Hunting Public Land (tips thread)

[Altiman94]

I've been relegated to mostly hunting public land for most of my hunting career (15 years give or take a few).  I would like to share my tips and have everyone add to this so we can all check back from time to time.

Here it goes:

1) Hunt the overlooked areas.  The thicker and harder to get to the better.  This doesn't always mean walking a mile in to hunt, sometimes the best spots are simply walked past as the other hunters make their way in.

2) Hunt all day or late mornings/early afternoon.  The deer start to pattern the hunters and you'll see them get up and start moving after most guys are going in for lunch.  Also, they'll be ready to bed down until after dark come early afternoon.  I see a lot of movement between 10 and 2 each day.

3) Hunt weekdays(if possible)....usually less pressure in most areas.

4) Scent Management....This point cannot be overlooked.  Public land animals receive a lot of pressure.  If they think something isn't right, they are quick to react.

5) Talk to other hunters...Form a plan with the group of guys hunting the piece of land.  Try not to infringe on each other so everyone has a fair chance to hunt it.  

6) Have a plan to get in and out without a lot of noise and disturbance.  It can be hard in the thicker areas I like to hunt, but it's imperative to minimize noise and scent on your way in.

7) Have fun...harvesting an animal on public ground with a stick and string is a particularly great feat!

8) Game cart....great to haul out your harvest when you are way back in there.

9) Goes with #1...but most bow hunters (at least the guys in the midwest after whitetails) like to be in treestands...so hunt the areas there are no trees (scrub tree areas and CRP).  You'll find the deer in there because that's where the hunters aren't.  Usually requires a hub blind or natural ground blind.  Hunting from the ground is particularly deadly on public land.

[ron w]

I'll have to agree......  

[Dave Lay]

i might add:   hunt funnels and to hunt the back side of pressure from other hunters..they kinda go hand in hand

[Kid's Pastor]

I have done most my hunting on public lands here in Oregon and some on private timber company lands.
I agree with what has already been shared above - great information, but I would like to add what has helped me to be successful on public land - One needs to spend an extra amount of time out in the woods getting to understand all the variables of the area you are hunting.
Being public land means things can change very quickly, at least here in Oregon - new logging, or a new road, people not obeying the ATV rules, people poaching at night, people growing illegal crops to name a few.
I have experienced all of these and they threw a wrench into my best laid plans. I was able to capitalize on a couple of them because I had spent a large amount of time getting to know every ridge, canyon, trail, and hell-hole the animals used.
To be honest this is why my success has been down these past years. I have been to busy to get back into the woods like I once use to.

God Bless and Happy New Year,
Paul

[lpcjon2]

Get dropped off, in my area as soon as they see a truck parked the next day the scrubs are all over the area.And gut it at home.

[jsweka]

I think your #1 rings so true.
One of the areas I hunted this past season on public land was only about 75 yards off the road.  I felt like a lazy slob hunter being that close to the road, but heck there was good sign and I consistently saw deer there.

[Possum Head]

Good stuff indeed. I will add I've found it advantageous to get there early as most hunters are courteous enough to give you space if you are planted. I've found that dead end roads usually pull folks close to the end.

[Mike Theis]

Use crowds to your advantage.

I used to hunt the local public hunting area on the first day of pheasant season.  Get to the back of the area as early as possible. When the bird hunters and the dogs get going, so do the deer.  If you are sitting on an escape route, they can drive deer right at you. (Running pheasants too sometimes)

[eddings220]

Another thing that I have found on public ground, that late season is very good.  Alot of the hunters are tagged out or weather is too bad, went this past weekend on public ground and didn't see anyone.

[BowHunterGA]

Agree with all! 1 and 9 are my favorites and worked very well for me this season as well. I will add a couple of odd tactics that I use.

1) Use scent to your advantage. I will sometimes use socks or other small articles of clothing to steer deer in my direction. Odd tactic? Yes....but it does work on occasion.

2) When I locate certain natural foods that I know attract deer, such as crab apples and persimmons, I will spike the trees with fertilizer spikes in the late winter and early spring. More mast and I think it makes the mast more appealing to animals.

[RedShaft]

I have hunted public land all my life. My best advice is, if you can't hunt away from other guys. Find some private land to hunt even if its just weekends. You will be happy and misery free!! I have yet to find anyone that will let us hunt due to everyone and there mother hunting around here. Public land gets pounded hard even hard to reach areas. That's why I am miserable and constantly complaine!! Find private land if you can. Unless you hunt a state where there not much hunters around we have millions v

[Altiman94]

I forgot to mention hunting late season and bad weather.  I'm glad it was brought up.  Especially cold, a lot of guys stay in.

I also have noticed if you see one truck in the lot, normally another guy will pull in.  I noticed that tonight.  Normally I try to go someplace else if already a car or truck in the lot, but doesn't seem everyone does.

Also, maybe not leaving out treestands or blinds.  In IA it's legal to hunt from anyones treestand if it's left on state land.  Not sure if people do but it also gives away your spot.  I carry in my lone wolf and sticks on each hunt.

[Stumpkiller]

I hunted public land for 25 years.  One trick that paid off was to pattern the other hunters; not just the deer.  What routes do they take in and out, where are the ATV trails, where might they spook a bedded deer when they moved to meet or leave for lunch or come back afterwards.  

I found getting in early, hunting the thickets, getting settled and staying put for the full day paid off very well.

[waiting4fall]

By choice I exclusively bowhunt public land, exclusively with trad gear, as I like the challenge.

Here is some of my public land.
 

[overbo]

Don't hunt public land but here in Va the private is much like hunting public in other states.
Here are a few of my tips.

1.On trails I use I'll rake several spots to bare dirt so I can see boot tracks of other hunters.

2.Not sure if you can do this on Public but I like to make foney buck sign in odvious ares to attrack other hunters.

3. spend some time in the spring(turkey hunting) to checkout new land

4.Snow!best aid in the offseason to understand deer movement in a area.Always back track

[ishoot4thrills]

Originally posted by overbo:
......2.Not sure if you can do this on Public but I like to make foney buck sign in odvious ares to attrack other hunters......

[Roadkill]

Great thread

If you find a really thick spot, especially thorns, you can create a funnel to allow critters to pass by your ambush.  Use some cordage to tie off on stiff trees on either side of the thick stuff.  Pull it tightly and you magically created a path without disturbing the place by chopping.  It takes critters a day or two to use it   Oh, spiders really like these early in the season  Made sniper tunnels like this to keeper snipers back in the thickets

[Nathan Killen]

In my "neck of the woods" in Va, private gets more pressure than public. I love hunting public, large expansive tracts that I have room to roam on ! I like hunting the thick steep stuff !

[nineworlds9]

+1 on the first post.  don't be afraid to put yer snake boots on, haha.  def a +1 on the hunt during the day.  so far this season i've encountered deer right in the middle of the day 1-2pm, seems like they come back out when they realize the humans left.......most of the humans  

[Keefer]

Well I used to hunt a pretty good spot of Public land and what we did was take plenty of trucks and park them in the public parking area and some would leave in a different truck and go further up the road just to make that area look very over run by many hunters...Kind of like a decoy but only have 1 or 2 hunters in that spot..Law didn't say you had to hunt the area you parked your truck in now did it