Thats when you pounce. It would be extremely difficult to hunt near that point, but I would take into account both wind and thermal flow direction. 12 Best Public Land Deer Hunts in the Midwest. Since the late 1990s and early 2000s, hunters have been flocking to midwestern states in pursuit of giant-bodied and -antlered deer. Haynes Shelton discusses what to look for when choosing the magnification range when it comes to the scope on your deer rifle. Well primarily hunt deer from stands, which are located in areas with a long history of producing large bucks at the right time. Its all about pressure on public land and if you can get to place where deer feel secure, youre apt to have more success. A majority of hunters are going to stick to those big parcels, but you can certainly find deer in places that require a boat ride. The 8,900-acre Yellow River State Forestis another solid choice. Im always on the lookout for such spots. Mainly active at dawn/dusk then they disappear. The deer eat anything but cotton, most crops will be out by Nov so focus on travel corridors. If they are, its likely I wont be getting access. Good binos have always been extremely valuable to me. In all of these counties, adequate escape cover, ample nutrition and low hunter densities combine to provide ideal behemoth buck prospects. I let my bow down and looked behind me and saw a huge bodied buck with the goofiest rack. Finally, I could make out a deer in the small draw to my left. The dude goes way into depth about finding buck beds. The Kansas WIHA tracts are in my sights for next year. Looking for someone that wouldn't mind giving a guy advice that's new to hunting the Midwest as I've always hunted Texas for deer. Lightly wooded drainage's Small wood patches. Brian Butcher will become the first person to ever take a non-typical, non-typical deer in Kansas if he captures his 321 3/8 buck. You've probably heard all the talk recently about the decline in hunter numbers, with the U.S. By some miracle, he didnt bolt after the arrow hit him. Please contact us if you want a recommendation from someone who knows how to hunt. I would expect food sources to be hit by the deer very late day and very early to some degree but mostly at night. Read more. So I'm from Texas and this will be my first year hunting Kansas. 3 bucks and one doe. Those 2 units are pretty big. Not really Kansas advice but scouting advice in general. 293406215027182 These are part of programs under different names, such as the Walk-In Hunting Area (WIHA) program. Ohio. Here are things you should remember for your next public land deer hunt. I also use a kayak or boat to slip into hard-to-reach places (and sometimes throw the bike in the boat if I need to go in further once Im ashore). Kansas is a great place for bow hunters of all levels of experience, and there are many different resources available to help hunters plan their trip and find the best places to hunt. Even so, ask for permission. They are more often found in the places other hunters avoid. There are different hunting days, and each days prices differ slightly, but all include a hunting tag and a hunting license. The Kansas River Bottoms are a great place to hunt waterfowl and other wetland animals. The Buckeye State keeps my social media newsfeeds as hot with big-buck pictures as draw states like Iowa and Kansas. You must also have an annual hunting license at a cost of $25. | Mike Clerkin heads to Buffalo County, Wisconsin to bowhunt whitetails. B&C: Typical: 48, nontypical: 47. Riley 3 is Riley 3. Stan Potts heads to Montana with his rifle in search of a Big Sky buck. In this graduate-level course, well teach you about deer biology, behavior, and ultimately, how to become a better hunter. At the time of booking, hunters are responsible for a 5% deposit. At 264 1/8 inches, Dale Larson's non-typical has occupied the top of the Kansas records since 1998. Hunting food sources on public land.so, November is the rut as we all know. Kansas offers various hunting opportunities for the majority of game species. Main thing is be mobile, Ive sat an area on one side of a creek on public and not seen more than a few doe pairs in a few days and decided to cross the creek at noon and had 3 bucks dogging a hot doe. Around 6:35 a.m., I heard the unmistakable sound of several deer approaching to my left, with at least one buck making a clicking grunt. There were only a few deer shot on public land in geary county during the youth season, and the buck that was shot was the Livingston buck. |
Hunting, fishing, horseback riding, hiking, and camping are all examples of activities that can be done on this land. Hunting: How to Read the Land for Deer . Gordon Whittington talks with Steven Sprout about the trophy buck he took back in 1998 while bowhunting public land in Illinois. As a Ks resident I am able to get an either species tag about every other year so I will hunt Whitetail in SE Kansas one year and then Mule deer in NW Kansas the next. The commercial guiding of hunters is not allowed on public lands owned or managed by KDWP, including Walk-in Hunting Access areas. When most hunters think of Kansas, they picture unending flatlands. Kansas is a deer-hunting gem and should be on every whitetail addict's must-hunt list. Anyone seeking large tracts of land, or many smaller ones in hopes of finding a secluded spot, should consider the Mississippi River Pool areas. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. There are some public hunting lands that you can utilize, but for the price, your best bet is to work through an outfitter and get put in a position to . In these regions, there are a variety of habitats that support a healthy deer population. Still, it doesnt see the hunting pressure many midwestern states do. I could tell the deer were very close (inside of 50 yards), but I couldnt yet make any of them out. The big 6 started posturing at the 2-year old buck. There are also a lot of WMAs. Just $1 per month , Buy a boat and focus on small properties if you want to have more success deer hunting public land, By Deer: Balancing Expectations for Small Properties, Get to Know Your Neighbors for Better Deer Herd Management, Big Buck Profile: Reid Crawford Kansas Buck, Choosing Correct Magnification for Rifle Scope, Big Buck Profile: Troy Metzger's East Illinois Giant. When you look at a pressured public property, you have to wonder how mature bucks survive there. After a day of drying, I decided to drive some roads looking for fresh tracks. Deer. Collectively, Nebraska has just over 1.2 million acres of publicly accessible lands throughout the state. Jphunter noticed this year that out-of-state tags are increasing in number. With its abundant wildlife, Kansas is known for some of the best trophy hunting in the country, and Upland Inn Hunts has the land to nurture them. The outfitter on the south border of it has 5 stands within spitting distance of the fence. The famous Rokslider Buck is looking for does. For the last few years, Kansas has consistently ranked near the bottom of the rankings for deer hunting. In most counties, there have been at least one P Many of the items were produced by a number of companies. . The Fall River area used to be an awesome area to deer hunt. But despite my early arrival to the tract of public land I had scouted the day before, and done so much leg work to find, there were already multiple cars in the parking lot. Cruising further down the road, I found another truck on the north end of the property, as well as two more trucks on the east side. After about 30 seconds, he very nervously kept walking, and then stopped again (now directly downwind) at 12 yards. For sweepstakes rules and details,click here. You dont need access to thousands, or even hundreds of acres to kill a good buck. Best States Based on Public Land Availability. If you dont mind rubbing elbows with other hunters and fighting for the best stand every morning, then keep hunting where you have beenbut dont be surprised if you keep having the same dismal results. 000 95th Road , Piqua, KS, 66761, Woodson County. Whitetail hunters should note that while there are whitetail deer in just about all of the Lower 48 and parts of Canada, for the purposes of this post we are . Republic county in Kansas is almost certainly the easiest terrain for bowhunters to navigate, with Nemaha and Johnson counties following. This land spans 458 acres and is located in Sheridan County, Minnesota. North central Kansas. For example, some states offer third-party land trusts that are open to hunting. Scout and hunt some of the many smaller acreages throughout the area. Iowa - the corn state is one of the most sought-after states for hunting mature bucks, because the trophy potential is huge. I decided what the heck, Im going to arrow this freak!, so I drew back and touched off a shot at 23 yds. Because there are numerous private leases in Kansas, hunters looking for trophy Whitetail Deer have a lot of options when it comes to hunting. Tuttle Creek Wildlife Area Location: northeast Kansas Size: 12,000 acres ZIP: 66411 Think of nearby Tuttle Creek as Milfords tougher By Halstead, KS. Know where food sources, water sources, and bedding areas are located. "Decoys can be your best friend when hunting western Kansas," Farris said. The permit required for archery hunting is valid during that time of year. Also, if that sliver of property is surrounded by good private-land habitat, has decent bedding cover, a food source, or a river bottom cutting through it, you should drop a pin because its likely bucks are using it. In addition to the variety of sand hill plum pastures, mature hedge rows, creek bottoms, agricultural fields, and CRP, we have a diverse range of habitat types on our 12,000 acres. Im scouting walk in areas now via google maps as well as some of the WMA areas. In northern Minnesota, the Chippewa National Forest and Superior National Forest both have large acreages. At this point, I was just looking for a tree to hang my stand in. It also has approximately 1,300 WMAs. I used to love hunting one of these days, and its a lot of fun reminiscing about those days. For example, there are numerous things you should never do on public lands. This is the average sized spot for one hunter. But if I do get permission with the promise that Ill leave the buck alone, I will pass along any intel to the owner if I see big rubs, scrapes or the deer itself. I looked behind my stand, across the county road, and caught sight of two bucks now chasing this doe, 80 yards from my location. . For those seeking an abundance of early successional habitat, consider Cedar Bend WMA. In addition to the variety of game, Kansas also offers a variety of hunting experiences. They will concentrate down into thicker timber/cedar trees when it gets wet and cold. Below is a list of the best overlooked hotspots that produced my best public land bucks. Landowners are more apt to give you the go-ahead if you have a new hunter in-tow or youre with your significant other. Beyond that, dont overlook large lands owned by coal, electric, power, paper, and timber companies. But there figures to be some tweaking. Getting a nonresident hunting license will set you back $97,50 for the adult and for 15 and younger $42,50. Kansas, Minnesota, and other states have these programs, even if under different names. What is the Most Important Factor in Whitetail Nutrition? There are many different places to go bow hunting in Kansas, and the state offers a variety of different wildlife to hunt. Kansas greeted me with a half-inch of rain, which made many of the section roads nearly impassable. In terms of number of units, Geary ranks fourth. Focus on thick, early successional habitat. Kansas Clays & Arrows . 1. Of course, CRP on its own isnt prime deer habitat, but these places can become important components of whitetail ranges. At 10 a.m., I planned to move to a different location on the same piece of property that looked better for all day cruising activity. Do your research and find a method that works best for you to get a cheap hunting trip put together! At 25 yards, he came to a complete stop. Be careful on the roads. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. This is a much smaller area, but offers opportunity. It was 15 yards away and headed right for me treeand then it grunted. 100 Best Public-Land Hunts: Kansas. This program has tall wheat or milo stubble and adjacent habitat. Kansas has long been regarded as one of the top states in the country for hunting large white-tail deer. States in the West lead the country in the amount of public land available, with states including Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho making more than 50% of the state available to the public to hunt. Just $1 per month . By some miracle, he didnt bolt after the arrow hit him. 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