Best state to kill a BIG whitetail - GO!

[Mtcarter34]

Ky

 

[Laramie]

Eastern Colorado, Kansas, and Iowa get my vote. Would include Nebraska as they have fantastic genetics but they shoot a good % of their bucks young due to rifle rut hunts and each Hunter can shoot 2 bucks per season.

 

[bjfoxhoven]

Eastern Colorado, Kansas, and Iowa get my vote. Would include Nebraska as they have fantastic genetics but they shoot a good % of their bucks young due to rifle rut hunts and each Hunter can shoot 2 bucks per season.

Rifle hunts during the rut really hurt “monster” potential. Nebraska, SD, Montana among others all deal with that. In S.D. there were several 200+” white tails shot this past fall that I’m aware of in the local area which I believe was due to wet year and mainly from tag reductions the past 5+ years due to EHD taking its toll through some of the counties (two monsters taken from one county which had its rifle tags probably reduced the most).

 

[mitchp]

Any of the midwest corn states. Im from Southern Indiana and i have seen some great bucks come from around my area.. but really any where on the ohio river valley has great hard woods and hill. Filled with fields of soybean, corn and hay!

I think you nailed it right on the head. The ohio river valley,and contributaries. I'm in southwest ohio,and i see 180+ inch deer regularly. 200+ inch as well. I feel that the average 4.5 year old buck in this area would rival most mature bucks anywhere. The components are just here.....and the genetics.

 

[crock239]

KS, IA...many of the corn belt states. ND probably underrated too.

 

[180splitg3]

I think you nailed it right on the head. The ohio river valley,and contributaries. I'm in southwest ohio,and i see 180+ inch deer regularly. 200+ inch as well. I feel that the average 4.5 year old buck in this area would rival most mature bucks anywhere. The components are just here.....and the genetics.

You regularly see 180" and 200" deer?! That is not normal

 

[George Hamrick]

I think you nailed it right on the head. The ohio river valley,and contributaries. I'm in southwest ohio,and i see 180+ inch deer regularly. 200+ inch as well. I feel that the average 4.5 year old buck in this area would rival most mature bucks anywhere. The components are just here.....and the genetics.

SW OH doesn’t seem to get as much attention as the central and eastern part of the state, but the big ones are there that’s for sure. Applies to about all of the state as long as the area isn’t overrun with pressure and Amish.

 

[George Hamrick]

If you’re looking for a mountain type hunt, look at the bow only counties in southern WV. Some steep steep terrain, but those counties lead the state in big buck kills every year due to being bow only. Nonresident license cost is fairly low as well compared to some of the other mentioned states like Iowa and Kansas.

 

[mitchp]

I know you guys dont believe it,and i probably wouldn't either if it was the other way around. But,i do. Where i live,in clermont county, there is a large river valley surrounded by agriculture and residential property. It just has all the elements,and the deer grow huge. I have property out east in adams county,and know a bunch more that also do,the deer out there are incredible. It puts out many GIANTS every year.

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[SigM1]

Iowa, Kansas, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Id leave the 5th state up to Illinois or maybe Ohio


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[RiverBluffRunner]

You regularly see 180" and 200" deer?! That is not normal

I surely doubt he is seeing 200 inch deer on a regular basis. Not saying lies, but you probably see 150 inch deer and you mind wanders. I surely doubt they are 180 to 200 inch. That is not regular nor common. You would $h1t a brick when you actually saw one.

 

[EASTEXASARCHER]

Public Land? If so, these are my top 3 in no particular order. Oklahoma is probably one of my favorite places, big deer, low pressure, and relatively inexpensive OOS tag.

1. Kansas
2. Ohio
3. Oklahoma

 

[Mike Islander]

+1 Ohio. Definitely not South Carolina.

 

[coyyota]

Not Indiana

 

[mitchp]

I surely doubt he is seeing 200 inch deer on a regular basis. Not saying lies, but you probably see 150 inch deer and you mind wanders. I surely doubt they are 180 to 200 inch. That is not regular nor common. You would $h1t a brick when you actually saw one.

In the last 7 years,5 of my close friends have killed 200+ deer. One being "the living room buck". This year,my buddies 11 year old son killed a 203" on the property i hunt,with a few other friends. His 9 year old son killed a 179. So yes,i see them pretty "regularly ".....heres the pic of his 11 year old and a pic of my buddy with a 213"

 

[Billy Goat]

In the last 7 years,5 of my close friends have killed 200+ deer. One being "the living room buck". This year,my buddies 11 year old son killed a 203" on the property i hunt,with a few other friends. His 9 year old son killed a 179. So yes,i see them pretty "regularly ".....heres the pic of his 11 year old and a pic of my buddy with a 213"

I'd say the way you stated that you regularly see 200" deer leades one to believe you are saying you see them all the time driving down the road. I'd say regularly would be every year to me, not really 5/7 however it is still pretty impressive.

I wouldn't be going on the internet to tell everyone about it, but that's just me. Never understood why everyone brags about big animals, then complains about people hunting everywhere.

 

[Tonycoover]

Have seen some very nice deer while hunting south dakota.

 

[NEWHunter]

It’s not WI. I’m lookin at MO, MN, and OH.

 

[tgus59]

In Iowa, bow hunters get the whole months of October and November to themselves. There is a week of muzzleloader in there, but as a bow hunter, its nice to have the rut to yourself. Ignore the NW 25% of the state if you come here, but the other 75% of the state has good population and size potential.

There are 2 gun seasons that start in December, and it is either shotguns or straight wall rifles.

 

[timekiller13]

Iowa, but the fact that a non-res can only draw it probably every 3-5 years would be frustrating.

If I wanted to hunt big bucks every year, Kentucky gets my vote.

But, if you are talking just mature deer only, rack size is no concern, somewhere deep in Maine or the adirondacks in NY. That's some vast country and I would venture to say many a mature buck dies without ever seeing a human.