Good deer, patience can pay off! I hear you loud and clear about the problems with public land. I talked to several guys this week, having many of the same problems in my area. I've only tried hunting public land once, for turkeys, because I had no place to go at all because of all the land being leased up to outfitters. It was so crowded and downright dangerous with practically no chance to kill a bird. I decided then that I must find a way to lease my own land and get other hunters to help pay for it. It was a, " you can't beat em so you might as well join them" sort of decision, and it wasn't easy to do. But I now have nearly a thousand acres of private land, and I choose who hunts with me, and I make a little cash for hunting season too.