public land dissapointment
 

i finally got out today (2nd saturday here in pa) only to get to the tree i had picked out a piece of public land to find a lock on 15 yards away. I know it's public, but i was hoping i had found one of those spots that everyone else overlooked. i sat nervously all morning waiting for some sort of confrontation but luckily he never showed up. *sigh* i guess i'm homeless again.

RE: public land dissapointment
 

Yeah thats how public land is. Here in SC you can't leave a stand in the woods on public land. If you do and you come back the next day and someone is hunting that area, then you are just screwed. Can't do anything about it.

However, there are some WMA such as the Cuddo Refuge that will let you leave the stand in the woods and use a clothes pen with your name on it to mark your location.

RE: public land dissapointment
 

I hunt public land and can't imagine dragging a stand into the woods in the dark. I have couple spots where the stand is up but has abig blaze orange ribbon tied to it. Then I pull the bottom 4 steps so they can't climb my tree. Hopefully they just move on.
My favorite is the guy who took a big dump on the ground under my tree. I just can't imagine being so mean hunting public land. He could not steal the stand so he was pissed.

RE: public land dissapointment
 

I thought lock ons were ileagle on public land in Pa , better read the regs ,

RE: public land dissapointment
 

I know guys who hunt public land and not only do they use Loc-Ons and other stands that hurt the trees they also use screw in steps. I've even heard of them using loppers and hand saws to clear a few shooting lanes.

RE: public land dissapointment
 

Again, our fellow hunters doing nasty deeds etc...and we question why non hunters and other public look down upon us. Good guys are a rare breed.

I feel for you guys. It would almost make me stop hunting or really make me knock on many more doors. And then again, we whine when guys lease land, can we blame them or congratulate them.

Good luck guys.

RE: public land dissapointment
 

I found a deer damage farm here in PA when I got sick of hunting game lands. It was a hike to get to the goodpart of the land where people didnt want to go but come the rut it sounded likefour wheelers driving through thewoods with nobody in sight.I almost took a beautiful yellowhorned 8 point buck off of there. Well then Ihooked up with a buddy and been hunting the best spot of my life but that spot will always be on my reserve list. There ishope sometimes you just have to go a little furtherthen everybody else.

RE: public land dissapointment
 

Columbia, is that near Bloomsburg? If so, i know of some decent spots that i dont hunt anymore. Let me know.


Zach