Whitetail state and outfitter recommendations?

[SnipingFinn]

Hi,

I started hunting with bow three years ago and haven't yet been able to harvest an animal. My focus has been on Elk - and will hopefully be able to find success this year. At the same time I would like to accelerate my learning curve as a bow hunter and get some meet to freezer. I'm interested on adding a late season Whitetail archery hunt to my season and wanted to ask for advice. Here's a summary of what I'm looking for:

1. Get experience from shooting situations and get meet to freezer
2. Good opportunity to shoot multiple Whitetails over a 3-5d hunt. Does are ok. If there's one buck then great but I don't care about antler size.
3. Preferably January time-frame since I have quite many Elk/Mule Deer hunts on Fall
4. Outfitter cost preferably closer to $2000 than over that. Outfitter should be proficient at bow-hunting and have a good reputation.

What state(s) would you recommend considering the above? I have read lot of good about Alabama and Illinois. Thoughts?

Any Outfitter recommendations?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[ILph4]

I hunt and live in Illinois, January is not the optimal time for deer here. You would be better off that late in the “season” to go to a more southern state


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[Btaylor]

Texas, Alabama and Mississippi all have tons of deer and liberal bag limits. Have you considered CA for hogs? They make for good spot and stalk practice and eat well too if it isnt a big boar.

 

[SnipingFinn]

Thanks! Hogs are an interesting idea and CA driving distance away. Texas offers good hog hunting as well? I’ll need to explore more!

 

[Btaylor]

All the states I mentioned have hogs as well as deer. Tx has hogs and javelina.

 

[SnipingFinn]

Ok, good to know. A combo hunt might be interesting. Does CA have any benefits compared to the other mentioned states? Going a bit out of Whitetails now, sorry for that...

 

[Btaylor]

Maybe someone else will chime in with info on CA. I have only duck hunted out there. No idea on big game regs or opportunities.

 

[timberland]

You can shoot multiple deer in WY, and on the right ranch shooting a doe is a requirement to hunt. Look for private access in whitetail areas,

 

[KHNC]

Its the rut in Alabama in January. But its also rifle season. I used to bowhunt at the AL river lodge in Selma AL. Tons of does ! Some nice bucks from time to time as well.

 

[bowtech840]

I’d dive into spring turkey. Tags are usually easy to get and most states offer great opportunity even on public ground.


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[diamond10x]

If you’re looking for January time frame, meat in the freezer, and multiple shot opportunities a day at deer and other targets then TX is where I would look.

As a non resident you could get several does and pigs on the ground and back home in the freezer for less than or right at 2000$.

 

[LostArra]

The OP should understand what a southern whitetail/hog outfitter hunt could be and it's a LOT different than chasing elk and mule deer. It could very well be sitting in a ground blind or tripod stand on a corn feeder or a corned farm road. Definitely not spot a stalk.

A ground blind to me is solitary confinement with a picture of the outdoors on a few walls. Can't do it except for a few days when the turkeys are gobbling.

 

[rayporter]

whitetails be dropping horns in January, too.