littleben Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 Next season I'm going all public. Has anybody else done this and how did it go ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamphunter Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 Public with what?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWSmith Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 Ken, I think he means that he'll be hunting all public land next season....like it's something most of us have not had to live in our own lives:D Good luck...get there earlier than the other guy and you will have a better chance;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 Next season I'm going all public. Has anybody else done this and how did it go ? Turned out ok for me (basically did what Gary recommended). Disclaimer: shotgun kill, not bow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 Nice buck fly. I've never hunted public land a whole lot. I should kick myself for not hunting it more often. Some of the best lands in the country are publice. Here in MS we got tens of thousand of acres over in the river delta where the bucks really get massive (more like the northern deer) and i have yet to even go. Planning my first bow trip up there this year. Public land is like Illinois politics "go early and go often" and you'll do well i bet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 I would scout early in the season and get off the beaten trail when you go out to hang your stand. Also bolt lock that stand to the tree. Hunt deep into the woods and like Gary said, get there early. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamphunter Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 Ken, I think he means that he'll be hunting all public land next season....like it's something most of us have not had to live in our own lives:D Good luck...get there earlier than the other guy and you will have a better chance;) Oh... I see now! Had a brain fart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWSmith Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 One thing I forgot to mention that I do when hunting public land...I Stay All Day Long. Mainly because of the movement of deer caused by people leaving for lunch, coming back from lunch, and coming in for an evening hunt in the early afternoon. I actually got a map of one of the public land areas that I hunt to see where the "NoMans Land" was at. What I'm saying is that land where nobody goes. Since most public land use(the average hunter) is only 1/4 of a mile off from any road I used the map scale to find out where the land was. I traced every road with a highlighting marker to the maps scale for 1/4mile on each side of the road and looked at the spots that were not covered by ink after I was done to hunt in. It takes a little commitment to get up in time to get to where you want to be up to a couple hours before daylight starts but theres a good reason. If most people are getting in thier treestands 30mins. to 1hr before daylight...you have to beat them there with enough time to let the woods settle down. Anything that has heard you get in there has had time to calm down and theres been enough "Silent" time before they start hearing the car and truck doors shut and the army invade....pushing the deer right towards where you are;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 I figured something out on the chunk of state land that I hunt. I found the thickest, nastiest, man-killer stretch of land on the place and pretty much have it all to myself. I'm talking about an area of bottom land that has some swamp, and a thick nasty tangle of grapevines, tag alder and multi flora rose that is worse than razorwire. I love that stuff with its reversed thorns that dig in deeper as you try to pull away from it. Since the state land is right next door, I have been able to spend more time over there over the years and learn the little ins and outs of how to move through there and effectively hunt it by finding some access trails and a few good spots inside that are clear enough for some good bowshots at some very unsuspecting deer. Everybody else just stays the heck out of there and hunts the edges or goes up on the hill where the woods opens up. If it wasn't for that area, the heavy pressure on this parcel would make bowhunting nearly impossible. Speaking of heavy pressure, one thing I have noticed up on the hill is the amazing increase in mountain bikers and hikers. It's getting so that there is nearly a steady stream of them, and they have created a network of trails throughout the hill that makes it nearly impossible to hunt up there without watching or hearing some of them go by. Has anybody else noticed the public lands that they hunt on being taken over by hordes of non-hunting users? I understand that they have as much right to be there as anyone else, but it sure can get frustrating when all this activity keeps the deer movement nocturnal. I just have never seen anything like in all the years that I have been hunting up there, and it's getting worse every year. Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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