It’s that time of year, everyone is dusting the rust off their bows, trail cameras, and digital scouting apps in preparation for the upcoming season. On the other hand, it’s also the time of year when men and women around the country are finding out that they didn’t succeed in their out-of-state hunting applications, or realizing that hunting season is around the corner and they don’t have the time or money to plan something for this fall. This will actually be the first year that I'm not stressing about planning a last minute hunt; I have a September Colorado Elk hunt planned, along with a November Missouri whitetail hunt written in sharpie on the calendar. I have been in the last minute decision boat many times over the last few years though, and I have been lucky enough to taste success on a DIY public land hunt on a very strict budget. I’m not saying any of it was easy; there were some uncomfortable nights sleeping in a tent in frigid temps, but if you can make due, you can give yourself a chance to hunt mature bucks in some of the best whitetail country North America has to offer for less than 25% of what a guided trip would cost.
You can probably get away with planning one of these hunts a week in advance, but if you truly want to do it right, you should pick a spot within the next few weeks to give yourself a couple months to digitally scout, and save up a few dollars. The Onx hunt app has changed the game when it comes to digital scouting, and can help you successfully plan a public land DIY hunt with just a few nights of dedicated research. I’ve been lucky to chase whitetails in a few different states on both public and private ground, and I also have a few close friends who have been successful on DIY whitetail hunts in the Midwest. Now don’t me wrong, I love chasing Michigan bucks, but a change of scenery, and an increased chance of shooting a magnum mature whitetail in states close to home will always have me itching to leave the great mitten state for a few days each fall.
Just like almost everyone else, my budget doesn’t allow me to do guided trips on an annual basis. On top of that, with the costs of guided trips increasing every year, I don’t anticipate that an annual guided trip will be the norm for me. I’ve actually never been on a guided whitetail trip; the only guided hunt I've ever been on was an inexpensive Ontario black bear hunt in the Spring of 2018. Many hunters out there still believe that an out-of-state hunt will always be outside of their budget, but I’ll tell you, I’m very confident I could look at the majority of hunters budgets, and find a way to save for a DIY hunt on an annual basis. If you can put $1,000 in an emergency fund within a few months because Dave Ramsey told you to, then you can definitely put away $1,000 for a hunting trip every year or two. I also understand there’s a million other things in life you have to spend money on that are more important than a hunting trip, and that $1000 is still a lot of money, but maybe it’s as simple as putting the golf clubs away for a summer to save up the money. Lets be honest, if golf is more important to you than hunting….well lets just be nice and say you need your priorities realigned.
With all of that being said, here’s my top 3 choices for a DIY whitetail hunt that you can embark upon this fall, and all of them are less than a half day’s drive!
Hunt #1: Ohio Archery Hunt
I was able to put down this Ohio buck on the 3rd day of a 4 day archery hunt on public land in 2016. Ohio offers thousands of acres of prime public land. Shotgun season can be busy, but archery season is pretty quiet on most public land in the buckeye state.
There are thousands of acres of national forest in Ohio. The central part of the state is mostly farm country, with some corn-raised brutes running around. If you want a true adventure hunt though, head to the southern part of the state where you’ll find rolling hills, and on top of those ridges you’ll find mature bucks cruising during the rut looking and scent checking for does. I find myself in Ohio on an annual basis in November chasing big public land whitetails only 6 hours from my Michigan doorstep. Don’t want to wait to the rut? No problem, Ohio’s archery season starts the last weekend in September, so you might not need to wait until October to get into a stand after all! All Ohio nonresident deer licenses can be bought over the counter anywhere that sells licenses.
Budget Breakdown
Fuel (17 mpg vehicle at $2.70/gal. for 900 miles): $143
Lodging (Local motel at $75/night for 4 nights): $300
Ohio nonresident hunting license: $181
Food (5 days at $20/day): $100
Local Meat Process: $85
Total: $809
Penny-pincher tip: If $800 still seems like a lot of money, an easy way to save money is to setup a tent on national forest ground. Most national forests are free to do primitive camping on, or you could find a close campground to throw a tent up for around $20/night. On top of that, you could process your own deer to save on a processing fee. Remember, with the new CWD laws, all deer must be de-boned before crossing state lines.
Hunt #2: Nebraska Muzzleloader Whitetail/Mule deer
I went with a few buddies last December to Nebraska for muzzleloader hunt. To speak mildly, the weather didn’t fully cooperate with us, but my buddy Levi was still able to throw some powder at this nice 10 point on our last day. Even though the weather was a big issue, everybody in our party saw quite a few mature bucks.
Last year, I went with a few buddies to Nebraska for a muzzleloader hunt the first week of December. I did it all for under $600, which is mostly because most of the costs (besides licenses and food) were split amongst the group. However, you can still do this hunt by yourself, or with one other person for less than $1000. There is plenty of public ground to hunt in Nebraska, and if you drive toward the western part of the state, you will see a healthy population of mule deer. The great thing about the muzzleloader tag in Nebraska is that you can shoot either a mule deer or a whitetail with the same tag. If you aren’t having much luck on public ground, then spend a half day knocking on doors and I’m sure you’ll find a land owner kind enough to let you a hunt a day or two on his/her property for a small trespassing fee or potentially for free! Just through talks with a few ranchers in the area while we were there, I noticed quickly that most of them were much more open to the idea of giving hunting permission compared to the landowners here in my home state of Michigan. All Nebraska nonresident tags and habitat stamps ($25 habitat stamp is a must) can be bought over the counter anywhere that sells licenses, or to avoid driving around looking for a store you can buy everything online before you depart from home.
Budget Breakdown
Fuel (17 mpg vehicle at $2.70/gal. for 2000 miles): $318
Lodging (Local hotel $70/ night for 4 nights): $280
Nebraska nonresident muzzleloader license + habitat stamp: $267
Food (5 days at $20/day): $100
Meat Processing: $0
Total: $965
Penny-pincher tip: Notice I put $0 for the meat processing on this trip. This probably isn’t a hunt where you can walk in a few hundred yards off the road to kill a nice buck, especially on public land. I’m taking a guess that you don’t want to drag your deer over a mile either, so if you’re going on this hunt it would be best if you knew how to process your own deer. Process the deer in the field, and make sure you de-bone it before heading home and crossing state lines. If you want to drag your deer and let somebody else process it that is fine, but if you’re looking to save money and stay within your $1000 budget, then its definitely in your best interest to do your own processing. LEAVE NO MEAT TO WASTE!
Hunt #3: Wisconsin Early Season Archery Hunt
Wisconsin doesn’t have quite the reputation it had a decade ago when it comes to whitetails because of the recent CWD issues, but there is still plenty of mature bucks roaming on public ground in the lower half of the state.
I personally haven’t been to Wisconsin on a DIY whitetail hunt yet, but I have plenty of buddies that have, and they have the grip and grins and stories to prove that this state still holds a ton of good bucks. This is the ultimate budget-friendly hunt if it’s your first time going to Wisconsin due to the fact that a nonresident license is only $80 for your first Wisconsin hunt. After your first year it goes up to $160, which is still very reasonable. Wisconsin’s reputation has been damaged a bit lately because of their approach on handling their CWD problem (that’s for another topic of discussion), but the deer numbers are still very high in the southern part of the state, and there’s still plenty of opportunities to hunt public land in very good whitetail country. If you are successful, make sure to take your deer to a local check station to check it for CWD, because the CWD numbers are very high throughout the state. On another more positive note, their bow season starts in mid September! Even if Michigan has its challenges, or no matter where you live, it’s still hard to leave your home state in the rut. This hunt is the best of both worlds; you can stay in your home state for the rut, and start hunting two weeks earlier than you’re accustomed to! Instead of waiting around for October, pack your gear in mid-September, and take a drive to Wisconsin and start chasing mature whitetails before your season even starts back home. All Wisconsin nonresident tags can be purchased over the counter anywhere that sells licenses, or you can buy online so you can leave home with the tag already in your pocket.
Budget Breakdown
Fuel (17 mpg vehicle at $2.70/gal. for 900 miles): $143
Lodging (Local hotel $75/night for 4 nights): $300
Wisconsin nonresident first time deer license: $80
Food (5 days at $25/day): $125
Local Meat Processor: $90
Total: $738
Penny-pincher tip: To keep yourself from spending extra money on food while you’re on your trip, go to your local grocery store before you leave home and stock up on sandwich goodies like lunch meat, peanut butter, and jelly. I also like to buy a large pack of cheap bottled water, and a few cheap snacks to keep yourself from getting hungry and splurging on fast food or restaurants. If you can keep your food cost to a minimum, it’ll go a long way in keeping your total cost down.
Lastly, the ultimate penny-pincher tip is to go on these trips with a few buddies. Going with a group of guys helps greatly minimize the cost of gas, lodging, and food. Not only will it help you save a lot of money, but most importantly it’ll add to the overall experience. Coming back together on a nightly basis after the hunt and telling stories adds a ton of memories and excitement to the hunt. Comradery in the hunting world is unmatched, and I promise you won’t remember a penny you spent, you’ll just remember the excitement and joy of going on a hunting trip with your good friends. Now stop reading this, build the courage to tell your significant other you’re going on a short hunting trip in a few months, invite friends, save money, go sit in an unfamiliar tree across state lines, and shoot a trophy you’ll remember for a lifetime.