Kansas, Missouri and Iowa Deer Hunting

[deerhunter61]

All,

I watch all of these shows on the tude about deer hunting and they are almost always hunting in the states above. Are these hunts conducted on game ranches? Could an out of stater buy a license and have any chance at all of getting a deer of the caliber I see on these shows?

Just curious....

I know when I see the hunts from Texas on TV they are done on Game Ranches which would require me to sell both my children and all my possessions to hunt there.

I know the general manager, super guy, at Carter's Country, good company based on my experiences, in Houston and the owner of this company has a couple of ranches and Ronny told me the cost for 150 class deer cost I think he said $10k and as the inches go up so does the cost...200+ class deer I think he said it would cost around $25k. First understand I do not have a problem with people hunting these places and paying this much if they can afford it...it is just that I can not. Heck I could not come close. I have chose to put off hunting Elk this year...which would have been the first time because I could not afford the $2k to do it. I know you can pull this hunt off a little cheaper but because it would be my first I would need to make some equipment purchases that would run the cost up for me.

I would like to start trying to deer and elk hunt in different states and am curious about the costs to do so and which states are the most accomidating. Do you hunt public land? Private?

I have had the opportunity to hunt in S.C. on a deer hunt for a few years through work and it was an outstanding experience but I am not sure I could afford to do this on my on dime. It was a private ranch. They treated you the way you see these outfitters on the tude which I really enjoyed but the cost was crazy when I asked the outfitter what it would cost if I wanted to bring some friends there to experience it.

Thanks for your responses.

 

[dakotasin]

i've never hunted those states, so don't know the specifics of what is involved. many of the tv hunts are done on private lands that are managed for deer, so you may take that into consideration.

as someone who does a lot of non-local hunting on a shoestring budget, i can tell you that it is a little more work than most people want to put in, but if you are willing to do the work, there's no reason you can't be successful.

about 90% of my big game hunting is public land, because i will not pay to hunt - hunting is already expensive enough. start by looking at some maps to identify public land access. you don't need 30 or 40 square miles, but you will need enough room to give you a nice little area - and account for other people hunting the same land. i like to have access to at least 5 square miles in a single bloc.

in order to be successful (as measured in inches of bone) on public land, you either need a lot of luck, or you need quality binoculars, decent map, maybe a decent spotter, a gps, and a willingness to work.

since i can only wish i was lucky, i take the second set of requirements, and have done pretty well. lots of 130 - 160" public land whitetails and have had a lot of success (130 - 150" heads every year) in some areas that average a 30% hunter success rate.

anyway, doing it like that takes a little more work, and a little more skill, but no reason at all a deer hunt should cost 5, or 10, or 15 grand - that's just insane to me.

 

[cmidkiff]

Missouri's non-resident deer permit is $175. (http://mdc.mo.gov/regs/permits.htm) Hunting on public land is available, but out of state hunters might have a hard time scouting a good location.

I'm sure the other states you mentioned have a non-res permit system, as well.

The big bucks are here, northern MO, southern Iowa, Eastern KS... We've got plenty, come and get 'em

High dollar whitetail hunting in Texas? Where the jackrabbits are bigger than the deer?

 

[Nathanael_Greene]

High dollar whitetail hunting in Texas? Where the jackrabbits are bigger than the deer?

Not only that, some of those jackalopes have pretty good racks, too!

 

[charby]

I'm a Iowa deer hunter and yes you can shoot big bucks on public land. I haven't yet but I have seen lots of mounts and photos of folks who have. You best chance to get a big buck would to archery hunt. That is the only legal season open during the november rut here in Iowa.

I haven't shot a big buck yet because I'm a meat hunter primarily and I do hunt a lot of management hunts in state parks (antler-less). I hunt a mix of public and private land, most of my private land I hunt is to harvest does, landowners want to reduce or stabilze the deer on their land.

I have seen some large bucks out preseason scouting public land and while water-fowling and pheasant hunting.

Southern Iowa has some large tracts of public land. Shemik Forest in the SE Iowa and Stephens Forest in South Central Iowa. You can Google for either of them.

I think a lot of those hunting shows are done on leased land that has been managed for bucks. Leased land is becoming more popular in Southern Iowa because of those shows and it is going to lead to a higher overpopulation of whitetail deer and I think the quality of the bucks is going to drop.

 

[3pairs12]

Mark Twain forest in Mo. has some good caliber deer horn wise anyway. I hunt there about every year and somebody from camp alwys gets something pretty nice.

 

[BigO01]

Sure you would have a chance like anyone else .

I think the biggest or second biggest Non typical was found in ST. Louis county about 20 years ago .

I say found because that's exactly what happened it's rack was so big it got caught up in a fence and broke its neck right before the gun season opened up .

You can get free Topo maps of most lands owned by the Missouri Conservation Department at their website and print them out .

If a trophy is your thing stay north of highway 70 for the best chances .

 

[deerhunter61]

dakotasin

When you say a lot of non local hunting are you talking out of state? If so when you go how long do you plan on staying? Before season do you go scouting the area you identify on the maps you are reviewing?

Do you camp? Trailer? Tent? Stay at a hotel? Do you have a couple of buddies who help share the cost?

Work is not the issue with me...time is the real issue here. That is the biggest concern when I consider going out of state and doing so on public land.


Thanks for all your input!

 

[Jst1mr]

Lots of room in northern WI...bring your "long johns", though!

 

[deerhunter61]

Nathanael_Greene

Hey I have seen a couple of those in W TX too

 

[HB]

Missouri is a great place to deer hunt, Non-res tag is resonably prices ($175, Ill is $250 ). Missouri also has one of the best Conservation departments in the country. There is tons of public land open to all hunters, as well as drawings for select areas. Most of the big bucks are take in northern part of the state (where the corn grows.) MDC is now imposing antler point restrictions that will boost the number of older bucks and hopefully produce more trophy deer. Mo is better than Ill in the sense that you can actually get a tag. Over in Ill, outfitters buy up all the tags and then sell them to out of state hunters for big money. You see a lot of "Save a deer, Shoot an Outfitter" bumper stickers in Ill.

You still have to remember that TV is still a couple of days of hunting compacted into 30 minutes though.

HB

 

[dakotasin]

When you say a lot of non local hunting are you talking out of state?

sometimes. where i live, i can drive an hour to the north and be in montana, or an hour to the east and be in south dakota, or i can drive 6 hours to the west and still be in wyoming. so, my definition of 'non-local' is to a hunting area i cannot reasonably access and scout out in a typical weekend. sometimes i hunt in wy, sometimes in s.d., but almost all of the time it is far enough away that it requires a dedicated mission to get there.

If so when you go how long do you plan on staying?

3-10 days, depending on any number of factors.

Before season do you go scouting the area you identify on the maps you are reviewing?

i try to make 1 all-out scouting trip ahead of the season to whichever destination i feel i don't know well enough. doesn't always happen, but it is a goal i try to achieve.

Do you camp? Trailer? Tent? Stay at a hotel? Do you have a couple of buddies who help share the cost?

yes.
again, it depends. when i am hunting eastern s.d., i'll stay w/ somebody. in central s.d., it is a hotel. in western s.d., i stay w/ in-laws. in most of wyoming, it is a pack-in, canvas wall tent. if it is close to home, it is usually day trips, but i will sometimes do the tent-thing there, too - there's an area i hunt that is close to home w/ no vehicle access. it takes the better part of a day to get to where i want to be. so, tents are the best way.

as for cost, i have three hunting partners who i hunt w/, but never at the same time (they just don't hunt as much as i do). so, i'll split any associated cost w/ them 50/50.

scouting from home:
i start w/ a map that shows public land, and identify a couple good pieces of ground. then get an area/unit map from the game dep't so i know what area or unit to ask about. then, i hunt down game wardens and chat w/ them. then i will pick up/order/make a topographic map. more time w/ the warden. then scour internet sources for info (hunting forums and such). hunt down a biologist and talk to him. in an average year, i will talk to 6 game wardens, some of them 4 or 5 times, and 2 biologists a few times. when i make my scouting trip, i will go out of my way to buy the warden lunch, or coffee, or whatever, and if i can get him to go w/ me to the area and talk about it, even better. i'll also talk to the chamber of commerce in whatever area. sometimes it pans out, sometimes not, but always worth a phone call. establish and develop a network, and then work it hard. you'd be surprised how many people you come into contact with that can point you in the direction you want to go. also, look for people who are hunting a different species than you ahead of your hunt. if you are after elk, then go harass all the sheep/goat hunters you can find. they will be back from an exhausting hunt, and be very willing to share a lot of intel w/ you. if you are after deer, go hassle the antelope or elk hunters, etc...

 

[tasco 74]

i wish you'd ALL come to iowa and shoot deer!! the things are thick here! the last couple of times i went on i-80 i could see deer in small herds not too far off the road....... there must be several thousand deer in this state!

 

[charby]

i wish you'd ALL come to iowa and shoot deer!! the things are thick here! the last couple of times i went on i-80 i could deer in small herds not too far off the road....... there must be several thousand deer in this state!

I'm trying between my friend and I we shot 15 deer last year. All does.

 

[HB]

there must be several thousand deer in this state!

Think several HUNDRED thousand

HB

 

[charby]

I should have shared this earlier.

This a website that shows all satellite and topographic maps of Iowa. Its free to use and print from. http://ortho.gis.iastate.edu/

This website has a bunch of Iowa hunters on it. http//www.iowaoutdoors.com/


Good luck

-Charby

 

[Henry T]

I'm a Missouri hunter and the deer hunting is good here, but no sure thing. You have to work at it. I think the statistics are a whitetail herd of 1 million; 750 thousand hunters; 300 thousand deer harvested a year. But a 30% success ratio because some guys work harder and are more skilled than others. The out of state tag just went up, but is still lower than most states. Thanks for your tips on scouting. You're ahead of me there. I guess I have talked to a warden or two and some locals; but mostly we try to find an area not too crowded with hunters and get to know it well. Good luck.

 

[tasco 74]

drive straight north for about 2 1/2 hours henry!! sothern iowa is full of deer!!

 

[1/4MOA]

for all that might be interested in Northern Missouri there is a place that my father is going this year. Grand River Outfitters. (grandriveroutfitters.com). Rifle hunts include 5 days, lodging, food, they've got about 17,000 acres of owned/leased land. 250 stands overlooking fields etc. $1500 and you buy the $175 tags. Doesnt get much better of a deal for someone looking to hunt out of state.

 

[eclarsen]

"Could an out of stater buy a license and have any chance at all of getting a deer of the caliber I see on these shows?"

"any chance at all"--by definition, yes. However the chance is very, very low.

I have seen a handful of deer that I would be proud to have on my wall, but I haven't seen enough examples of minimum score racks to know if any of these "shooters" (in my book anyway) are record book deer. I suspect the biggest of those I've seen are just out of the running.

I've seen only 4-5 bucks in muzzleloader range in southern IL in the last 3 years of deer hunting, but I've seen some real nice racks in trucks outside of deer processing operations in that same time.

What % of the buck population is Pope and Young/Boone and Crockett class in the first place?

What is the chance you'll run into a handful of bucks of any size during hunting season?

How much time do you have for pre-season scouting?
Is there a big buck in your chosen area?
Can you find it?
Will it step in front of you during season?

If you want a sure thing, you have to pay big bucks for it.

Most of us can't afford the freight, so we hunt w/o an outfitter/guide. That means we either hunt where we have the most experience, maximizing our chances of getting the big buck in that area 'cause we know where it hangs out, know its habits.

If we hunt places we've heard is the land where the big boys play, we are playing the lottery.

On the 35 acres owned by a buddy down in Carbondaleland, we are lucky because it is a perfect funnel between public land and private land with wooded travel lanes.

He has seen several 6-8 pt bucks before the season, but neither of us have seen the 8pt during season.

Do I have a chance? Yes. but because of the way we hunt his land...wait for deer to travel through, we have to be where he is when he passes through and see him before he sees us. Then he has to pass through the trees/brush and give us a shot.

I see these same shows where the hunting pro passes up nice bucks in hopes of getting something bigger.

With each passing year I see bucks get passed up that I would be proud to have on my wall!

 

[iiranger]

Probably NOT...

As long as you are willing to buy the non resident license, you are most welcome to hunt. (They love your money... don't doubt at all...) And there are genuine efforts to make deer available for non residents to shoot without a lot of problems, HOWEVER, the t.v. shows do not pretend to be "ordinary" or "normal." You can bet they "scout" the land and hire people who know where the big heads are and how to set up a shoot that can be filmed/recorded, etc. So can you come to these states and get a deer... Probably YES. Will it rival the big heads on the television, without a budget close to that of a 3rd world country?, not likely. There is an on going "big whine" in both Council Bluffs Iowa and Omaha Nebraska because the deer protected in suburb parks are so numerous. The tree huggers want "birth control" for the deer (but the deer don't cooperate...) The more practical acknowledge the need for a hunt, some kind of hunt: black powder, archery, SOME KIND... Real damn joke... So many deer they have attracted mountain lions along the Missouri River... So if you want a deer, come and get it. If you want a huge head... That takes more planning (and MONEY). luck.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

What's awesome about MO is that north of I70 you can buy an unlimited # of doe permits for $7 apiece. Even non-residents. I own property near Mark Twain lake and we (3 of us) generally have to stop ourselves when we reach 6. A lot of times we don't hunt past the 2nd day of the season. There seems to be more of them every year.