For a deer hunter heading out of state, the toughest choice comes before opening day: where to hunt. Online answers are scattered across forum stories and outfitter sales pitches. This scorecard compares nine Midwest states on three things that determine the trip: whether a non-resident tag can be obtained at all, its price, and whether the state's harvest reports provide enough detail for scouting. In this comparison, Iowa and Illinois pair the longest county-level harvest histories with draw or lottery tags costing $329 or more. The three least expensive tags, in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio, are paired with shorter reporting histories or data that comes with caveats.
KEY FINDINGS
- There are three routes to a tag. Among the nine featured tags, Two require a successful draw: Iowa and Kansas. Illinois uses a lottery. The other six offer counter sales: Nebraska, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Missouri.
- Tag prices cover a spread of nearly 4×. For non-residents, the deer tag itself costs roughly $190 in Michigan to $750 for the statewide whitetail buck permit in Nebraska. That excludes the basic hunting license that several states require as well.
- County harvest records are available in Seven of nine states; the other two cannot produce them under their reporting systems. Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois release harvest figures at county scale. Nebraska and Kansas rely on surveys, so no county-of-kill figure exists or can be reconstructed.
- Trophy tiers describe results within a state and do not create a leaderboard. FDR orders counties within each state rather than counting big deer across state boundaries. The trophy inputs vary: Illinois uses an index drawn from several sources, while other states rely on one record program. Because those inputs differ, the tiers cannot be compared between states.
ITHREE AXES
Why a single score cannot rank hunting destinations
Planning an out-of-state hunt means clearing three separate hurdles. A state can make one easy and another difficult. Start with tag access: is purchase enough, or does getting a tag require winning a draw or lottery? Next comes price, including both the tag and the basic hunting license required by many states. Then consider scouting information: after choosing a destination, will its data provide enough detail to select a county and farm? These factors vary independently. Kansas offers a bucket-list draw hunt and strong deer, but lacks county data. Ohio combines low prices, counter sales, and county harvest reports. Anyone can buy Nebraska's buck tag, though its price competes with the toughest draws. Folding everything into a single score would conceal the trade-offs that matter to hunters traveling out of state.
IITHE SCORECARD
A side-by-side look at Nine states
The table below compares the states side by side. Consider each column separately instead of reading across each row. A state may score well for cost and poorly for access. Even if their deer are good, the two survey states cannot be scouted by county with the harvest data covered here. The trophy column presents FDR's tier signal within each state, showing which counties lead within that state. It does not provide a count across states.
Swipe table to see every column
| State | NR access mechanism | NR deer tag, 2025 | County-grade data? | Within-state trophy signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | Draw (preference points; can take years) | ≈ $498 + $131 license | Yes: 99 counties, 2006-2024 | Deep tiers; southern counties lead |
| Kansas | Draw (apply early April) | ≈ $478 + $128 license | No: survey/unit grain only | Strong statewide; unit-level read |
| Illinois | Lottery (NR leftovers common in later rounds) | ≈ $329 firearm / $410 archery | Yes (by county code), 2005-2024 | River + east-central tiers |
| Missouri | Over the counter | ≈ $306 | Yes: 114 counties, 2015-2025 | West-central tier rising |
| Wisconsin | Over the counter | ≈ $200 gun / $200 archery | Yes: farmland counties | Farmland outscores northern forest |
| Indiana | Over the counter | $240 single / $550 bundle | Yes: 92 counties, 2013-2024 | Southern-tier counties lead |
| Michigan | Over the counter | ≈ $190 combo (+ base) | Yes: see instrument caveat | Southern farmland tiers |
| Ohio | Over the counter | ≈ $210 | Yes: 88 counties + weekly, 2019-2025 | Active tiers; see reporting caveat |
| Nebraska | Over the counter (statewide buck) | ≈ $750 buck | No: survey/unit grain only | Unit-level read only |
This scorecard's longest histories at county-grade detail are in Iowa and Illinois. Access requires draw or lottery tags that cost $329 or more. The three least expensive tags (Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio) come with shorter histories or histories that carry caveats. Rate access, price, and evidence on their own, then decide what you are paying for.
IIITHE DRAW PREMIUM
The time Kansas and Iowa require beyond the money
For non-residents, Iowa and Kansas require success in a draw to obtain a tag. Illinois instead holds a lottery, where remaining permits are common during later rounds. Iowa awards any-sex tags to non-residents through a draw based on preference points. In its most popular zones, hunters can spend several years building points before receiving a tag. Kansas holds its non-resident draw each year. Applications open early in April and close late in April. Applicants who do not draw get their permit payment back, minus an application charge that is not refundable. Budget for waiting and uncertain results as well as the listed price in these states. Hunters seeking a tag for this fall without participating in a draw have six states with counter sales to choose from, though Nebraska's tag carries a premium price.
IVTHE EVIDENCE GAP
The two states that lack this comparison's county harvest tables
Most hunters pass over the final column. Seven of these nine states require a harvest check or registration after an animal is taken. That creates an actual record of the county where the harvest occurred, giving you source data to scout a particular area before your trip. Kansas and Nebraska require neither step. Both calculate harvest estimates from a hunter survey conducted after the season, with sampling organized by management unit. Kansas samples roughly 40,000 permit-holders each year and reports the findings by unit. Neither state makes public the county harvest totals used for this comparison. If you weigh Kansas or Nebraska against a state that provides twenty years of county figures, expect to scout using harvest figures for management units and time spent on the ground.
VREADING THE SCORECARD
Pick a state that fits the hunt you can make
Let the trip you can take guide your state choice. If building points over multiple years works for you, Iowa and Kansas, the draw states, offer this scorecard's strongest trophy signals within their respective states. For a hunt this year that you plan yourself using real county scouting data, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, and Missouri form the dependable core of the counter-sale choices. They report harvest by county, charge moderate prices, and offer tags without a lottery. Michigan provides the budget option. Nebraska stands apart by charging a premium for certain tag access. Check the state's reputation against your feasible trip using this scorecard. A tag you cannot obtain through the draw offers no opportunity this fall. Missing the county harvest tables used in this comparison means a state requires another approach to scouting. Account for that when making your choice.
NOTES AND SOURCES
- The non-resident fees shown reflect the 2025 season and have been condensed for comparison. Requirements for base/hunting licenses, habitat charges, and antlerless add-ons differ among states. Before applying or buying, confirm the latest fees and rules with the agency itself.
- Kansas: information on non-resident deer permits and the draw system comes from Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks (kdwpt.ks.gov / ksoutdoors.gov). A survey of roughly 40,000 permit-holders after the season provides the harvest estimate, with reporting organized by management unit.
- According to Iowa DNR (iowadnr.gov), Iowa distributes any-sex/antlered licenses for non-residents through a draw using preference points. IDNR (dnr.illinois.gov) specifies that Illinois awards its non-resident permits through a lottery.
- Agency price lists identify these states as offering counter sales: Nebraska (outdoornebraska.gov), Ohio (wildohio.gov), Michigan (michigan.gov/dnr), Indiana (in.gov/dnr), Wisconsin (dnr.wisconsin.gov), and Missouri (mdc.mo.gov).
- Limits: harvest records at the county level come only from states with mandatory check or registration requirements (IL, IA, MO, IN, MI, OH, WI). Kansas and Nebraska use surveys after the season and report results by management unit. That reporting structure cannot provide a county-of-kill figure. Trophy tiers are signals derived within each state, so those tiers cannot be compared between states.
Fully Drawn Research is an independent data analysis desk, not affiliated with any state wildlife agency, transportation agency, mapping provider or outfitter. Fully Drawn Research is an independent data analysis desk, not affiliated with any state wildlife agency. Non-resident fees and access mechanisms are public agency facts current to the 2025 season and are provided for comparison only, not as purchasing advice; confirm all current fees, deadlines, and regulations with the issuing agency. “Within-state trophy signal” is a proprietary FDR derived output; its construction and weighting are not disclosed, and it is not a record-book count and is not comparable across states. Harvest data are state agency public records analyzed independently by FDR.
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