To a point I agree, to a point I disagree.

Some places around here are hammered with every kind of call in the world. So the birds hear a call, they go running the other way. Other places are the opposite. I killed a nice long beard on public land last year, but it was a VERY small tract of land that most people don't even know about or bother to hunt b/c it is so small.

I was hunting in Sand Hills State Forrest last year and got so pissed. Its not the turkeys that piss me off, its the other hunters with no respect for others. My cousin and I went to a spot that we have been scouting all year. Opening morning, we got there at 4:30am. I parked my truck in the middle of a fire break for the sole purpose of blocking any other trucks from driving down it and messing us up.

I went down the rail road tracks while my cousin got in his favorite spot (he has killed a bird in this spot on opening day for the last three years). Right at day light, there it was...a gobble right where my cousin was set up at. I was like "man, that dude sat under the tree the bird was in". Well, I went on down the tracks and stepped into the woods where I wanted to set up. Right at day light, three gobblers starting sounding off. I didn't call to them, I just sat there, enjoying the moment. About five minutes later, I heard someone calling with a slate call. I was like "damn", this sucks. The guy came in from the other side, which I had not planned on anyone doing.

After the birds flew down the guy kept calling. The birds would not answer to his call. After about ten minutes, you could tell the guy was walking towards the birds. So I started doing a soft yelp. Every time I yelped, the birds tore up gobbling. All I wanted to do is get their attention so when that other idiot ran them off, they would come my way.

Just then, I hear someone coming down the tracks with a box call. This guy was an idiot and a half. He would yelp for at least a minute W/O STOPPING!!!!!. The birds would not answer to either of the guys. I yelped again and the hen with the toms starting yelping back at me. I knew I had the birds now. But the guy behind me kept coming down the tracks. So, I got up and walked out on the tracks and started waving my hands and hat to the guy to go the hell away. This dumb A$$ started walking closer to me.

About that time, BOOM BOOM. Two gobblers being carried out one another guys back who was slick enough to get b't the birds and me.

I was irate. I started walking back to the truck. Hopeing that my cousin was having better luck. When I got to the spot where he had sat up. What was there? A FREAKING TRUCKKKKKK!!!!

This a$$hole scratched up a brand new tacoma and knocked down i don't know how many trees to DRIVE AROUND MY TRUCK........My cousin came walking out of the woods madder than I was. He said the guy came in and sat down beside a tree 20yds away from him, smoking a cig.

And what really pisses me off is that everyone of them were from NC!!!!!!!!! Our season comes in two weeks earlier than NC's so they come down here. I would more than LOVE to vote on a law allowing ONLY RESIDENTS hunting for the first week of season.

It is not the birds that piss me off, its the lack of respect of other hunters. If i see a truck in a spot, I will go a 1/2 mile or so down the road before I stop. Just out of respect for the hunters....[:@][:@][:@]

LoL...thats my thoughts about SOME public land hunting.

But to answer your question. If done right and in the right spot. No, I don't think its harder. Most of my hunting this coming spring will be done on public land.