Public land Hunting

[ChuckC]

get a topo and aeriel photos of the place.  Look for funnels and then go see them.  All that water. .  is there a funnel between any of the bodies of water ?  Are there narrow places between wood lots or places where ridge A and ridge B are nearly attached by saddles or slopes ?  Then there is the food and shelter thing.  

ChuckC

[LinemanARK]

OK here is the problem it is so dry here. There is usually water every were except this year. And dave you know I'll call if come up with something. LOL   Ok I will be hunting the edge of the woods about 25yds in. From here I can see down into the woods and I can all so see to the south into a clearing that i walk into from the truck. Next were do I get topo maps with out having to buy. I would buy some but dont even know were to get them. I have google earth and see alot of good places with out having to go in the woods and stink it up lol.

[AWPForester]

Good adivce here from some fellas expierenced with that region.  Don't ignore it.  Hunt tomorrow where you were planning on it.  But get the aerial photos to show the waterways and picnh points.  Find them on the ground and any other spots that looks good.  If you have enough topography changes in elevation, a 7.5 quad topo map is well worth the ten bucks the US Forest Service charges.  You can get them on line or even better, at your local Forest Service extension, office, or park.

Look for saddles and flats, ecspecially adjacent (above) the pinch points in the waterways.  Put some boot leather on the ground to find where you need to be.  It is still early and if you don't see huge concentrations of sign on the dry ridges do not sweet it.  The deer are there it just doesn't show the sign like the moist bottoms.

Find the food where they are at now and get set up.  That is likely to change with the progression of fall, so stay mobile, hunt from the ground alot to find these areas and store them in the bank.  Bite the bullet, get the photos and maps needed, hunt from the ground and scout at the same time.  Your success this year will depend on hwo much scouting you do.  So since the season is in tomorrow, do them both at the same time and get these areas checked out ASAP.

You are gonna do fine as long as you do not confine yourself to a treestand without finding the proper spots.  Which is a real possibilty until you do the leg work.  Good luck and God Bless

[kybowhunter2]

I hunt government property here in KY and have for years. The public land that I hunt most is national forest land. Its huge. The thing that helps me the most is hunting the land for things other than deer. I as hunt other animals I look for signs of deer. Where are they bedding and what are they eating. Where are the white oaks fallin the best, up high or down low. In southeastern ky you big hollers and long ridges i mean big. The deer have to eat and we cant bait on government land so we have to make do. Find the food source. I also hunt some WMA property in the north central parts of ky. Not near the hollers like down south. My brother and I coon hunt these porperties year round. We walk alot of miles and scout for deer. There are some food plots planted on these WMA's. Although the deer relate yet to the hollers but travel a lot the the feilds. I think if you do some of what your dad told you and find that food source you will find the deer. It may be putting a lot of miles on your boots but you can do it. Good luck.

-Travis.