I would think that each hunt would play a large part in determinig whether your hunt on private or public land is tougher or the same. My hunts on private land require a lot of work as has been said all year long with preparing for the next season. A public land hunt can be tougher in one sense and that is the Deer are not as concentrated as they are on the private land I hunt. The Hoosier National Forest is vast and seeing Deer is tougher because you must travel farther into the woods at times. If I had shot my first Deer in the Hoosier rather than on the private land he still would have been a trophy to me. So I guess it's all a matter of opinion or your personal perspective in each new hunt and expierence that would form ones thoughts on your question. My first ATV race I finished in 5th place and even though it was not 1st. place it was a well earned trophy to me. Whether it happened at a local track on a saturday night or a National event it would differ in some ways but not all. A National event would have more and better riders and to finish in 5th. would be tougher than at a local track. But regardless of the seting to me my trophy was still a trophy to me.