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Top B & C states

Iowa needs to go to 1 buck per hunter, per calendar year. Iowa habitat cannot support current hunters numbers/as past decades. If we don't go to 1 buck per hunter, the "Booners" will continue to decrease

Couldn't agree with you more but be careful many on here will get defensive about this one...
 
http://wiredtohunt.com/2013/06/03/t...-a-boone-crocket-buck-you-might-be-surprised/

States With Top B&C Entries As a % of Total Buck Harvest (2009-2011)

1. Indiana – .084%

2. Kentucky – .082%

3. Kansas – .078%

4. Iowa – .078%

5. Illinois – .065%

States With Top Total Number of B&C Entries (2009-2011)

1. Wisconsin – 241

2. Ohio – 151

3. Illinois – 136

4. Kentucky – 134

5. Indiana – 131


Less than 1%.. really makes ya rethink that saying about a big buck behind every tree.
 
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Id put IA in the top 5 at least. 2,3&4 places being a good debate and may take a few nights of research and drinks during discussion:D

Statistics in this discussion don't show squat IMO. As been stated before, and I know we are talking B&C states, but how many B&C or even P&Y bucks in IA don't get reported for the books? I can think of a lot of P&Y and a few B&C just from my group of friends that bow hunt, and my shotgun party. Only 2 that i can count have been. Surely there are a bunch that go unnoted in the other states as well. But in other sleeper states, or not so popular states... a higher percentage of those who shoot a buck to write home about will go for their name in print. Maybe Im Wrong, but wouldn't you want to get recognized if you lived in, and killed a sizable buck in a state that doesn't see the quantity of large bucks as other states? Where as alot of us iowans tend to be a little selfish when it comes to "our deer" and not wanting a lot of outside attention.

Point of points: buck entries of all kinds have become over rated in the concept of NR attention, local attention to specific areas with big deer, and in some cases (sadly) theft prevention.

(rant)And then we have our governor... that's another story cuz he just DGAF about deer and we will go from top 5- bottom 5 if things don't change(end rant):rolleyes:
 
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Kentucky reports typicals as 160" or bigger and 185" non-typicals as Booners. Could you imagine if Iowa did this...........
 
Look at how drastically the numbers have dropped overall in Illinois. I am originally from IL and have personally seen how the herd has been effected and decreasing since I started bowhunting. The seriously need to change the number of deer one can shoot, some antler restrictions would be great too. Someone made a comment of how many B&C bucks don't get reported...both states are going to have that issue. WE DO NOT NEED TO MODEL our hunting rules/restrictions from IL....unless you want to stop seeing deer when you're in a tree stand.
 
Id put IA in the top 5 at least. 2,3&4 places being a good debate and may take a few nights of research and drinks during discussion:D

Statistics in this discussion don't show squat IMO. As been stated before, and I know we are talking B&C states, but how many B&C or even P&Y bucks in IA don't get reported for the books? I can think of a lot of P&Y and a few B&C just from my group of friends that bow hunt, and my shotgun party. Only 2 that i can count have been. Surely there are a bunch that go unnoted in the other states as well. But in other sleeper states, or not so popular states... a higher percentage of those who shoot a buck to write home about will go for their name in print. Maybe Im Wrong, but wouldn't you want to get recognized if you lived in, and killed a sizable buck in a state that doesn't see the quantity of large bucks as other states? Where as alot of us iowans tend to be a little selfish when it comes to "our deer" and not wanting a lot of outside attention.

Point of points: buck entries of all kinds have become over rated in the concept of NR attention, local attention to specific areas with big deer, and in some cases (sadly) theft prevention.

(rant)And then we have our governor... that's another story cuz he just DGAF about deer and we will go from top 5- bottom 5 if things don't change(end rant):rolleyes:

This argument came up on QDMA.com awhile back. Wisconsin guy didn't believe that Iowa had better hunting for mature bucks than Wisconsin. I disagree, as you are 100% correct, they (Iowa) do not register as many deer as Wisconsin.

Archery numbers would blow most states out of the water.

Not critical of Wisconsin, they shoot nice bucks! Acre for acre of cover I do not think it compares to Iowa. Buffalo County is still the top county but I do think they have a history of registering bucks, where as some Iowa counties simply do not.

Delay the gun season in Wisconsin or Minnesota and the playing field would be much more even.
 
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Delay the gun season in Wisconsin or Minnesota or northern Missouri and the playing field would be much more even.

I changed your statement just a bit to add northern MO. ^^ Nothing that I can think of would change the Midwest big buck hunting landscape more than if one or more of the surrounding states that have rifle seasons during the rut would substantially change their regs to not allow gun hunting during the rut.

I know there is a long tradition of rifle hunting in these states and all that, but Iowa has nothing on these states mentioned in terms of better cover, food, genetics, etc, than what could be found in large segments of all of these states. I think it is interesting that some of the NRLO's in Iowa are from states that are our immediate neighbors.

Knowing there is NO difference in food, water, cover, etc, from northern MO to southern IA, and NE IA to SW WI, etc, what does this tell us about the difference that the regs make?
 
I changed your statement just a bit to add northern MO. ^^ Nothing that I can think of would change the Midwest big buck hunting landscape more than if one or more of the surrounding states that have rifle seasons during the rut would substantially change their regs to not allow gun hunting during the rut.

I know there is a long tradition of rifle hunting in these states and all that, but Iowa has nothing on these states mentioned in terms of better cover, food, genetics, etc, than what could be found in large segments of all of these states. I think it is interesting that some of the NRLO's in Iowa are from states that are our immediate neighbors.

Knowing there is NO difference in food, water, cover, etc, from northern MO to southern IA, and NE IA to SW WI, etc, what does this tell us about the difference that the regs make?

Very good point, matter of fact, Missouri could pass all of the other states because it has perfect mix of habitat in much of the state...if it changed the regulations.
 
Very good point, matter of fact, Missouri could pass all of the other states because it has perfect mix of habitat in much of the state...if it changed the regulations.

I agree but I can think of a lot of things that could be better IF they would change regulations:) I would also be a millionaire IF they would just draw my numbers
 
Change the regulations for what? For who? Please give me a non-selfish answer. Please.
I would think to protect a resource would not be selfish in my opinion. The same as we regulate all of our resources. I personally don't think you can set this regulation in stone and just walk away never analyzing and adjusting as the resources change.
 
I would agree with that, but which regulation changes proposed herewith are about protecting the resource?
 
I would agree with that, but which regulation changes proposed herewith are about protecting the resource?
I think (forgive me if wrong) the debate was a more conservative approach to buck harvests. I don't know if changes are needed but do think this needs analyzed with our doe harvests and ultimately our biologists should have control to manage both sexes at a sustainable level and as close to possible as it would be naturally.
 
Change the regulations for what? For who? Please give me a non-selfish answer. Please.

Not sure who you are addressing, but since I also mentioned "changing the regulations", I will be glad to tell you what I was referring to.

Clearly there are many hunters that are focused on bagging big bucks, and given your handle, I suspect you may also be one of them. IMO more big bucks would be available in those states where there is now a gun season in the rut. More big bucks in more areas = more available for everyone = not selfish.
 
Not sure who you are addressing, but since I also mentioned "changing the regulations", I will be glad to tell you what I was referring to.

Clearly there are many hunters that are focused on bagging big bucks, and given your handle, I suspect you may also be one of them. IMO more big bucks would be available in those states where there is now a gun season in the rut. More big bucks in more areas = more available for everyone = not selfish.

Ding ding ding!!! X2! :D
 
Not replying to anyone in particular, just some more input on surrounding states.

While snow goose hunting in SD last spring, I was chatting with a few of the locals and deer hunting came up. I was informed that SD was a big buck hot spot.....:confused: Lol I laughed to myself while the largest buck pic I was shown might have reached 150" and called a giant buck. Don't get me wrong, SD can produce big bucks, and even more surprising were the number of B&C bucks (taken in ND) I saw on the office wall of an individual I met in ND in 2012. And yet he noticed IA as great and dreams of coming here with his friend that does often. But I came to the conclusion, unless you personally hunt here. And in a good location... an individual will know nothing greater than what they are exposed to and will only go off of hear say and videos. No denying that IA has more (freelance and fair chase) big whitetail kills on video than most other Midwest states combined. Large and small producers alike. So opinions should gravitate towards IA & IL.

My experience with MO is short lived and opinion isn't worthy of a quality buck producing state. My judgements are based on a couple individuals I know who go and shoot 120" deer and try to show off their trip. That's not accurate, but enough for me to not get in a hurry to buy a tag. And surely the hunting would get better if they moved the gun season to a later date, or dropped rifle hunting all together. That in itself is stopping MO from being the next IA. No difference in habitat, food or anything, just the way the seasons fall and make the bucks they do have more susceptible to hunters, bringing the quality of deer down.

Truth be told, there are probably great opportunities in 40 of the lower 48 states, but only 3 or 4 of those can you go to and expect to see a quality whitetail buck that may reach the B&C mark. Then, there are other areas where you stand a snow balls chance in hell.
 
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