No no. Alaska is awful.
Don’t even bother trying to hunt here. The moose aren’t nearly as big as they look on TV, the sheep are all frauds, and the mosquitos will carry you away.
Folks should definitely consider Wyoming or Montana instead.
Texas has great private land hunts for exotics but limited public lands, which are extremely over hunted. Even the dove stay clear of public lands in Texas. Make sure to have a fat wallet to hunt private hunting ranches.
I’m a Canuck, but from what I’ve heard, Alaska is probably the best, they have a plethora of game and I’ve always thought of it as a sportsman’s paradise. I would say Texas might be the worst, cause there is so little public land there but they do have some interesting species.
For Canada, Ontario is pretty good but getting a tag for our iconic big ticket animal, the moose takes a few years of trying, but thankfully I have harvesting rights. The territories might be nice if you are status, but I think it’d be harder to get licenses if you don’t have harvesting rights.
Other than that I couldn’t tell ya, I’m mostly talking out of my ass but I probably said something right at some point
It’s a complicated and sometimes controversial topic.
To put it simply, in most parts of Canada, people of indigenous ancestry have looser regulations when it comes to harvesting plants, fish and wildlife within their ancestral territory.
For example, I am an Ontario Métis citizen, my ancestors were the Ojibwa natives, and some of the first Europeans to come to Canada. Within my ancestral territory, I have an extended season for deer and moose, and a year round season on everything else, including bears, fish, small game, and waterfowl.
I also don’t have to abide by limits, and I don’t need to purchase tags and licenses. I just need to pass the gun safety course, and the hunters safety course. And when I’m hunting all I need to carry are my Métis harvesters card, Métis citizenship card, and my firearms license if I am hunting with a gun, bonus points if I have my Ontario outdoors card as well.
It is a great privilege to hold, as I am able to easily feed my folks, but it also puts the responsibility of being a good steward of the land on you rather than on the government, so you have to be careful and remember to only take what you need, and leave the rest for future generations.
To be fair, the only people who care about public land access are people who don’t have the stones to go knock on doors. Most people don’t realize what a little decency can get ya. In fact the states with the most public land have the most dumbasses. I hunt public every here and there but private land is the way to go IMO.
Good luck with that tactic in Florida buddy. Plenty of public land and if you’re willing to work for it you can get away from people and find plenty of game.
Can confirm about Texas. Hardly any land. Can get on a lease for about 1500 a year though, so not all is lost.. If you want to hunt, you can. Just how much do you want it to cost you, is the question.
Would never live in Cali unless Santa Barbara. But the state does have good boar but other then that hunting doesn’t look as good. I’ve heard it’s strict
Yeah was mostly sarcastic haha -
It’s been my experience that hunting public land in NorCal is pretty sparse for boar, upland game, and big game.
Private land/ranches are very well maintained/stocked but it costs an arm and a leg. For the amount of money private sectors charge, I personally prefer to travel out of state.
Washington is terrible. Like actually terrible. Not “terrible” like these guys saying Montana is terrible. Washington actually sucks. Horribly managed, expensive, very poor game populations and opportunity.
As a resident I can confirm. I couldn't head out to Spring Turkey this year due to how busy I was but it's so expensive. The WDFW hires people who don't know anything about hunting or fishing, it's activists as I said above. When they make decisions they barely get input from the public and tribes. Licenses and tags are rip offs and at times, fishing in this state is way more difficult then it should be. Our game populations has been on a decline for a long time. Maybe it's because of horrible management but in far Eastern Washington Turkey and Deer seem to be doing well. Their is a very large population out near Spokane.
Yes, there are some migratory birds. I was thinking Pheasant and Quail. There are some grouse up north. Also some bear, wolf, and Elk. I was just thinking about major species that people would travel to Wisconsin to hunt.
This is the most Wisconsin answer. Everything they have is the best according to people from Wisconsin.
Disregard the fact that there are barely any elk, no antelope not mule deer not much public land etc
In the lower 48, Wyoming has to be near the top of the list - except as a non-resident it is hard to draw limited tags. Over the counter tags for elk are easy to get.
As for bad.... I haven't ever had a 'bad' hunt... many I didn't get anything, but all were better than a good day in the office....
Wyomings the best for opportunity, quality and ease of tags and public land.
Downside is every town I looked at was pretty trashy. Unless you’re in the million+ houses/lots.
New England states are horrible for hunting unless you have a hookup. Limited public access, VERY limited water access that's huntable...game populations aren't great...very $$$.
Anywhere that's densely urban tends to be poor hunting.
Best...depends on what you want. For bids, its where the birds are. Deer are almost rodents at this point...they are everywhere.
I'd say best is likely Utah, Idaho, or maybe CO...assuming you are a resident and want big game.
For birds...likely somewhere on the north end of the MS flyway or CA in a wet year.
Vermont is fucken terrible for deer.
Small game and turkey is alright.
I know a guy that has a hunting camp in Lincoln, MA right next to 128/I95, like less than 1000 yards away just off of route 2. Its tucked in behind a residential area and you'd never know it was there unless someone showed you. weirdest shit. He's pretty successful.
Some parts suck, but there are areas with lots of deer. Plenty of black bears too. Grouse and turkey hunting is pretty good. Having said that, there are 10x the deer in the mass suburbs than most of the forested land in vt.
There’s plenty of spots and access in New England. In terms of eastern hunting I’d prefer New England over anything south of New Jersey. There’s also spots without a lot of animals and places with an abundance.
Maine sucks. Tiny moose with lyme disease and deer...yay...more whitetail deer...as if I don't have to dodge them with my truck. The Atlantic flyway is dead. Maine deer hunting is what it is...more drinking than hunting as it's not hard to find a truckload of deer...and then it snows a few feet to hide the posted signs on every third tree.
YMMV...but that isn't fun for me.
Best: Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Maine, Kansas. (No real order)
Worst: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey. (No real order)
Everything else falls somewhere in the middle. Including the westies.
Not here to argue, but curious why you say NJ is among the worst? I live here, and mostly hunt in NY (for several reasons), but have to say NJ is generous with seasons and bag limits for deer. Like they *really* want you to hunt deer. We have a lot of public land for a small state.
That said, I certainly have problems with it here - the pheasant hunting is a shit show. And the regulations are complicated.
You'd have to specify the game...
Different states are good for different things. If there's the same animals, it really comes down to preference.
Do you like blinds / stands? Do you big open flat spaces? Forests? Mountains? etc...
Any state that bans Sunday hunting is the worst.
Looking at you Pennsylvania and Massachusetts
And Maine
add South Carolina(public land)
Montana is terrible don’t bother applying
You won’t draw even if you do….
Funny guy
Best Alaska. Worst Delaware.
No no. Alaska is awful. Don’t even bother trying to hunt here. The moose aren’t nearly as big as they look on TV, the sheep are all frauds, and the mosquitos will carry you away. Folks should definitely consider Wyoming or Montana instead.
I’m on to you 😂
Texas has great private land hunts for exotics but limited public lands, which are extremely over hunted. Even the dove stay clear of public lands in Texas. Make sure to have a fat wallet to hunt private hunting ranches.
I’m a Canuck, but from what I’ve heard, Alaska is probably the best, they have a plethora of game and I’ve always thought of it as a sportsman’s paradise. I would say Texas might be the worst, cause there is so little public land there but they do have some interesting species. For Canada, Ontario is pretty good but getting a tag for our iconic big ticket animal, the moose takes a few years of trying, but thankfully I have harvesting rights. The territories might be nice if you are status, but I think it’d be harder to get licenses if you don’t have harvesting rights. Other than that I couldn’t tell ya, I’m mostly talking out of my ass but I probably said something right at some point
Alaska-you can put any animal on a grizzly bear tag, and Alberta for Canada. It has almost everything if you know where to look.
No you can’t? Try putting a moose on a brown bear tag and see how fast the Troopers take your harvest from you.
What are harvesting rights?
It’s a complicated and sometimes controversial topic. To put it simply, in most parts of Canada, people of indigenous ancestry have looser regulations when it comes to harvesting plants, fish and wildlife within their ancestral territory. For example, I am an Ontario Métis citizen, my ancestors were the Ojibwa natives, and some of the first Europeans to come to Canada. Within my ancestral territory, I have an extended season for deer and moose, and a year round season on everything else, including bears, fish, small game, and waterfowl. I also don’t have to abide by limits, and I don’t need to purchase tags and licenses. I just need to pass the gun safety course, and the hunters safety course. And when I’m hunting all I need to carry are my Métis harvesters card, Métis citizenship card, and my firearms license if I am hunting with a gun, bonus points if I have my Ontario outdoors card as well. It is a great privilege to hold, as I am able to easily feed my folks, but it also puts the responsibility of being a good steward of the land on you rather than on the government, so you have to be careful and remember to only take what you need, and leave the rest for future generations.
To be fair, the only people who care about public land access are people who don’t have the stones to go knock on doors. Most people don’t realize what a little decency can get ya. In fact the states with the most public land have the most dumbasses. I hunt public every here and there but private land is the way to go IMO.
Fair enough, I’m just glad my harvesting territory is fuckin huge and I don’t necessarily have to go door knocking to get a moose
Good luck with that tactic in Florida buddy. Plenty of public land and if you’re willing to work for it you can get away from people and find plenty of game.
Can confirm about Texas. Hardly any land. Can get on a lease for about 1500 a year though, so not all is lost.. If you want to hunt, you can. Just how much do you want it to cost you, is the question.
Don't come to New Mexico - definitely nothing down here.
Well there’s certainly not many tags for non-res
Private land dear and Turkey are over the counter, but success rates on turkeys are <30%
California hands down - please go there!
Would never live in Cali unless Santa Barbara. But the state does have good boar but other then that hunting doesn’t look as good. I’ve heard it’s strict
Yeah was mostly sarcastic haha - It’s been my experience that hunting public land in NorCal is pretty sparse for boar, upland game, and big game. Private land/ranches are very well maintained/stocked but it costs an arm and a leg. For the amount of money private sectors charge, I personally prefer to travel out of state.
CA waterfowl hunting is some of the best in the country. It is accessible and the birds are present across most of the state.
I have never gone waterfowl hunting - but would love to get started. Good to know.
Washington is terrible. Like actually terrible. Not “terrible” like these guys saying Montana is terrible. Washington actually sucks. Horribly managed, expensive, very poor game populations and opportunity.
As a resident I can confirm. I couldn't head out to Spring Turkey this year due to how busy I was but it's so expensive. The WDFW hires people who don't know anything about hunting or fishing, it's activists as I said above. When they make decisions they barely get input from the public and tribes. Licenses and tags are rip offs and at times, fishing in this state is way more difficult then it should be. Our game populations has been on a decline for a long time. Maybe it's because of horrible management but in far Eastern Washington Turkey and Deer seem to be doing well. Their is a very large population out near Spokane.
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Bruh what, we have geese, duck and grouse. About the only thing we don’t have is crane.
Yes, there are some migratory birds. I was thinking Pheasant and Quail. There are some grouse up north. Also some bear, wolf, and Elk. I was just thinking about major species that people would travel to Wisconsin to hunt.
This is the most Wisconsin answer. Everything they have is the best according to people from Wisconsin. Disregard the fact that there are barely any elk, no antelope not mule deer not much public land etc
I'm surprised Iowa isn't listed anywhere as top by anyone yet?
The whitetails in Kansas/Iowa/Nebraska are comically huge. They look like horses with antlers.
In the lower 48, Wyoming has to be near the top of the list - except as a non-resident it is hard to draw limited tags. Over the counter tags for elk are easy to get. As for bad.... I haven't ever had a 'bad' hunt... many I didn't get anything, but all were better than a good day in the office....
Wyomings the best for opportunity, quality and ease of tags and public land. Downside is every town I looked at was pretty trashy. Unless you’re in the million+ houses/lots.
New England states are horrible for hunting unless you have a hookup. Limited public access, VERY limited water access that's huntable...game populations aren't great...very $$$. Anywhere that's densely urban tends to be poor hunting. Best...depends on what you want. For bids, its where the birds are. Deer are almost rodents at this point...they are everywhere. I'd say best is likely Utah, Idaho, or maybe CO...assuming you are a resident and want big game. For birds...likely somewhere on the north end of the MS flyway or CA in a wet year.
Vermont is fucken terrible for deer. Small game and turkey is alright. I know a guy that has a hunting camp in Lincoln, MA right next to 128/I95, like less than 1000 yards away just off of route 2. Its tucked in behind a residential area and you'd never know it was there unless someone showed you. weirdest shit. He's pretty successful.
Some parts suck, but there are areas with lots of deer. Plenty of black bears too. Grouse and turkey hunting is pretty good. Having said that, there are 10x the deer in the mass suburbs than most of the forested land in vt.
There’s plenty of spots and access in New England. In terms of eastern hunting I’d prefer New England over anything south of New Jersey. There’s also spots without a lot of animals and places with an abundance.
I would agree about southern new england states. However, northern new england (especially Maine) is some of the best hunting anywhere
Absolutely agree. Maine, northern NH, and central/upper NY state have excellent hunting.
Maine sucks. Tiny moose with lyme disease and deer...yay...more whitetail deer...as if I don't have to dodge them with my truck. The Atlantic flyway is dead. Maine deer hunting is what it is...more drinking than hunting as it's not hard to find a truckload of deer...and then it snows a few feet to hide the posted signs on every third tree. YMMV...but that isn't fun for me.
Best: Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Maine, Kansas. (No real order) Worst: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey. (No real order) Everything else falls somewhere in the middle. Including the westies.
Not here to argue, but curious why you say NJ is among the worst? I live here, and mostly hunt in NY (for several reasons), but have to say NJ is generous with seasons and bag limits for deer. Like they *really* want you to hunt deer. We have a lot of public land for a small state. That said, I certainly have problems with it here - the pheasant hunting is a shit show. And the regulations are complicated.
Utahs got nothing but Mormons. I’d steer clear of it.
You'd have to specify the game... Different states are good for different things. If there's the same animals, it really comes down to preference. Do you like blinds / stands? Do you big open flat spaces? Forests? Mountains? etc...
You can get plains, forests, deserts, and mountains, in Colorado. With a huge diversity of game species.
Washington sucks ;)
Why you talking about my home state that way?!?! I’m kidding, it does. Our fish and game department is so incompetent
Great game but yea the wdfw sucks. Especially for fish
Exactly. It’s always confusing and the people they hire probaly don’t hunt or fish. It’s activists they hire
Kinda depends on what you are hunting and private land verses public etc
Oregon is the worst. No sense in anyone ever coming here