While it’s a bummer that hunting is now a lottery, the good news is that there are still a ton of places where you can get a deer tag over the counter. So, if you missed out on your elk tag or antelope tag, don’t worry! These states will give you a guaranteed deer tag as a consultation prize, so get huntin’!
Alaska
If you’re looking for a real adventure, why not hit up Alaska? This gorgeous state allows hunters to purchase multiple over the counter black tail deer tags.
Hunt to your heart’s content while you witness the breathtaking beauty of this great wilderness. The bad? Well, it’s rather far away from everything so it’ll obviously cost you more time and money to get there than a more centrally located option, like our next pick.
Nebraska
There’s a lot to love about this state, especially if you’re planning to buy bow hunting tags. This is likely the best option for that, but they also have a pretty fair gun tag system.
It’s first come first serve rather than the usual lottery system, so be quick! They do have some very healthy deer populations here though and tons of land available for hunting, all of which makes for happy hunters and full freezers.
Kentucky
If you’re located in the south, then Kentucky can be a great place to hunt deer over the counter. Unfortunately, this option has become a lot more popular in recent years and that means more hunting pressure.
The goods news though is that their white tail deer tags are very affordable, and they have tons and tons of public hunting land for you to take advantage of. So, while you may need to hunt a little smarter now, there’s still a very good chance for you to take home a nice deer in the bluegrass state.
Indiana
Indiana offers affordable tags to non resident whitetail hunters and lots of public land for hunting. They’ve got some very healthy deer populations, and it won’t cost you a fortune to stay there while you hunt.
Oklahoma
The great state of Oklahoma is boundless expanse of beautiful land which is surprisingly diverse! Whitetail hunters who come to this state for their hunting trips will be in for a treat.
Whitetails are plentiful here, but the cost of the tag is a bit more than most of the others on our list. Oklahoma also suffers from having less public land available than other states, so you may need to start knocking on some doors if you want to have the best possible chance to hunt.
Arizona
A lot of people don’t even know Arizona has deer, but they do! In addition, the state sells over the counter archery tags if you’d like to try and bag one here.
Arizona’s unique, sunny desert terrain makes for a different experience for most whitetail hunters and it’s certainly worth your time to take a trip out there and experience it.
Ohio
Not only does Ohio have 3.8 million some odd acres of public hunting land, but their deer tags are dirt cheap too. This is a great place for non resident hunters looking to bag a deer without spending a ton of money.
It’s also touted as one of the best places to run into a mature buck, that is if you have the patience to actually find one.
Missouri
Missouri also offers over the counter tags to non resident hunters. However, you will likely face more hunting pressure here than some other areas, and the cost of the tag is a good bit more than other states on the list.
However, it’s a great place to look for big bucks if you’re looking to nab yourself a Boone and Crockett winner! Good luck.
