Every hunter dreams about bagging a monster buck, a beast with massive antlers and gangs of points, yet no matter how skillful a woodsman you may be, unless mature whitetails haunt the areas you hunt, the chances of fulfilling that dream are nil. Big bucks can pop up in any state, but the probability of tagging that once-in-a-lifetime trophy are much better in Ohio, Illinois, Kansas, Iowa, and other big-buck states. If you don’t live in one of these productive areas, why not plan a road trip and hunt the really big ones? Bernie Beringer offers a road trip blog that points the way in this post from Outdoor Hub:
In the past 15 years, the advent of outdoor TV has created quite a movement. I call it the “freelance bowhunter” movement. Many hunters living in the Eastern and Southern United States, where few bucks live to reach maturity due to extreme hunting pressure, have discovered the Midwest. And by that I mean they sat wide-eyed in front of their TV watching hunting show after hunting show where the host would travel to the great whitetail hunting destinations. They watched bucks being shot that they would never have a chance to ever see in their home state. These bowhunters want to experience great hunting for mature bucks themselves. A movement began, and the numbers of traveling bowhunters have grown in leaps and bounds.
I am one of these freelance bowhunters and I started a website a few years ago which provides info for the hunter-traveler, and it has exploded in popularity. I have taken more than a dozen out-of-state hunts and blogged them for my readers. I have learned some things along the way. If you are one of those people who lust after the chance to take a mature buck, but don’t have the coin to shell out $4,000 to an outfitter, I have some good advice for you. Here is your “Freelance Bowhunter 101” course to help you get on your way.
