Best Mule Deer state?!?

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hawkerpayne

New Member
Aug 10, 2014
10
0
My name is Stephen and I am 27 from the midwest. I am looking to move west and I love to archery hunt mule deer. I lived in South dakota for a year and a half hunting them there and have been going back there for the last 6 years. I am an ER nurse, so my possibilities on location are endless. I can literally write my own ticket and go where ever I want. I would really like some help in choosing not only a state, but a region or area. I am a DIY public land hunter. Any advice or help would be greately appreciate.

Stephen
 
ScottR

ScottR

Eastmans' Staff / Moderator
Staff member
Feb 3, 2014
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Colorado has the biggest deer on a regular basis. Wyoming has a month long season and good quality as well.


Eastmans' Staff Digital Media Coordinator
 
hoshour

hoshour

Veteran member
May 31, 2012
1,622
2
North Carolina
www.CornerstoneInvestment.com
The answer to your question is in the Members Research Sections that you will find in Eastmans' Hunting Journal and Eastman's Bowhunting Journal. They are not in the magazine rack versions, just in the subscriber copies. If you have not seen the TV show, this is mentioned in every episode.

Half the sections run in EHJ, the rest in EBJ, so you should spend the extra $15/year to get the other journal, otherwise you are only going to see half of them. I'm not sure everyone realizes that. Usually, these start in December but there may be a little head start this year, so get your subscription in.

Also, as a subscriber you can access the MRSs for past years on the Eastmans' site.

This little article I wrote for a recent E-News might also help some http://blog.eastmans.com/whats-the-best-state-to-live-in-to-take-bc-animals/
 
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H

hawkerpayne

New Member
Aug 10, 2014
10
0
I just joined today actually. That information is worth more than the cost of the magizine. I am really looking for personal experience and anyone's personal opinion as well. Any help is appreciated.
 
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squirrelduster

Active Member
Apr 26, 2011
183
0
Sebastopol, Ca
Look seriously at Wyoming.
Great state with incredible hunting and fishing opportunities.
We spent the 4th of July one year in Cody and it was a blast. More normal people in one place than I see in a whole year in California.
 
NDHunter

NDHunter

Veteran member
Feb 25, 2011
1,166
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North Dakota
Is mule deer the ONLY thing you want to hunt? Or do you also want other opportunities for animals like elk and antelope? Does fishing or anything else factor in?

Oh and welcome to the forum!
 
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hawkerpayne

New Member
Aug 10, 2014
10
0
NDHunter said:
Is mule deer the ONLY thing you want to hunt? Or do you also want other opportunities for animals like elk and antelope? Does fishing or anything else factor in?

Oh and welcome to the forum!
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Thanks! I've hunted very little antelope and never any elk. I would definitely like the opportunity to hunt anything and everything. And I enjoy fishing as well. I guess I'm really looking for the hunting and wildlife meca to live in and hunt close to a new home. I just haven't hunted the others YET.
 
ScottR

ScottR

Eastmans' Staff / Moderator
Staff member
Feb 3, 2014
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hawkerpayne said:
Thanks! I've hunted very little antelope and never any elk. I would definitely like the opportunity to hunt anything and everything. And I enjoy fishing as well. I guess I'm really looking for the hunting and wildlife meca to live in and hunt close to a new home. I just haven't hunted the others YET.
Click to expand...
If you are wanting good opportunity every year for all three of the species above, Wyoming is your best choice. Montana would be second IMO and Idaho would be third. The only reason I don't list CO is because it is all draws and shorter seasons where as the other two have many OTC options. CO is based on left overs for OTC and would be better to develop a plan for as a NR hunter.
 
O

okielite

Banned
Jul 30, 2014
401
0
NW Nebraska
Colorado has great deer but too many resident hunters which when combined with the huge # of landowner tags suddenly makes it difficult to draw good tags on a regular basis.

Wyoming is a good option and as a whole is probably the best all around hunting state for residents in the lower 48.

Montana has lots of public land and a great season that runs through the rut.

I'd probably look at New Mexico. Not a lot of residents to compete for tags and somewhat more mild winters not to mention some great hunting.
 
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NDHunter

NDHunter

Veteran member
Feb 25, 2011
1,166
25
North Dakota
I'd say Montana would be tough to beat. For residents, $85 will get you a conservation license, fishing license, upland game bird license and also a deer, elk and bear tag. Plus you get to hunt on something like 30 million acres of public land plus another 7-8 million acres of Block Management. For fishing they've also got plenty of streams and rivers if you want that or else a few lakes too.

Wyoming I'd say would be 2nd.
 
AT Hiker

AT Hiker

Very Active Member
Aug 2, 2012
638
0
Tennessee
I want to move to WY, not only for the hunting but a pile of other reasons. No state income tax, low sales tax, great people, Yellowstone, residents do not need a guide in Wilderness areas, the general tag has tons of options, great fishing, everyone carries a gun, most democrats in WY are not like other democrats (they actually like babies, guns, and the constitution) and WY sits in the middle of a lot of great hunting states.

I would personally look at more than just the hunting, especially if your income is decent...you dont want Uncle Sam and his cousins taking most of it to support a cause you do not agree with. I live in TN, no state income tax, so when we move it is going to be to another state with the same or better values.

I would love to live in California, but a lot needs to change before I ever make that leap!
 
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