Kentucky’s the Place — Sort of
According to Outdoor Life Magazine , Kentucky is now the best place to go trophy deer hunting. Here’s an article:
Kentucky touted as No. 1 state for trophy bucks by Outdoor Life magazine
I greet this with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I am happier than ever that I made the switch from Ohio to Kentucky back in 2001. Kentucky had the better seasons and the better regulations as far as I was concerned, and the non-resident hunting fees were reasonable. It has been fun raising my sons as Kentucky deer hunters.
On the other hand, this could be a dark cloud on the horizon. There are a lot of folks who think Kentucky should raise the non-resident fees, restrict non-resident hunting, or put in a lottery. I think this is pure spitefulness. Granted, I would be adversely affected by this sort of thing, but I see it as wrong-headed.
Rather than block and tax and otherwise hinder non-residents from deer hunting, the folks of Kentucky should open their state and encourage hunting. We have gobs of deer, in Zone 1 especially. Now that all tobacco is gone, now that so many fields are now fallow, what better way to turn empty land to cash than to encourage deer hunting?
I’ve said this many times in the past. Kentuckians can be so . . . insular. When I used to deer hunt in Ohio, the Opener was a big thing. Every diner, bar, grocery had a “Welcome Hunters” sign out. Diners opened up early. The Vets Hall served pancakes and hot coffee. The catholic church had spaghetti dinners. Everyone was out trying to . . . well, let us be frank here, make money off the deer hunters. Do you really think raising non-resident hunting fees will help local economies? When was the last time a KY landowner got a check in the mail for his share of the haul of non-resident fees? Sure, Ohioans are probably a pain in the butt. We talk funny, we probably drive funny, but if we all came down one weekend looking for a good time, you would still want to sell us gas, beer, sandwiches, and ammunition, right? Probably your church would like to sell us a bowl of stew or some ravioli. The corner store would like to process our deer and take our money for the big buck contest, right? The fire station might like to make some money selling chilli or frying chicken. Bottom line here: the bottom line. What is not to like?
While I have been saying for over a decade that Kentucky was a uncounted gem for a deer hunters, quietly I have been saying to myself, “Shut up! You are just buying yourself trouble.”  I do not know if it has any effect, but my little corner of the county has gotten extremely busy in recent years. Some times the amount of shooting on Opening Weekend gets a little daunting. SW Bracken County has become popular to be sure. If I was going after a monster, however, I would probably be looking SW of Augusta, NE of Lennoxburg and over on the east end of Williamstown Lake. You can also include the area west of Berlin over to Kincaid Lake. This is just where I have personally seen real monsters taken. Pendleton and Bracken counties all seem to be growing big ones, and the bucks roam a lot, so being close to a herd of doe in November is going to buy you a seat for the show no matter what.
Right around me? Nope. Nothing. No big deer, just spikes and does. Kind of shame, ain’t it? Best keep moving, but make sure you stop at the house. KYHillChick is selling chilli for $5 a bowl and Angus is selling turkey calls.
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