The HuntingPA.com Outdoor Community banner

What is the best DIY whitetail hunt?

4K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  yellodog 
#1 ·
I was wondering what everyone thinks is the best DIY whitetail going right now? I am looking for a chance at a decent deer and having the opportunity to see a fair amount of deer as well. By decent I mean a realistic chance at seeing something close to 120". License availability of course would be a factor as well as travel time.
 
#3 ·
By DIY do you mean public land? A lot of states have farms or outfitters that do trespass fee hunts where you pay for access to the land then the rest is on you. If thats what you are looking for I'd go Missouri. OTC tags, you can use rifles during gun season, and some serious bucks run around out there. For a public land hunt it all depends how much effort you want to put into it. There are a lot of 120's running around public land all over the east coast and midwest. Give me some more parameters and I can give you some suggestions.
 
#4 ·
There is good public land in many midwest states and some of it is lightly hunted particularly in archery seasons. An instance in Missouri there is Rebel Cove conservation area in Putnam county in the north central part of the state which does not get allot of archery pressure and there and 120+ class bucks are plentiful. Also a friend has a lease in Appanoose County, IA that borders state land. That land is seldom hunted - I myself shot a 145 class buck not 75 yards from the boundary that came off that public land and this year they took a 178 from that same stand that came off the public land. You just have to do your homework. I too hear great things about Ohio and it is closer to home.
 
#5 ·
I would do public land hunts more than likely, but if I could find a trespass fee hunt that would also be a possibility. A great hunt would be one where I could catch the end of archery and then the beginning of firearms? I have a few friends that used to do that in Illinois but have since lost their lease. Missouri would definitely be a state that I would be interested in.
 
#7 ·
otc tags, lots of public land, close, friendly locals, big bucks=ohio. close enough to scout & find permission, close enough to hunt weekends including sundays. spending most of your vacation finding a place to hunt & trying to scout & hang stands really cuts into your hunting time. finding a place that doesn't take the whole weekend just to get there & home will make a diy hunt much more doable. time in the stand, in a good spot is what makes a hunt successful. go scout this winter, go hang stands early fall, then hunt every weekend and your whole vacation.
 
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top