Confirmed: lost my hunting spot
 

I hunted a farm all last season, and it was a great spot. I never killed a deer there but saw many and learned some valuable lessons. I spent many, many full days of scouting and hunting on that land, and became very familiar with the diverse landscape it offered. I came up with some great hunting plans for this season that I will never be able to implement.

I also found that I must have become greatly attached to that land, because my heart sank when I got the word that hunting will no longer be allowed there. I suppose that I should count it a blessing that I was ever able to hunt there at all. But boy, I am bummed.

So it is now confirmed that I will be competing with both the graceful and the slob alike, for the deer that lie on public lands. Do they make Kevlar in blaze orange?

I know the feeling. Same thing kind of happened to me. When I was younger I had permission to hunt private land with the owner and his sons. And I worked for weeks, walking the property and learning it. Found an excellent spot to hunt from and shot my buck opening morning. The next year, I was informed that the owners son would be using the spot (and even the brush blind I built) and that I needed to find a different place to hunt.

After that I made it my goal to own my own hunting land. And once you own the land you can understand why some landowners are so anal about keeping others off the property.

I hope you find a spot, keep low, watch for orange around you, and make noise when you walk. Public hunting lands are dangerous IMO.

Public land sucks,,, I hunt it, only because i have no other choice. It really sucks when you walk into your favorite spot only to see someone else sitting in the exact tree you sit in. Just keep your orange on.

NATO welcome to the world of public land hunting. But all is not lost. You may be lucky like I have been and find a little honey hole. I found such a spot and have harvested a buck every year for the past 5 seasons, 3 of which were the biggest I ever shot.
These spots are where you would least expect them. My spot is a mile long pinch area about 200 yds wide bordered on the north by a fairly wide creek with stone walls (built by the CC boys) and on the south by RR tracks and a highway.
I put a lock on tree stand up within 20 yds of an old trolly bed that runs parallel to the hwy and creek. Wind in the area normally blows northerly and during the rut the bucks run this trolley bed trying to catch scent of an estrus doe. I have named this trolley bed Buck Rt. 1. Last year I watched 7 buck pass me until one of the ones I wanted came by.
BTW, I can see my truck from my stand. Hope you find a similar spot.

I too hunt public land. I have had decent success doing so. It requires no less than the effort that you would put i to hunt private land.
However, I am blessed that I live within minutes of Thousands of acres of public land that is not very accessible, unless you walk.

I ONLY hunt public land. I won't kiss the hind end of a land owner to hunt his place. Ron

I thank god every time I go to hunt that I have my large, four generation family farm right in southern Iowa. People spend thousands of dollars to hunt land like that. I really feel for you

"taking a chance and hunt a spot, and hope I don't get in trouble."

The above statement is what has given many of southeren Michigan deer hunter a bad rep and even closed a bunch of private property that was once open just by asking.
I busted my butt and went with out some things others refuse to live with out to own my land. I shopped real hard for my home with its wild life. Now today it is cluttered with several color and sizes and types no tresspassing private property signs. Jerk thought since he grew up in the area he could hunt with in 30 yards of my house in the pines.
I also spent the better part of a year finding for me the perfect UPPER Michigan deer camp land. Then another 15 years working every bit of over time I could get and still doing with out stuff most won't live with out. I know people with cable TV bills bigger than my UPPER michigan deer camp monthly payment was. Still have down state fools who think they can just drive out early in the morning and set in my heated deer blind. There is 6000 acres of state and federal lands a half mile down the road. Again the place is cluttered with signs so all the idiots should be able to read them.

Here in Michigan the ML season opens in Dec. Public land then is nearly a wasteland as far as hunter see goes.

:D Al

This is why I bought my own land last fall. Nothing like killing deer on your own property.

7.62; i'm sorry to hear that you lost your hunting spot.

Lost one of my hunting spots this year; killed a lot of hogs there. Luckily i have permission to hunt several other places. We also own some land of our own and that makes it nice. Tomorrow i will be hunting in m/l season on military property. i may be the only guy signed in for that area. The road to that area is really bad. But my trusty 94 Toyota is up to it.