best value OTC hunt opinions

[Gobbler36]

I like how the folks from Idaho say ‘hunt elsewhere’.........

Never said hunt elsewhere, just giving my opinion on different options if a guy wants a more quality experience.

 

[Crippledsledge64]

Depending on your family history, the bighorns during closed season it seems...
In all seriousness, I was surprised by how busy Idaho was. I’d echo whoever said a cow or doe tag though meat per $.

 

[Farmingdale's Finest]

It's funny you say eastern states. My brother has an inlaw that comes to NJ to hunt the whitetail rut for the last 5 years from Arizona. He has gone home 4 of those years with bucks that all scored between 110-118. For a guy used to seeing those tiny Coues deer these are giants!

 

[MallardSX2]

I wouldn't go to Jersey if I was guaranteed a 150+ inch buck every year. lol

 

[elkstabber]

I wouldn't go to Jersey unless I got paid to shoot a 150" whitetail. Even then I'd give the meat away.

 

[juan trueno]

Ga is good deal for a NR who can do 2 weeks in the fall. Or who can come twice a year once in the fall once in the spring. Big game license in ga includes 10 does 2 bucks 2 Black bears and 3 gobblers. Pretty easy to shoot a bear and a 120” buck and a doe or two in a week if you have driven 10 hours or more and are set on it and there to do it instead of socialize.

Turkey is a spring season

North ga national forest land outside WMAs is open from September- Jan. Firearms is oct-jan. Lots of bears deer aren’t plentiful
But age structure/class is great. Ga has largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi as well.

WMA “check in” hunts as opposed to “sign in” hunts come with there own permits issued onsite and do not count against your deer bag limit.

Without a big game license you can still shoot unlimited hogs and coyotes on public during any open season.

On private land Without any license you can shoot unlimited hogs and coyotes *howver you want to* so like nvgs, thermals, full auto, silencers, bait, dogs, Spears, blowguns, Hand to tusk, whatever your pleasure.

Fishing is really good spring and fall offering a solid cast and blast for those inclined.

 

[Joe Holden]

Missouri's tag prices for Non-residents is $225 for archery. You get 2 any deer tags and 2 turkeys tags. One buck before gun season, or 2 after gun season. Archery doe tags are unlimited and $25 per tag for non-res. Archery opens 9/15 every year.

Nebraska's the closest place for an OTC Mule Deer tag (242.50 + $25 Habitat Stamp). If you read and believe everything you hear online, the public land is crowded and trophy management isn't great. You can get 2 buck tags per year and residents can get 2 rifle buck tags for their rifle season during the rut. That being said, great place to start learning how to stalk or just look for deer. Archery season opens 9/01.

Oklahoma might be a decent option. $300 for non-res deer tags. Haven;t hunted there yet but it is on my radar. Scouting trips this summer may prompt me to buy the tag. In the right spots, you can hunt Whitetail and Hogs, maybe see a bear. Mule deer are limited but are around (from what I've heard). Archery opens 10/1

 

[danarnold]

Just identify yourself as a member of the crow tribe, hunt wherever you want w/o tags or limits or regs...

 

[Billy Goat]

Ga is good deal for a NR who can do 2 weeks in the fall. Or who can come twice a year once in the fall once in the spring. Big game license in ga includes 10 does 2 bucks 2 Black bears and 3 gobblers. Pretty easy to shoot a bear and a 120” buck and a doe or two in a week if you have driven 10 hours or more and are set on it and there to do it instead of socialize.

Turkey is a spring season

North ga national forest land outside WMAs is open from September- Jan. Firearms is oct-jan. Lots of bears deer aren’t plentiful
But age structure/class is great. Ga has largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi as well.

WMA “check in” hunts as opposed to “sign in” hunts come with there own permits issued onsite and do not count against your deer bag limit.

Without a big game license you can still shoot unlimited hogs and coyotes on public during any open season.

On private land Without any license you can shoot unlimited hogs and coyotes *howver you want to* so like nvgs, thermals, full auto, silencers, bait, dogs, Spears, blowguns, Hand to tusk, whatever your pleasure.

Fishing is really good spring and fall offering a solid cast and blast for those inclined.

Ga really have the largest wilderness area? We have over 50k acres close to me in VA designated as wilderness ( plus 1.8 million national forest) and I thought New York, Pennsylvania, and Maine had larger areas. Really just curious.

 

[juan trueno]

Ga really have the largest wilderness area? We have over 50k acres close to me in VA designated as wilderness ( plus 1.8 million national forest) and I thought New York, Pennsylvania, and Maine had larger areas. Really just curious.

Just looked it up. Apparently it was Just a legend we heard growing up I’m as it’s only a 36,000 + wilderness located in the 750,000 acre Chattahoochee National Forest. So there are potentially a lot of larger wilderness areas east of the Mississippi than the 36k @ cohutta.

The fishing’s honestly not that good either. I haven’t been in October in ga in a long time- though I do hit it some in November. We are fortunate to deal pretty much solely with Floridians some from the Carolinas a handful of bama boys - as you point out there is no reason for someone to drive to Georgia from any further away north than Chattanooga or Charleston doesn’t make any sense as they’d be driving though a lot of “it” to get there.

 

[Billy Goat]

Just looked it up. Apparently it was Just a legend we heard growing up I’m as it’s only a 36,000 + wilderness located in the 750,000 acre Chattahoochee National Forest. So there are potentially a lot of larger wilderness areas east of the Mississippi than the 36k @ cohutta.

The fishing’s honestly not that good either. I haven’t been in October in ga in a long time.

I think the greater point is that while often forgotten or overlooked, a decent amount of public ground in the east. I never thought a lot about Ga or how big/ small it is but right there you showed 3/4 of a million acres available.

 

[juan trueno]

True. When I was a kid in north ga I got to go hunt as a guest at friends leases and clubs a few times. By 16 I always declined- I had a drivers license and could hunt whenever I wanted to- so going for some weekend BS at those club just seemed boring.

 

[MallardSX2]

The CNF deer population is in the toilet BTW.

 

[Camslameron]

Surprised no one has said it yet. I honestly think it’s doe/cow tags at a reduced price.

You can go to MT and shoot 5-6 does, and two cow elk for the price of a big game combo tag (or similar) or 2 deer and 1 cow OTC and do it for cheap. Time it right and you could dip into WY and shoot a pile of Pronghorn does (3-4) for cheap also.

I think it’s one of the most over looked aspects of western hunting. Go hunt elk with 2 tags in your pocket for half the price of a bull tag and learn how to do it, and possibly put more meat in your freezer.

Haven’t looked into any other states as that’s just what I know. ID doesn’t offer a reduced price anterless tag that I’m aware of. OR doesn’t offer hardly any antlerless opportunity unless you’re willing to give up bulls.

Or go to one of the Midwest states and shoot a trillion whitetailed does

Shoot two bears in OR as a NR in the fall for like 180.

Yes! I have a trip to wyo planned this sept for pronghorns. I'll have to look further into the MT hunts. I'm down with the cows. Thanks.

"trillion whitetailed does" LOL