Buckmasters Magazine

Consider heading south for your out-of-state whitetail hunt.

Early November rut hunts in the Midwest have been among the most exciting times I’ve spent in the woods. Just catching a glimpse of a rut-crazed Midwest giant can be worth the price of an outfitted hunt. Who doesn’t dream of going to Illinois, Kansas or Iowa to shoot the buck of a lifetime?

I would be a hypocrite if I said I didn’t love hunting in the Midwest, but if I didn’t have the luxury of a job that gives me the opportunity to hunt there regularly, and if I was saving up for a one-time trip to hunt whitetails in another state, I’m not sure I would choose to go the Heartland.

Dollar for dollar, there are several strong arguments that it pays to be different when choosing an out-of-state hunting destination.

First is the success rate. Most folks don’t realize just how rare it is to see a truly mature whitetail, let alone shoot one. A 25 percent success rate is about standard for a quality Mid-west outfitter. Having hunted in Illinois or Kansas every year for the past 15 years, that figure is spot on for my personal record.

Also significant is that success rate is generally for bucks in the 130- to 140-inch range (the figures most outfit-ters use as a minimum). They’re much lower for bucks scoring 150 and up, while the odds of shooting a 200-incher are about the same as hitting your state lottery.

As Dirty Harry would say, “You’ve got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’”

Another reason to consider an alternate location is the hunting you have to give up to make a Midwest trip. I’ve come to realize I have only a limited number of hunting seasons left in my lifetime. Every deer season is pre-cious, and to miss the very best hunting in your own state, even to hunt somewhere else, is a real bummer. Sure, you could book a Midwest hunt before or after the rut, but you’re looking at even lower success rates, and a huge dependence on weather.

Sweet Home

One potential dare-to-be-different location is Alabama.

Although the rut varies throughout the state, most whitetail breeding takes place in late December and early January, while areas south of Montgomery see the rut extending into February.

Temperatures can range anywhere from the 20s to upper 60s and even 70s, with much better deer movement on colder days.

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources estimates the state’s deer population at about 1.5 million animals, providing a target-rich environment.

Although there’s a good chance to see lots of deer, you’re not likely to shoot a monster buck in Alabama, with antlers usually falling in the 120- to 130-inch range. Poor habitat and liberal limits historically made it difficult for a buck to reach its full potential, but the 2007 move to a three-buck limit is paying off.

“I think it has been an overwhelming success,” said Chuck Sykes, Alabama DCNR Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Director. “It has accomplished everything it was intended to do. We’ve educated people about trigger restraint, and we’re seeing more and bigger bucks on public land as well as private land. We’re starting to see some 170-, 180- and even 190-inch deer taken, and there are some great bucks taken every year on our WMAs.”

An avid hunter, Sykes also sees the late Alabama rut as an outstanding opportunity for out-of-state hunters.

“We’ve got lots of deer, licenses are affordable, and we’re one of the few states that has a rut that takes place in January and February,” he said. “When other states are snowed in and the hunting seasons are gone, you can come to Alabama and hunt a true rut.”

One of the more appealing elements of an Alabama rut hunt is lower cost. Expect to pay between $2,000 and $2,500 for a four- or five-day gun hunt. By comparison, Midwest rut hunts (usually with archery equipment) run about double that, as do non-rut gun hunts.

Some Alabama outfitters allow their hunters to try to take a three-buck limit, while others allow just one buck. Often it’s a choice between quantity and quality, and there are outfitters who cater to each preference.

A 10-day nonresident hunting license is $186 and is available over the counter or online, and there are no addi-tional deer permits required.

Stand possibilities include ladders and lock-ons near travel corridors, and you can expect to hunt from a box blind overlooking a food plot at least some evenings. Hunting is generally laid back with morning and evening vigils, although it can pay to stay out all day, particularly if it’s cold.

Not Everything is Bigger

While there are plenty of false expectations about deer hunting in the Midwest, they’re nothing compared to the misconceptions about Texas. That doesn’t mean the Lonestar State isn’t a great deer destination, however.

Forget the visions of ultra-wide giants with more points than Steph Curry playing one-on-one against your grandmother.

As the birthplace of managing whitetails for quality, Texas certainly offers trophy opportunities, but fees for those hunts can be steep.

Trophy hunts most often take place on huge, fenced ranches with tightly controlled management practices. Many of those ranches are so large a buck could go its entire life and never see the fence, but if you have a problem with hunting inside a high fence, it’s something to check before you book a hunt.

The Texas rut varies dramatically from region to region, falling anywhere from late October in the Gulf Prairies to mid-December in the South Texas Plains, but there’s exciting deer hunting to be enjoyed in December and January, even in regions where the rut has already passed.

For free-range whitetail hunts, Texas is similar to Alabama in that you’re not likely to shoot a monster, but get-ting a deer is about as sure a thing as there is in free-range hunting.

Hill Country deer were on the menu in December when I went to the Lonestar State with Barnett Crossbows. Texas is the perfect location to try a different weapon, whether you’re a rifle hunter who wants to try a bow, crossbow or muzzleloader, or a shotgun hunter who wants to shoot a rifle. I had taken my first crossbow buck the previous year and was hoping to do a little better this time.

Hill Country deer tend to have small bodies, and mature bucks grow racks running anywhere from the low hun-dreds to 130 or 140 for a really nice buck. In many cases it’s a matter of being patient enough to hold out for a better deer.

Hunting in Texas is just plain fun. You get to see a lot of deer, temperatures are mild, and stands are almost al-ways box or ground blinds.

Because we were using crossbows, we set up in ground blinds rather close to feeders and hunted mornings and evenings.

Hill Country bucks give me fits. The smaller bodies make it difficult to judge their age, at least for me. They also make the racks look big, especially when you’ve been watching a dozen or so 80-inch bucks for awhile and something bigger walks in.

I had made up my mind I to be extra patient on this trip, so I was torn when I pulled up my crossbow in the second hour of the first morning. Standing broadside at 20 yards, a deer was begging me to put my tag on it.

I finally talked myself into the fact that it was a really respectable buck, so I rested my crossbow on a shooting stick and gently squeezed the trigger. The buck whirled and took off running as I sat back to enjoy the moment.

My elation turned to shocked disbelief when I failed to find any blood and eventually stumbled across my arrow without a trace of a hit on it.

Upon returning to the lodge, I immediately took the bow to the range and discovered it was hitting about 3 inches low at 25 yards.

My flight to San Antonio had been delayed, so I didn’t get to the ranch until after dark. I was told not to worry and that someone would check the bow I was to use and have it ready to go.

When asked, the fellow outdoor writer who checked my crossbow said he had sighted it in low because deer tend to duck at the sound of the shot.

I resisted the temptation to check the bow’s zero at 3 yards and went inside to cool off and get some lunch.

The buck was a wide and tall 10-pointer that would have scored in the 130s. It didn’t have impressive mass, but it would have been the best buck taken during the three-day hunt.

As frustrating as it was to miss such a pretty buck, it meant I got to spend more time in Texas blinds.

Another great thing about Texas is you might see animals you won’t see anywhere else. Many species of exotics have escaped enclosures over the years, providing several free-range populations like axis deer, sika deer, aou-dad and pockets of black bucks and nilgai.

Check with your outfitter before you head afield so you know whether to expect to see exotics and if they’re fair game for your tag. Our ranch had lots of axis deer and even a few black bucks.

I ended up shooting a beautiful axis buck in the last hour of the last evening, creating a memory I’ll never for-get, and one I couldn’t have experienced anywhere else in the U.S.

An out-of-state Texas hunting license is $315. Hunt prices vary, but $3,500 is a solid average. Note that some outfitters also charge a trophy fee for larger bucks, even on free-range properties. Nail down such details before booking.

You Say Tomato

There is no single right destination for an out-of-state hunt. We all have different budgets, expectations and goals, so the best thing you can do to increase your odds of a memorable trip is to be honest about what you want.

If antlers are your top priority and you want a chance (emphasis on that word) at a real bruiser, the Midwest is a great choice, especially if you’re a bowhunter.

If you’d like to experience a different type of hunting, see lots of deer and other animals, and have a good chance of coming home with a respectable buck, consider Texas or Alabama. Both locations offer a target-rich environment in a laid-back atmosphere that can add a real vacation feel to your out-of-state hunt. And, best of all, you won’t have to miss the rut at home!

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