Kentucky is a one-buck state, but you can take as many antlerless deer as you like in Zone 1 regions. Best Counties in Missouri?????? - Missouri Whitetails This might just be the biggest shocker on the list. IMB Outfitters in North Central Missouri offers trophy hunting for the deer. When we got the buck back to camp the warden, who is friends with our local farmer at the lease, arrived to check it out. In Missouri, deer hunting is a popular sport that is enjoyed by many people. Hunting pressure is a major problem in certain regions. I've written plenty of articles about hunters who have taken trophy bucks all across the United States. Stan Potts discusses which archery releases may be best for you. Regardless of what the deer officially scores, Im humbled to have lived this experience. Kentucky is right on the front-runner's heels. Theres no question that our states southernmost counties, and more specifically seven counties in the southeast, produce the lions share of big antlered bucks every year. Sure, Kentucky has only produced 201 entries to Wisconsin's 326 in the last five years. Some places, however, show up in the record books more often than others, making them ground zero for Louisiana trophy bucks. I think you'll be glad you did. Both of these things have been coming. But just like anywhere else, there are sweet spots nestled across the state, ones you should have on your radar if looking to score a monster. I began to wonder. With plenty of room to roam, you can get away from the pressure. This 1,625-acre public land tract is a hotspot for big bucks. During the hunting season, a single state pass provides the hunter with unlimited hunting opportunities for both turkey and deer. It might not rank as high as it used to, but it's still offering pretty darn good deer hunting. Turn the legs and thighs of a freshly killed gobbler into comfort food for a chilly spring night. What state in the US has the most deer hunting? Big deer live in abundance throughout Missouri, and there are numerous hunting opportunities. You can unsubscribe at any time. Parts of Missouri have seen a high number of cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD). But it's still Iowa. There is a patchwork of habitat at Davisdale, making it attractive to deer, including 300 acres of crops, some of which is left for deer and other wildlife. These Major League Fishing pros share the best tips and advice they've ever received. Bass Crash Course: Technique tweaks to maximize distance and accuracy. On Target: Are AR Rifles a Good Option for Whitetail Hunting. Hardly a peep. But the data doesn't lie. Missouri River corridor is prime deer hunting land - Grand View Outdoors Three specific riverine counties we will be focusing on for this article are Callaway, Chariton and Howard counties. It's never been near the top. Go to almost any part of the state to deer hunt and you will see what I mean. The buck was frequently seen around a pond in a 500-acre bean field. IMB Outfitters cancellation policy is much less restrictive than those of other hunting outfitters. This 6,759-acre tract of public land is a great place to begin your quest for a trophy buck. North Carolina has some terrific whitetail hunting make no mistake about it. It's 7 on the eve of the Missouri deer opener, and business is booming at the local Walmart in West Plains, the seat of Howell County in the southeast Missouri Ozarks. Avoid backlashes by making simple adjustments to your reel and matching your lures to your rod's power and action. This year, the rifle will be chambered in 7mm PRC, the hot new load that was a hit at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. 3. The Salt River Lodge has everything you could want in a home setting, including a warm welcome, gourmet food, and an excellent internet connection. Big bucks can be found throughout Missouri, and the Franklin Island Conservation Area is well-known for its trophy deer. The Missouri River corridor counties trophy buck productivity could be linked to three things in my opinion, said Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Cervid Program Supervisor Barbara Keller. West Virginia is where you need to be hunting. Winchester's Nathan Robinson talks features with Game & Fish Editorial Director Adam Heggenstaller at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. Ill give you that You are gonna have to find me the quote, where I said it wouldn't work Maybe I did say that, Just don't remember doing so:goodnight: Hawk and Black Legend Gaugethe ultimate cage match!!! All Game & Fish subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This website will provide information relative to measuring events, measurer location, club records, photos, and more. Spatafora left the blind at 11:30 to go to work but got back to hunting around 2 p.m. Go to Boone-Crockett.org for more details on giant bucks. Gentle terrain is not what the hunter is confronted with. In Minnesota, deer hunting is like a religion, and the opening of Minnesotas deer season is like a holiday. Many areas have produced a passel of trophy deer, too. Deer Hunting In Missouri - PrecisionOutdoors Despite the apparent success of antler restrictions, this year it's been lifted in 14 counties, and the Columbia/Jefferson City Urban Zone has been eliminated. Best Spots for Bowhunting Missouri Trophy Bucks Stan Potts discusses which archery releases may be best for you. Long lines of hunters radiate from the sporting-goods counter as three clerks frantically process hunting licenses. Winchester's new Big Bore ammo, available in 10 mm, .44 Mag., .357 Mag., and .45 Colt, is specifically designed for big bears in bear country. Still, overall, the hunting isn't terrible, and big bucks are still hitting the dirt. Just $1 per month , Show-Me-State deer hunters have taken an unusually high number of big bucks this fall. Deer, turkey, pheasant, squirrel, and rabbit hunting is available on public land in Missouri. There wasnt a place to put a treestand because there are only about 12 trees on the entire place, so my buddy and I built a wooden ground blind for me to hunt out of, says Spatafora. Pat Hogan discusses the use of an AR rifle as a whitetail hunting option. A non-resident combination deer permit (either an antlerless only or a permit that allows both antlerless and sex deer) is $270). This 618-acre public deer hunting gem is one of the biggest blocks of bottomland timber in the region. Sarcasm is weak minded.. "Another part of the puzzle is hunter attitude," continues Sumners. Although that might sound like a lot, consider that there are about 10 million deer hunters in any given year too. Please contact the regional coordinator in your area for club details. Other river corridor counties worth mentioning include Saline, Carroll, Moniteau, Lincoln, St. Charles and St. Louis, which, as many serious deer hunters know, is where the famous Missouri Monarch 333 7/8-inch non-typical whitetail was found dead. First, these counties have good soil productivity, which produces much more biomass of high-quality deer forages. Of the deer harvested, 133,914 were antlered bucks, 27,931 were button bucks, and 123,638 were does. A hunter can harvest one buck with a rifle and two does with a bow. The Golden Triangle of Illinois Pike, Brown, and Adams county, collectively nestled between the Mississippi and Illinois River has long been the primary destination for this caliber of whitetail bucks. Missouri Big Bucks. The buck started walking away and Doyle grunted. Read: Are the Biggest Typical Whitetails History? The evening started out slow but at 5 p.m. Linderer looked to his left and saw the giant whitetail stand up from his bed in the field about 80 yards away. Luckily the sun was at my back. Antlered buck harvest in this county is also trending up from a low harvest of 972 in 2013 to the high mark of 1,066 in 2017. The massive 16-pointer green scored 185 5/8 B&C inches (and thats even with more than 12 inches of antler broken off). MO records by county - Your Missouri Hunting Resource Kentucky has become one of the go-to locations for hunters seeking a big deer. It's crazy how things have changed throughout the years. Doyle later found out that other hunters in the area were chasing the buck. Historical data exists on antler scoring from the South Carolina White-tailed Deer Antler Records Program. Plans include both a public site, and a private site for members and Official Measurers. On Target: Are AR Rifles a Good Option for Whitetail Hunting. He's seen many big bucks on trail camera and killed some nice deer on that particular farm. Pennsylvania has long been known in the world of whitetail hunting as a great place to hunt but not such a good place to see top end bucks, the great bucks that land in the Boone & Crockett records. Hunters are limited to archery and muzzleloader methods to harvest deer. Kolbe Staw and his hunting friends didn't let a warm November slow them down, and it certainly shows! The percentage of 3.5-year-old bucks taken in Howard County was 29 percent, which is 9 percent more than the statewide average of 20 percent. I had a conversation with Jason Sumners, the Science Branch Chief of the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), to find out why. You just never know where a B&C buck might pop up, but the counties we included in this story are both historically and currently some of the best at growing big trophy whitetails, and the above options give you some choices when planning your next hunting trip. It used to be Illinois that everyone talked about. Some big game animals, such as deer and turkey, must be tagged and/or checked after being taken, along with certain game animals. Hunting in the United States can be very enjoyable if you plan ahead of time and work to return to the countrys beaten path. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. Some go a little farther and even go up into Iowa, shoot a buck and check it in as a MO gun kill. When it comes to hunting, it is a fantastic way to spend an unforgettable outdoor adventure, but it must be done with extreme caution and in a safe and responsible manner. Personal defense in the hunting woods could involve taking down a charging bear. We've done this to show where the biggest bucks are coming from right now and to shed a little light on what the future of Boone & Crockett bucks looks like in America. A non-native species is one that lacks a natural predator. Buying a farm or leasing land to an owner who makes a profit is not nearly as profitable as owning a hunting preserve and consistently harvesting trophy whitetail deer and turkey. Its also responsible for creating the Fair Chase code of hunting ethics and a scoring and data-collection system for North American big-game species. In Alaska, hunters must have a hunting license, which accounts for 15% of all licensed hunters. Despite this, the Show-Me State produces a large number of deer from both Boone and Crockett species each year. The increase in landowner permits will ensure that all hunters are able to hunt while still providing a valuable hunting resource for those who qualify. Once again, the state's top five typical bucks ever taken did not come from these high producing counties, instead coming from Peoria, Macon, White, Greene, and Macoupin counties. 6 when taking into account the size of the state and considering the most recent data. This company has leases in 24 States and over 200 leases in Missouri. With outstanding genetics, excellent deer management, and the nutrients available in this farming region, it should be no surprise that the land here has produced more than 20 percent of the states best bucks over the past five seasons. Top 10 States for Monster Whitetails - An Official Journal Of The NRA Antler Point Restrictions (APRs) in 52 counties in Missouri have helped bucks grow older and have changed hunter attitudes on shooting young deer. A combination firearm deer permit is valid for any Missouri county that does not have a resident permit. Trophy List | Archery Big Bucks of Missouri Deer populations rise, fall and run stagnant. Want even more information on record deer? 2 on the all-time list. Of the 187,967 deer harvested, 101,501 were antlered bucks, 16,435 were button bucks, and 70,031 were does. No, I did not. IMB Outfitters has created a single state pass that can be used both ways. And, has rifle season in the rut. The names of counties such as Boone, Callaway, and Jackson should come to mind. The countryside here is not particularly interesting, but it is perfect for whitetail hunting. Join Thomas Allen and son Tommy on an Iowa turkey hunt that resulted in big toms for both hunters. I literally had to go down on one knee and look away to compose myself.. It's No. Plus, it's only cranking out half as many as Booners as Wisconsin and Kentucky on a per-square-mile basis. You were able to ascertain a "consensus" alignment of overall attitude of the likes of mature, trophy whitetail hunters on this site in less than 3.5 months of being a member of MWT? Two things really come as a small surprise. These 12 counties produced a whopping 48 B&C whitetail bucks between 2013 and 2017. Theres a good reason for that as well. These restrictions first began in 2004 in 29 counties and are now paying big dividends in trophy bucks. What could be better than a deep-fried nugget? Check out the Pope & Young records, and you'll see that far-western Jackson County has the most all-time entries (76), followed by St. Louis (75), Boone (73) and Callaway (60). It's up to the hunter to be selective, I don't need more regs to enforce it on me, or anyone else. (Shutterstock image) October 18, 2019 By Jace Bauserman "They must be pretty dang proud of their deer," said a hunting buddy a few years back when Kansas nudged the price of its nonresident deer tags from $315 to $443. Early bird hunters will quickly discover the abundance of hunting opportunities for firearms and archery. Rounding out our list is another Midwestern state, of sorts. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. Sure, that's three more than Kentucky. This lake, located about 70 miles north of the Missouri River, is located in a region with few natural resources. Its no secret that Missouri is one of the most productive states in the country for trophy deer. The 2021 Midwest Deer Hunting Forecast - Realtree Camo In fact, most of the top counties of recent years actually border Iowa. This tract of public hunting land includes 800 acres of woods overlooking the Missouri River bottomlands. Stealth presentations for up-close encounters with bass hiding in cover. For information call 660-248-3358. The corridor in eastern Kansas extends from Marshall and Nemaha counties in the north to Marion, Chase and Lyon on the south, with a bulls-eye on Clay, Riley and Pottawatomie counties. But because of work, he couldnt scout it. At about nine oclock I heard a deer behind me trotting in my direction. Early that last morning, I heard something over my right shoulder. This is just an all-around good state for deer hunting. Illinois deer hunting has greatly declined in the last 10 years. Half an hour later the buck stood back up and started moving directly away. Alaska has miles and miles of untouched nature, as well as breathtaking glaciers, tundras, mountains, and forests. Its no great secret that year in and year out, the state of Iowa produces some of the finest Boone and Crockett trophy whitetails entered into this clubs legendary book. We do not need regulations to change how we hunt, or to protect a few more bucks, Hunters becoming more selective, if they decide they want bigger bucks is all that is needed. :wave1: I will take that as a no, you didn't read the article. A hunter should be aware that hunting and recreation use regulations may vary depending on the area. His brother decided to sit near the pond that evening. | It's dropped off significantly from where it was 10 to 15 years ago. Welcome to the Archery Big Bucks of Missouri official scorer database. Missouri hunters have taken over 200,000 deer each year, ranking first in the country for most deer taken with a single shot. But an average cost per acre for a prime lease in Missouri could go anywhere from $15-$20 per acre.. A quarter mile away from trails or roads is the bare minimum of distance that hunters must cover during rifle season. Book white-tailed bucks are taken almost anywhere in these states, but two areas in the Great Plains consistently produce an inordinate number of giant whitetails. I accomplished every whitetail hunters dream, and I did it all with great friends and family. G.O. Restore Clarity And Brightness: Get Your Steiner Binoculars Recoated! Eight of the book's 21st Century Whitetails come from Illinoismore than any other state. A Missouri Hunter Education Certificate demonstrates to the world that you have successfully completed the necessary training and education in order to hunt safely and ethically.