RE: What Makes for a Great Bowhuntng state for mature bucks
 

I'm in the same boat as GERM. I agree on items 1-3 buddy. We have 550 acres of pure farmland in the thumb area of Michiganand its a struggle.

I can count 40 deer in a bean field while I'm scouting. 25 of them will be bucks...and 2 of them will be 110 - 125 class....A 120 is a monster for us on this property. Usually a 120 will surface during the rut...lots of shooting all around the parameter of our land too.....guys from the city shooting away...we have managed to convince some of them to relax on the 4's and 6's basket racks....

However...where I live in Livingston county? In southern Michigan. There is a 1500 acre piece of government land the holds GIANTS...160 - 180's....they're safe and sound in there...and its all river bottoms and catail swamps...And right in the middle of Redford/ Detroit area....Monsters....running through the city...in Oakland & Wayne counties...its unreal. Amazing how the white-tail can adapt...

I wish more Michigan hunters would pass on the littlebucks...I think Michigan developed the term "its brown its down"

RE: What Makes for a Great Bowhuntng state for mature bucks
 

Wis has:
1. 9 day gun season starting the sat. b/4 thanksgiving
2. 1 buck bow 1 buck rifle. no restrictions
3. IMO high hunter numbers.
4. in most areas lots of feed.
5. baiting. supposed to be limited to 2 gallons/ day lol.
There are a lot of diff. rules in some areas esp. southern Wis with the cwd zone (cronic wasting disease). And earn a buck in some areas.

What would be good for BOW trophy hunting:

1. No gun hunting
2. antler restrictions. If nothing else have a rotating restriction. like every other year or designated trophy areas only.
3. low hunter #'s
4. no baiting
5. a buck to doe ratio thats in balance. (wow, what a rut that would be!)

RE: What Makes for a Great Bowhuntng state for mature bucks
 

"In the early 1900s, there were about 500,000 white-tailed deer in the United States. Today, the number has exploded to 25 million to 30 million deer nationwide -- a figure that's close to the amount of deer that were present in 1607 when settlers landed at Jamestown"


I think there's plenty to go around. LOL:D
All I keep hereing is the number of hunters is dwindling.:D

I'm thinking the state with the best chance is the great State of Mind. lol:D

RE: What Makes for a Great Bowhuntng state for mature bucks
 

RE: What Makes for a Great Bowhuntng state for mature bucks
 

RE: What Makes for a Great Bowhuntng state for mature bucks
 

A large number of hunters that have evolved.