From someone who grew up in the South (Florida) hunting in Georgia & Alabama but and now hunts the Midwest (Nebraska), I’ll give my feelings and thoughts.

1) In the Midwest: Doe’s are not laughed at, it’s meat in the freezer.

In the South: When I first hunted here in a club, one of the guys had his 7 year old son with him. I asked him how the day went and he said “a doe walked within 10 feet of them”, I asked “why didn’t you shoot it?” The father says ” We don’t shoot no sissy doe’s, bucks only.” I still see this mentality in many from the south, though some are realizing less does doesn’t mean less deer, but better buck movement when the rut is on.

2) There is no dog hunting in the midwest, and there are areas as thick if not thicker than here. There are also swamp areas as well. You want to hunt them you still hunt or figure out a way to hunt there.

3) In a few midwest states it’s shotgun only w/slugs, no buckshot. The season for shotgun is 7 – 10 days max. Bow season is almost as long up here as it is there. Muzzleloader is about the same as well. Rifle season lasts 7-10 days and 3/4 of all the deer harvested in the Midwest come during the first 3 days of rifle season.

4) It is a different genetic strain of whitetail north of the NC line and to the west. Much larger by about 30-40 pounds in weight alone. I was told by an older hunter here that at one time the South’s herd was pretty decimated, so the CWD brought in deer from all over the south to repopulate lower areas. As many realize the closer to the equator the smaller the animals.

5) Midwest: Quite a bit of state property to hunt and it is very well regulated and maintained to produce deer. All deer must be tagged before being moved and through processing.

6) Midwest: 1-2 buck limits has helped and keeping the doe population in check, close as possible to 3 does to 1 buck areas. Where does are more abundant they offer extra tags after you have taken a buck and 1 antlerless deer. Many small bucks walk in the midwest as most hunters there look for a bigger rack even if it means not getting a deer that season.

7) Food crops are grown and farmed here (midwest) versus tobacco, cotton, hogs, poultry and pine tree forests for paper. Hardwoods are more of the norm anywhere you go when in woods or state lands in the south.

8) Midwest: The soil is somewhat better but we still have clay areas as well. It’s not the red as there, but gray colored.

9) Many areas you cannot use 4 wheelers, so hunters walk more for hunting. It could be less stressful on deer, though I’ve had deer here walk right by my 4 wheeler when I used one. I’m back to walking now.

10) I think also the general consensus of a midwest hunter is 1 or 2 deer is more than enough for a season. South-I always hear the need to try and fill the complete tag. Sometimes more is less.

11) I also think there are more poachers here than anywhere I have ever been to in the south. Maybe it’s a southern thing I don’t know. I know in the mountain areas I hear about road hunters constantly as well as what I read on here about deer found beheaded, partially butchered and left behind or just wasted for no reason. You don’t really see a lot of this in the South, but it does happen there to a smaller degree-meat is more sacred there.

12) Road Hunting and hunting from a motor vehicle is more prominent in the Midwest. Maybe because the weather is alot colder, I think it has to do with the limited wooded areas, which make it convenient to set up over looking a corn field sitting in a toasty warm F250.

Anyone else have any thought or opinions on the differences or similarities hunting the South vs the Midwest?

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