I've killed over a hundred of the little buggers and my fair share of nice bucks in the 110-140 range but, The areas I hunt just don't offer a reasonable chance at a 150+ buck.

I'm booked with Elk and Mulie hunts for the next 3 years but after that there are two hunts I plan on taking. One(My Dream Hunt) a nice Bull Moose and Second, a 150+ BC whitetail. To some that may not be very large of a buck, to me, it's a monster.

I want to go on a hunt where many bucks will be seen, spot and stalk or stand hunting, and 150+ bucks are the norm.

Canada?

South Texas?

Mid West?

I don't really care to hunt in a small high fence operation and don't care to pay over 5k.


I'm heading to Iowa this year for the 1st SG season and there will definitely be bucks of that caliber in the area but, we will not be hunting on any kind of managed land or large ranch.

Thanks,

Reloader

Saskatchewan
Alberta
Manitoba

Don't overlook the panhandle of Texas and also far west Texas, where management practices have been paying dividends with some really nice bucks being taken. In both areas, spot and stalk is the rule.

Much of the hunting in south TX is quite expensive -- at least in my opinion. And much of it is from elevated blinds.

North and west Texas hunting is priced much more reasonably. The grain fields of the northern portions of the state also contribute to larger body size than normally found in south TX, though you can certainly run into a bruiser there as well.

The deer in west/far southwest TX won't be as heavy but certainly can feature some impressive headgear.

Oddly enough, there is a pocket of bucks in that catagory in South Warren County Iowa. My ex BIL hunts that region, where I also grew up, and they are outstanding there. Where in Iowa are you going this year? Some great deer there.

quote:

Originally posted by Canuck:
Saskatchewan
Alberta
Manitoba

good suggestions, i would also add two states that lie just south of those provinces (north dakota and montana).

I'm just a dummy from the mid west but it seems to me the best place to find a trophy whitetail is in you crosshairs. They're everywhere-just decide if you want to hunt for the hunt or to score points.

quote:

Where in Iowa are you going this year?

We are going around Oakland and Sydney in the SouthWest part of the state. There's definitely some bruisers in that country and I hope to get a monster this year. In '05 3 of us went and we bagged a 162" 12pt, 115" 8pt, and a 116" 10pt. We had a great hunt. I saw one real bruiser, a 10 that was easily in the 170s plus(he was huge). Also had a close encounter with a 140" 10pt after I filled my tag.


Bobby, Yep, there are some nice bucks in the Panhandle area. I went hunting up there twice and saw some real monsters on the neighboring cattle ranch where we hunted. They knew exactly where to hang out, just over the fence. We saw a 160 class deer one evening and he was quite impressive to say the least. Also saw some bruiser 140-150+ class bucks on that cattle ranch. They didn't allow any hunting on that particular ranch and the outfitter we used lost that adjacent lease. I did take an 18" wide 10pt that scored 118 on that lease the last year he had it.

Reloader

Reloader
Southern Mississippi in the Woodville area is as goo as any whear in the US. We have a long season, Archery starts 9/3 and second Muzzleloader ends 1/31. The limit is also liberal 3 Bucks per season and 1 doe per day. I'm booked fos mid Dec. for a Muzzleloader Rattling hunt. If you want some Info PM me and I will put you intouch.

DR B

Reloader wrote:

quote:

I went hunting up there twice and saw some real monsters on the neighboring cattle ranch where we hunted. They knew exactly where to hang out, just over the fence.

Hey, I can sympathize. It's almost like they know they're taunting you. Big bucks also seem to be a tease the week before the season and then disappear until the day after it closes...

That is a nice area out there in the SW corner of Iowa. A guy shot the new state record non typ with a bow last year in the area I was telling about. What a monster! My ex BIL helped him dress it and load it in his truck.

game is where you find it.

South Texas, Just write a check (you pay by the inch)

Man, just you come down here in your own home state where the big deer are. Atchafalaya river bottom has lots of big old deer that will score 150 to 170 and weigh over 200lbs.

south Texas!

there used to be a QDMA map online that showed densities of P&Y and B&C whitetails harvested across the country. Now they're charging for it. Wisconsin, Texas, Ohio, Iowa, Illinios, Kansas, and Kentucky were all in the top 10. Canada is always a good place that seems to produce very nice bucks. In reality, anywhere in the midwest is a good place to start. We've had pretty good luck in Ohio, several years ago we took a 150 and 170 in the same season. My brother went 3 years straight with a 140 class buck or better. Good luck!

gd

Come on up to northen Alberta for your whitetail and moose and elk and mulie and bear.

Combo a whitetail & mulie.

Check out Birch Creek Outfitters

Great people, prime land and opportunity for 150+BC whitetails / and even larger mulies.

Canada!

Joe

I have the same quest and have settled on Pioneer Outfitters in the Riding Mountains of Manitoba. Big bucks for a fair price.

Hey Reloader, Just flipped through the KY Rules & Regs and they have a Trophy Buck Listing. Typical begins at 160 and they had 33 reported larger than that last year. Biggest reported was 180 6/8.

Non-Typical begins at 185 and they had 7 reported which exceeded that.

The largest Non-Typical reported was 246 3/8 and was taken in the Pennyrile State Forest over near the Land Between the Lakes section. That is on land which is "Open to the Public!"

while I have never worried about antlers on an animal I
am shoting primarily to eat if I saw that fella I'd definatly bust a bit more than a cap into his chest...

AD

ovis,
that is about 135" 3 year old.

guntoter,

Sorry if I misrepresented anything.......the pics have been deleted........

Joe

This year because of all the rain it might be South Texas. Here is a picture that was taken yesterday




Wish I had taken the picture and was hunting this buck but I don't know exactly where this one is. On a lease that I am going to cull buck hunt the game survey said they were goint to have a lot of B & C bucks this year because of all the rain.

ovis,
i did not mean for you to do that.
nothing was meant by it.

and woods,
isnt photoshop wonderful?

quote:

Originally posted by woods:
This year because of all the rain it might be South Texas. Here is a picture that was taken yesterday




Wish I had taken the picture and was hunting this buck but I don't know exactly where this one is. On a lease that I am going to cull buck hunt the game survey said they were goint to have a lot of B & C bucks this year because of all the rain.

By the looks of the eartags in all those does, it looks like he is part of a petting zoo someplace. A trained chimp can kill a 150 inch buck behind a high fence.

MG

Here we go on the old high fence post..It depends on how big an area the deer are in..Some ranches in So. Texas are 50,000 acres or more and some much more and most of it is impregnable by man! ..I doubt that any Wyoming cowboy could walk that much area out in a week...

Texas, Canado, Nebraska, Kansas have big bucks, Montana, Whoming and Idaho have some big whitetail..A 150 buck is a big buck but there are plenty of them that size..The 160s and up are much harder to find..

quote:

A trained chimp can kill a 150 inch buck behind a high fence

And an UNTRAINED chimp could probably grasp the concept that the number of acres inside the fence, and the terrain/cover inside the fence COULD possibly, maybe, make a tiny difference.
Unless, of course, you are into absolutes. In which case the animals in the mighty mountains of Wyoming are still confined by the Atlantic and Pacific.

Sorry, I didn't realize that we were going to include livestock in the debate as to where one could find a 150" buck. I thought (and still believe) Reloader was looking for a wild animal, not someone's juiced up pet.

MG

Mad: You know, if I thought you had any interest in an objective dialog and exchange of ideas, I would love to discuss the topic with you. But it is pretty clear,to me at least,from your past posts, that you have made up your mind and no amount of discussion will have any impact. If I am incorrect, please let me know.

No, you're right olarmy. High fence operations and game farms are second only to habitat destruction as the worst thing to happen to native populations of wildlife in North America.

There is no logical discussion or argument that can be made to rationalize game farms. These types of operations are a huge threat to native species of wildlife as well as our hunting heritage. Anyone naive enough to think they serve some sort of purpose are fooling themselves.

Greed + Money + Ego = Game Farms

Simple as that.

MG

Sorry Reloader....

Reloader:

In your quest for a 150BC whitetail, you will get many suggestions, many of which will be worthless due to lack of experience by the writer.

I will offer my view, which you may deem to be worthless, based on over 55 years of whitetail experience.

In no area you will hunt will you find 150 BC bucks to be the norm but you must hunt where they live. No doubt you will need a guided hunt unless you can spend a month in the bush each fall.

For the last 15 years, I have been hunting whitetails in Alberta and Sachkatchwan. Most years I hunt a week in each province. I have been hunting horns while in Canada and I have only killed 6 bucks---one at 158BC and the other five all greater than 170 BC. (170to 197BC).

Naturally, I recommend Canada for the larger whitetail but you will not find it easy to kill a buck greater than 150BC. Of course you may get shit house lucky and shoot a 180 on your first trip but the odds are against you.

Well before your time there was a chap named Herb Klien who set out to get a BC trophy in all the classes of large mammals in North America. He was able to fullfil his goal but he stated that the whitetail was by far the most difficult to obtain. This little tale will give you some idea of the task before you.

You must possess great patience.

quote:

Originally posted by Madgoat:
No, you're right olarmy. High fence operations and game farms are second only to habitat destruction as the worst thing to happen to native populations of wildlife in North America.

There is no logical discussion or argument that can be made to rationalize game farms. These types of operations are a huge threat to native species of wildlife as well as our hunting heritage. Anyone naive enough to think they serve some sort of purpose are fooling themselves.

Greed + Money + Ego = Game Farms

Simple as that.

MG

Sorry Reloader....

what is a game farm?

I agree with Madgoat.

I always know which side has the weakest position, they start asking for definitions to try to derail the discussion.

A game farm is anything that a deer could only escape by climbing a ten to twelve foot fence. The amount of acreage inside that fence is immaterial. A lot would be a big game farm. Not so much would be a small game farm.

If you like BIG BUCKS you should check out (www.bigbuckmag.com)

Mainly pictures and stories of hunters with BIG BUCKS taken in Sask., Alberta, B.C., Manitoba.

Robin in Rocky

Illinois, Iowa and Idaho for having the Deer of that caliber and at an affordable price. I've hunted IL 3 times (this will be my 4th trip in Oct) and Idaho twice. I saw bucks over 150 BC each trip. Friends that live in IA have taken bucks over 150 a number of times. Wolarry (Woody) gives good advice; patience and luck if your wanting a buck over 150. Good hunting, David

True 150" bucks IMO are few and far between. I have hunted Wyoming, Georgia, Montana, Idaho, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Texas and have only seen a handful.

I have seen them in South Texas but they are just too expensive for me. I saw lots of 130 - 140 Class deer in Wyoming, Montana (NW Corner), and Saskatchewan. I got a 161 Gross 152 Net WTD in Alberta last year after spending 8 cold days in stands. I passed on alot of 130 - 140 class bucks waiting for him to show.

quote:

Originally posted by Kensco:

A game farm is anything that a deer could only escape by climbing a ten to twelve foot fence. The amount of acreage inside that fence is immaterial. A lot would be a big game farm. Not so much would be a small game farm.

Kensco: I admire your conviction. Can't say I follow you logic, however. But at least we know there is no point in wasting bandwidth is discussing the issue.

olarmy,
You might consider that some fences are there to keep people out.
Be objective not subjective about it.

I don't think Texas is worth the money. Besides, many places that advertise 150 class bucks are those pay for the point operations. You know, shoot a 130 class cull deer for $3,500. After that, they have a pay scale. I think its ridiculous.

Based on my research, Kansas and Iowa would be my top two choices with Montana, Illinois and Idaho a close second. Also, don't overlook hidden gems like Oklahoma, Nebraska, Ohio, and even New Mexico.

quote:

Originally posted by Gun toter:
olarmy,
You might consider that some fences are there to keep people out.
Be objective not subjective about it.

Gun toter: I agree completely!
Some fences are there to keep people out.
Some fences are there to keep deer out (i.e. to keep the population within the carrying capacity of the pasture in areas where the population is way too high)
Some fences are there because the neighbor shoots way too many deer for the number of acres he owns.
High fences are a tool. They can be used for many purposes...some good and some "bad".


What I don't understand is the conviction that "if there is a high fence, there is a game farm, and game farms are bad...but I won't tell you what a game farm is."

IMO, I am trying to be objective, not subjective. Please tell me where I am wrong.