Whitetail Deer – Coues

KANSAS TROPHY WHITETAILS
$6000 RIFLE OR MUZZLELOADER
$5500 ARCHERY

This northeastern Kansas whitetail hunt takes place in one of the top producing Boone and Crockett counties and has produced some exceptional bucks. The outfitter has over 25,000 private acres including 11 miles of river bottom and maintains an extensive feeding program that has paid off big dividends.

Prior to 2022 hunters were able to draw their whitetail tag with a 90% success rate, but due to the increased number of hunter applications the draw odds have lowered to about 50% or as low as 30% for a group if you do not have any preference points so hunters should purchase a preference point before the mid-April deadline.

2023 September muzzleloader produced 5 bucks for 7 hunters averaging over 150 inches and top buck went 170 plus. November archery he hosted 18 bow hunters, and they tagged 9 bucks, including a world class 200 inch plus buck and overall average was over 150 inches. First rifle season hadn’t started at press time. First rifle season went 4 for 7, 181, 169, 153 and a 148.

2022 September muzzleloader season produced 3 bucks for 6 hunters, best buck went 167 down to low 150’s, 2 really good bucks were missed. November archery had 17 hunters tag 8 bucks including a 181, 180 and a 173.

5 day Kansas muzzleloader hunt is $6,000, 5 day archery is $5,500 and 5 day rifle hunts are $6,000. Hunt includes 2×1 guide service, lodge accommodations and meals. Hunters fly into Kansas City and rent a car. Draw deadline mid-April, with 0 points is about 60 percent, 1 point should draw. Limited 2024 openings due to repeat clientele. HCU’s Bob Wodzisz has been to this property. Hunt WDK565. WDK565 Hunt Photos.

IOWA WHITETAILS $5500
BOW/6 DAYS OR GUN/5 DAYS
PRIVATE FARMS

This southcentral Iowa hunt takes place on private farms located in Zone 5. This is a small operation that takes a low number of deer hunters annually considering the large number of farms they have available to hunt. Archery hunters use both lock-on stands and some ladder stands. They also have some blinds built on stilts for gun hunters.

They normally run two archery hunts starting in early November. First gun hunt starts the first Saturday in December, second gun starts the second Saturday and late muzzleloader is December 26 to January 10.

The outfitter will increase his minimum gross score on a mainframe 10 point to 150 inch and mainframe 8 point to 140 inches with a penalty fine of $1,000, which maintains a high trophy quality hunt. No charge if it is an old cull buck.

Archery hunts are 6 days and gun is 5 days at $5,500 plus 5 percent tax. Archers arrive Saturday, hunt Sunday to Friday and leave Saturday. A new lodge was built in 2022 for accommodations.

Draw deadline is June 1 and it normally takes 3 or 4 preference points to draw the archery tag and 1 or 2 points to draw a gun tag. GO TO WWW.GOOUTDOORSIOWA.COM THE MONTH OF MAY TO ACQUIRE YOUR PREFERENCE POINT FOR $52, you do not have to name a unit or weapon of choice. Book now for 2025. HCU’s Scott Steinkruger has hunted with this outfitter. Hunt WD799. WD799 Hunt Photos.

SASKATCHEWAN PREMIER
WHITETAILS $6700

This area has a combined 4 outfitter units totaling over 500 square miles hunted only by this one outfitter. He is allocated over 120 whitetail tags, but normally only takes about 45 deer hunters per year. He has two superb main lodges along with two comfortable outpost camps. Baiting is allowed and they normally use heated Double Bull blinds, fiberglass elevated box blinds and some treestands on bait sites. Stands are accessed by side by side UTV’s often off old logging roads. This outfit also runs archery and early muzzleloader hunts.

Overall the average success rate runs over 80 percent on bucks in the high 140’s to 160, with several true Canadian monster whitetails taken yearly.

6 day hunts are $6,700 and INCLUDES $445 deer tag and a little over $300 in tax, arrive on Sunday and depart on Saturday. Hunters fly into Saskatoon and rent a car for the 3 1/2 hour drive or from Edmonton with a 5 1/2 hour drive. Rifle hunts typically run from early November to and including the first week of December. They also offer early season archery and muzzleloader hunts. Bookings are very limited. HCU’s Scott Steinkruger has hunted with this outfit. Hunt WD304.

WHITETAIL $4000 5 DAYS
SOUTHEAST WYOMING
WHITETAIL/PRONGHORN $5500
WHITETAIL/COW ELK COMBO $6000

This ranch located in southeastern Wyoming is known for the elk hunting and has an extensive amount of agriculture along the river bordering pinon juniper cover in the rolling hills. The property has had little to zero whitetail pressure in past years resulting in mature bucks with a high age structure and deer numbers have greatly increased. This deer tag can be drawn with 0 points and there are typically left-over tags.

2023 at press time the only hunter he was taking had not hunted yet.

2022 was a little down as he only took 3 hunters and they killed 2 bucks, high 130’s and a 140. The third hunter hit a buck that was later seen.

5 hunting days is only $4,000 guided 2×1 with cabin accommodations and home cooked meals. The ranch is a beautiful setting that is also home to a good number of elk.

He normally does one hunt mid-October that can be combined with antelope if the hunter draws the pronghorn tag for an additional $1,000. He also runs a late November hunt during the deer rut with the option to be combined with a cow elk for only $1,500 and there are normally left-over tags. HCU’s Bob Wodzisz has been on this ranch. Hunt WD2643.

OHIO/KENTUCKY BORDER BUCKS
$3500 BOW/SHOTGUN/MZ

Here is a small outfitter that has about 19 private farms in southwestern Ohio located in one of the top whitetail counties near the Ohio River just across the border from Kentucky. He plants food plots, has some elevated box blinds with spin feeders and plenty of ladder stands, lock-ons and pop-up ground blinds and in some situations uses Ozonics scent elimination. He takes a very limited number of hunters not overhunting his properties. He does not enforce a minimum on size, so most bucks taken gross in the 130’s to low 140’s.

5 day hunts are $3,500 with accommodations either a remodeled farmhouse with 4 bedrooms or a couple cabins and hunters do their own meals. The outfitter typically puts a party in their own accommodations and sometimes archers have their own cabins.

Archery hunts are from late September to January 31. Shotgun/muzzleloader season is the first Monday after Thanksgiving. Late muzzleloader season is a 4 day hunt usually starting the first Saturday in January. HCU’s Bob Wodzisz has been on this property. Hunt WDB513.

 

NEBRASKA WHITETAILS
ARCHERY $4500 RIFLE $4959

This Nebraska hunt produces a few bucks every year over that magical 150 inches and averages right around that 140 mark. The outfitter has an extensive protein feed program on his 100,000 private acres with 8 miles of Platte River bottom.

The outfitter hunts out of 2 camps. The Island Camp has 7 miles of riverbottom with an explosive population of good whitetails. It has a remodeled ranch house and new bunkhouse for accommodations.

West Camp is located on 80 square miles in the hills for mule deer and 5 miles of riverbottom on the Platte River for whitetails. Success on mule deer has been over 80 percent and the average buck gross scores near 160 inches.

He is adding a new camp located only about 15 minutes from the Island Camp. This place has 3 miles of Platte riverbottom and both sides of the river on 2 miles.

2023 rifle season finished 14 bucks for 20 hunters, best in the 160’s, average just under 140.  Mule deer went 9 for 12 averaging in the high 150’s.

2022 archery he took 10 bowhunters out of the Island Camp and they killed 5 with the top buck grossing in the 150’s.

Rifle season the Island Camp had 20 hunters tag 12 bucks with 4 going over 150 inches and overall averaging in the 140’s. The West Camp had 11 whitetail hunters kill 7 bucks and 2 bucks were missed. 16 mule deer hunters killed 15 muley bucks and one whitetail. Top mule deer went 186, 170’s and a 155.

Archery hunters typically enjoy near 100 percent opportunity on 130 inch or better bucks. Rifle hunts normally run about 80 percent success on bucks averaging 140 inches. There is a 130 inch gross minimum with a penalty of $500.

5 day bowhunts are $4,500 and run October 24 to 28 and November 1 to 5.

4 day rifle whitetail hunts in mid to late November are $4,959 or mule deer is $6,500 with a 60% draw.

Nice ranch house accommodations, meals and guiding are included. Whitetail licenses are over the counter, no draw. Fly to Denver and rent a car or if you fly into North Platte, they provide airport pickup. Limited openings due to repeat hunters. HCU’s Bob Wodzisz has been to this camp. Hunt WD/MD565.   WD/MD565 Hunt Photos.

SASKATCHEWAN WHITETAILS
6 HUNTING DAYS ONLY $4900
INCLUDES LICENSE/TAX

Here is an inexpensive Saskatchewan whitetail hunt where the outfitter has a 300,000 acre area that borders farmland and bush.

2023 he had cut back on the number of hunters due to the bad winter 2 years ago. He only took 7 hunters and they tagged 4 bucks, nothing huge.

2022 was tough mainly due to a 2021/2022 severe winter resulting in probably a 50 percent deer loss. So far, his hunters have been 50 percent on kills and the best buck went 169 inches, second best at 155 and overall average around 145.

6 day rifle whitetail hunts from late October through November are only $4,900 including license/tax. He has 25 heated box blinds several feet off the ground. Nice two story cabin accommodations right on the lake. This is a super priced hunt and airport pickup can be arranged from Saskatoon at a cost of $400 round trip that can be divided amongst hunters. Hunt WD577. WD577 Hunt Photos.

$3000 TEXAS WHITETAIL HUNT
PRIVATE RANCH
GREAT ACCOMMODATIONS

This 1,200 acre private ranch under high fence is located in the Texas panhandle near the town of Clarendon. Arrive on a Thursday; hunt Friday, Saturday and Sunday, then depart on Monday. Three hunting days are priced very economically at $3,000 and that includes a buck of 8 or 9 points and gross scoring less than 150 Boone and Crockett inches, very nice accommodations, prepared meals and 1 on 1 guide service. Your guide will make the call on size and if he underestimates there is no additional charge to the hunter. Deer grossing from 150 up to 169 Boone and Crockett points have a trophy fee of $3,000. Top trophy bucks scoring over 170 have a $5,000 trophy fee. This ranch has limited hunting and is very brushy whereas some mature bucks are not seen all year except for during the rut. Management hunts take place from September to early December. Trophy hunts for bucks exceeding 150 inches are conducted later in November. Cull bucks, mature bucks not up to management standards, can sometimes be added at a much reduced price with the guide’s discretion.

This ranch owner only allows a very select number of hunters each year to hunt his ranch. Fantastic accommodations coupled with amazing meals along with a cold beer or a glass of fine wine at the end of the day just add to the experience.

They also offer superb inexpensive red stag hunting, along with trophy red sheep and Sitka deer. Texas non-resident license is $300. Hunters are met in Amarillo. Extremely limited openings, call for availability. HCU’s Scott Steinkruger and Cliff Graham have been on this ranch. Hunt WDP806.  WDP806 Hunt Photos.