Ask MeatEater: What Are Your Favorite States to Hunt?

My favorite states to hunt, in no particular order, are Montana, Alaska, Wisconsin, Idaho, and Colorado. They all have a special place in my heart for one reason or another. None of this is because I think the hunting is necessarily that much better in one than the other—it mostly comes down to a great memory I have from hunts or adventures in each place.

Montana: I live in Montana and now consider it my home hunting grounds. There's more land here than I'll ever get to lay eyes on, much less hunt, especially since I travel a lot during the fall. Montana limits its non-resident big game hunters to 17,000. I know it sucks for most of you, but it keeps the woods relatively quiet for the locals. If your home state decides to do that, I won't be mad at them. We also have so many species to hunt that most years I don't even pursue half of the opportunities available. It's a good problem to have.

Alaska: It's all about the adventure. No other state compares to the true remoteness that Alaska still offers. I don't care what species you go after, Alaska will deliver an experience that will be forever etched in your memory. You may find yourself looking fondly over the onX map of the area for years to come.

Wisconsin: Both Wisconsin and Michigan can lay claim to my deer hunting roots, but our Wisconsin deer camp holds a special place in my heart. Mostly, I guess, that’s because of the people that frequent it. Some have been hunting there for over 50 years so there's never a lack of stories. The beautiful oak ridges and nice bucks get me excited, too. And lest I forget to mention: Doug Duren lives there, which makes it a great place to hunt as well.

Idaho: I haven’t had much experience in Idaho, but I did go on one hell of a hunt with Steve and Cal where we all killed monster mule deer bucks. I'd like to do that again some day.

Colorado: I guided in Colorado for 12 years. I still miss its expansive aspen groves and stunning high country, but I don't miss its crowds. I'll keep going back for the aspens and the friends, but we'll just have to hike a little further to steer clear of the masses.