Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting If you could hunt public land for Whitetail in the East - where would you go?

Im planning a trip to Kentucky for Deer this year. I hunted there in the past and really enjoyed myself. I’ll also sneak into West Virginia for several days before heading back to Vermont. For me, I like the adventure of hunting new places & the perspective it brings. Hope to get a few does but will be hunting bucks primarily.

One never knows what they don’t know so I ask here - where would you hunt if you could? Anywhere East of say Indiana is in range for me and my hunting travels. Curious most about what states have herds in good shape, longer seasons & fairly generous bag limits.

Not paying for outfitters - public access or maybe a trespass fee only. Time is not important - I hope to roam several states that have different seasons to extend the fun. Not hunting specifically for trophys but experiences and freezer filling. Not looking for specific units or gmu’s - more just states or regions within states that are hunting good these days

Thanks!

POC

Don't overlook Tennessee.

Been thinking about that - we drove thru year before last and was intrigued but wound up in Kentucky. We drove through Oneida, TN on up towards Pine Knot, KY.

Virginia may be the best bang for your “buck”. It has a lot in common with WV, but you get 5 or six tags with your license, then you decide what weapons stamps you wish to buy. The VA ML season is the first couple of weeks in November, during the rut. OTOH, WV probably let's you take does on more PL during the regular season, but requires a doe tag for each. Since you have the time, look over the regs for both and see how they line up with your schedule and hunting preferences. There are big deer to be had in both states in the right areas, plus bears and turkeys (bear tags are pricey in both states for NRs).

EDIT: Your chances of having overlapping deer and Fall turkey opportunities are probably better in VA too. Always nice to have that possibility in the back of your mind.

Georgia and Alabama have the longest seasons and most liberal bag limits. It used to be one per day in Alabama with a 4 month season if you include archery season. I'm more familiar with GA. Archery starts here in mid October. Rifle season about a month later and ends mid January. Bag limit is 2 bucks, 10 doe. And most management areas don't count anything you kill there towards your 12 deer limit. Most management areas are simply sign-in. A handful are quota hunts and applications are usually due by Sept.1.

A lot of National Forest with free hunting in the northern 1/3 of the state. Most management areas are within that NF property. Each area is usually open for 2 or 3 periods of 3-5 days each season with the dates staggered. I hunt several of those. They are typically open on Wednesday. or Thursday and run through Saturday or Sunday. Something is open within driving distance of me pretty much every week of the season.

Some of the bigger areas such as Cohutta and Blue Ridge WMA are big enough to pack in and have a true wilderness experience. There are probably more black bear than deer in the mountains however. And wild hogs are there too. These aren't the typical feral hogs you see in Texas and Florida, but have cross bred enough to look like European boars. Farther south as you get closer to Atlanta things get a little more crowded, but I rarely see another hunter on the WMA's along the northern edges of the state.

Man I’ve seen some huge bucks in Georgia on some YouTube videos

Outstanding replies fellas!

Great info! I’ll dig a little deeper and see what pops up. I’ve never been to Alabama.

Yeah if you just want to fill your freezer on an adventure in some beautiful country that has very low hunting pressure look no further than Virginia.....Virginia gives you a pile of tags and The boarder counties in the western Part of the State have thousands of acres of National Forest available with a deer density that is ample for your criteria....Look at Bath, Highland, Alleghany and Craig counties...Good luck on your adventure...Hb

I was planning on hunting Pendleton County in WVa - I’ll have to look at your recommendations- shouldn’t be too much of a hop to check things out. Thanks!!

For the state of TN, East TN has the best deer hunting.

Yup, GA trumps TN in deer.

Any of you fellas Public land hunters? I love public land because I can move around to different units if needed. I sorta treat the East like a collection of game units anyhow - smaller country than the West and it’s easy to bounce around every 4-5 days.

I’m sure this is a dumb question - most of us are.

Only public for me these days. Private access in the Eastern Panhandle of WV and nearby VA is very hard to come by. There’s a double plot consisting of over 1300 acres I can get to in 20 minutes, and another of 22,000 in less than an hour. Not prime, but pretty woods good enough for an old fat man to wander around in, and I usually scratch down a deer or two and sometimes a turkey. Gotten kind of lazy in my old age, but have lost nearly 30lbs in the last three months, with more to come, so I’m hoping it will liven me up some. It’ll soon be time to start scouting for turkeys

Outstanding! 30lbs is a great accomplishment. Not easy to do that. Being in the woods certainly clears the mind & focuses the priorities we each have

Like JMR40 notes, GA and AL have long seasons and liberal bag limits. GA, 2 bucks, 12 does. AL, 3 bucks, unlimited does. Nice thing about AL is if you're willing to move around the state you can hunt the rut from Nov to end of Jan in different locations. Several WMA's across the state that have set dates for hunts (rifle or muzzleloader)....I think archery is still always open on them. Lots of different terrain to hunt as well from fairly flat/rolling hills to mountains.

Guys this is the great stuff that nobody talks about while they are dreaming of Elk & Moose! Myself I’m into a freezer full of tasty whitetail does and some great experiences hunting in spots that don’t get the publicity. Can’t thank you guys enough.

If you are a bow hunter only, wv has three counties bow only that produces some giants

It's actually 4 counties. McDowell, Mingo, Logan, and Wyoming. And yes there are some monsters that come out of those counties.

Bankhead NF (northwest of Birmingham) is a huge chunk of public land in Alabama. It has a good bit of pressure, but if you'll get more than a half mile off of a dirt road, you'll stand a good chance.

https://aonmag.com/hunting/bankhead-forest-17-point-new-state-record-muzzleloader-buck/

Actually, it's been easier than I could have imagined. For about half that time, I’ve been unable to user my rower because I’ve strained a knee again (apparently a Spring tradition for me), so it’s all been about what I eat, and some about when. I stay full on the keto stuff, and have given up bread, pasta, chips, ice cream, and beer. Seldom get hungry, and my well-controlled BP is dropping into the 115 over 70ish range.

One thing I’ve learned is that an old man will kill himself trying to lose weight by exercising alone; you gotta change your diet. Woulda done this years ago if I’d known how easy it is.

Yes. Only public land for me. Mostly the Moshannon SF in PA

Up on the Blue Ridge in VA. Got an old Navy buddy that grew up there and we did some hunting on his grandmother's farm which butted right up against public land. Some really big deer there on the public stuff.

I gotta say - this is good advice that I could apply to myself. Diet is 90% and if I’ve got a vice it’s slow BBQ chicken & whiskey old fashions.

Your BP numbers have got to be giving you a nice smile!

Mac, I’ve heard the same thing - doing some research into that area over the next few days. I enjoy dialing in my Fall travels then moving onto gardening season without needed to think much about the Fall hunt stuff until it arrives. Thanks for your post.

MM, Are the deer numbers as good as they once were there? Never hunted that region but always had a desire to.

BP was never really bad, just bad enough to show traces of protein in my pee. Still, like smoking and sugar, it makes everything else worse. Hope to get off the little pill, maybe next month🤞🏻

Ditto on those big Blue Ridge deer. I’ve seen some whopper bodies on Skyline Drive, huge does too. My son lived near Front Royal for a while, and killed a boomer on the little plot he lived on; 172 dressed and 12 points. Saw some huge, long-legged does in fields nearby. Public land in that immediate area gets a lot of pressure though, so weekdays are best, or farther West.

Couple of states I'd like to try my luck, are KY for the first couple weeks of archery season to try to get a velvet antlered buck. I'd also like to try Alabama if I could catch some of that January/February rut action.

You've not mentioned, Indiana, but there is quite a bit of public land to in the S/SW part of the state to hunt. Some of the more interesting are some of the old strip mines. Some of these were shallow mined a long time ago, making them a series of steep, low ridges. If one has a small boat, canoe it could really open up some areas around the reservoirs or smaller rivers that flow through public land.

No. They are there but the numbers are thin

I’ve heard that from a few folks that still run their hunting camps down there. Traditions in that neck of the woods run very deep it seems.

I hunt Pa public land a lillte farther east than MM but its the same here numbers are down But we still do well

Northern Maine

Not trying to stir up any trouble, but I look at the Georgia outdoor news quite often and as far as I can see, there are some damn nice deer shot there and not just a few. Also, it appears their fishing is outstanding.
I have never been there to check for myself!

jackman maine

I’ve hunted the Big Woods plenty - I track here in the Greens and am looking for something a little different than the norm. I gotta say that The Jackman area is very special.

Lots of land open to the public. Great country if looking for scenery and exercise but not so great if looking for deer.

Agreed.

Though, I've hunted northern Maine for over 40 years and shot enough mature bucks there to keep me coming back. Its the vastness of the big woods that holds the allure for me, not pulling the trigger. I have plenty of other places and opportunities to fill the freezer during the year, both back east and out west.

Lol

Solid advice if trophy pigmy deer are what you seek

The northern PA hunting Camp scene is all about tradition. Many of them are still hopping mad that Rifle season opens on Saturday instead of Monday

…and crossbows!

That’s funny

I know the sheer horror of it and to boot they gave them that Sunday to hunt too....... bastards!!

Outrageous on all fronts!

Maine tracking in the snow.

I live in northern Maine and head south to hunt when I really want to put meat in the freezer, Specifically Pennsylvania.

It's a bit further drive but there is the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois. Pretty good chunk of public ground. We even have a couple wilderness areas. It's one of the few "hilly" parts of the state. Nothing over 700', but nothing like the pool table flat parts a few hours north.

If you want a rugged, traditional experience, NY Adirondack Mountains. Literally thousands and thousands of acres of public land, and few people, if you get away from the roads. Any buck you get there will be well earned. There are some absolute bruisers in those mountains, and you will work your tail off getting your kill to the road.

I would go to Virginia and hunt in the Jefferson National Forest. My home when I was a youth!

PintsofCraft check your PM's.

I’m in the same boat as the OP. I looked at Daniel Boone NF in Kentucky, Wayne NF in Ohio, and Shawnee State Forest in Ohio. All look very promising, and hopefully I’ll get the chance to hunt all 3, but I believe I have settled on the Allegheny NF in Pennsylvania. It’s only about 6 hours from home. The deer numbers seem good. If you’re not afraid of getting off the beaten path there seems to be lots of elbow room. The chances of decent 120”-130” bucks seems quite feasible.

"Allegheny NF in Pennsylvania"
That's some beautiful woods.
I grew up hunting there. We had a camp in the heart of it.

Ohio, when driving out to Colorado I never saw so many road killed deer about 20 miles east of Columbus.

Washington County Pa.

Living in NC now, there’s a lot of public land but deer can be very tough to hunt, and in the east where I live you’ll likely be competing with dog hunters as well (if that makes a difference in your decision). I’m from WV originally and it’s still my favorite place to hunt. Very high populations, some large tracts of public land, and IMO nothing beats the hills.

When I was working in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania I headed to Maryland for crossbow and muzzle-loader hunting within the so-called restricted zones. The deer population is quite high compared to anywhere else that I've hunted before. Easy access to lands surrounding public reservoirs made it even easier. These public lands are under-hunted. Years ago, it was "shotgun only" or open for archery hunting but that has changed for the better. Modern muzzle-loaders are quite accurate and lethal without the punishing recoil of a 12 gauge slug gun. Crossbows are easy to master and also quite deadly within reasonable distances. Try Maryland! - Sherwood

I shot a lot of whitetails on public land when I was stationed in VA. Pretty sure I could go back there and hit those same places and have a real good chance at taking deer. But after I retired from the USN I swore I would never be on the eastern side of the Mississippi River ever again.

Florida

Here or the Adirondacks. I hunt the ANF a bunch in PA and there are some pretty remote areas (for the East) and with fewer hunters and the antler restrictions enacted years ago there are some huge bucks roaming these woods - fun hunting but with remote means a lot of work when you get one……but that’s half the fun!! Also some of the state forests in the center part of the state (Sproul and Moshannon).

PennDog

That sounds a lot like Michigan’s UP. Deer are few and far between but there are more mature bucks on public land than other parts of the state. Miles and miles of public wilderness to explore usually without seeing other hunters all day if you get a few miles out of town and walk in off of the two tracks a bit.

Yup I hunt primarily public land in Alabama and enjoy it.

Interesting choice to me, and perhaps others. Care to elaborate a bit?

Our camp was near Cherry Grove/ Sheffield, but we've bear hunted Sproul for decades. That's a pretty rugged area for PA.

Thanks all for the many & increasing contributions!

Got to ask. If you travel around killing deer in different states, what do you do with all the meat while traveling?

Well I am from back east ( Virginia) but I live in Oregon...

so to answer that question, in regards to where I live...

where would I go to hunt Black Tail.... either in the back yard, or off the front porch, or on public land, about a mile from my place.. in ANY direction.

Cooler. Dry ice

I'll elaborate. Don't come to Fl. There are some WMAs in North Fl that are OK, but I'm sure other places are better. In the peninsular part of the state, Any good areas are quota and take years to draw. I've killed some decent bucks in Fl, big for the area, but they would be mediocre or probably passed in other parts of the south east.

Some place along the big rivers.

Yep, or in some areas you can donate the meat to hunters for the hungry (which I normally do) ....Hb

This year a blood moon nov 8th. Vermont. Benoit country

^^ There will be some bucks dropping everywhere on that date! Vermont or anywhere up there would be a cool place to hunt sometime!

I'll just keep hunting The Tensas NWR and Big Lake WMA adjoining it like I have for over 20 years.

If you want miles of public land without any hunting pressure and the chance for mature bucks well over 200# then the Adirondacks or Northern Maine. Fresh snow, broken in boots, patience and good woodsmanship skills .

Never. Meat is the only thing I'm after

I hadn’t seen that yet! Maybe I’ll stay home & do my thing.


Love my home region - I hunt around Mt Marcy & have done ok as long as we had snow. You’re spot on with the broken in boots.

Donate it. Every time. They sell meat at the grocery store.

When its an option donating the meat to someone who needs it way more than me is a reward in itself 👍.....Hb

100%

There will be more people needing it this year than before thanks to dear leader.

I'd much rather eat meat that I've killed and prepared