It really depends.  Do you want a DIY hunt, or maybe a guide service.  Public land or private?  How much money do you want to drop?

If money wasn't an issue, and you wanted to use an outfitter, then I would look at either Iowa or Illinois, probably Illinois.  If you want a DIY on public land, i would look at Ohio.  The only one I have hunted is Ohio, right in the Ohio river valley, and tehy take some dandies out of there.  I think Iowa and Illinois both have limited public land, that's why you'd be more geared towards an outfitter.

first know this:

yes there are monster bucks in both iowa and illinois....but they are NOT all monsters...how big do you want to shoot? 180 class??? gunna cost you about 5 grand

i have hunted western iowa bluffs for 30 years and have not shot over 150 class deer yet...

big deer are where you find them...good shot in eastern and central iowa....

Did you ever pick a place to hunt in the midwest?  Besides the things the guys have suggested yoiu'll need to look at the application periods.  they vary from state to state so you''ll want to narrow it down and make sure you don't miss the application period for the state you want to hunt in.

Well the good news for you is it looks like you might have picked the right region ha. Good luck narrowing it down from there. And who knows... I have seen Jim Shockey take some absolute gigantic white tail bucks up in Canada. I have also seen some giant deer taken in Texas. Larry Wiesoon always seems to find those big southern bucks. If you are looking for a one time chance to harvest a very large buck than I am thinking that you need to book a hunt with one of the reputable outfitters. That is going to be your best chance of making one trip into that region in order to put a whopper on your wall. How much do you think you would be able to spend on a hunt. Much more advise is going to take some more information on your part. Do you have a specific state in mind?

 If you are after a trophy buck and expect to get one during a one week trip to another state, I believe the only way you can guarantee it is to book a hunt at a pay-per-deer hunting ranch.

A couple of them in Michigan that I can mention are:

The Sanctuary. thesanctuary-ranch.com. Their silver medal bucks can be had for a mere $3,800-4,200. Their gold medal bucks are a bit more pricey - $9,000-18,000.

Allen Creek Ranch is owned by a family I know. acreekranch.com. You can spend as little as $2750 for a 110-140" BC, but then they are similar to the Sanctuary once you go past 140. A 180" BC buck would be $8,000 - - and it just keeps going on up to 300"BC. 

If you have that kind of money, I guess you can spend it.

Personally, I would rather get in contact with people who either live where you want to hunt or on a local forum and get enough info to just have a real good time hunting public land.

This idea of paying as much for a deer as a new car just isn't my cup of tea.

Good Luck, whatever you decide.

I'd suppose you'd have to mention just what you're wanting; is it a 135" deer or a 165" deer. Neither is particularly easy, even up in Canada. There are, for sure, monsters lurking in our nation's heartland, however. Prices for those hunts are priced mostly due to an area's reputation.

I've hunted Kansas, but only for pheasant. Saw more deer than cock birds tho! The hunting looks interesting and some deer I saw were truly big ones. I brought home a nice big heavy shed I found while there too. Deer hunting there is not cheap, however.

Perhaps a couple of sleeper states might be Kentucky and Indiana. Places where you might find a very reasonable price and chance at nice deer, up to 150+. I've hunted both states and have been impressed with what I've found, although I've never taken a 140" buck in either state yet. A good friend hunting with me took a very pretty 150" in Kentucky, but, again, I don't know if you're wanting LOTS bigger or not.

I hope you can find a spot and a deer that does suit your needs though!