I also only hunt WMAs.

Go to www.terraserver.com and run up some topo maps for your expected areas. You cant hunt 20,000 acres, you are going to have to focus on the 50 acres you actually will hunt.

Use the topo maps to focus on water, open areas that might harbor food plots, any kind of topological relief (cuts between two hills, etc.), access points and trails or roads, etc. Once you go over the map and highlight those areas of interest, you will notice that there are often nice patches that are not right at the parking lot, but within hikable distance that are either between thicket and field or have some other desirable features.

Reserve your time in the field to checking out those locations that look interesting and looking for deer traffic, food areas, good stand locations, heavily used deer trails, etc. Wandering around looking for " something good" will just waste time.

Good luck. Some people dont like public land hunting, but the states would not have bought it unless it did most folks some good.

Chubber