Planning my first out of state hunt. Seeking advice.

[wvcurlytop]

If you were planning your first out of state, which state would you go too?  I hunt in WV, and would like to go and hunt where those guys on TV hunt!  Haha..  I know, we all do.  Anyway, I'm leaning towards Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, or South Dakota.  Any advice or opinions will be appreciated.  I'm looking at a do it yourself hunt, and from the maps I've been looking at, plan on hunting the walk in areas.  If you don't mind, give me a ballpark figure on the costs of a round trip hunt.  I'm thinking of hunting a week, and gas, I know will be the biggest expense, but I have never hunted anywhere else and have no idea what I'm going to get into.  Thanks in advance for any help you guys, or girls can give me. 

[fallhnt]

KS. hunting will cost 130.00 aprox for permits,motel 50 per night,food and gas alot. NE. 91 per permit and 20.00 habitat stamp....min amount 1500.00 to get out and back for you coming from WV.

[Crawdad]

My wife & I go to Kansas every year, cost of lic & extra Turkey tag is 127.00. For about 8 years now, we have never been turned down to hunt Private property when we have ask. we spend around 60.00- 80.00 for our rooms, so the rest of your expense will be gas & food. It really doesn't cost us very much.

[West Augusta]

I did Kansas last year but I went with an outfitter. Total was in the $1500 range less the stop at Bass Pro in Springfield.

[captin_hook]

You should do the hunt with a buddy. It will knock the gas and room price in half. I actually go to WV for four days to hunt deer, it costs me about 500$.

[neal]

Hunt indian reservations in NE tags are $50 ea great hunting and you can get rooms for $40/nt. around the areas.

You can cook all of your meals in a crockpot I've gotten very good at that, to save on eating out all the time.

[Hooksfan]

Planning a hunt can be as simple or complicated as you make it.  Others have pretty much nailed the cost aspect of it.  Spring turkey hunting is my passion and I have managed to make alot of trips on a school teachers budget and a greedy ex-wife ta boot.  I have always done do it yourself hunts and they can be rewarding if are willing to do some footwork.
It just so happens that I have hunted all of the states you have mentioned.  One thing I would consider if I were you--being used to hunting West Virginia-- would be to hunt somewhere you get a Rio or Merriams since what you hunt back home are Easterns.  That would delete Missouri and Iowa from the list which wouldn't be a great loss.  Iowa is the most expensive and the most complicated for a nonresident.  Missouri (where I live) has some crazy restrictions designed to be anti-nonresident such as only one bird/first week and an insane closing time of 1 pm.
The Kansas walk in areas have gone from being a secret to getting really heavy pressure.  You can still have some great hunts .  My choice would either be Nebraska or South Dakota and I would look into Indian reservation hunts in either place. 
Good luck. 
Brad

[wvcurlytop]

Thanks to everyone for all the helpful tips and advice.  Anymore is always welcomed..

[Shotgun]

Don't do it...once you start it gets addictive...You start with one state and before you know it you are hunting several or more.  My advice would be if you want to kill turkeys go out west.  If you want to get your butt whooped head south.  Carrying a buddy and splitting cost helps big time.  Good luck and have fun

[pseshooter300]

Biggest problem i have found in planning hunts is finding someone that actually will go. Trying to find a partner is hard

[cluck]

curleytop: In misssouri, this is fall only information. You can hunt all day. Two bird limt, you can kill both on same day, gobblers or hens. Oct. 1-31. They have maybe six walk in areas and lots of conservation areas all over the state. Plus lots of National Forest. GO to the conservation web site. No rifles shotgun only. Hope you have a great time.           cluck

[Turkeyman11]

Just an idea.  My cousin and I travel from Utah to New Mexico every spring.  It's a 10 hour drive but I'm not sure of the mileage.  We take all of our food and camp out in a wall tent.  We pull two ATV's on a trailer so when we get there we travel to and from hunting areas on them.  You can go a long ways on a tank of gas.  We never pay for a motel room which cuts costs.  Plus we just love to be out in the woods all day.  We figured everything, licenses included, cost us about $500 each.  p.s.  A good partner cuts the cost in half.

[Neill_Prater]

Always have a plan "B", in case your first choice of hunting area doesn't pan out for one reason or another. Good luck.

[TRKYHTR]

Always have a plan "B", in case your first choice of hunting area doesn't pan out for one reason or another. Good luck.

I agree. 2 years ago my son and I went to SD. Our plan was to hunt SD for 4-5 days and if we both killed we would go to WY because I had a WY BH tag. We both killed our turkeys within the first 3 days. So we went to the WY BH and all the roads were snowed in. We couldn't even get off the Hwy. So we went back to Hill City SD and packed up and drove to Valentine NE. Never been there or even checked it out. Within 3 hours of arriving in Valentine NE my son and I both killed NE Merriams. You always need a plan B or C or D just in case.

TRKYHTR

[Preacher]

some one mentioned to get a hunting buddy,  some one you can trust,  some one that wants to do more than his part.   The more detailed your planning is usually the eaiser the trip is.   I have meet and hunted with several people on this board and to me thats the way to go,   that way you have first hand info, of course you have to be willing to open your places up in return.   


I always like to get a cabin or call a realtor and rent a house ,  cooking is one of my favorite parts.  makes the trip better by saving money and every one knows hunting hungry makes you go on posted land.