Hunting Public Land (tips thread)

[Keefer]

Forgot to mention one important thing..If there is a lane or path leading out to the woods that has soft mudd or sand you are hunting make certain all your buddys walk out and back three times about 50 yards or so to make it look like tons of cattle just went through there...  :rolleyes:

[pcappy08]

+1 for hunting the steepest and thickest stuff I can find in the area I hunt holds good deer and naturally keeps people out....that and going in farther than most are willing to walk is a big help too

On public land and private land in Iowa, that can be even more harrassed than the public land, wheelie guys set up multiple tree stands to lay claim stakes on the territory.  In Iowa public land that piece scrap metal hanging in a tree does not give you the ownership of the area or even the piece of metal you hung in the tree.  The results are that these boys will sit on their claim stake every time they go out no matter what the wind is doing.  After a couple of weeks, the deer know exactly where they all are at.  The best places to hunt is where no tree stands can be hung, deer like brush more than open timber after all of the claim stakers show up.  Creek bottoms with lots of sticks and brush, hill sides with scrub cedars, a patch of private ground that no one has access to and thickets on the other side of a water barrier is where the deer will be during daylight hours.

[dirtguy]

*
I found a spot on a large piece of public land that is great.  I can access it fr.om private property but my spot has big swamp on the three other  sides.

[toddster]

1) thickest cover possible
2) use hunting pressure to hunt, when you see deer and then disappear ask why
3) be polite, everyone makes mistakes, don't be a jerk when someone walks in, usually they didn't know
4) Look for turkey's, if there are turkeys there are deer.

[Possum Head]

3) be polite, everyone makes mistakes, don't be a jerk when someone walks in, usually they didn't know
Good point toddster. Public land is just that and anyone has just as much privaledge as the next guy. A month or so ago I climbed up about an hour before first light and 45 min later a hunter comes along so I do as usual and give him a brief flashlight. He in obvious anger tore outta there making as much noise as possible. I know his frustration but it comes with public hunts.

[DarkTimber]

I've hunted public land almost exclusively my entire life.  Early on out of necessity, now out of choice.  Very good information given so far. I'm certainly no expert but I would also add:

1.  Stay Mobile.  The old saying "Your first time in is your best chance" applies even more on public land in my experience.  I like to have multiple stand sites for options and pack my stand in with me for each sit.  I very seldom sit the same stand multiple times, especially in a row.   The one exception is if I'm in a funnel or travel area during the rut when I feel the bucks I'm seeing aren't in their core area but simply traveling through.

2. Scout Post Season.  This one is obvious and talked about alot but I think few people actually do it.

[gringol]

Lots of good points.  Great thread.

[wooddamon1]

I'm far from an expert, but I have good luck seeing deer during the week whenever I can get out there to hunt it. Find edges and funnels and scout them in the off season to find where other hunters like to set up so you can avoid them. I have the best luck near creeks/rivers in the thick stuff. Play the wind even if you have to deal with a cross wind situation, sex scents work good early November until gun season (Nov. 15-31 in MI). I hunt from the ground to avoid leaving sign for others to find, even going so far as to cover the bare patch of ground I scape out of the leaves when I find a good blow-down to sit near.

That being said, stay mobile like others have said and scout as much as you can in the springtime, especially. Maybe make a few natural blinds to hunt from in different areas that don't show a lot of hunter traffic, if you're lucky enough to find them.

After getting to know an area well, you'll know most major trails and where they intersect, which is a great place to be downwind of sitting in a blow-down or treestand at any time.

[Keb]

Mine advice is stay positive and focus on the things you can control, public land is a mind game in its self. I stay focused on what I'm doing, not what the other guy is doing.

If you can just outlast the others, is huge be it time on stand or vacation days hunting. Also physical fitness and mental toughness can't be leased or bought you earn it.

[Pheonixarcher]

Lots of good advice above. I'll add a few tips that should help aswell. All living things require three fundamentals to survive. The quality and quantity of these things determine whether the creature will thrive, or merely survive. They are food, water, and cover. Every habitat type has a limiting factor of one or all three. Determine what that limiting factor is, and you'll find the most action!  Try to improve this limiting factor if possible. That may be fertilizing mast or a patch of browse, or placing a feeder (where legal), or erecting some sort of water hole. You can't change cover on public ground, so find the safest, best cover and work from there. Look for anything that stands out. Any type of edge, be it a ridge line, a creek line, a clump of bushes or a small thicket of prickers, or a transition area of one type of trees to another.
Also, do what other hunters are not doing. Like hunting mid day, overlooked areas, or hard to reach areas. Try to use the terrain to your advantage. Both for getting to and from your honey hole, and for deer movement. Deer will take the path of least resistance when offered. Clear the trails leading to your stand, and maybe redirect a few leading away.
One more thing, don't be overly aggressive in highly pressured areas. Watch your wind and scent, and use calls and attractant scents sparingly. How many times have you actually heard deer making vocalisations? Certainly not every 10-15 minutes every time you are in your stand. Try to stay as low impact as possible. You want the other hunters to put higher pressure on their areas, and push them into your lower pressured set up. Hunt only when everything is right, not just because you have no where else to go.

[lpcjon2]

TTT

[BowHunterGA]

If you are still looking for some ideas Josh, I wrote a 3 part series on public land tactics on my website. You can visit the site in my signature and do a search for "Going Public" to find those specific articles.

[VictoryHunter]

I agree! Those are good tips. I like hunting public near my home as much or more than some of the private lands I am able to hunt.

[cahaba]

The public land I have hunted have gated roads. I never park or hunt at these areas. I like to find areas that have no roads or gates or general parking areas. I have seen lots of deer by parking and hunting at places no one parks at.

[SKITCH]

Hey Tim... Thanks for bringing this one back up!!!!  Great stuff here and exactly the type of info I've been looking for lately!!  Can't wait for this season and hoping to get my first trad deer!!  
Thanks also to all the Trad Gang family for helping everyone out by posting tips from your experiences.  It truly helps us less experienced guys grow and hopefully reach our goals!!

[riverrat 2]

Being polite is a great point,as well as staying positive. Michigan gets our state land POUNDED with hunters. Here is what I do when hunting state land.

1 > Google earth the heck out of your chosen areas for a good general idea.

2> Utilize a boat/canoe/kayak/etc. to access deep areas via waterways if possible.

3> Mountain bikes are a good choice for covering ground to further/deeper areas as well.

4> Hunt with a buddy or 2. Then you have the ability to corner areas,and also have help getting game out quicker from deep areas.

5> Think mountain climbing,and military when packing for day trips,and deep excursions. Go light,but stay essential.

rat'

[bobman]

WHen I hunt public lands which is almost exclusively what I do, I pattern the hunters.

Then I get in very very early... way before daylight and set up on escape trails to heavy cover.

Deer will abandon normal patterns when hunters start bumbling thru the woods.

The opening weekend of pheasant season is a killer time to do this and I don't want to compete with them with my bird dogs anyway.

[Mint]

Where i hunt there are mountain bike and walking trails throughout the woods. Instead of walking right from my truck through the woods to my spot i will using those winding trails to get as close as i can to my spot and then go through the woods to my stand. I've seen deer many times completly ignore people walking on those established trails but the moment one person takes a step off the trail they are out of there. They know who the hunters are and who the civilians are.

[toddster]

Here is one I forgot that seem's to work for me.  Beside's safety reasons, I put a map of the area and place I am hunting in windshield.  I have had three guys over the years, who seen it and didn't come in because I was there.  One guy started doing it and worked for him too.  I know the downside is "everyone" know's your there.
Last year, I used my boat more.  I know nothing new, and takes more time to put in water.  but it was shorter walk to stand, less scent, and I seen more deer and the biggy only had to drag onto boat and then was off.  There are some spot's where no way to walk in on the "hidden" fields with out them smelling you, the boat got me there and a nice harvest too.