Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Best state as a resident big game hunter?

What is the best state as a resident big game hunter?

For me, opportunity is a priority. Personally, I prefer to hunt as much as possible, not have infrequent opportunities for giant bucks/bulls. Long seasons, multiple tags readily available, multiple species, public land/access, opportunity for antlerless/female harvest to stock the freezer plus opportunity for mature antlered animals too, would all be a big plus. I’m mostly thinking the west because I love elk, but I’m curious to hear arguments for other parts of the country too.

You mean, besides Alaska?

Yea, I was thinking lower 48... sorry should have clarified

I'd say Montana or Wyoming.

My initial thought was the same. Wyoming followed by Montana. I guess I'm curious if there are any "sleeper" states out there.

I'm thinking Nebraska is the sleeper.

Michigan at one point was pretty good to me. Especially the Upper Peninsula. Deer,bear,grouse,snow shoe hare,cottontail,waterfowl,predator hunting and abundant trapping and great fishing. All over the counter. Then came wolves,Fisher,Pine Martin, poor fur prices,EHD,CWD, Gill nets and being overrun by all sorts of other vermin planted by the DNR. Now things kind of suck. But, the abundant federal forest,CFA land and state land makes it great for wandering. It’s pretty in the fall.

Neb and S. Dakota are great!!!

Wyoming for big game. Idaho if you like to mix in upland with the big game. Both of tons of opportunity for residents.

Idaho.

for sheer numbers of tags, you can't beat many of the eastern states with large whitetail populations. In some states, you can get dozens of tags. Western states offer a greater variety of species, but not lots of tags. Usually it's 1 elk, 1 deer, and many of those tags are only available by drawings. Species like moose, goats, and sheep are virtually all by drawing and sometimes you can go for years before you draw.
For access to public land, the large western states are much better. Idaho, for example, has over 50,000 square miles of public land and almost all is open for hunting.

Utah sucks, i have to go to Wyoming to get a tag, i guess nothing new, Utah love,s to give their money to Nevada to gamble Idaho for lotto tickets and Wyoming to hunt

Nevada is all by draw. Some years ago, I bought a bunch of llama pack equipment from a big game hunter from Reno. He had a pack string for hunting but he'd gone almost 10 years without drawing an elk or deer tag. He finally sold off his llamas and gear and started going out of state using outfitters. It was great for me as I got a great deal but it sure sucked for him.

SD has good pheasant hunting. Very poor big game hunting unless you want to wait years for a license.

I've only had one license in SD for Elk in my life time. Deer licenses used to be available on demand in the Black Hills. Not any more. I've hunted deer and in some states elk from New York to Idaho. From the Mexico border to the Canadian border. I'd say SD has the worst chance of getting a tag of any state I've hunted and I live in SD. I apply for East River, West River, Muzzle loader, Antelope, Elk, Black Hills. Custer State Park and various other state parks. I also apply for mountain goat. I get an antelope tag now and then. Never got a goat tag. No black bear in SD (GF&P personnel either kill them or tranquilize them and move then out of state.)

Getting a license is very iffy. - for big game, SD has poor opportunities! I pay out-of-state fees for hunting elk and deer in WY and have had very good luck getting tags in the past few years.

I think that in the lower 48, Montana is the best and Wyoming the second best. Unless you want many deer tags in one year, then there are states where you can get a tag a day, use dogs, etc.

Depends on WHAT and HOW you want to hunt.

The time I'll be unable to pack out an elk is on this side of the horizon, and they are the reason I moved to Colorado in 1980. Never had an interest in goats or sheep or bears or exotics and don't care that much for deer meat. And anyone can pick up antelope tags for cheap in Wyoming or Montana, resident or not.

I think there is something to say for southern states where pigs are plentiful. And some have gators.

Hands down, Colorado is the best choice.

Colorado is good for deer and elk. Tough to get antelope (pronghorn) or moose.

Oh Lord it's hard to be humble...

LOL!!

No Texas? What the hell?

I would think Colorado too.