I'm also on public land and it's about an hour or so from the house. So I go in there a couple times a year, there's a large lake near by so I take the kids fishing and check it out on the way back.

I get some info from a couple other guys that I know hunt the same public ground and then by what I see when I go in to hang my stand.

This year I guess I got lucky, I've been seeing deer, no shots yet but it's been close. I choose not to risk a bad shot, but the deer have been there.

I'm not holding out for any big antlered critter, I have four doe tags and I'll take them as they come in and if I get a shot a t a buck. It's a bonus.