ROAD TRIP!
Deer hunters travel in pursuit of white-tailed deer for many reasons. While residing in the heart of Southwestern Coues whitetail country, I traveled east frequently because we had no “Eastern whitetails” locally. While living in West Texas I traveled looking for potentially higher-scoring antlers. Now that I’m solidly settled in northern Idaho whitetail country — a one-buck state — I travel south during late seasons looking to find one more whitetail fix. Add a touch of wanderlust and a grass-is-greener mentality, and the picture is made complete.
Interestingly, while I’ve enjoyed many successful outfitted hunts, I’ve tagged many of my best bucks during out-of-state, FIY hunts. I’m certainly not knocking outfitted hunts (I was once an outfitter myself), and I did say many, not all. Guided hunts can prove exceptionally productive—but only if you can afford them. Besides, there’s no denying the enormous satisfaction that comes from tagging any mature white-tailed buck on your own.
Road-trip whitetail success comes only after thorough desk-top research,
