I think you're going about it the right way by bow hunting. You should find a lot less pressure durring archery season.

As far as "who's sopt it is" Public land = First come first serve. No one owns a particular tree and in many states it is illegal to leave a stand on public property. The best bet is to find a couple of aeras you'd like to hunt and then get in early in the morning. I like to hunt public land with a climber so you can be more versitle. I can tell you're good natured but the fact you don't want to step on toes. It's not a bad thing to be humble but you have just as much right to hunt a given spot as the next guy