To anyone who hunts public land, how often would you say you are successful? By successful, I do mean have the opportunity to shoot. Not that you brought home an animal?
What are your keys to success?
do you see any correlation between successful trips?
what about with the unsuccessful trips?
why do you think you are unsuccessful?
Just trying to learn from more successful hunters than I. I will add in a little read I have read recently that was very enlightening to me. Not that I have never heard or thought of it before, but it was nice having it all written out.
I hunt on public Land that is very difficult to access..You have to walk a quarter of a mile to get to the woods. So, that is a big advantage for me where I hunt. in archery season I am about the only one up there....I set up on funnels food plots and have seen a lot of deer....I have yet to bring one home...I have missed a LOT (I am new to archery) I have wounded one...and In gun season have taken a deer on that public land every year except for one...Lot of it depends on the size of the heard, How hard it is hunted, and know where the deer are going to be when there is no pressure and when there is....when the deer are pressured it is a whole new ball game....
Honestly I think it all depends brother. I have buddies who live in SO IL and their backdoor is Shawnee so they kill out frequently, it's basically private land at that point.
We have a place we use to go to in the Shawnee and camp out for a week or two and would never see another soul, again very high success rate.
Now for my weekend morning or evening hunt that I get maybe every other week my success is not that great. There are ALOT of guys on relatively small tracts and our time is cut way short. Still doable but everyone is walking all over each other
Hopefully I will let you know soon!
I hunt all public land being one who believes that land leasing will eventually end up having the USA be in the same boat as the Europeans where only the wealthy can afford to hunt. That being said, I have discovered that most people who hunt with a bow are not necessarily bowhunters and so I seldom see them where the deer are. I don't have a problem seeing or killing deer, it just means I have to hunt hard.
What I've found regarding public land is the need to scout during the season. What was great last year could be terrible the next. Hunting pressure, food sources are always changing and you have to adapt.
Deer learn quickly to move off the regular path and into remote territory to bed and feed when pressured.
Get at least 1/4 mile away from roads and trails.
I hunt a lot of public ground in Arkansas, areas that are very heavily hunted. Funnels are key. Some of my best hunts are early in the morning when other hunters are tromping through the woods at daylight ( because most are scared of the dark) to get to their stands . I walk 1.9 miles to my favorite area well before daylight to get set up . I actually use all the hunting pressure to my advantage . Know the lay of the land and focus on funnels .
On Long Island you will often hunt spots that are pretty small or spots that don't have a lot of sign. My best spot is an area where there isn't many rubs or scrapes but it is where deer pass through going to bed and or feed. They only way I found out how good it was is by hunting it and observing the deer and some game cameras I put out. I believe that is the key to my area, don't assume a spot isn't any good because of lack of sign. My other area that was loaded with rubs and scrapes was only visited at night by deer since a lot of people hunted that ground because of the sign there.
I work for the Division of Parks and Wildlife in Colorado and spent the better part of the year doing maintenance and planting food plots for the deer and turkey so I always try to hunt that land if I can since I put so much work into it and I know it well. That being said it all depends on how many people are also trying to hunt there. Some years hardly anyone shows up, some years every tom, dick, and harry from here to florida comes and tries to set up their tree stand during the middle of active shooting hours. This year it was pretty nice for about a week then the muzzle loaders showed up and seem to have pushed a lot of the deer out.
just depends......
Like someone else mentioned, my tip for success would be to stay away from the roads/paths to avoid someone bumbling by at a key moment. try to find someplace secluded.
The key to public land is
Learn where other people hunt and use them to your advantage
I tend to do well every season hunting public land
I hunt on Ft Benning (got a deal on some private land I'm checking out today that's closer to home) and I've had tons of "success". There's a lot that goes in to this answer though. Having good game numbers is important. Sometimes public land is soooo public that everything just runs to the private land to stay. But if game is plentiful, all you have to do to find it is put in the hours. This does a couple things. 1) if people constantly see you parked in the same area, some of them may just consider that area "yours" if all other things are equal and go claim a different spot. 2) you get to really know the spot. I do morning sits, afternoon sits, evening sits, and roam. Combined, all the information gives a pretty good idea not only about the animals in the area, but also people - hunters or otherwise. One spot I hunt is right off behind an inert landfill where they're constantly digging with heavy equipment. Once they leave the woods come alive since many animals use the debris fence as a path because its faster walking and on level ground. 3) Sometimes you find easy ways to get to great spots that seem like they're just not that convienent to hunt (anyone who likes to get off work and get in the woods ASAP knows that a short trip helps to make more hunting). From a road an area may seem to dense, too hilly, or too whatever, but going down a different parcel and cutting over lands you in a honey hole. I find these areas while roaming often, sort of like backdoors. All in all, public land is as good as some private land if you work it. It takes some hours in the woods, some good maps, and staying power. But a hunter with a brain on public land is a lot like an animal - everythings just trying to avoid the other hunters. If you figure out how to do it, you'll often find that that's how they figured out how to do it as well.
Public land has the best hunting available imo. You will learn more about hunting in one season on public that you would in 5 seasons on one farm.
I hunt public land in every state I hunt including Michigan witch has some of the highest pressure around.
I choose to hunt public over private. I have family that has 1300 acres of prime farm land within an hour of me. Id rather hunt public and have not been on any of those farms in over 15 years.
Public land is by far the best teacher and the education is worth more than antler size imo.
Some public you want to go deep, some you want to be 20 yards from a road, some you want to cross water, others you want to be in the only oak in the middle of a open area, some you want to hit the swamp edges others you want work the benches. It's never the same and you are always learning. Nothing will make you a better hunter than public land hunting imo. Success is harder at first but then it gets easier and when you have the skills to make public easy, private is even easier meaning you can hunt anywhere anytime and have great success because of the skills.
Don't fear public embrace it and the knowledge it can give you.
I hunt public land pretty much exclusively. One reason is that there is a whole lot of it in Colorado.
Many factors affect my hunts, such as weather, crowding, location, but the single thing that is the most determinant of success for me is time! The more time I have to hunt, the better are the odds.
we hunt public land - we use water entry - we never see other hunters during bow season - we usually get into bow range of game (25 yards or less) - we usually take game. I think public land is underutilized during bow season.
Cory<><
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I'm in a bow only area and most public spots are small and crowded. There are semi public lands, in which you need to join the deer Mansgement program to hunt. I average about 40% shot opportunity on any deer. I really just concentrate on areas that other hunters overlook or don't want to work at getting to.
I hunt a lot of public land and do pretty well. I have no qualms about getting quite a ways, several major terrain features, away from the easy access. This can be done by hiking or by boat in some cases. Regardless, most of my public land hunts are quite a lot more peaceful and secluded than my private land hunts as most of our privately held properties around here are postage stamp lots.
It goes without saying that a substantial hike or row in trip is best reserved for a full day at least, preferably a weekend or more. It just isn't feasible after work. Most days, I'll hunt my place or one of a couple other private parcels, but I do get out to the big open several times per season and have to come to actually prefer it. I wouldn't want it to be my only hunting, but I like it a lot. It's like a special meal: I love a high end feast, but I basically subsist on burgers and burritos.
I feel the same as LB hntr. I cut my teeth on public ground and wouldn't want it any other way. I can go anywhere in the world and make a pretty good go of it, where as the spoiled guys that hunt on leases eat tag soup and whine about not seeing anything. Not bragging in any way, just stating what I've seen over the years. P.S. go to the cover if you wanna find em'.
Basically you get out of it what you put in to it. If you go into it half heartedly you will only get half hearted results. (Post season scouting in the snow, mineral sites, shed hunting, site clearing, in season scouting to locate sign and mast production)These are just a few examples of what it takes to be head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd. It really is sweet when you put it all together and score.I have been blessed to live in the woods my whole life and (Lived the life) so to speak.
I tell you, my whole attitude changed when I started hunting public. I quit complaining, that's for sure! I'm not nearly as successful but I've come to enjoy it more and my private areas. A lot more solitude and definitely a wilderness feel that can't be replaced.
The public tracks around here are not very large, 400 acres is the biggest, they tend to get over run in certain spots. One ravine that starts about 300 yards from the road, has right now, 6 tree stands about 30 to 40 yards from each other. It happens to be the shortest walk. I get a kick out of newbies that put up ladder stands right at the first trail they see that crosses the tractor drive that goes to the back fields. They always think that no one should be able to walk past them, even though there is a mile of public hunting land beyond them. I have had it a number of times that I was told that I cannot hunt some place because some territorial hunter thinks that he owns a parcial just because he has a tree stand on it and it is all his, even when he is not there. It is important to work around the activity of other hunters and try to use it to your advantage. A number of them around here will use the same routes and stands, no matter what other hunters are doing or which way the wind is blowing. It is a sure bet that most of the deer are also aware of their patterns.
Try hunting public land in Texas :) Dove season ruins so many spots.... but, I fill my tags every year by hard work, persistence and not only studying deer but paying attention to other hunters. I think hunters are actually easier to pattern then deer. Go where they don't..... that's what the deer do.
I starting to wonder if IL is the only place without lazy hunters lol
No matter how far you walk, the size of the river you have to swim across you will have another hunter by you here.
Just for giggles I used google earth last night to see how far I walk to my multiple spots. My shortes walk is 740 Yds. My lingers is 1800 Yds. And I will see a hunter EVERY single time. I have about 12 different spots picked out plus the others that are available but 12 with a tree picked out or the ground cleared up for my seat and it's a guarantee a weekend hunt will find me waving to at minimum one other hunter.
The spot that's closest to me is 70 acres, and any given weekend there is 5-12 cars parked there at once.
It's loaded with deer and my favorite stand location is genre but I have had 8 guys by me at once. But for a time pressed father/husband like most of my other fellow hunters it's too good go pass up.
I've seen deer on most trips out here, just no shots.
Now a weekday hunt here is usually pretty good but I only get a couple of them a year
Wholeheartedly agree that public land will teach you many lessons. I hunted the same mountain my whole life on private land until this year. We were right on top and all the hunters would push deer to us every morning from below. We knew every nook of that mountain and never really had to scout. We were spoiled!
This year I am hunting western NC public land which presents many challenges. 1. We have very low deer numbers 2. We have millions upon millions of acres of forest for deer to roam 3. Access is most often difficult. Talking hiking miles and miles over the tallest mountains in the east. 4. Very little agriculture so the vast majority of food sources are back in the big woods with many routes to and from.
It has been a difficult process locating deer but I have learned so much this year. I have had to scout and hunt harder than ever before and it has definitely made me a better hunter...and appreciative of the deer numbers I was used to in PA
It's been over 30 yrs since I've hunted private land and I could walk across the road and hunt over 1000 acres of it any time I want. Keep telling myself for the last 8yrs I'm going to hunt it but never do.
I've hunted all kinds of public land, big tracks, small, quota hunts, pay hunts, national forest, wilderness areas..and I like the biggest tracks best.
Usually you can get away from other hunters in the real big tracks. Especially if it has some type of rough country. Big swamps, lots of steep ridges, mountains, etc.
I hunt national forest and could just about walk out the door and go over 60 miles to the Mississippi without getting out of it. But, about 2 miles out the back door and about 1000 sq acres is as far as I go.
Haven't seen another person in there since I started hunting about 10 yrs.(two as non res.) ago..tells me there's a lot better hunting somewhere else around here..and there is because I have the deer in this area pushed out and pressured to death. Just too sorry to get in the truck and go anywhere else.
Anymore I very seldom see deer..but there's a fair number back in there.
I hunt primarily public in Northern WI and think it sucks to be completely honest. It didn't always, but the numbers are so low right now that it almost isn't worth going. Even during the rut and a full week of hunting, 3 of us will see just a handful of deer in the last couple years and we are working our butts off scouting to find them. I have killed my share on public but it certainly wouldn't be my choice if I had other options.
QuoteOriginally posted by LB_hntr:
Public land has the best hunting available imo. You will learn more about hunting in one season on public that you would in 5 seasons on one farm.
I hunt public land in every state I hunt including Michigan witch has some of the highest pressure around.
I choose to hunt public over private. I have family that has 1300 acres of prime farm land within an hour of me. Id rather hunt public and have not been on any of those farms in over 15 years.
Public land is by far the best teacher and the education is worth more than antler size imo.
Some public you want to go deep, some you want to be 20 yards from a road, some you want to cross water, others you want to be in the only oak in the middle of a open area, some you want to hit the swamp edges others you want work the benches. It's never the same and you are always learning. Nothing will make you a better hunter than public land hunting imo. Success is harder at first but then it gets easier and when you have the skills to make public easy, private is even easier meaning you can hunt anywhere anytime and have great success because of the skills.
Don't fear public embrace it and the knowledge it can give you.
Couldn't have said it any better. I hunt Public land the majority of time these days and have in the past.
well, this evening I hit the woods at around 330 and after 1.5 hours of walking I decided on a location. There was only 1 slight problem to the place, no tree for me to hang my stand in. I had to hang it right off the ground of a smaller tree in a thicket. At 5:40 here came a does and her fawn. Not that I would have shot her, it was good just to see a deer after investing such an effort scouting.
Brian, Illinois doesn't have a whole lot of public area available, so what there is will be crowded.
Find areas that the others won't use, Ie bottom land that is wet or marshy. That is where the deer go when they are pushed and that is where you can find them. A BIG bonus is marshy area with no real trees, especially a cattail marsh.
No REAL modern hunters will hunt from the ground ( everybody knows you can't kill a deer from the ground), so the place is yours, unless I am there, cause that's where I will be.
Invest in a good ghillie suit( I like Rancho Safari) and a stool. A small saw and pruning shears are good to have with you as well.
ChuckC
I'm battling 100% on the two seasons I hunted whitetail here in Colorado on SWA. Took a lot of perseverance though and sat the stand from as early as I could get there till it got to dark to see. Didn't have a chance every trip, but filled my tag and had more than one opportunity during the season.
QuoteOriginally posted by BD:
I hunt primarily public in Northern WI and think it sucks to be completely honest. It didn't always, but the numbers are so low right now that it almost isn't worth going. Even during the rut and a full week of hunting, 3 of us will see just a handful of deer in the last couple years and we are working our butts off scouting to find them. I have killed my share on public but it certainly wouldn't be my choice if I had other options.
Same here in SE Wi.