Been there...........done that.

Hunting public land is a different world. I have had similar experiences to your's so many times I have lost count. Some of the areas I hunt are an hour away as well. Nothing like driving 2 hours round trip and spending a whole day+$30 in gas just to have idiots ruin any chance you have at even seeing a deer.

I can't even count how many times I have been all settled in and actually excited because no one was even near me...........only to get ultra pissed off when a truckload of morons comes strolling into the woods a half hour after daylight...........WTF??? If you can't get out of bed any earlier then that just stay home. Don't ruin everyone elses day because of your laziness.

That is another reason scouting and planning for public land is frequently a waste of time. I have spent many hours scouting and trying to pattern deer on public land only to have it all flushed down the drain by guys sighting in guns or driving ATV's all over the place or just walking through every square inch of woods right before and even during the season. Some people just don't understand that deer get educated very fast and you can't just give away your presence and expect them to keep coming back.

I have a friend that INSISTS on driving his truck through the field that the deer feed in every night just because he is lazy and won't walk the long way in from the other side. EVERY night when he pulls in the deer scatter and snort and run with white flags waving goodbye into the woods..........then he grabs his stand and goes into the woods thinking they are goona hang around for him to kill. Needless to say he never gets a deer and needless to say I don't hunt with him anymore.