How far "in" do you go?

[Sarah]

Worked up the nerve to check out some nearby State Game Lands (Central PA) after spending a lot of time seeing nothing on a piece of private property. I might as well have been waiting for a bus out in those woods.    :rolleyes:    

Anyway, I have very little experience hunting - this is my first season seriously trying to get out in the woods and bag a deer. I've been out to the Game Lands a couple of times and have seen some cars pulled over here and there, but no one yet where I've been. LOTS of deer sign though, rubs, droppings, paths, and deer every time I've gone in.

Today I scouted in about a mile and spooked two big bucks, but I've seen a lot of evidence of deer as little as a half mile from the road.

My question is, how far does the average hunter hike, and how far do you all typically hike in if you're on public lands? AND How should I expect the game to change come regular firearms season?

Any little tips for public land would be appreciated too.

[RC]

I have killed pigs as far as 4 miles in . Usually how "thick" the cover is determins how deep you need to go. I`ve killed critters so close that they fell almost in the road after their run . Public land in the South is very good hunting.I really don`t approach it any different. Find good sign in thick cover and hunt it.RC

[BDann]

I've gone in a mile or so here in Texas, and usually there isn't very much hunter traffic where I go.  I think you have to be willing to hoof it a bit to find them.

[hunt4life]

The spot I walk to is about 3/4 mile from where I park the truck, but most of the walk is on a shut down two track. The actual spot is only a few hundred yards off that. Thing is, there is a lot of sign of people back there, but I havent seen anyone yet. Hopefully it stays that way. Im sure the spot got hunted a lot when you could drive back there.

[hitman]

I can't get in as far as I used to with all the equipment I carry so I concentrate on little pockets of brush which gets overlooked a lot nearer to roads and houses. Some of the biggest bucks I've ever seen are killed in urban areas close to big cities. The state of Ohio is 1 place Iam talking about.

[joe ashton]

elk and mule deer as many miles as it takes.  1, 2, 3. 4. what ever.  Whitetail less than a mile,,,,

[Stumpkiller]

300 yards from my back door.  Miles of woods all around.

[Rob W.]

There are so many variables that my average hike distance probably dont mean much in your neck of the woods.

My advice for public land is to learn as much as you can about the area. Stay flexible when things don't go right. Don't beleive everything you hear about how much pressure an area gets or lack of deer and stay past lunch time.

Gun season will stir them up but things seem to calm down pretty quick and late season is a great time to hunt.

I love hunting public land. Have fun and good luck!

Rob

[RedShaft]

being very close to you, i can say most guys walk pretty close. say 1/4 mile- 1/2 mile. but there are those like myself and i do run into them that are seen a mile or more back in. the only thing i can tell you at leat around here is.. sometimes far back in means almost to the other end of the game lands. being that you get to far and your at the other side where others are just accessing from there side. you see what i mean. if you want to truly get away you must make sure there is no access in the direction your heading.

n YES once gun season open be prepared as there will be guys crawling all over the place. it can be very difficult to not see multiple hunters around you. so be prepared to just stay on stand and tough it out while others get cold and move deer to you. best way i have found or if you can find areas people forget about or walk by that the deer will go to when being pushed. and dont get upset when guys walk in on you and ruin your spot or come in and set up near you even though they know you are there, it just happens and you will get used to it.

also you asked about game changing patterns during firearms season.. if you don not get on a deer the first day you can forget about deer movement being normal until rifle is over. it usually has them all screwed up and laying all day and only moving at dark unless someone jumps them from there beds. shoot me a Pm if you got any other questions and i will try and help ya out.

[Roger Norris]

Out west....we went in 14 miles    

But here in Michigan, it's tough to find a place where you can go in more than a mile.The farms I usually hunt, I MIGHT get 1/2 mile from the truck.

When hunting public land, it pays to use a map. Pick a swampy looking place as far from access roads as possible. Use your compass and GPS.

[Charlie Lamb]

Back when I hunted public ground more I often found that most everybody tried to get back where nobody was. That can leave a lot of good country close to the parking areas.
Don't overlook it.

Usually when the guns start popping, deer sleep at 60mph. I usually try to be at home watching TV.

[ron w]

Public land in the Adirondacks is huge.....I have gone as far as 7 miles. Hiked and camped in as far as 4 miles. The biggest advantage of going farther is you will see less people! I belong to a camp up north, if I walk out the back door and go North, the next thing I hit [a road] is 30 miles away. I would think you can do all you want to do in 1-3 miles.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I'll go as far as I have to!  If you are finding a lot of sign that's good, especially poop.

sometimes I have found the best public spots are right next to the parking lot as everyone else wants to go wayyy in.

You may have to put some time in and figure it out. sounds like you have found a nice spot already.

Good Luck

[Altiman94]

I've hunted exclusively public land for the last 2 years.  Prior to that I had a stink of 3 years where I hunted only private on my in-laws farm.  Before that (10 years or so) I hunted only public land.  I've taken alot of animals on public so I can give you a little advice.

1) Like mentioned, most guys will be within 1/2 mile of where they parked.  

2) Most guys will only hunt til 930 AM and come back for a 3 hour hunt before dark.

3) Have a plan on how to get your game out, if you do harvest way back in the woods

4) Bring snacks, water, and pack light


With the above two, you can sort of plan out a hunt.  The guys walking in for their afternoon hunt will push their deer in towards you, same when they leave in the morning, so sitting all day or mid day can be very productive.

Do a lot of internet (google earth/aerial image) scouting.  Try to stay off the field edges that are visible from the road.  Find funnels and other pinch points where the deer will be throughout the day.  

Hunt during the week if you can, of course less pressure.

That all said, there can be great hunting on public land.  If you do get it done, you'll have a great sense of pride in your harvest.

Good luck.  The journey has just begun.

[jsweka]

Sarah - Which game lands are you hunting?  I also live in Central PA and have hunted 176 (Scotia), 092 (Howard), and 295 (Lamar) quite a bit, but the for last couple of years I've been primarily hunting 087 (Curry Run) in Clearfield County with my brother-in-law.

Most guys will argue that you need to get back in a good ways to get away from the crowds to see deer.  The game lands in central PA are not that big and when you think you've gotten so far in that nobody else will be there, you look up and see someone or find someone's tree stand.  So, given the area you're hunting, I'd say that you don't need to go to far in and just hunt where you see good sign.

I can honestly say that I haven't seen any less deer hunting close to my vehicle compared to far away.  Heck, one of my best stand locations so far this season has been only about 75 yards off a road on a state gamelands.

Once firearms season comes in, it really doesn't matter where you hunt.  Those game lands get hammered and it's really dumb luck of being in the right place at the right time and getting one chased by you. Yes the majority of hunters won't go too far from their vehicles, but there are enough hunters that a lot still do venture deep into the game lands.  I don't even consider hunting when the general firearms season comes in and I'll wait until the late season comes in after Christmas.  The deer are REAL spooky by then, but at least you have the woods pretty much to yourself.

[AMB]

My experience is that most folks will be between 1/4 and 1/2 mile, so you can hunt close or go deeper.

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

I read a study once that found that 90% of the hunters on public ground hunted within a 1/4 mile of a road. If that helps..

I have found that to be true here and those hunters who do venture further in are rarely a problem.

Like you, they are wanting a little solitude, and a better hunting experience. As such they tend to respect your wishes a bit more than those who hunt close to the road.  But they can get pretty possessive of their little areas if you infringe.

[Sarah]

John - I'm at 158 (Tyrone) It's pretty large from what I can tell. It's got a network of 30'-50' wide mowed fields that runs all through it. Do you know what this is for? My guess was some kind of ground-nesting bird management strategy, but it sure makes it easy to get way back in. So I should be looking for denser areas?

Anyone have experience hunting in thickets of witch hazel?

Going to get my hands on a map in the next couple of days, I use GIS a lot where I work so I can whip one up in a jiffy.      

Thanks everyone. Advice is pretty consistent with what I was thinking. More input always welcome!

[Jerry Jeffer]

One of my favorite state lands in PA has a great witch hazel thicket about 30 yards from where I park. I have taken deer there, and always see deer there.

[44charlie]

I think it is as important to pattern the hunters as it is the deer! And let me tell you they are creatures of habit. Most will use the easiest access into and area and sit the same spot repeatedly.
Next time you hunt don't go out early but wait til it's light out. Drive around your area and you'll see where others are hunting. Now find the out of the way spot that is over looked and check for sign. Poor cover will still hold deer if it is not being hunted.
Lastly don't leave any sign of where you are hunting! Not flagging in trees or reflector tacks, ect. I don't know why but my eye spots those round tacks faster than billboard!