Huntin_BMET
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I am new to whitetail hunting out east. I am looking for tip and tricks to help out with low cost, DIY hunts. What's out there and what can I do to be successful in the field?
Low Budget DIY Public Whitetails
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Addicting
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Well a lot of that depends on where you live, where you want to hunt, and what you want to hunt with. Out East is to vague to be able to help you out.
Songdog3060
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I'd consider SE or south central Ohio, plenty of public land plenty of deer with camping opportunity. Non-resident over the counter tags I think are around $200.oo bux or less. THey have some large tracts of reclaimed mining land thats public.
Huntin_BMET
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I am out in Southwest Kentucky, with Kentucky residency.
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Some killer hunting in KY.... I'd start checking some of the local public land. I believe more of Western KY is leased up and harder to get permission, but you may be able to find some land access out East.
Not all KY zones are the same. Some you may only kill 4 deer (buck and three does or 4 does), and in others you can kill unlimited does. At the end of the day though you can only kill one buck.
As far as DIY and budget friendly goes, I don't think you can beat the state you're in. Plenty of deer, plenty of land to hunt, and cheap!
Good luck.
Not all KY zones are the same. Some you may only kill 4 deer (buck and three does or 4 does), and in others you can kill unlimited does. At the end of the day though you can only kill one buck.
As far as DIY and budget friendly goes, I don't think you can beat the state you're in. Plenty of deer, plenty of land to hunt, and cheap!
Good luck.
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OP....
To show you an example, this buck is from a property I asked for permission in Eastern KY.
I've also have some great ones I've been watching on public land as well, but I don't want to post those pictures. I'm too paranoid
Just know you have great options in KY!
To show you an example, this buck is from a property I asked for permission in Eastern KY.
I've also have some great ones I've been watching on public land as well, but I don't want to post those pictures. I'm too paranoid
Just know you have great options in KY!
Not sure what weapons you can use down there but pick whatever you want to use that's legal. Buy and wear the reqhired amount of orange. Get a tag go to any public land that the tag is good for that's open to hunting. Get there way before daylight. Get as far away from any roads. Take something to sit on. Sit there and wait. My experience on public land here in indiana is you don't need camo or a tree stand because all the other hunters push the deer so much they are more afraid of what's behind them than what's in front of them. I got a nice little 8 point last year sitting on the ground with a big maple as my back rest.
Obviously this isn't a whitetail or in indiana but you see how much high dollar camo it took for my son to take this guy. There were 2 other bucks with this one and we stalked to about 10 yards of them
Obviously this isn't a whitetail or in indiana but you see how much high dollar camo it took for my son to take this guy. There were 2 other bucks with this one and we stalked to about 10 yards of them
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Addicting
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When I'm down at FT Knox I alway see some really nice deer. I went down to Mammoth Caves and saw some really nice ones there as well. KY has some great habitat and some of this "hollers" are so nasty a buck can live long enough to die of old age. I would get OnXmaps and start exploring!
I've always wanted to spend some time hunting Land Between the Lakes. I know some folks that do really well on some public land un the Owensboro area. If looking out of state, the southern part of the Hoosier National Forest and Patoja Lake part of Indiana have a lot of access and quite a few deer. Only about an hour from Louisville.
indiana50
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IN, OH, KY, MO all present great budget opportunities (I am sure there are others, but just where I have experience).
The key to keeping the budget low for me is planning well in advance. I vacuum seal all our leftovers from dinners for a few weeks prior, freeze them and take with. Just boil the bags like Randy has shown on youtube for dinners. Keep lunch simple (turkey sandwiches and PB&J). Rinse out old milk jugs, fill with water and freeze, that's your ice and drinking water. (A guy can spend $50 on ice pretty easily). The only thing that I end up feeling like I am deprived of is another case or two of beer, but I'm there to hunt not sleep in.
I always sleep in the tent for longer stays and truck for weekends. Most public ground has places to camp, and in some cases I have utilized forums to find a private place to pitch a tent in some one's back lot if nothing free is available. Having someone to split gas cost makes a big difference obviously on a long trip.
Make a gear list and shop all year around. Good deals on high quality gear can be found. You don't need it all the first year. Buy a little each year.
Last year I did a 10 day trip to MO for under $500 including my tag which was $225. I just got back from a 10 day deer hunt in MT for just under $1k including $600 tag. Both trips I brought home deer I am very proud of, the one in my avatar is from MO.
I could afford to spend more on these trips but I get a lot of satisfaction out of doing them cheap and it only means I will be able to afford more experiences down the road.
Don't let the money scare you away from going on a trip, make a plan, make a budget, stick to it all, and have a blast!
The key to keeping the budget low for me is planning well in advance. I vacuum seal all our leftovers from dinners for a few weeks prior, freeze them and take with. Just boil the bags like Randy has shown on youtube for dinners. Keep lunch simple (turkey sandwiches and PB&J). Rinse out old milk jugs, fill with water and freeze, that's your ice and drinking water. (A guy can spend $50 on ice pretty easily). The only thing that I end up feeling like I am deprived of is another case or two of beer, but I'm there to hunt not sleep in.
I always sleep in the tent for longer stays and truck for weekends. Most public ground has places to camp, and in some cases I have utilized forums to find a private place to pitch a tent in some one's back lot if nothing free is available. Having someone to split gas cost makes a big difference obviously on a long trip.
Make a gear list and shop all year around. Good deals on high quality gear can be found. You don't need it all the first year. Buy a little each year.
Last year I did a 10 day trip to MO for under $500 including my tag which was $225. I just got back from a 10 day deer hunt in MT for just under $1k including $600 tag. Both trips I brought home deer I am very proud of, the one in my avatar is from MO.
I could afford to spend more on these trips but I get a lot of satisfaction out of doing them cheap and it only means I will be able to afford more experiences down the road.
Don't let the money scare you away from going on a trip, make a plan, make a budget, stick to it all, and have a blast!
CodyCass
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I’d strongly recommend my home state of MO. Our tags are cheap and seasons are long. Archery season opens on 9/15 and doesn’t close till January 15 (they take a hiatus during the November rifle season). Our state does a very good job at providing opportunities for the public land hunter. Head over to the Missouri Department of conservation’s website.
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