Quality public land hunts

[Greta&Gus]

My dad is going to retire either next year or the year after and we are kicking around ideas for a 'retirement' hunt. Some ideas include going through an outfitter but we are also looking at good public land hunts. Specifically hunts that have limited tags. One spot we have looked at is Sand Lake wildlife refuge in SD but what else is out there? Does anyone know of other limited access public land hunts that produce big deer?

 

[Riggsgwp->]

Here's a public land Kansas buck. A lot of good public ground there with not a lot of pressure. My buddy hunts only public there and he rarely sees other hunters.

Are you set on deer only? I went on a rifle hunt for antelope in southwest South Dakota a few years back and it was the most enjoyable hunt I've been on. We camped at the state park on the Angostura Reservoir then drive 15-20 miles to the public ground. We shot 4 goats in 2 days.

 

[SD51555]

Keep your ears open for an elk hunt in Wind Cave National Park in SD. There's a scuffle going on down there right now between park officials and the locals. Park officials wanted to shoot and leave lay 300 elk to get the population under control. Haven't found an article about it, but heard it over the radio this weekend. If you've got the time, maybe check out the Duluth city hunt. There's a few extra layers of politics to get through, but they had deer when I was there.

 

[Jameson]

The 'special hunts' that can be applied for with your MN license can be pretty good. Got to usually apply for a year or two before you are drawn. Some of those are metro hunts and wouldn't be much for a special retirement hunt, but some others are outstate State Parks that could be some pretty cool hunting.

Maybe a moose hunt? Alaska, Canada? Grizzly bear hunt?

 

[Jeff23]

x2 on the Kansas suggestion. The tags aren't really limited, but if you research the WIHA (Walk-In Hunting Area) maps and are willing to work hard and think outside the box, there are great opportunities.

 

[sandbur]

Keep your ears open for an elk hunt in Wind Cave National Park in SD. There's a scuffle going on down there right now between park officials and the locals. Park officials wanted to shoot and leave lay 300 elk to get the population under control. Haven't found an article about it, but heard it over the radio this weekend. If you've got the time, maybe check out the Duluth city hunt. There's a few extra layers of politics to get through, but they had deer when I was there.

CWD positive area if my memory is correct. There were big discussions when they decided to open the fence and let the elk into adjacent areas.

 

[Greta&Gus]

We want to go out of state so none of the mn hunts are on the table. I will for sure look into Kansas, I just don't know anything about the state. Alaska would be awesome but that might be a time and money issue. I did exchange numbers with a Bush pilot last year while halibut fishing in case I made it back there.

The hardest part of any hunt that you haven't done before is the start.

 

[bwoods11]

I think Nebraska is pretty good too, but I have no first hand experience. South Dakota would be one of my first choices.

 

[Steve Bartylla]

As others mentioned, KS has a ton of walk in land and much of it I've seen is low pressure and real good. To my knowledge, all of the Core of Engineer ground in IL along the Mississippi is open to hunting, and some of their parks are limited draw. That said, even the areas I'm familiar with that are open to any and every one get no pressure to speak of, when compared to WI's public grounds.

 

[Jeff23]

Here's what I can tell you about Kansas from my experience:
1) Find an area that interests you (trophy quality, area with acquaintances, an area an acquaintance has hunted successfully, etc.), then figure out where you're going to stay. The town we stayed in had two small motels, and there weren't other motels for quite a distance. This will target you in on potential hunting properties. We also talked to the proprietor of the motel and made arrangements for meat storage if we connected.
2) We also were in contact regularly with a game warden, and we met up with him and treated him to lunch when we were there to thank him for his help. He also reported updated sightings, etc. when we got there- he was super helpful.
3) Go to the Kansas website and start perusing the WIHA maps. Be careful to make sure the ones you identify are open during deer season- some are only open during other seasons, and not for deer. Print out as many as you want to (we printed aerials), and keep them in sleeves in a three-ring binder. This will be your reference manual once you get there. Note driving directions from where you will stay for faster access.
4) Don't assume anything about a property ONLY from the maps. Some spots that looked good in the aerials weren't so great once we got "boots on the ground", and the other way around. Don't get hung up on cover, or lack thereof- a small property that contains one travel corridor (even if it's open ground) may be WAY better than a property that contains a ton of bedding cover. Trees don't mean much out there- we saw as many big bucks out in the middle of a field as in the timber. A guy we met out there was told he needed to check out this certain piece, and he thought it was a joke once he saw it- almost no trees at all. Then he found the deer highway through the middle of it, set his stand and killed a 155" the next day. You just never know out there.
5) The opening of pheasant season is like Christmas, Easter and New Year's all rolled in to one, so either use that to your advantage or avoid it like the plague.
6) Baiting is legal, so do with that what you wish.
Whatever you decide, enjoy the process! Good luck!

 

[bryant]

Som really nice public ground in north Missouri. Not limited draw That I am aware of but some fine hunting. Used to be some great public hunting in western Ky too but it has been a long time since I was there.

 

[Kansas-andres]

Ohio, Kansas and Iowa all have above average state land. Iowa has some awesome public land. Boots on the ground pre scouting is a must IMO. Don't overlook Indiana or Kentucky public land. Those two states are loaded with opportunity.

 

[wklman]

Whatever you do don't go to AZ. There are no big mule deer or elk here. New Mexico is where you want to go ;). In all truthfulness AZ is a great state to hunt but getting a non-resident tag in a good area can take a few years unless you want to go coues deer hunting.

 

[shawnv]

I remember that one time I went to Minnesota....I've been to Iowa, Wyoming, Colorado and Kansas. Western states might find you spending most of the hunt looking for the game before you really get serious unless you can scout prior to the hunt so I would lean towards Kansas and then Iowa. I think the best thing a retired person can do is spend some time at the local establishments where you want to hunt and get to know some folks, you'd probably get an in on some really good ground.