# Best Trophy Whitetail Deer Bow Hunt Option?



## DeerSlayer36 (Feb 21, 2009)

Looking to tag a 140+ fair chase Whitetail Buck with my bow, what are best options out there to make this happen? 

Would appreciate any outfitter or DIY recommendations?

Thanks,

Mike


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## Steiny (May 30, 2011)

What you are asking for is what every whitetail hunter wants, and is a very tough order to fill. Plan on several hunts to get this accomplished.

I did 7 guided and semi guided hunts to prime areas in Illinois and never killed a good buck. Saw a few dandy's but never killed one. In my opinion, most of those outfits were over hunting properties.

Have done 3 guided hunts to Eastern Kansas and killed one great 158" buck on a rifle hunt. Would go back there again, bow or rifle. PM me if you want the outfitters name.

I now lease a great farm in southern IL with a partner and we've killed some real nice bucks and seen better ones. We are the only ones that hunt it, so don't have to think about who was in there before us screwing things up, and the price of the lease works out about the same as a guided hunt, only we can get more days of hunting per year in. 

For a guided, one week deal, I'd look at the better outfitters in Kansas or Iowa.


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## itchn2fish (Dec 15, 2005)

Hunt Michigan


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## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

DeerSlayer36 said:


> Looking to tag a 140+ fair chase Whitetail Buck with my bow, what are best options out there to make this happen?
> 
> Would appreciate any outfitter or DIY recommendations?
> 
> ...


 
If you're patient I would recommend Iowa. For archery, most of the "prime" DMUs require 3 or more preference points to draw however, there are great bucks in every corner of Iowa, more in some than others, and access may vary widely.
In Ohio there's very reasonable odds of having an opportunity on 140" deer either on private or public.
The northern tier of counties in Missouri can provide reasonable expectations as well, odds go up if you're hunting private of course, but plenty of 140 class bucks get taken on MO public each year.
I'll be giving KY some love this fall. Since they adopted a OBR, they've climbed the "trophy state" ladder very quickly, same with Indiana.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Edmonton Alberta bow zone.


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## Chromelander (Oct 1, 2011)

2 weeks in Canada may get it gone. texas may be another with enough $$


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## TVCJohn (Nov 30, 2005)

Maryland....OTC licenses, generous bag limits, long seasons and big racked bucks if that is your thing.

http://dnr.maryland.gov/service/hunting_license.asp

$130 NR license
$25 NR bow stamp
$25 Bonus stamp for a 2nd buck. (gotta kill 2 does before 2nd buck)

Firearms is included in NR license. If you want to ML hunt, $25 for that tag. So you can get one buck each season plus one bonus buck tag. (4 bucks)

You can hook up with an outfitter or maybe find a hunt club to join. There is some public land but nothing like Michigan.


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## DeerSlayer36 (Feb 21, 2009)

I have hunted Mi all my life EUP Curtis/Newberry area, NW LP TC/Kalkaska area, S. Mich Calhoun, Hillsdale, Gratiot, Oakland, and Lapeer counties. Since 2007, I can see with use of trail cams and first hand observation deer numbers decline and very few buck over 1.5 YO.

I have hunted NW Ontario several times, but I am hearing wolves and severe winters have that herd in decline the outfitter I usually go with did not even do hunts there in 2014. Been to Indiana twice lot more deer than Mi, but place I go, 2.5 YO is a shooter, I was lucky and took a 130-class 8-pointer, best with a bow they took all season, went with 4 buddies, I was only one who had an opportunity, 1 for 5 Peak rut 2nd week in Nov. I think Indy properties been over hunted.

I would like to experience a Whitetail Rut hunt where there is a good buck to doe ratio and reasonable expectation of seeing an lder 3.5-4.5+ YO Buck.

I appreciate the feedback, always looking for next best opportunity.

Luv2hunteup,

What are you thinking of EUP Deer Herd Outlook for Fall 2015? My buddy has a camp in Western Mackinaw County near Luce county border. DNR lately has been all doom and gloom too rough winter in a row, cancel deer season in UP. What are your thoughts on EUP Deer hunting prospects in 2015?

Thanks again,

Mike


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

DeerSlayer36 said:


> I have hunted Mi all my life EUP Curtis/Newberry area, NW LP TC/Kalkaska area, S. Mich Calhoun, Hillsdale, Gratiot, Oakland, and Lapeer counties. Since 2007, I can see with use of trail cams and first hand observation deer numbers decline and very few buck over 1.5 YO.
> 
> I have hunted NW Ontario several times, but I am hearing wolves and severe winters have that herd in decline the outfitter I usually go with did not even do hunts there in 2014. Been to Indiana twice lot more deer than Mi, but place I go, 2.5 YO is a shooter, I was lucky and took a 130-class 8-pointer, best with a bow they took all season, went with 4 buddies, I was only one who had an opportunity, 1 for 5 Peak rut 2nd week in Nov. I think Indy properties been over hunted.
> 
> ...



You can't kill a deer if you are not in camp. Deer numbers will be down again this fall but I will still be hunting. We hunted during the early 70s when the population was probably half of what it is now.


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## wrg125 (May 21, 2015)

I had good luck with IMB Monster Bucks in Missouri.The hunt I did was in Missouri and I shot a 143" deer and saw 3 that where bigger. There where 2 bucks that went 190"+ that where taken during bow. They also run hunts in Iowa, Illinois, and Ohio. If interested there website is www.imbmonsterbucks.com ask for Darrin


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## gonewest (Oct 3, 2014)

wrg125 said:


> I had good luck with IMB Monster Bucks in Missouri.The hunt I did was in Missouri and I shot a 143" deer and saw 3 that where bigger. There where 2 bucks that went 190"+ that where taken during bow. They also run hunts in Iowa, Illinois, and Ohio. If interested there website is www.imbmonsterbucks.com ask for Darrin


Be leary


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## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

wrg125 said:


> I had good luck with IMB Monster Bucks in Missouri.The hunt I did was in Missouri and I shot a 143" deer and saw 3 that where bigger. There where 2 bucks that went 190"+ that where taken during bow. They also run hunts in Iowa, Illinois, and Ohio. If interested there website is www.imbmonsterbucks.com ask for Darrin


What's your affiliation with IMB?


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## gonewest (Oct 3, 2014)

None but have read some real bad reviews from hunters


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## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

gonewest said:


> None but have read some real bad reviews from hunters


I was wondering what wrg125's affiliation was.
First, and only, post and he's promoting an outfitter.


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## obeRON (Dec 15, 2007)

I've hunted with IMB 3 times in IL...stay away. Darren Bradley (owner) runs it like a used car dealer. He'll sell you a bunch of lies. All he's worried about is $ and the number of hunters through the door!


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## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

obeRON said:


> I've hunted with IMB 3 times in IL...stay away. Darren Bradley (owner) runs it like a used car dealer. He'll sell you a bunch of lies. All he's worried about is $ and the number of hunters through the door!


No disrespect, but why did it take 3 times to figure this out?


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## gonewest (Oct 3, 2014)

obeRON said:


> I've hunted with IMB 3 times in IL...stay away. Darren Bradley (owner) runs it like a used car dealer. He'll sell you a bunch of lies. All he's worried about is $ and the number of hunters through the door!


Have never hunted with Darren but talked to him before I got the skinny. He told me after his orrentation to the group of hunters there that week to pull him aside after and he'll make sure he'll put me on a 150 bc buck. That ended it for me. I thought the same about the salesmen and said to myself buyer beware.


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## obeRON (Dec 15, 2007)

QDMAMAN said:


> No disrespect, but why did it take 3 times to figure this out?


None taken, he kept us coming back by dropping the amount of the hunt each year and telling us other lines of BS to keep us coming.


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## obeRON (Dec 15, 2007)

Our last year there he had a camera crew there for some TV show (never got the name of them all) and after the first day's hunt they packed up and left. The guides told us Darren promised them a bunch of things would be in place for their TV operation and that they never happened.


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## bucko12pt (Dec 9, 2004)

Without question, the Alberta bow zone wold be the place to go.


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