Welcome to part 2 on our series for planning and executing your cheap Midwestern whitetail hunt! In part 1, we described how to go about planning your hunt. Here in part 2, we will describe how to find land to hunt on and tips on being successful once you arrive.

At the end of each section I have added a Lazy Hunter TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) section. I realize this article is long and most people can’t get through it without a nap so I added this to summarize each portion. God bless America. Amirite?

How to find public hunting land

So long as you don’t live off the grid, there are multiple ways to find public land. I have listed below the sites that detail public land for each state via the state agency’s websites (except Illinois, as the site I have shown is more user-friendly). Some are better than others but they are all a great starting point. Insider’s tip: Ohio has a number of different properties owned by coal companies and others that are open to public hunting. Kansas has a draw for special hunts on wildlife preserves within public ground. Be sure to check those out on each state’s site.

Iowa: https://programs.iowadnr.gov/maps/huntingatlas/default.html

Kansas: http://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Locations/Hunting-Fishing-Atlas/Fall-Hunting-Atlas

Kansas has what they refer to as the WIHA (Walk-in Hunting Access) Program in which the state leases private ground for public hunting use. These properties change year by year so be sure to get the updated Fall Hunting Atlas that will come out in late summer. Also, each parcel can have different restrictions on when and how you can hunt it so be sure to refer to those. From my experience, WIHA gets hunted much less than the other public ground.

Wisconsin: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Lands/PAL/

Ohio: http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/wildlifeareas

Indiana: http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/5427.htm

Illinois: http://engineeredpursuit.com/illinois-public-hunting-areas/

You can also purchase apps for your phone/PC that will make it simple to find public ground and know when are on it via GPS location. I have personally only tried the onXmaps Hunt App (starts at $29.99 per year) and was impressed with what I saw. On top of easily showing public land, the map also shows you landowner names for private parcels as well as other features such as topo, roads & trails, and bodies of water.

onXmaps is an invaluable tool for the DIY public land deer hunter.

I am not going to go into a lot of detail on private for a couples reasons. 1. I have not had much luck obtaining access to hunt private ground. It can definitely be done but be ready for lots of rejection.  2. I enjoy the challenge of hunting public land and these states have plenty of it.

Lazy Hunter TL;DR: Go to the link for the state you want to find public land for. Try asking private owners for permission if you want to learn what rejection feels like.

Cyber-scouting

When it comes to scouting, ideally you would spend a couple days walking these properties but in most cases, it is not possible due to distance. Therefore, I would suggest doing it online as much as you can using Google Earth or a similar type mapping program. I would tend to break up terrain types into two segments; hilly, big woods areas and open terrain.

To be honest, I have yet to have much success in the big woods areas like southern Ohio. So rather than claim to be the expert I am not, I will point you towards the experts. A great site for understanding how to hunt hilly terrain and big woods areas, among other things, is The Hunting Beast which is run by renowned public land hunter Dan Infalt. The site is full of talented hunters who will describe what they look for on properties. (Hint: analyze how the members on these sites utilize topography and cover. Also, understand what a Thermal Tunnel is. I highly recommend reading Brad Herndon’s book “Mapping Trophy Bucks.” He does a great job of describing what to look for in hilly areas by studying topographical maps. After you understand how to use topographical maps, you can find those Topo Maps online using or on your phone with apps such as Hunt GPS or onXmaps.

Lazy Hunter TL;DR:  In hilly areas, find a saddle or cut between ridge points and hunt there, they are natural funnels.

As far as open terrain goes, I have found most success lies in the areas with any type of cover which mostly consists of creek bottoms. Topography can also play a role so still use similar tactics to hilly areas. Deer will most likely bed in the best available cover and move from there to feed. One type of terrain that is often overlooked is milo fields. On my last trip to Kansas, we saw four different shooter bucks in two days in a milo field that stretched a few hundred acres. The great thing about milo is that it is tall enough to make the deer feel secure but short enough that you can see antlers above it when the deer stand up.

Lazy Hunter TL;DR: In open terrain, deer like cover. Find the cover in open terrain.

What To Do When You Arrive

Your first day, possibly two if your trip is more than a week, should be totally devoted to scouting as many properties as you can. In open country, this means plenty of driving around or sitting on a high point and glassing. In big woods country, you are going to have to do some walking and investigate areas you had found with your cyber scouting. If you enter an area and see fresh rut sign (specifically looking for scrapes in early November), you are in business. If not, move on to the next one.  Any success I have had on my trips has been accompanied by seeing large rubs and multiple scrapes. If you are in a low deer density area during the rut, sticking near does can be a good secondary tactic.

Keep in mind you have plenty of land to hunt and you need to find where the big deer are. Spooking deer is not the end of the world and can even can let you know you are in the right area. After you find some areas worth hunting, hunt them but don’t get hung up on a spot just because it looks good. Move and keeping moving unless you are seeing mature bucks. I spoke with a fella that shot a 160-class buck on public land on his first trip to Iowa. He said his strategy is to never sit a stand more than once. He moves his stand after every sit. The wall of bucks in his house told me he knew what he was talking about.

Scouting public land means you will have to spend time walking parcels quickly and effectively. If the sign isn’t there, move on to the next piece.

One thing I notice regarding people that have consistent success is they look for areas where other hunters won’t be. The obvious choice would be to go at least a mile from the road but there are other ways of accomplishing this. Examples would be having to cross a river, climb up/down a steep ridge, or even just hunting close to the road. A good way to think is if you see a spot and your first thought is “that area would be a pain to access” or “there’s no way deer use that area” then that spot might be worth a sit.

The main point I would stress to someone going out of state for the first time is to not get frustrated. Yes, there are large bucks in these areas but they aren’t around every corner. You can go days without seeing a mature deer. Magazines and hunting shows have convinced us these states are deer farms and people feel they are doing something wrong if you aren’t always into the huge deer. You are hunting an area for the first time and it can take years to figure out the best spots. The most successful hunters I know all have one trait in common; persistency. Stay persistent and results will follow.

Lazy hunter TL;DR: Scout the first day you arrive. Keep moving until you find big bucks. Don’t hunt where other hunters are. Other hunters are dumb. Don’t give up.

Getting Your Deer Home Without a Hefty Fine

One thing I didn’t realize until I shot a buck in Kansas is that many states do not allow transport of deer carcasses across state lines. For Michigan, you are not allowed to bring back any deer, elk, or moose from the following states: Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Alberta, or Saskatchewan (Source: Michigan DNR).  If outside of Michigan, it is best to check with your state game agency. They do this to limit the spread of diseases, mainly Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). So I imagine some people think, “that isn’t a big deal, I will just quarter the meat and bring back the head.” Not so fast. In Michigan, you are only allowed to bring back “deboned meat, antlers, antlers attached to a skull cap cleaned of all brain and muscle tissue, hides, upper canine teeth, or a finished taxidermy mount.” (Source: http://www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases/0,4579,7-186-25806-73145–,00.html)  I learned this after shooting my buck and spent a lot of money getting the animal processed and caped because I wasn’t prepared. Bring a cooler, learn how to quarter and debone the animal, and learn how to cape if you want to get a mount done. See below for some helpful links:

• Quartering Your Deer 
• Caping a Deer

Learning how to properly cape a deer is a good skill to have when hunting out of state. It will save you money and will ensure you are doing everything legally while transporting game.

If you are intimidated by caping your deer and afraid of screwing it up, call a taxidermist nearby and have him do it. Tip: When skinning around the antlers, use a flathead screwdriver to pry the skin off the antlers. Cutting with a knife can thin the hide.

Lazy hunter TL;DR: It’s a good idea to not transport your deer across state lines unless you want to lose your deer and get a sizeable fine. Learn to butcher and cape it yourself.

Conclusion

The last piece of advice I want to leave with you is to simply enjoy it. Hunting is supposed to be fun. Don’t let the pressure of wanting to shoot a big deer ruin the experience of getting to take in new scenery and how lucky you are to get to hunt in different areas. On my last trip to Kansas, I hunted hard all week with my father and brother. We had countless close calls with large bucks but none of us connected and it was still one of the best trips of my life. The memories made still bring a smile to my face and we are constantly reminiscing at family dinners about this trip. Not all days are created equal and most of them will pass with obscurity throughout our lives but with the right mindset, you will remember your trip with vivid details long after it is over.

Lazy hunter TL;DR: Go hunt out of state. You won’t regret it.

By Joe Wilson

Just to be clear, I love hunting my home state of Michigan. It’s tradition and will always hold a special place in my heart. But it sucks sometimes. While there is great habitat and deer numbers, there are also about 25 million hunters here (or so it seems) and just as the bowhunting is getting good, gun season comes in and turns the deer herd into schizophrenic homebodies who you swear wear invisibility cloaks.  Rather than whine about this year after year, I highly recommend taking an out of state hunting trip. These trips may seem like a dream that requires extensive knowledge and superior skills but they do not, I am evidence of that. The other thing they do not require is a small fortune. For three years I have traveled from my home state of Michigan to hunt both Ohio and Kansas. These are trips that all gave me legitimate chances at mature bucks and can be done by anyone with a little will power to save the money and a couple hours to plan.

Due to the fact that no one wants to read the novel I have prepared on this subject (unless of course, you are suffering from insomnia), I have split it into two parts. Here in part 1, I will describe to you how much my trips costs, how to find the money for the trips, how to find lodging, and how to apply for tags. In Part 2, I will discuss finding land to hunt, strategies to find the deer once you get there, and one subject some forget about; how to transport your deer home without getting a hefty fine.

Total Cost

Both trips were split two ways as I had a hunting partner. The more buddies you go with, the less you will pay for gas, lodging, and even food so start recruiting. Gas was estimated at $2.40 per gallon. Food mostly consisted of meals made in the kitchen with a couple dinners at restaurants.

Finding the Cash

Most hunters I know hear of my trips and say, “I wish I could take an out-of-state trip but I just don’t have the time or money.” What they are really saying is, “I would like to take an out-of-state trip but I have other things in my life that are more important. Also, I make dumb statements a lot and I probably voted for Hillary.” Okay, so the last part might not be true. The cost of a trip to a state like Ohio should be simple. $430 comes out to saving just over $8 a week. The Kansas trip was a bit more and equates to $82/month or $19/week. That seems like a lot? Do me a favor, keep track of your finances for one month. Put everything into a log and summarize it by category. Now take a minute to call out any expenses that are a want, not a need. Do you really need satellite TV? How many times did you go out to eat when you could have eaten at home? How many coffees from Starbucks did you get? What about that new truck payment, could you have gotten by with a used one? I guarantee you will find the money, it just depends on how bad you want a ticket to deer paradise. As for time? If you really want to go you will find the time. Even a long weekend is better than nothing.

How to Find Lodging

We stayed at a cabin that went for $375 per week. It included a small kitchen (which saved us money on food) and full bathroom with shower. To find it, I simply went to google, put in “Cabin rental (secret hot spot), Kansas” and saw what came up. Later on I even found a ranch that rented out cabins cheaper than what we found initially. Now if you think I am a princess for wanting to stay comfortable, you are probably right. The good news is you can save even more money by not doing so and camping at a state park which will usually have public land close by. If all else fails, find a cheap hotel room. Sure, it will be more expensive but you won’t break the bank.

Applications

Here is where it gets to be a bit tricky. Certain states require you to put in an application in order to draw a whitetail tag.  In some states (Iowa) you need a few years’ worth of preference points in order to draw certain areas. You can find the draw statistics (your chance of drawing) at the sites below. Below I have put together a quick rundown of popular Midwestern states and how to obtain a tag:

Ohio – Over the counter. Price: $150. Archery season: Late September – Early February. For more information go to http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/huntingandtrappingregulations

Indiana – Over the counter. Price: $150. Archery season: October 1 – January 1. For more information go to http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/2344.htm.

Wisconsin – Over the counter. Price: $160. Archery season: early September – early January. For more information go to http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/hunt/deer.html

Illinois – By application (application period is in June) but tag is nearly guaranteed. Price: $467.75 Season: October 1 – early January (closed in certain counties during firearm season). For more information go to https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Pages/DeerHunting.aspx

Kansas – By application (application period is in April). Price: $540. State is split into 18 units. When applying you will choose the unit you are applying for PLUS one additional unit that touches your unit (Basically you get to hunt two units but they have to touch each other). NOTE: Kansas is getting more competitive each year. I suspect that soon some units may require a preference point to draw the tag. For more information go to http://ksoutdoors.com/Hunting/Applications-and-Fees/Deer

Iowa –By application (application period is in May) Price: $549 + (depending on the unit) preference points ($52 per point). Season: October 1 – early January with a break in December during the Iowa Firearm Season. State is split into 10 units. You get to hunt one unit. For more information go to http://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/Nonresident-Hunting.

There you have it. Sit down with a buddy or two and hammer out details on which state you want to get a tag from, fill out your application (if need be), figure out your finances, find your lodging and you are well on your way. In part 2 we will discuss the more fun parts of process; finding land to hunt and then finding the deer.