for a week just doesn't do it for me anymore, I like to move way too much now.
 
Bud me and you have talked about this one. Getting to do my bucket list west TX hunt this year. States west of that are made for mule deer and elk. I already hunt Ohio and have went to multiple southern states. Just get ready to put a TX buck on my wall!
 
I don't really have a whitetail destination. I'm fortunate to hunt Ky and Illinois every year. I'm heading to Montana for mule deer, but there are a lot of white tails in the river bottom area I will be in. I just can't see using my deer tag on a whitetail.
 
Rackseeker said:
I would love to experience hunting whitetail in Canada once. I would also like to do a DIY public land mule deer hunt before I get to old.
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Mine is Saskatchewan! I want to hunt the edge of the Boreal Forest where the whitetails have never even seen humans…big heavy chocolate antlers!
 
TnKen said:
I don't really have a whitetail destination. I'm fortunate to hunt Ky and Illinois every year. I'm heading to Montana for mule deer, but there are a lot of white tails in the river bottom area I will be in. I just can't see using my deer tag on a whitetail.
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Have you hunted there before?
Ill never forget my first western experience and seeing hundreds of whitetails in those River bottoms and irrigated hay meadows.
I need to dig the picture up but I bet ya I seen a dozen whitetail bucks one time that would range in rack size from 115"-140", just out in the middle of the day grazing. Insane.
 
AT Hiker said:
Have you hunted there before?
Ill never forget my first western experience and seeing hundreds of whitetails in those River bottoms and irrigated hay meadows.
I need to dig the picture up but I bet ya I seen a dozen whitetail bucks one time that would range in rack size from 115"-140", just out in the middle of the day grazing. Insane.
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I haven't hunted there before, but saw a ton of deer when I was raking hay. They are really drawn to the irrigated alfalfa fields.
 
PickettSFHunter said:
Looking forward to SD some day as well.

I really look forward to seeing if I draw a TX Panhandle public land whitetail tag every year. I see some downright dandies every year out there scouting.
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I believe you and I got in on the SD game right at the tail end. I still believe we will draw the tag sooner than later but we got shafted when they changed things up with the draw.
 
AT Hiker said:
What's your destination whitetail?
Ive got several points for a SD deer hunt I hope to use one day. Something about hunting them in the Black Hills just lures my attention.
I also want to hunt them on plains as well. Get up high and glass down into a timbered River bottom, then make a plan. I plan to do this in SD as well, possibly WY or MT if I ever get over the mule deer bug.

Ive got some Iowa points I need to use one day as well but that drive to hunt them has dwindled, mainly due to the massive increase of pressured public land. I've considered a lease or outfitted hunt during the rut but I cannot justify the money they want, especially when I feel like I could spend it better on other, more adventurous hunts. Sitting in a tree for a week just doesn't do it for me anymore, I like to move way too much now.
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I have pts for IA and WY. Let me know when you're ready for WY. I'm up to four for antelope and deer. As for whitetail destination, Kansas public land arouses my interest.
 
Milk River in Colorado. From what I have seen on TV and internet, that place is BEAUTIFUL!!!......and the whitetails ain't to shabby either.
 
I plan to buy a farm in illinois for bowhunting. 50 to 75 acres. I have several states but have had trips where it seemed more like work. I once went from tennessee, to ky, to indiana, to illinois, then back to ky, them to Tn in a 2 week stretch. Never want to do that again. Too much like work!
 
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.
 
megalomaniac said:
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.
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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!
 
AT Hiker said:
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!
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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.
 
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'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?
 
AT Hiker said:
What's your destination whitetail?
Ive got several points for a SD deer hunt I hope to use one day. Something about hunting them in the Black Hills just lures my attention.
I also want to hunt them on plains as well. Get up high and glass down into a timbered River bottom, then make a plan. I plan to do this in SD as well, possibly WY or MT if I ever get over the mule deer bug.

Ive got some Iowa points I need to use one day as well but that drive to hunt them has dwindled, mainly due to the massive increase of pressured public land. I've considered a lease or outfitted hunt during the rut but I cannot justify the money they want, especially when I feel like I could spend it better on other, more adventurous hunts. Sitting in a tree for a week just doesn't do it for me anymore, I like to move way too much now.
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Will let you know how my SD hunt turns out.
 

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