Best state for non-residents and why?

[turkey_slayer]

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.

$325 is what it would cost me now and here i thought the $267 I've been paying was stupid. I wish you could buy turkey, deer, bear tags separately. Stupid you have to buy them all. Same with Virginia.

[turkey_slayer]

Doesn't go into effect till July 1 so we're safe till next year

[mudhen]

I hunt 12+ states, Tejas, no contest...


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[ridgerunner]

Alaska

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

Nebraska.  Just pure silliness.

[dirtnap]

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.

Not to be a nerd but the nonresident cost of turkey tags in Nebraska is right at $90 per bird.  They are the highest of the 3 you mentioned.

[jwhunter]

Hunting the southern eastern is hard to beat. Rios and Merriams just do not act like a hard gobbling eastern. i have hunted Alabama and Tennessee for easterns and its hard to beat.

[J Hook Max]

I agree with JWHUNTER, Easterns are the most fun. It's all I care about hunting.

[jcour4]

I also agree with hunting Easterns is the best and I enjoy southern gobblers more than any. From my hunts out west turkeys do not act the same, but I continue to travel to various states and different terrains to maybe one day find a place that will be as fun as hunting easterns in big timber

[cornfedkiller]

Not to be a nerd but the nonresident cost of turkey tags in Nebraska is right at $90 per bird.  They are the highest of the 3 you mentioned.

You are correct, the actual tags themselves are not the cheapest (I should have worded that differently in my original post), BUT the tags are all you have to buy (well plus a small habitat fee or something like that). 

South Dakota tags were like $100 a piece if I remember correctly.  Kansas makes you buy a non-resident hunting license.  I just looked it up and it was cheaper than I remember, but I thought my two birds in Kansas were over $200?

[MiamiE]

I can definitely say Florida is not on the best list. The FWC could make a TON of money if they choose to raise non-resident prices on turkey.

[turkeybow]

For TN right now the non-resident license is $251.  That's a sportsmans license so not only do you get 4 turkeys but you also get 3 bucks, if in right unit 3 does per day, all other types of hunting, trapping, and fishing.  TN also has draw hunts in which you can enter.  If you enter the state draws and get a hunt depending on where it is it can be a bonus bird.  There are NWR draws as well and those are bonus birds.  You also have Ft. Campbell which is 3 birds and the Milan Arsenal.  So you have a potential of up to 10 birds if you play your cards right in TN!

[J Hook Max]

I agree with Turkeybow and that's why I spend half myspring in Tennessee. That and the fact there are lots of turkeys.

[the Ward]

I'm hoping to put something together for a western hunt in 2016. Me and my Son have been talking about it for awhile now. Black Hills hunt sounds really cool, but haven't decided yet. Going to do some research this year and decide for sure. Might even go the guided/semi guided route if I have too. This has been on my bucket list and I need to start crossing stuff off of it lol!

[Gamblinman]

I'm hoping to put something together for a western hunt in 2016. Me and my Son have been talking about it for awhile now. Black Hills hunt sounds really cool, but haven't decided yet. Going to do some research this year and decide for sure. Might even go the guided/semi guided route if I have too. This has been on my bucket list and I need to start crossing stuff off of it lol!

Other than Kansas, or Oklahoma, I would do the semi-guided route. It cost a bit more, but in most cases, you're on private land and you should get on birds quicker that have had less pressure.



Gman