Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Advice for a deer hunting trip needed....

My buddies and I are planning a trip to Harris Hill Resort in Canada for November of 2016. All of us rifle hunt and don't own muzzle loaders so places like Illinois or Iowa really aren't on the options list of locations.

However, after posting here asking if anyone had ever hunted there or even heard of them, I got no responses at all. Also, I'm a little concerned due to many of you who hunt Canada saying the deer numbers are really down due to the hard winters the last few years etc.

Would we be better off hunting somewhere in the states? Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri or else where.

Trying to keep the cost to around $3500 or so, where do you guys suggest we look. Who are good outfitters? We want to hunt from stands already on the property.

If I were going to hunt WD out of my area it would be Kansas,Nebraska,Missouri and not necessarily in that order. MT would be great but it would involve flying in my case.

Guy I know hunts Sask 10 days out of the year same lodge same time of year and the kill was noticeably reduced this year, quality of buck and numbers were down

I'd really not care where I went as long as there was a chance to see more deer than I do at home, and potentially pop a nice respectable buck for the area. I'm not a horn guy necessarily. I'm here for the hunt.

Don't get me wrong...a bruiser gets me chubbed up like everyone else, it's just not in the top 3 of things I'm looking for when I hunt.

That said, a guy can see a lot of deer in MT, KS, and NE from what I understand.

If you want to kill a deer for certain, go to Nebraska or somewhere similar. If you want to be in the running for a 300 pounder, go to Canada. Canada has never been about numbers and you may well go home with nothing but memories.

I looked at their web site to find their location and see it is Ontario north of Mn. This is not that far from where I hunt and I can tell you the last two winters were very hard on the deer heard. This winter is mild by comparison and should help a bunch. Deer #s are down and it will take several years really improve.

I would talk to the hunters from last year and see how many deer they were actually seeing and the size. If the responses are acceptable to your group go for it.

There are lots of good deer hunting places so choose one that fits your wants. Good luck..

Not to open a can of worms, but is this a High Fence outfit and if so, how big is the actual hunting area?

No, it is not a high fence. I wouldn't hunt in one if it was. Not sure of the property size. I was shocked no one ever hunted there or knew anything about them.

Dixie,

I've some experience with fishing camps in Ontario that pass themselves off as hunting camps (these folks seem to fit that bill) so I hope you'll heed my warning.

If you look at what they killed in 2014, it's obvious the place has no intentions of managing a deer herd. With the abundance of rat deer in the picts, they ended up with frustrated hunters that were "going home with a deer".

They'll luck into the occasional good buck but their interest is your money - not your success. If what they show in their 2014 gallery are bucks you're willing to pay a goodly sum and you're willing to travel north - I'll cut you a sweetheart deal at my place in northern WI.

For similar $$$$, check out some good outfits in Nebraska. (I say this with the caveat that I've never hunted with an outfit there but have friends that have) And by good outfits, it's the places that don't have a lot of openings due to numerous repeat hunters.

You most likely won't kill a 225 lb. deer there, and, it's a good bet you won't kill a 170" deer. But you'll have a great chance at a deer in the 140" range. And you'll see a buttload more deer (than Ontario) - though numbers have been lessened due to EHD.

For 3500 fly to Alaska and hunt Kodiak for Sitka blacktails. Super mild winter here this year so the numbers should be good this fall. You can shoot three bucks or do a combo for seaducks and or saltwater fishing. I think going rate for the lodge I usually go to is $1500 for a week with meals and guided fishing plus pickup and drop off morning and evening for DIY hunting. Success in November is usually 75% for bucks with a good chance for a nice one if you are picky.

Tags are $110 and license is $85. Travel from Anchorage to the lodge will be about $700. That'll leave you $1100 or so to fly to and from home. I think you could do it and besides, how many of your buds have a Sitka blacktail on the wall? I'll bet most of them have an 8 point whitetail hanging somewhere.

Believe me, skip Ontario right now.

I'd be staying a bit south. Draw a line following the southern border of MI and hunt south of that line.

I'd do Ohio or Kentucky personally...with the money the OP is talking.

Kentucky is an easy drive from FL too.

The people I know and met, who hunt Ontario, don't have good things to say but I'm sure there must be some areas that hold deer. Spent some time in a Maine camp last year with Dick and Pop Bernier (if you're familiar with them), Dick had spent a couple weeks in Ontario and didn't plan to go back due to lack of sign. I'd look into somewhere else.

For that money would do a KS NE MT or ID hunt. CO has some very good deer hunts for that money. I fish every year in Ontario and not much for deer densities.

Alaska on POW is a fun hunt too. Can do a DYI or semi guided for that price. Fishing too

What lodge are you referring to?

Kodiak charters. They usually have two for one specials during show season. I've seen people book for $1250 a piece when they needed to fill slots.

Lot's of great hunting in North Missouri or big deer......must be......I sure see a lot of Iowa and Kansas plates during our rifle season

I wouldn't mind seeing our state conservation dept raise the out of state tag price and go to a draw for non residents

I would look into the Eastern Colorado plains too. It takes a couple years to draw a rifle tag though. Contact Drummond Lindsey(HuntSonora) for more information if it's something you're interested in.

Actually if you want to hunt Eastern Colorado Aaron Nielson is the big dog in that area

For that kind of money, I'd think you could buy a new muzzle loader and book a hunt in the midwest. Just my preference, but I would much much rather hunt rutting deer in the midwest, than sit in a box stand freezing my ass off in Canada waiting on a single deer to walk into a clearing. That may not be the type of hunt in the place you were looking at, but that's my perception of hunting in most of Canada.

Kentucky is a great hunting destination. There are a lot of quality outfitters and good farmland hunting. There are also some monsters there.

Sounds pretty grim

Canada is a big place. Not all hunting is like that. Wondering how the mid west is different? Never been there.