Best States for White Tail Deer?

Very nice buck. I'd call that a trophy. Who's back yard did that come out of? To get one like that here you to pay big $ or be very fortunate to live next to a River bottom and have a chunk of property that backs up to it and feed them annually, plus keep the poachers out. I'll bet those horns were delicious.

Let's see your top five.
 
This guy came out of my back yard. I have not taken one in the last 2 seasons because I'm looking to improve on him. I'm not sure that will happen any time soon. But it will give the little guys time to grow.

What kind of restrictions do you guys put on your selves as far as trophy animals. Would you give a nice one a free pass until next year so he can grow a bit?

A few seasons in Atascadero and I would have to retire from Bucks.
 
Great question 187. That is a great topic starter. I think you know my answer, I've got a 150 grain bullet dying to move 3,300 feet per second down the barrel of a M70, no deer rides for free, especially if my toes are freezing off. LOL
 
What kind of restrictions do you guys put on your selves as far as trophy animals. Would you give a nice one a free pass until next year so he can grow a bit

In my area there are lots of mulies as well as whitetails. There is a general open season for whitetail bucks and a draw for does.

Mulies on the other hand are on a draw, both bucks and does. We also operate on the priority point system so we have to wait about 4 years for a buck draw.

I was drawn 2 years ago for mule buck. Season is Thursday, Friday, and Saturday only through November. I scouted every day through October. There really are a lot of good bucks and a few outstanding bucks here. The Sunday before the season opened I spotted the largest mule buck I've ever seen, and beleive me I've seen lots.

I hunted that buck the rest of the season, everyday, even days I wouldn't have been able to shoot him. The Wednesday before season closed, I found him with 2 more monsters. I would have been thrilled with any one of them. But it was WED.No shooting. I hunted for him the next 3 days... no luck.

On the last day of the season at 5pm, I shot a small, forkhorn with only one antler. He was standing beside a buck that would score 160.

I hadn't been able to find THE BUCK, so I decided to take the runt out of the gene pool. I left the 160 to breed. Almost any day during October/November I saw bucks in the 130-160 range and a few a little bigger.

A lot of areas I hunt have a general season for mulies, just where I live it's a draw.

I've hunted lots of places where our camp would only shoot 4X4 or larger. It worked well.

As far as whitetails go,when Mike Granger was here last winter for coyotes, he saw a Whitetail rack and scullplate lying in my backyard. He was kind of excited about it and thought it was a good rack. I thought it was Ok. Not uncommon around here. He took it back home with him. I'll see if he'll post a pic when he gets done fighting forest fires.
 
I am starting a new topic (personal restrictions) so this one doesn't get off track. I am going to add Iron Pony and Redfrogs replys to it.

BTW I like your story Redfrog. Gave me that warm little pride felling inside. But don't tell anyone.

Darrin
 
The restrictions hunters put on themselves varies a great deal in Texas. Places that are selective in only killing mature deer reap the benefits. And also, b/c of the dense population in a lot of the state, hunters who take a lot of does and cull bucks soon find bigger deer.

As a GENERAL rule, on a good South Texas ranch, anything under 155 bc would not be considered a trophy. In the hill country and west, I would say that deer under 135 would not be considered a trophy. East Texas and North Texas vary quite a bit from place to place, but the good places near the standards of South Texas....and even match it.

Having said that, I am talking as a general rule for serious Texas hunters. As for me personally, I feel a "trophy" is a personal issue. The biggest buck I have killed went almost 135. It was/is a trophy to me, but it was a "management" buck to the ranch. For me, a trophy depends on a lot of different factors.

Things just vary so much within each state. Multiply that by a ton to include all the different states (and countries!)

There is very quality hunting in certain places in nearly every state.........I would love to experience the hunting in some of the other states as well! I would also love to see anyones pics from this coming season when it comes around. I know I will be posting mine.......hopefully I will have some /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif !
 
Nice work with the bow. I am going to bow hunt for the first time this year and even if I just shoot a doe........it'll be a trophy.

How did you hunt him? Stalk? Stand?

Nice deer.
 
I'll give you my thoughts at the best states as far as real hunting goes......fair chase!

1. Iowa

2. Northern Missouri

3. Illinois

4. Kansas

5. Michigan
 
I spotted him about 300 yards away as he was feeding on this large flat. I dropped below the edge of the flat and made my way around to where i thought he would feed too. I got there way before he did. it seemed like he would never show. Then he popped out in a clearing 40 yards away. I hit him broad side with a double lung shot and he only ran 30 yards.Hes the largest mule deer ive ever taken as you can tell by the smile on my face
 
WVBoy,

Awesome hunt. Let us know what happens this year.

Robert Dutto,

I guess you are from Kansas or you have had great success there?
 
the states that have the best farm ground will have some of the better bucks, you are what you eat, and the best farm ground has the best nutrients
 
its not the corn, corn around here is usally not even growing when bucks antlers are popping out,or in velvet.The ground with the best minerals in it are the reason for big antlers. Corn has no nutrients value just has starch in it. Beans have more nutrients value then corn.
 
It's been a long time but I'll chime in here.

Fist of all I have lived in Texas all of my life. Except for the few years spent in the Marine Corps, which were spent in various locations. In my lifetime I have had the priviledge to hunt in many locations. Texas holds a very dear spot in my heart but it definately is NOT the best place to klll deer if you are looking for a true B&C trophy. Sure we have them but expect to pay through the nose for the opportunity. I assure you that if a ranch holds a B&C animal, more than likely the rancher or landowner knows it too and wants to capitalize on it's "value".

Before you rip me a new one let me quantify.

When considering a place to hunt whitetails many things must be considered. What are you looking for exactly? Price? Quality? Quantity? Opportunity? Access? Size? Limits? Regulations? Seasons?

Each of these things merit a different degree of success.

Price - Take your pick. Everywhere is getting expensive. Public land is free but you have to get there and pay for lodging, food and travel.

Quality - This is an open ended question. I will presume tht by quality you mean the size of the antlers. For this the Midwest and Canada is King. Sorry Texas and Mexico. We just can't hold a candle to those HUGE northern deer.

Quantity - Here is where Texas shines. Largest Whitetail deer heard in the world. Pennsylvania and Alabama hold large herds as well.

Opportunity - Is what you make of it. Larger deer populations make it much easier to bag a deer. To bag a big one you have to be where the big ones are. Texas is a great compromise of size and quantity. With the pay to hunt environment being the biggest drawback to hunting in Texas. Landowners have figured out that deer are more profitable than cattle for those willing to pay. Biggest bang for the Buck is defintately NOT in Texas. An average size deer in Texas will most likely cost you about double what you would ex[ect to pay in the midwest for a comparable, B&C score, size deer.

Limits - Texas and Alabama are about the best and easiest places to get tags for multiple animals. Really depends on whether you are looking for quantity or quality. Again Texas is a great compromise.

Regulations - Everyone has them and they are all basically the same.

Seasons - Texas and Alabama have some of the longest seasons. But a well thought out hunt can be booked at the right time. Personally, I can't afford to spend 90 days in the woods hunting. Some can, I guess, but not me. 14 - 30 days is plenty if planned and scheduled properly. If extended time in the field is your thing I suggest taking up archery and/or muzzle loading. Both of these can extend your seasons.

I hope that I didn't confuse the matter more that it already was. Every place that you are able hunt a whitetail holds value. It is all a matter of taking what the land provides and matching wits with one of our nations greatest treasures.
 
My response:

On some counts you are right, but on some……..way off. You do have to pay out your arse to hunt Texas, no doubt. But to say that rack wise Texas/Mexico doesn’t “hold a candle” to the Midwest and Canada………….crazy. Of course body wise we are way behind, but rack wise we are right there. And for sheer numbers of high scoring bucks I would venture to say that we are above. Of course the size of the state plays a great deal in that. But if you were to take South Texas alone, I would feel very confident in saying that there are as many, if not more, high scoring bucks there than anywhere (and I am talking low-fenced ranches, not high-fenced, those don’t count). And when I make this point I am talking about near book deer as a “monster”. If you are looking for a buck that is going to be the next world record…..head to the North/Midwest or even the NE, but for sheer numbers of big racked bucks………we got it (in my opinion). That is why people travel to Texas from all over the country and pay $10,000 to kill a monster

Trust me, I hate the high prices too, but can you blame the ranchers? It is the doctor/lawyer types from the big cities who are preventing us from getting on the best ranches in Texas. I feel like this will spread to other states in the next several years.

As far as regulations go, it is not a hot topic, but states regulations are not nearly the same…….

I am not bitter, I just think you are incorrect.
 
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