I have only hunted deer on public land once. There are tons of deer down here, but they are all small. I want to shoot a buck 6 points or bigger, or a nice big doe. The only problem is the hunters will shoot any legal deer. (4 point buck, or a doe) That ruins my self-imposed standards. I am fortunate enough to have several hundred acres of private land to hunt. I am the only one that hunts on it. I wish a few of you guys lived closer to me. I would love to share some of my land. The only way that I can shoot a deer would be to hunt private land. If you have self-imposed standards then you would do better hunting on private land. If you can get your deer on public land then that is a reward. The deer you shot made it through several gun seasons only to be taken by a bow. That would be very rewarding.