What state would allow a hunter to hunt for the most(different types) of animals?

[charlie elk]

It can't be New York, but as I thought about it, I was kind of struck at just how long New York's list actually is:
WILD TURKEY!
Whitetail deer
Black bear
Snowshoe hare
Cottontail rabbit
Pheasant
Ruffed grouse
Woodcock
Bobwhite quail
Gray squirrel
Fox squirrel
Coyote
Red Fox
Grey Fox
Bobcat
Crow
Snipe
Gallinules
Coot
Rail
Raccoon
Possum
Skunk
Weasel
Mink
Muskrat
Woodchuck
Canada geese
Various kinds of ducks
Snapping turtles
Frogs
... We have moose in the Adirondacks but not enough yet to warrant a hunting season.

Feel free to edit your list. Turkeys are important birds, in my humble turkey dog's opinion. ;-)

[jcarlin]

Tioughnioga's post made me realize I neglected reptiles and amphibians here in PA, as they're not regulated by the PGC, but PFBC (Fish and Boat). I don't have time to check right at the moment, but that would add, bullfrogs, snappers, and rattle snakes.
On top of that I think I neglected ruffed grouse and woodcock. I'm not sure how, I was going through the hunting regs for the initial list.

(see what happens when you don't give a full list, it's harder for people to dispute the facts).

But that brings me up to 26. I still suspect someplace with more variety of deer down south, or a that has moose, goats, and sheep would surely take the prize.

[jcarlin]

It can't be New York, but as I thought about it, I was kind of struck at just how long New York's list actually is:
WILD TURKEY!
Whitetail deer
Black bear
Snowshoe hare
Cottontail rabbit
Pheasant
Ruffed grouse
Woodcock
Bobwhite quail
Gray squirrel
Fox squirrel
Coyote
Red Fox
Grey Fox
Bobcat
Crow
Snipe
Gallinules
Coot
Rail
Raccoon
Possum
Skunk
Weasel
Mink
Muskrat
Woodchuck
Canada geese
Various kinds of ducks
Snapping turtles
Frogs
... We have moose in the Adirondacks but not enough yet to warrant a hunting season.

Made me realize an error in my own. Reptiles and amphibians are regulated by Fish and Boat and not Game Commission in PA, but I think that only then adds rattlers, snapping turtles, and bullfrogs to the list. I'm not positive, though.

[jcarlin]

Let's try this again.

I don't know the answer overall, here in PA the combined total of Big Game, Small Game, upland birds, and furbearers seems to come to 21.
That doesn't count any waterfowl or animals that can be trapped only.

It does include elk, which has an extremely limited lottery, and the bottom of the barrel on that list gets down to crows, possum, and skunks.

I haven't. I'm just starting to consider it. It's a lightning strike. 1.4 million hunters in state. 105 permits this year, and out of state can apply.
I know guys who've been applying for decades now just to build the preference points. Until recently, I wasn't sure I'd be able to take advantage even if I ran.

[Okwaho]

It can't be New York, but as I thought about it, I was kind of struck at just how long New York's list actually is:
WILD TURKEY!
Whitetail deer
Black bear
Snowshoe hare
Cottontail rabbit
Pheasant
Ruffed grouse
Woodcock
Bobwhite quail
Gray squirrel
Fox squirrel
Coyote
Red Fox
Grey Fox
Bobcat
Crow
Snipe
Gallinules
Coot
Rail
Raccoon
Possum
Skunk
Weasel
Mink
Muskrat
Woodchuck
Canada geese
Various kinds of ducks
Snapping turtles
Frogs
... We have moose in the Adirondacks but not enough yet to warrant a hunting season.

And as a turkey hunter, I am utterly ashamed. You know, I sat there looking at that list for ten minutes, saying, "Now I know I'm forgetting something pretty obvious, what could it be?" Maybe it was a subconscious thing; one of my co-workers and I were just talking about the drop-off in our local turkey populations over the past couple of years.

[JM]

Not my home state of Iowa, that's for sure. Lol
I'm just guessing, but I would say one of the western states. Montana maybe?

That's pretty cool. Our farm is about a 30 minute/mile drive to Kirksville, so maybe I have already seen a direct descendant.

[charlie elk]

It can't be New York, but as I thought about it, I was kind of struck at just how long New York's list actually is:
WILD TURKEY!
Whitetail deer
Black bear
Snowshoe hare
Cottontail rabbit
Pheasant
Ruffed grouse
Woodcock
Bobwhite quail
Gray squirrel
Fox squirrel
Coyote
Red Fox
Grey Fox
Bobcat
Crow
Snipe
Gallinules
Coot
Rail
Raccoon
Possum
Skunk
Weasel
Mink
Muskrat
Woodchuck
Canada geese
Various kinds of ducks
Snapping turtles
Frogs
... We have moose in the Adirondacks but not enough yet to warrant a hunting season.

Looks like you missed wild turkeys. NY is one of the leading turkey dog destinations.

[charlie elk]

Not my home state of Iowa, that's for sure. Lol
I'm just guessing, but I would say one of the western states. Montana maybe?

The location of those pheasant pockets will not be discussed on a forum of any sort let alone a national one. You might be missing out hft. Kick up a few nice bucks too.
Yes JM, MO played a large role in starting my serious turkey hunting in more ways than hunting. As a teenager my FFA project had me involved trapping grouse in MN and then traveling to MO to exchange those grouse for turkeys. Which we drove back to Houston, MN to release those turkeys. So if you shoot a grouse in Kirksville, MO area it just might be a descendent of some transplanted MN grouse from nearly a half century ago, delivered by a small group of MN kids with freshly minted drivers licenses.

[DSMbirddog]

Has to be a State with all kinds of environment and geography with a wide variety of game animals. So my guess would be Alaska. What other State has a Polar Bear?
I know non-resident need guides but don't know how the regulations are for residents.

Seems like Alaska would be right in there also. Several types of bears and all kinds of ungulates. Waterfowl and upland game. Could be it.

[JM]

Not my home state of Iowa, that's for sure. Lol
I'm just guessing, but I would say one of the western states. Montana maybe?

So you can say that MO started your (obsession) with turkey hunting? Funny since MO used to be in the same situation and needed the turkeys to be transplanted into the state.

[JM]

Let's try this again.

I don't know the answer overall, here in PA the combined total of Big Game, Small Game, upland birds, and furbearers seems to come to 21.
That doesn't count any waterfowl or animals that can be trapped only.

It does include elk, which has an extremely limited lottery, and the bottom of the barrel on that list gets down to crows, possum, and skunks.

I know a guy that exclusively hunts crows. He will shoot squirrels to lure them in, but he finds deer hunting BORING. Didn't know PA had a lottery for elk...do you enter it?

[JM]

It can't be New York, but as I thought about it, I was kind of struck at just how long New York's list actually is:
WILD TURKEY!
Whitetail deer
Black bear
Snowshoe hare
Cottontail rabbit
Pheasant
Ruffed grouse
Woodcock
Bobwhite quail
Gray squirrel
Fox squirrel
Coyote
Red Fox
Grey Fox
Bobcat
Crow
Snipe
Gallinules
Coot
Rail
Raccoon
Possum
Skunk
Weasel
Mink
Muskrat
Woodchuck
Canada geese
Various kinds of ducks
Snapping turtles
Frogs
... We have moose in the Adirondacks but not enough yet to warrant a hunting season.

Thank you for the full list. I never would have imagined that New York had that many animals. For the majority of my life growing up I was under the impression that New York was all city(now I know it's not), but in recent years it seems like they have been killing big deer, etc.

[JM]

Has to be a State with all kinds of environment and geography with a wide variety of game animals. So my guess would be Alaska. What other State has a Polar Bear?
I know non-resident need guides but don't know how the regulations are for residents.

Costs aside it does seem to me that Alaska is the correct answer, but I am not positive. Can you even hunt polar bears? I don't think I would want to even if I could for free.

[huntfishtrap]

Not my home state of Iowa, that's for sure. Lol
I'm just guessing, but I would say one of the western states. Montana maybe?

And where might those pockets of "fabulous pheasant hunting" be located charlie? Just kidding of course, but in all seriousness, I haven't shot a pheasant in years. Just haven't put in the time due to other outdoor interests and a lack of birds. I did go out a little this year, but didn't see much.

[Okwaho]

It can't be New York, but as I thought about it, I was kind of struck at just how long New York's list actually is:
WILD TURKEY!
Whitetail deer
Black bear
Snowshoe hare
Cottontail rabbit
Pheasant
Ruffed grouse
Woodcock
Bobwhite quail
Gray squirrel
Fox squirrel
Coyote
Red Fox
Grey Fox
Bobcat
Crow
Snipe
Gallinules
Coot
Rail
Raccoon
Possum
Skunk
Weasel
Mink
Muskrat
Woodchuck
Canada geese
Various kinds of ducks
Snapping turtles
Frogs
... We have moose in the Adirondacks but not enough yet to warrant a hunting season.