I've taken probably about 30-35 public whitetails, as well as an elk, a bear and an antelope. I know the value of public land. I've been almost entirely on public land for gun seasons since 2008 with the exception of a couple deer shot while hunting with friends.
I'll be heading out to a 8k acre chunk tomorrow with a 3 year old strapped on my back (that's big for Ohio) looking for squirrels and scouting for gun season.
This really wasn't about that though.
Maybe I did a poor job of making my point.
As a kid, and probably the same for many of you, most properties locally were open to hunting. We'd join up with the neighbors on the weekends and put on drives, we'd say things like "go ahead, use my stand. I won't be able to hunt until next Friday anyway.", If a neighbor hit a deer and needed to track it not only would they get permission but they'd have a bunch of help to do it.
Farmers used to call my dad and ask if our group was planning on coming out to drive their property because they wanted does shot and they knew if we showed up we'd do it. That has all changed now, and it saddens me that my kids won't get that experience either.
These were not exclusively private farms where no one else hunted. For the most part we let everyone hunt our (small) property and had permission to hunt on allot of everything else locally. But that's all leased up now.
I don't blame the landowners. Between disrespect shown by people to them over the years- ran over gates, cut fences, a shot mule, windows broken out of tractors and barns, etc. And the value they can get by leasing. I totally get it from the landowners side.
I'm just saddened by it. I think it was "better" when we all got together and hunted together and enjoyed the land and the fellowship. We used to host a lunch the first day and the first Saturday at a camp we went to. Some years we had 30 people show up. Now I don't even know who's hunting around us for the most part.
Again, I get it. I don't blame them. Just saddens me. You can't convince me that the present trend is better for the "sport" of hunting than the way things used to be.
I suppose it's all about the antlers as mrbb pointed out earlier in the thread. We had a newer hunter in our group a few years ago. He shot his first buck. A nice little 5 point (legal for that area) as it fed through a creek bottom. He was thrilled. I, and a few others, met him after dark to help drag it out. Neighbor pulled up as we were loading into the truck, got out, looked at it, and said "I had my 8 year old daughter pass that one up three times this year. You guys are an embarrassment to the sport." Got back in his truck and drove away.
I personally don't care. But that new hunter hasn't been back since and you could tell it ruined his experience.
The direction this is all heading saddens me when I think about what it means for my kids and eventually grandkids.
I'm not against chasing big bucks. Or quality deer management and all that. I'm not against a landowner making $$$$. I think everyone should hunt the way they want to and do what makes them happy. But I'm willing to bet that 8 year old daughter would have been thrilled with that Pennsylvania 5 pointer rather than being told to pass it up several times.
-Jake