When I talk to whitetail outfitters I like to ask them where they get most of their clients.  I'll hear Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, as well as several southeastern states come up most often.  What I don't hear is even more telling that what I do.  Rarely, do they mention states like Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri.  It should come as no surprise that it's hard to drag a hunter out of the midwest to go someplace that, quite frankly, may not be as good as what he or she left behind.  Even the legendary outfitters of western Canada find it difficult to draw hunters from the heartland.  What makes the midwest so good?  Let's take a look.

DEER DENSITY AND HUNTING PRESSURE

 I've hunted all over America's corn belt.  There are places where the deer density runs as high as 100 per square mile of cover, but the average is about 1/3 to 1/2 that many.  Compare that to densities of five to 10 deer per square mile of cover in the big-bush country of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.  I once spent six straight days sitting in stands in Manitoba's Interlake region.  Even though I stayed on stand dawn to dark each day I only saw one buck and he was out of range!  While I don't mind sitting in the woods, I like to see a few deer once in a while.  Its not hard to see why midwestern hunters are staying home during the deer season.

 We all know that sheer numbers alone don't guarantee great trophy hunting.  You also need age, nutrition and genetics.  The vast majority of the midwest is made up of private land, a fact which serves to limit both access and hunting pressure.  The average hunter density is about 6 to 8 per square mile during the gun seasons, but in the most popular destinations it can run as high as 15 hunters per square mile.  It is common for a huntable percentage of bucks to reach the 4 1/2 years of age required to start putting on serious antler.

GENETICS AND NUTRITION

 O.v. dacotensis (the acclaimed Dakota whitetail subspecies of western Canada) may have the genetic edge over the midwest in terms of antler size, but not by much.  You won't see as many heavy-framed racks in the O.v. macourus, O.v. borealis and O.v. texanus subspecies of the midwest, but width, tine length and beam length can all be exceptional.  Don't get me wrong, these aren't spindly-horned deer.  I shot a buck last season with a bow that had 6 1/2 inch bases, and through the years I've seen several on hoof that had even more mass.

 Nutrition is where the Midwest really shines, however, vaulting over other regions with good deer numbers and limited hunting pressure - namely South Texas.  There is no place on earth with a better laid table for whitetail deer than the agricultural belt of America's bread basket.  High protein food sources, such as alfalfa, clover and soybeans exist for summer antler development and high carbohydrate foods, such as corn and sorghum, will take the bucks through the winter in fine shape. 

 Midwestern winters are not harsh by Canadian standards, reducing the overall demands on the herd.  The average 4 1/2 year old buck from the midwest will have a well-formed 8 or 10 point rack gross-scoring between 145 and 160 Boone & Crockett points, with many reaching 170 points or higher.  I've seen bonafide 4 1/2 year old bucks with gross typical racks scoring over 200 inches!

ACCESSING THE MIDWEST

 The midwest has long been considered "insider" country by leading whitetail authorities, and for good reason.  It's hard to access the best hunting unless you live there.  By and large, the best trophy hunting in the midwest occurs on private property.  In addition, land holdings throughout the timbered regions are generally small, averaging well under 300 acres.  Hunting pressure on that parcel, or those that border it, can have a tremendous impact on trophy potential.  It is common for a farm to be red-hot one year and ice-cold the next.  Without several options, this can be a real problem for a traveling hunter.

 In only the past ten years, reputable outfitters have begun offering top quality hunts on leased private land.  For the most part, these outfitters cater to bowhunters, but there are a limited number of centerfire (shotgun and rifle) and muzzleloader hunts available.  Additionally, if you're willing to hunt during the less popular bow and late muzzleloader seasons, you have a very good chance of gaining access to good private land hunting on your own.  Accept the fact that this approach generally requires a three-year investment of time in order to run-down good leads, gain access on several small farms and then learn to hunt them effectively.

 Buffalo County, Wisconsin was the midwestern model for quality deer management.  Next came Pike County, Illinois and several other areas within that state.  Now the philosophy is spreading like wild-fire among private landowners throughout the midwest.  Everyone looks back to the "good old days".  If things continue the way they're headed the good old days are yet to come.  Don't be surprised if one day the midwest replaces western Canada and South Texas as the destination of choice for America's hard-core whitetail hunters.

PUBLIC LAND OPPORTUNITIES

 Wayne National Forest - Ohio:  With approximately 220,000 acres of primarily forested terrain, there are plenty of places in the Wayne National Forest to get away from other hunters.  The forest is broken up into three units.  The Marietta and Ironton Units, located along the Ohio River, are the most rugged.  The more gently rolling Athens Unit is located in south central Ohio.

 If you're willing to do some walking you can escape much of the hunting pressure.  The second week of the two week shotgun season also promises significantly fewer hunters.  Access is from county and state roads, with all Forest Service roads closed to vehicles.  Trophy potential is fairly good with bucks 3 1/2 years and older making up approximately 13% of the total antlered harvest (not including button bucks).  Both drive and stand hunting are popular methods.  Baiting is legal but few hunters engage in it.

 For more information call the Ohio Department of Natural Resources at (740) 589-9930.  To order maps call:  U.S. Forest Service at (614) 592-6644.

 Mark Twain National Forest - Missouri:  If a wilderness hunt in the southern midwest interests you, then the 1.5 million acre Mark Twain National Forest is your perfect destination.  The forest is broken up into seven units with terrain types ranging from the rolling ag./timber transition of the Cedar Creek Unit to the very steep and rugged Ozark Mountains found in any of the eight walk-in wilderness areas.  Hunting pressure is highest along the edges of these wilderness areas, but moderates as you go deeper into the back country. 
 Due to the availability of farm crops, the deer density is highest in the 17,000 acre Cedar Creek unit;  All other units have moderate densities.  Trophy potential throughout the seven units is only fair due to a lack of high quality food sources.  Fair numbers of mature bucks exist, but they don't grow the huge antlers common to Missouri's more northern agricultural counties.

 For more information, or to request maps of the forest, call the U.S. Forest Service at (573) 364-4621.

 Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge - Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin:  I duck hunted this area religiously as a boy.  In 18 years of hunting the river every weekend during October and November I can remember only once seeing a bowhunter.  I'm sure there are a few more by now, but the refuge has 200,000 acres (about half of which is water) bordering Iowa alone, and nearly that much to the north sandwiched between Minnesota and Wisconsin.  Some years we saw incredible deer sign while duck hunting the bottoms, and with little pressure there are bound to be ample trophies. 

 Hunting strategies are simple:  find a funnel between two pieces of water that connects larger blocks of timber (there are literally thousands of these spots scattered throughout this region).  Stay all day.  The rut of early November and the duck hunters will keep the bucks moving during the bow season, and other deer hunters will keep them up and moving during the gun season.  If you've got a boat to access the larger islands you'll leave 90% of the other hunters behind.

 There's only one downside:  water-level.  During periods of high water, deer leave the bottoms for high ground and take awhile to drift back once it falls again.  Check into all your options.  Minnesota and Wisconsin may be a better choice than Iowa because those states offer unrestricted bow tags.  Make sure to call your selected state's DNR to determine how the state boundaries are enforced.

 For more information on hunting the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge and to request maps call (319) 873-3423 in Iowa or (507) 452-4232 for Minnesota and Wisconsin.

 Richard J. Dorer Memorial State Forest - Minnesota:  This widely spread public hunting area is home to many good bucks with lots of opportunities.  Primarily located in the state's Mississippi River bluff country, this area has a typical mix of rough, wooded bluffs and draws and ridge top fields.  It is highly interspersed with private land-holdings so there is plenty of available food, in the form of crop fields, for the deer. 

 Houston County has 9 major units of the state forest.  For information contact state forester Randy Mell (507) 724-5264.  Fillmore County has 8 major units.  Contact state forester John Kelly (507) 765-2740.  Winona County has 5 major units.  Contact state forester Dave Svien (507) 523-2183.  28,000 acre Whitewater Wildlife Management Area is also in Winona County.  For information on Whitewater contact Jon Cole (507) 932-4133.  Wabasha & Goodhue Counties contain 5 major units of the Dorer State Forest.  Contact state forester Terry Helbig (612) 345-3216.

 Shawnee National Forest - Illinois:  Southern Illinois is home to the 250,000 acre Shawnee National Forest.  The Shawnee is an extremely fragmented forest with a high interspersion of private land.  This creates tremendous edge cover as timbered blocks border agricultural fields.  The terrain varies from rugged, timbered slopes to rolling, grass covered fields.

 Though bowhunting pressure is not heavy, the Shawnee gets a lot of gun pressure (shotgun only).  But, with a little homework you can still find undisturbed hunting.  To beat the crowds, seek permission from private landowners to cross their land enroute to otherwise inaccessible corners of national forest.  Stand hunting is the most popular method.  The highest deer densities, and the best trophy potential, can be found in Union, Pope, Johnson and Jackson counties.

 For more information contact the Illinois Department of Conservation at (618) 435-8138.  For maps call the U.S. Forest Service at (618) 253-7114.

WHO TO CALL FOR INFORMATION

Illinois:  Department of Conservation, Lincoln Tower Plaza, 524 S. Second St., Springfield, IL  62701-1787  (217) 782-6384  http://dnr.state.il.us/admin/
Inside information:  Western Illinois is becoming very difficult to access without an outfitter, although some very good ones exist.  Try Heartland Lodge south of Nebo in Pike County (800) 717-HUNT.  However, southern and southeastern counties still offer reasonable access for do-it-yourself hunters.

Indiana:  Department of Natural Resources, 402 W. Washington, Room W273, Indianapolis, IN  46204  (317) 232-4080 http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3199.htm
Inside information:  Many serious deer hunters in Indiana are frustrated with herd reduction policies that have done nothing to protect bucks.  Despite these policies, Indiana still produces some fine trophies, especially in the more wooded southern 1/3 of the state.

Iowa:  Department of Natural Resources, Wallace State Office Bldg., Des Moines, IA  50319  (515) 281-5145 http://www.iowadnr.com/wildlife/files/hunting.html
Inside information:  Look for good opportunities within the state's fledgling outfitting industry.  Judd Cooney's operation in western Iowa is making a big splash (970) 264-5612.  Do-it-yourself hunting is effective throughout the state, but especially so in the southwestern part.  Key on special season opportunities but beware of the limited nonresident draw.

Kansas:  Department of Wildlife and Parks, 512 Southeast 25th Ave., Pratt, KS  67124  (316) 672-5911 http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/Hunting
Inside information:  Kansas has a very restrictive nonresident draw.  Opportunities for do-it-yourself hunts are limited by tight access, and many outfitters are unproven - use caution.  Give John Doty at Shadow Oaks Guide Service a try near Sedan in the south (316) 673-9791.  Any zone you can draw to is a good one.

Minnesota:  Department of Natural Resources, Box 7, DNR Building, 500 Lafayette, St. Paul, MN  55155  (612) 296-6157 http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/index.html
Inside information:  As of this writing, outfitting for whitetail deer is illegal in Minnesota.  Good opportunities exist for traveling hunters in the transition zone between agriculture and big woods north of the Twin Cities and also in bluff country of the southeast corner.

Missouri:  Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO  65102  (314) 751-4115 http://mdc.mo.gov/hunt/
Inside information:  Anything north of Interstate 70 should be considered for trophy bucks.  Hunting pressure is fairly high during the regular firearms season so look for special season opportunities.  J & S Trophy Hunts runs a good operation up north (515) 724-9276.

Nebraska:  Game & Parks Commission, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE  68503-0370  (402) 471-0641 http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/hunting/hunting.asp
Inside information:  Everyone converges on the Platte, Niobrara and Republican river bottoms.  These are great areas, but don't overlook small creek drainages and woodlots throughout the state, but especially along the Missouri River.

Ohio:  Department of Natural Resources, 1840 Belcher Dr., G-3, Columbus, OH  43224-1329  (614) 265-6300, http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/6522/Default.aspx.
Inside information:  Though not as good as it once was, many good bucks are still coming from Ohio, partly because the buck harvest has been held down to one per hunter per year for quite some time.  During the 1996 season 11 B & C bucks came from a single county!  Access for nonresidents is decent, with only a fledgling outfitting industry.

Wisconsin:  Bureau of Wildlife Management, Box 7921, Madison, WI  53707  (608) 266-1877 http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/HUNT/deer/
Inside information:  Wisconsin is a state full of deer hunters.  Access is tough during the general firearms season, and not easy during the special seasons.  The biggest bucks have traditionally come from the far north or along the Mississippi River where Quality Deer Management has taken a firm foot-hold.  Limited outfitting occurs.  Check out Tom Indrebo's operation near Alma in Buffalo County.