Best state for non-residents and why?

[Efey]

Not mississippi! 3 birds in the spring, 1 per day but it will cost me about $400 as an out of state hunter to hunt my own private land for the spring 7ish week season

[bamagtrdude]

Texas.  Plus, you can hunt Ft. Hood, which has tons of birds & is public land (or, at least, you used to be able to hunt there as a civie).  I think Ft. Hood is over 300,000 acres??!!  hahaha...

[alclark2]

I've only hunted Alabama as a non res. 5 birds, long season, under 200, enough public land. BUT.. there aint no birds in bama just so you know.

I've searched for hours on a DIY public land hunt in Texas and I don't really think its possible for most people. I really wanted to do a public land trip with my dad for hogs/turkeys but I don't see it happening. I can't get him to pay to hunt hogs eithers. He sees them as a nuisance and can't imagine paying to hunt them. Soooooo.... If you have land access great! If not.. SHOW them the MONEY$$$

Since I can't hunt Alabama this year I'm leaning toward a western hunt. It's between Kansas and Nebraska.

[J Hook Max]

Yes, there are turkeys in Alabama, even on public land. However, there are not near as many as advertised. I know, i live and hunt here for over 30 years ago. It just ain't what it used to be.

[cornfedkiller]

Having only hunted 6 states for turkeys (Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas), I'm not sure how much experience I have compared to others here...

Minnesota is a draw and you only get a few days to hunt.  Wisconsin is the same.  Iowa is expensive for non-residents ($125 NR license, then tags on top of that), so those three are out.

My three favorites were Nebraska, South Dakota, and Kansas.  Kansas tags were fairly priced and a two bird limit, but we found access to private land fairly difficult.  It seemed like many of the locals were not too excited about non-residents coming to hunt.

South Dakota was fun.  Tags are fairly priced, and there was again a two bird limit if hunting in the Black Hills.  There are over a million acres of public land in the Hills, and a ton of birds.

Nebraska is my favorite because tags are the cheapest, there is a three bird limit, and private land is fairly easy to gain access to.  The locals where we hunt are some of the nicest people I have ever met, and there are a ton of birds.  Of all the trips I have been on, Nebraska is the only state I consistently go back to year after year.

[JK Spurs]

Put me down for Texas

[hobbes]

Not to derail the thread but I was under the impression that SD Black Hills was 1 bird limit for a nonresident.

I've enjoyed hunting Nebraska in the past.
Birds are too scattered in MT and CO to make them a destination as you describe but could be bonus if you killed out in a neighboring state such as NE or KS.  CO mountain birds are hard to beat for scenery but they can be hard to find.

Hard gobbling easterns are hard to beat.  I used to think MO was king but I've not been there in a long time.   

If I was truly coming from Alaska I would make the hunt a loop through more than one state.

[hunter22]

If I am hunting private land I like Kansas and Oklahoma. If I am hunting public land I like Missouri and Mississippi.

[cornfedkiller]

Not to derail the thread but I was under the impression that SD Black Hills was 1 bird limit for a nonresident.

I'm sorry, I forgot to mention that we were archery hunting. In SD, you get an additional Spring Archery tag, but otherwise I believe you are correct - Black Hills is a one bird limit.

[hobbes]

Not to derail the thread but I was under the impression that SD Black Hills was 1 bird limit for a nonresident.

I'm sorry, I forgot to mention that we were archery hunting. In SD, you get an additional Spring Archery tag, but otherwise I believe you are correct - Black Hills is a one bird limit.

Nothing to be sorry about.  I was hoping I was mistaken and the limit was 2 for shotgun. )

[stinkpickle]

Hire a guide on an Indian reservation in South Dakota, and they'll give you all kinds of tags.   

[timberjack86]

Tn has a lot of public land and a 4 bird limit, But our license fees are very high and they are going up even more this year.

[Gobblerjim]

Not florida. And I like that.

[ddturkeyhunter]

Been to Florida Public Land hunting three times got one bird two of the three years. But Yes Florida is a hard state to Hunt on public land because of all the hunters.

[jblackburn]

Kansas:  Plenty of public land, availability of tags, fair cost of tag and license, long season. 

Only down side is 2 bird limit but then you can jump across the state line once you tag out and head for Missouri, Oklahoma, or Nebraska and have another good place to hunt.

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