Success Rate on public land?

[Michael Arnette]

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.

[DaveT1963]

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.

[Brianlocal3]

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

[Nantahala Nut]

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

[Hoyt]

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.

[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.

[Kelly]

Originally 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.

[DanielB89]

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.

[ChuckC]

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

[old_goat2]

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.

[doubleo]

Originally 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.