RE: difficulty of private vs. public land
Public land in PA is tough, especially in densely populated areas like where I live. I have killed deer on public land, but you have to put your time in both on stand and scouting. A buddy of mine took a 145" deer last year on public land in PA. He is an incredible woodsman and usually walks an hour to an hour and a half to get to his stands, but it can be done.