Three States, Three Tags, One Truck: My Mobile Hunt Across the Midwest

Three States, Three Tags, One Truck: My Mobile Hunt Across the Midwest

In 11 days, I hunted three states, slept in the back of a pickup, lived off gas station burritos, and punched three public land tags across the Midwest. It wasn’t glamorous, and it definitely wasn’t easy—but it was the most rewarding stretch of hunting I’ve ever done.

This is the story of how a truck, a plan, and a saddle rig helped me tag out across Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana—all on public land, and all on the move.

🚚 The Plan: A Loop Route with Opportunity in Mind

I started planning in June. My priorities were:

• States with OTC or easy-draw archery tags

• Public land with decent access and harvest odds

• Reasonable drive times between zones

Here’s how it mapped out:

• Oct 24–27: Missouri Archery (northern hill country unit)

• Oct 28–31: Illinois Archery (Shawnee National Forest region)

• Nov 1–4: Indiana (southern unit WMA, pre-rut phase)

I packed for 12 days. No hotel reservations. No treestands. Just a truck bed rig with a rooftop box, a saddle kit, and a cooler packed with wild rice, venison jerky, and instant coffee.

🎙️ “The plan was flexible. The goal was not: fill tags and learn fast.”

🦌 State One: Missouri Hill Country Success

Missouri kicked things off hot. I rolled into a 2,400-acre conservation area I’d e-scouted on OnX. The ridge saddles were choked with acorns, and rubs lined the southern-facing benches.

Day 2, I hung my saddle in a low thermal bowl after bumping two does feeding near noon.

At 6:18PM, a basket 8-point appeared, nose down, working a scrape line. He stopped at 18 yards. The shot was clean, the drag was brutal, but I was on the board.

🎙️ “Missouri taught me: don’t be afraid to scout mid-day and set up right after.”

🍁 State Two: Illinois Timber & Tenacity

Illinois brought wind, cold, and pressure. I saw seven trucks at my first pull-off, so I adjusted immediately—found a less obvious creek crossing 2 miles away.

I hunted hard for two days, seeing just a few spikes and does. On the third morning, I still-hunted along a shelf below a ridgetop where I’d found fresh rubs.

At 8:09AM, a heavy-bodied 9-point stepped into a window through the maples. One shot from 25 yards and he was down in 60.

🎙️ “Illinois reminded me that still-hunting and reading fresh sign still matters—especially in pressured woods.”

🌲 State Three: Indiana Rut Kicker

Indiana was the wild card. I only had four days, and the pressure was high. But I knew bucks would be cruising.

I found a WMA with thick bedding cover and a long oak ridge line. On the second morning, I caught a 7-point doggedly trailing a doe into a secondary draw.

He paused at 22 yards, turned broadside, and the arrow zipped through clean.

🎙️ “Indiana showed me that timing is everything—hit a state in the right window, and you don’t need a full week.”

🧠 What I Learned from a Three-State Sprint

✔️ Mobile is mandatory – If you’re sticking to one plan or one spot, you’re falling behind
✔️ Pack like a minimalist – One bag, one bow, and one setup let me adapt fast
✔️ Sleep doesn’t win tags—scouting does – I sacrificed rest for glassing, and it paid off
✔️ State-specific tactics – Missouri = saddles, Illinois = sign, Indiana = timing
✔️ Gas is expensive, but regret is worse – I nearly skipped Indiana. That tag was the sweetest.

🧰 Gear That Stayed in the Truck the Whole Time

No guides. No outfitters. No guarantees. Just a bow, a truck, and a hunger for public land success. That’s what this hunt gave me: control, responsibility, and freedom.

“Three tags. One truck. One tired, grateful hunter who wouldn’t change a thing.”