Trophy South Dakota Guided Whitetail bow hunt
We are excited to offer this exceptional trophy whitetail bowhunt in South Dakota with a well-established productive outfitter. These guys lease big chunks of ground and minimize (bowhunting only) pressure to ensure a good recruitment of top-end bucks every year. Stand sites are well-placed, with a good variety to accommodate various wind directions. They have consistently done well, with dead and in the truck kill rates > 65% on good bucks, and opportunity (a mature buck within 25 yards) rates approaching 100%. Last year they were 19 of 22 (86%) dead and in the truck. They target the older bucks that score > 150, but most guys find it difficult to pass a nice 3 ½ yr old that typically scores around 140. Top-end bucks will run up to 200” and hunters have a legitimate shot at something over 160”. This is a small, personalized outfit where the two outfitters do the guiding. They are excellent hunters and great guys.
Fully Guided 2x1 4 Day Hunt Cost: $4,000, Deposit: $2,000
What is included in the hunt cost
What is not included
The Area
They hunt 2 different, but similar areas. The North camp, near Bowdle, SD, has less deer, but a higher concentration of older bucks, so probably the same number of shooter bucks per square mile. This is not your typical mid-western hardwoods whitetail hunt - This is wide-open farm country where a 5 acre patch of timber could be the biggest patch in the township. Shelter-belts surrounding farmsteads are prime-time bedding cover and great locations to hunt. Fence-rows, CRP, cattail sloughs or just about any sliver of cover will (and does) hold deer.
The area near their South camp (White Lake, SD) is generally similar, but they have one of the biggest chunks of timber in the area under lease. There are more deer down south and more rifle tags, but they have 80 acres of timber in the middle of the prairie that is treated like a sanctuary, and it is literally full of deer. They expect it to hold > 100 whitetails at any given day. They lease, and hunt the surrounding area, where deer move freely between little patches of timber, much like the deer up north. You can expect to see 15-20 deer per day.
Special Notes
A Typical Day
Hunting Strategy
Hunting is done from ladder stands or ground blinds overlooking scrapes, rub-lines and natural bottle-necks, usually traveling to / from the shelter-belts. Most of the time they will be able to drive up within a few yards of the stand, accessible via picked (corn & beans) crops or pasture. Expect to sit all day, so pack accordingly. There’s a good concentration of older bucks and they respond well to a grunt call or well executed rattle sequence - pack them both.
The deer in this area have huge home ranges, and they routinely cross a couple of miles of open ground to go from one patch to another. Your guides will almost certainly be scouting while you’re in a stand, looking for activity for the next set, or a shooter in a vulnerable spot, where you can stalk or approach for a rattle sequence.
Guided Whitetail Bow hunt in Southeast Iowa
Hunt the rolling farm-country of southeastern Iowa in an area famous for producing giant whitetails. This area has the genetics, feed, and most importantly the age-class, to consistently produce bucks over 150 inches. Success runs well north of 50% on bucks over the 140 inch camp minimum. Our outfitter runs a relatively small, personalized operation on 6,000 acres of managed properties and have a nice lodge with good hearty meals. The stands and equipment are in good working order and the guides are hard-working and capable. This is a great choice for any bowhunter looking for top-end quality. They bowhunt only the 2 best weeks (1st 2 weeks in November) as they are serious about their low-impact hunting strategy, which certainly helps keep big deer on their feet during the day.
Where: near Cantril – 2 hrs Southeast of Des Moines
Cost: $3,800
What is included in the hunt cost
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Milk River Whitetails in Montana - Semi-Guided Whitetail Bow hunt
Hunt the famous Milk river area of northeast Montana near Glasgow for early season whitetails. This is a fun hunt where you can expect a lot of action, and we expect everyone to have a good shot at a nice (P&Y) buck during their hunt. These deer are not hunted as intensely as our typical Midwestern deer and typically move to / from their bedding areas in good shooting light. A big whitetail is never easy, but they are vulnerable as they are often settled into a late-summer pattern. Catch them in a transition zone between their river-bottom bedding cover and the irrigated hay fields where they feed.
This area has long been known for the high volume of deer, but that changed 4-5 years ago as EHD devastated the herd. They've had pretty good recruitment the last couple years and the population (and mature bucks) is coming on, with very good hunting expected this year and into the foreseeable future. Our outfitter estimates the population is about 50% of what it was – you can expect to see about 20-30 animals per day as compared to 40-60 animals at the peak.
These hunts are conducted almost exclusively within the property lines of private ranches where hunting pressure is strictly limited. There's a good supply of nice, mature 3-5 year old shooter bucks that should score well enough to make the (P&Y) book, with the better ones running in the 150s.
Top-end bucks in the area can, and do exceed 170 inches, but I believe that's rare. We promote this area for hunters seeking a solid (130-150) mature buck, something that will easily qualify for P&Y.
This is a semi-guided hunt where the outfitter will show you the ranch, including the boundaries and good places to start. He'll also give you some help to get started - basic hunting strategy, or tips and advice to get you started. They’ve got a handful of stands pre-set in good locations, but ultimately you scout, and execute the hunt on your own. This saves a lot of cash and is a good option to most of us experienced whitetail hunters
Stay in nice comfortable cabins on a ranch near Glasgow, within 30 minutes of the hunting properties. This hunt combines well with mule deer (spot & stalk) and/or antelope waterhole hunting during mid-day or decoy-aided spot & stalking.
Cost: $1,850, Deposit: $925
How to get the tag
What is included in the hunt cost
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Fully Guided Whitetail Bow Hunt in the Edmonton Bow-Zone
Hunt the farmland of Alberta, in the famous Edmonton Bow-Zone, with an outfitter who specializes in harvesting "top-end" whitetails. This area is never open to gun hunting and the local hunting pressure is practically non-existent. The mature bucks often weigh over 300 lbs in the area and produce massive antlers which often score > 170 P&Y. This outfitter, arguably the best bowhunting outfitter in Canada, has been outfitting in the Bow-Zone for 26 years. Most hunters have an opportunity at a P&Y animal during the rut hunts. This is the best Canadian Whitetail bowhunt we can find. The outfitter controls the tags, so the licenses are guaranteed. This is a fully guided, all –inclusive hunt package.
Where: Edmonton Bow Zone – Edmonton, Alberta
Fully guided (2x1) Hunt Cost: $4,500 US, Deposit: $2,250
What is included in hunt cost
What is not included
How to get there
The lodge is located just outside Edmonton. You should schedule your flight to arrive into Edmonton the day before the hunt, and the return trip the day after the hunt.
Hunting strategy
Hunting is done from portable pin-mount treestands. You should expect to hunt several locations, changing with the wind and deer movement. Rattling and grunt calling contribute to 50% of the opportunities.
Semi-Guided Whitetail Bow Hunt in the Edmonton Bow-Zone
Hunt the farmland of Alberta, in the famous Edmonton Bow-Zone, with an outfitter who specializes in harvesting "top-end" whitetails. This area is never open to gun hunting and the local hunting pressure is practically non-existent. The mature bucks often weigh over 300 lbs in the area and produce massive antlers which often score > 170 P&Y. This outfitter, arguably the best bowhunting outfitter in Canada, has been outfitting in the Bow-Zone for 26 years. Most hunters have an opportunity at a P&Y animal during the rut hunts. This is the best Canadian whitetail bow hunt we can find. The outfitter controls the tags, so the licenses are guaranteed. This is a fully guided, all –inclusive hunt package.
Where: Edmonton Bow Zone – Edmonton, Alberta
Semi-guided (2x1) Hunt Cost: $3,000 US, Deposit: $1,500
What is included in the hunt cost
What is not included
How to get there
The lodge is located just outside Edmonton. You should schedule your flight to arrive into Edmonton the day before the hunt and to return trip the day after the hunt.
Guided Whitetail Bow Hunt in Pike Co. Illinois
Hunt the bluff country in Pike County, Illinois with another great outfitter. This is the best Midwest trophy whitetail bow hunt we can find. You can expect to see a lot of deer and some dandy bucks on this hunt. 30,000 acres are now owned or under lease with an outfitter who knows how to harvest P&Y whitetails. The property is managed for big deer with a 140 inch minimum, enforced with a $1000 management fee should the bucks gross under 140. Fully guided with hundreds (over 4000) of quality tree stands hung and ready to go. Nice lodge, great meals, good guys and lots of deer, including 65 bucks scoring over 170 inches killed with a bow in the last 6 years.
Where: Pike County Illinois – 2 hrs Northeast of St. Louis, MO
What is included in hunt cost
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How to get there: The lodges (2) are located just west of Barry, Illinois.
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