Midwest Public Land Bowhunt

BoonDock

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I'm wanting to put together a public land trip this year. I'm not stuck on any state or time frame. I've hunted Woodberry and Tranquility in Ohio and I'm probably going to hit a new state. I'm hearing good things about Oklahoma and Arkansas. Anyone have any opinions or want to put a trip together?
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Well, at this point, states with a lottery draw are out (Iowa, Illinois, Kansas).

I think when you consider all of the factors including license cost, driving time, and public land available, Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky are good choices, with Ohio giving you the best opportunity for the money and time spent. That is why it's so popular.
 

Buxndiverdux

Old Mossy Horns
I've done several states DIY on public and private. My experience has been that I haven't been able to stay long enough to get on the best or top 20% of the animals in the area. My trips have been 5-6 days generally and that usually isn't long enough to get the hang of things in the public big woods areas I've hunted. I did a 9 day trip to Wyoming and Nebraska before I had kids and 9 days was enough to get dialed in on the better animals.

The best hunts I've had were when I had some tips from locals (one game warden was a huge help). The adventure is the most fun to me. I love the planning, the hunting of new dirt and the challenge of figuring out game patterns. I've eaten a tag more times than not, but usually always got on decent animals. Most of the time I've ended up being too picky, holding on to the tag till the last minute looking for a real keeper instead of a decent animal.
 

ncstatehunter

Twelve Pointer
Count me in, we just can't talk college sports while on the trip :p. I've got access to a coworkers cabin in Vinton county Ohio that butts up to public land and have also been looking at small parcels of public land near Zanesville, Ohio for when I'm working up there. I've shared some convos with a fellow blogger that took a 150" buck in his home state of Oklahoma on public land, and that makes me want to give that state a try eventually. I'm game for anywhere since my hunting buddies are out when it comes to out of state hunts this year (outside of sc).
 

deerhunter28

Ten Pointer
Well, at this point, states with a lottery draw are out (Iowa, Illinois, Kansas).

I think when you consider all of the factors including license cost, driving time, and public land available, Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky are good choices, with Ohio giving you the best opportunity for the money and time spent. That is why it's so popular.

Illinois bow tags are OTC.
Kansas not sure?
Iowa def draw.



PSE EVO 60 Lbs.
Blacked out
 

shadycove

Twelve Pointer
I talked to the KDWP [Kansas] today....all non-resident permits are sold. On all public land in Ohio you will get walked over, even in archery season. Best bet is prob Kentucky with Missouri a close second, both are OTC tags for archery and firearm.
If it is new ground to me, I will do a scouting trip in August to see the crop situation and maybe meet a local or two, find lodging, food and maybe walk a few woodlots out. This is not the cheapest way but you will have a much better hunt if you take the time and money to do it.
I will probably go to Kentucky this year.
 

30/06

Twelve Pointer
What about KY? Pennyrile has prodcued some very nice deer and after the ice storm many years ago is a buggar hole. Nice accomodations available and camper hook ups. Also Land between the lakes is supposed to be pretty good. OTC tags.
 

BooBillings

Guest
I second Kentucky. Booners are killed there every year and plenty of public land.
 

BigJoshBagotto

Guest
I bow hunted Ohio two years ago northeast of Cleveland near the town of Millersburg. We had permission to hunt a friend's 20 acres so we that whole piece to ourselves. There were other hunters just across the property line on two of the four sides though. In talking to locals, there is a lot of hunters. I'd have to dig up the statics (which I do have), but there are a high number of hunters per square mile in comparison to other states.
I went to Kansas last year and it was a lottery system. As you are aware by now, the deadlines have passed for the 2015 season. We hunted mostly public land and encountered moderate pressure. We were squeezed a couple of times, but just waited a few days and were able to get back in our set spots during the week when locals were back to work. I've got friends who have gone to Missouri in the past five years and they had success for an over-the-counter tag.
There are many options, but look at the statistics when choosing. You want to look at the ratio of deer killed to P&Y bucks. Look at the ratio of tags issues to deer killed. Look at ration of hunters per county. Dig into the statistics and it'll help you choose. Don't just go to a state because that's where the bucks on the magazines are taken from.
I hope this helps and doesn't make your choice more difficult.
 

spoonriver

Floyd the Barber
EHD has smoked a lot of the Midwest the last two years. The farm we lease was hit hard especially 2 years ago.
 

JoeyK

Twelve Pointer
I notice no one is mentioning Wisconsin or Michigan.....and Maine....the deer are frickin HUGE!!!!
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I notice no one is mentioning Wisconsin or Michigan.....and Maine....the deer are frickin HUGE!!!!

Michigan has very pressured hunting in many places. Sounds a lot like NC actually. Maine has one of the lowest deer/sq. mile in the country.

Wisconsin is a consistent producer of trophies, but I've heard there are a lot of hunters in the woods. I'd pick Wis. hands down over the other two.
 

BigJoshBagotto

Guest
I spent the past 20 year deer hunting in Michigan. There are some pockets of very hot spots for P&Y bucks, namely in the lower portion of the lower peninsula. The problem is that it is primarily private land and leases. There is very limited (virtually no) public hunting in those areas (which is why the deer grow so big). Even getting in on a lease is difficult and very expensive. As you move up the to the middle and upper portions of the lower peninsula you get into large areas of public hunting land. In these areas a large buck is very rare. The hunter per square mile ratio during the firearm season, which is in the peak of the rut, is very large. People have the "if it's brown it's down" mentality engrained in them, mainly because if they pass a button buck then the guy wearing blaze orange 100 yards from them will just shoot it. As you get into the upper peninsula you get the chances for bigger deer. In the last 5-10 years since the DNR planted wolves, the overall deer population has taken an major hit.
I still hunt there, but it's mostly to keep deer camp tradition alive with my dad and uncles. I wouldn't recommend it as a destination state for bucks unless you can get in on a plot in the southern part of the state.
 
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