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2017 Hunt

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November 7

New Member
So I have 3years until I can get another Iowa tag and I'm looking for another state to hunt until then. Was thinking about Illinois or southern Minnesota. Any suggestions?

Thanks
 
Archery! I hunted North Dakota just a bit too far to drive. Wife and two kids make long distance travel hard. Northeast Iowa is 4hours, Pike county area is 4hours, southern Minnesota the same. Went way north in Minnesota, huge mistake not many deer and long drive.
 
Problem with Minnesota is the cost of a NR Archery tag and unless you can get on private, public sucks. Whitewater management area maybe because it's so big?
 
Oct-Lull said:
Problem with Minnesota is the cost of a NR Archery tag and unless you can get on private, public sucks. Whitewater management area maybe because it's so big?
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Cost as in too high?? It's less than $200 I think?

Iowa is pushing $700 with the points.
 
Did something change? Last time I checked it coming from Iowa an archery tag would cost the same as a Minnesota resident coming to Iowa. Gun was like 180$
 
Southern Ohio, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, Kentucky. In that order for me.

Some friends have had fun chasing deer in Montana. I can't comment on that or the Dakotas as I've never hunted either
 
Oct-Lull said:
Did something change? Last time I checked it coming from Iowa an archery tag would cost the same as a Minnesota resident coming to Iowa. Gun was like 180$
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It changed, yeah, SE MN would be great if you can hunt private (in a good neighborhood).
 
My brother hunted Southern Ohio this last year and saw lots of little bucks. Might have been where he was hunting. Been searching hard in Illinois but it sounds very similar to my area in Wisconsin. Over hunted and not that many deer. I take a road trip with the family every year down to Arizona and the only state that I consistently see lots of deer and BIG deer is in Kansas. I would love to hunt down there but a 9 hour drive is too much and I have not found much public land.
 
I hunted Pike county Illinois for 10 years and your are correct about deer numbers being down. Back in 2001 there were not that many out of state hunters and the numbers of deer I seen and the number of trophy buck around was crazy. That 1st year the only traffic I seen on the rural roads were a couple farmers, the mail man and the school bus. The following year I started to see a few out of state vehicles here and there, the following year that doubled and a couple years later they were parked on every farm around it seemed. Naturally the quantity of deer dropped quite a bit but the biggest thing ten years later was that the chances of seeing a 150 to 200" deer where slim compared with seeing several during the 9 day hunt, almost daily.

There are still great opportunities for huge buck in Illinois if that's closer for you but you would have to do a lot of research to find an area that doesn't get the pressure in another county other than Pike since it got all the publicity back then. I suggest putting an add in some local papers and you might get a good lead. But you still should investigate any offers before committing by visiting the area in the spring and talking to a few farmers in a local restaurant. Who knows, you may get invited to see the farm and sheds they collected over the years which will tell you a lot.

We were fortunate to have a great farmer reply that wanted the deer population reduced and didn't want an outfitter leasing and bringing in a ton of hunters. This farm was only hunted occasionally by his son so we hit the jack pot back then. Go visit bearing gifts, that is a good way to get your foot in the door of an un-hunted honey hole!
 
I hunt in Pike and its a fraction of what It once was Not sure it will ever recover. I talk to people and tell them what it used to be like they just look at me as if I was not telling them the truth..

I know there is some nice public areas in Missouri and Tags are reasonable. !!!!
 
It's a common theme in most states that the hunting isn't what it used to be. I started 23 years ago in Wisconsin and you could see 40 plus deer a day at any part of any season. Now between my wife and I during the entire early and late season bowhunting and the 9 day gun and the 10 day muzzleloader we saw a total of 56 deer. Some were repeat bucks and does. Not only do I want better hunting for me but my son will be hunting in 4 years. Going to be hard to keep him motivated if he doesn't see anything. I like the idea of putting something in the local paper and talking with some locals. I used to love knocking on doors and asking around, but last year a guy pulled a gun on me for being on his property. Really lost the motivation to look around here anymore. Thank you everyone for the input. I am thinking it's time to put some miles on and start looking. Got 15" snow yesterday here so I'm going to have to travel somewhere this weekend.
 
KS!
Only place I'd leave Iowa to go. Or Canada. Maybe Ohio if got in pretty good area.
Other than rare pockets ANYWHERE..... IL went down tubes a decade ago. MN & MO have early rifle season in peak rut or even "early peak rut" and destroy their own states with foolish regulations. Cross the Iowa line into MO or MN..... Looks the same but holy cow do they destroy their resources and POTENTIAL pulling the rifles out early or mid November. Insanity.
 
I'm currently in the running for the Kansas Highway Patrol... if I land down that way, my doors will always be open to those of you wanting to hunt down that way!!
 
Sligh1 said:
KS!
Only place I'd leave Iowa to go. Or Canada. Maybe Ohio if got in pretty good area.
Other than rare pockets ANYWHERE..... IL went down tubes a decade ago. MN & MO have early rifle season in peak rut or even "early peak rut" and destroy their own states with foolish regulations. Cross the Iowa line into MO or MN..... Looks the same but holy cow do they destroy their resources and POTENTIAL pulling the rifles out early or mid November. Insanity.
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Not going to lie I looked at your photos, WOW. I could only dream to shoot stuff like that! What is your oldest buck you have killed? How about biggest score? You should be proud of all that hard work!
 
Illinois public can be a pain depending on the area. This was years ago, but I would look elsewhere like KS, MO, SD.
 
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