We have all heard the call of the wild, each generation introduces the primal desire to hunt, gather and pillage to the next. Maybe your first hunting trip was with your Dad and Granddad, maybe it was with a friend and his father, your Uncle or someone else. No matter who you were with that first time, you’ll never forget it, and much like the first time doing anything you truly enjoy, chances are you remember it better than it actually was. Now it’s like an addiction and you’re always looking for better hunting grounds, areas where there is more game and there always seems to be new restrictions added every season. Here we’ll talk about some of the hottest spots to get your hunt on, and it won’t be a disappointment.
For deer hunting, you’re best spot will be around the Rocky Mountains. East of the Rockies you’ll have whitetail and west you’ll have mule deer, but exactly where can you find these deer? For whitetail, a little birdie told me that the best spots can be found in Illinois, where you can find some of the best guides, outfitters and even lodges (try the towns of Elizabeth and West Point). You also might want to check into Missouri and Wisconsin. For your mule deer, try something a little different head to the high country in Arizona and New Mexico (Keno Ranch is great), where the mule deer, and even elk, are abundant. Be careful when planning that you avoid Native American Reservation land, but there have been instances of hunters building rapport with the Reservation’s and securing a few “secret spots”.
If you’re looking for pheasant, quail, duck or Turkey hunting, here are a few good locations we’ve dug up. Kansas has long been viewed as a bird hunter’s paradise, boasting large numbers of ring-necked pheasants (which aren’t native), bobwhite quail and even prairie chickens. You may also want to check out South Texas (Kinney Farms has large number limits), where you only have to wait a few minutes, with proper protocol, to see your target of quail, duck and dove. Don’t forget Fido, he may never forgive you.
There you have it, some of the best places to hunt across these United States. If you happen to get that 12 point buck, send me some venison, would ya?