sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

since it is against the rules of the board to personally attack an individual, i will simply hunt for the truth. i'm wondering why certain people on this board are so hostile towards those of us who are fortunate enouph to be allowed to hunt private land. is it because we have friends?? is it because we have enouph passion for the sport and self respect to go knocking on doors if we don't know anybody who is a land owner?? personally i don't care where i hunt whether it is public land or private land.......... i scout, find where they are at, find out where they have been and hunt them. when i say "hunt" that's what i mean. not sit there and hope and pray to see something and when i don't.......hey i have an idea, let's blame the PGC, no let's blame Slinsky, NO better yet let's blame Dr. Alt! it's kind of like the budweiser "TRUE" commercial "hey it might even be your fault chuck". sorry that's just something that just rubs me the wrong way!!! the fact is that there are plenty of deer out there, if you can't find them, find another place to hunt.........period!!!!

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

thelastboyscout, you may have a point about the private land jealousy. I have heard that complaint many times...I can`t get permission to hunt anywhere.

Maybe some people ask differently than others? I have permission to hunt more private land than I can cover. And I guarantee I could get a bunch more to hunt if I felt the urge.

If you are afraid of rejection, then asking permission may not be for you. Better stick to game land hunting. Not that game land hunting is all bad.

And boyscout, just to set the record straight, you ole mountain climbing varmint;), I did not blame Slinsky for anything. I simply pointed out a couple of facts concerning him. Never would have even done that if Mr. Mike hadn`t come back singing Slinskys praise.

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

Amen Lastboyscout... I scout all spring and summer , i start even brfore spring turkey...If i dont see deer , i often do get bent outta shape , but that only lasts the walk back to the truck. But its not anyones fault , that is the deers personal choice where it wants to go that day. A big booner u could see one day may be 5 miles away tommorow if it wishes. But one thing i do get upset about is those who arent as fortuneate harping on us private land hunters. I hunt both , and see just as many nice buck on public land as i do on private.

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

Just because it's "Private Land" doesn't mean you hunt it exclusively either. I hunt private property that gets as much, if not more pressure than some state land. I hunt farms, and the farmers usually let friends and neighbors on. When you get friends of friends and so on, it can get pretty crowded.
You need to spend time asking in order to obtain permission. Keep trying till someone says yes.

I'm thinking of hunting PA next season. I don't have a spot yet, but I've allready got a line on two possible properties. That's just from talking to guys at work who live down there. I'm sure I'll be all set by this Summer. Where there's a will, there's a way!!!!!

John

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

i prefer doing my own leg work and hunting public land. i like walking in deep in the areas i know not many will hunt in. to me its as good as hunting private land except for one thing. i can go on some private lands with different buddies of mine and probably be able to take a doe every time i hunt there and a nice buck almost as often. im not saying all private land is like that but in new jersey hunting private land is like hitting the lottery. i wouldnt read into things too much. its just an easy excuse for someone jealous of those who hunt private land. 2 years ago a friend of mine just started hunting and he bagged a couple does and 2 monster bucks in the same year. ive been hunting for 27 years and im still looking for my monster buck. yes his dad lived on a farm. he has invited me several times but i just prefer to do it my way.

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

j-bow you can come hunt down with us anytime. i live in tidioute, pennsylvania. if you look on a topo map of the area you can see that it makes for some mighty fine hunting and fishing for that matter. infact it is where the Pennsylvania State Fishing Tournament is held. i hear people, mostly campers, who say "there aint no deer up here" or "these mountain deer are small". you know what i say to that (as straight faced as i possibly can be) "yea buddy you sure are right". VERY NOT TRUE!! there are some huge deer up here. just a ton of places to hide. such as 90 degree mountain sides with thickets growing on them, swamps, islands in the middle of the allegheny river....many many places. heck, they swear there's bigfoot in these mountains too.

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

I hunt a mix of private and public land, mostly private though. The private places I hunt I have pretty much fallen into. It is very difficult for me to knock on doors to find new places. I'm trying to overcome that. The private lands I hunt, are heavily hunted, both on the property and surrounding it. I see just as many if not more guys there than I have on public lands.

I feel a lot of the complaining going on is just people trying to justify not getting a deer, or making it out so that they have it so rough, etc. If more people would just hush up and hunt, they'd probably get more deer.

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

TLBS,
Where is Tidioute in relation to Binghamton or the NY/PA border? Right now I'm looking at 80 acres in Little Meadows, just south of Apalachin, NY and another smaller piece directly south of Binghamton and a little southwest of Quaker Lake. I'm just a little northwest of Binghamton and I like to keep my travel time between a half an hour and 45 minutes one way. Both those properties are just over the border. I definitely appreciate the invite though, and might just take you up on it, depending on exactly where you're at.
You don't have to convince me that there are some nice Deer down in PA. A buddy from work has killed a slammer 10 point, maybe a 140 class buck, and a beautiful 9 point with a 17" inside spread in the last two years. That was gun hunting. He doesn't even bow hunt! That's one of the properties I want to hang a bow stand on.
With so much posted land and lack of serious hunters anymore, these boys are finally getting some age on them.(not to mention PA's three on a side rule) It's that way all over, even up here in NY. A lot of property owners don't even know what they have running around on their land. Some don't care. Just as long as you're cool and not a slob hunter, there's places to hunt. And don't forget them at Christmas. Even just a card goes a long way.

Ya Gotta Keep Trying!
John

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

It's not hostility. Perhaps there is a tinge of jeolousy, I'd admit. I guess I'm tired of reading posts about guys passing up 8 ptrs because they see 10 and 12's running around, along with herds of does. 9 out of 10 times, they're hunting private land, though they rarely say so ( I hunted private land in NY years ago and there is a big difference in deer behavior). And what that portrays is a warped sense of the deer herd condition in this state. I don't watch Buckmasters or shows like that for that reason. My late uncle was a NY game warden, who worked with the old American Sportsman show, the one with Curt Gowdy. Even then, it was all rigged. I'd like to see Jackie Bushman hunt SGL 141 and come out with a hog. I hunted bow, gun, and now flintlock, from Oct 4th to last Saturday, and have seen a total of 14 huntable deer, in legal shooting hours (I'm retired and have nothing else to do), hunting state forests or SGL's in Carbon County. There are many other hunters on this board who shared a similar experience. And the guy who hunted 10 days of gun, and shot a 90 lb doe the last day on a state forest, is more of a hunter than those who hunt private honeyholes and pick out which deer they'll shoot.

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

TLBS,

I hear you....I too hunt on private land as well as public. Some of the private and public land, I see more hunters than deer. I have access into 200 acres, 460 acres, 14 acres, 2 acres all private. The 460 acres is near my home since I am a member of a hunting club who doesn't pay. I actually work for the owner, not the leasee, and work for free watching his dam and I do some mowing, plus oversee the property since it is right next to mine.

I to have an excellent spot on my property where I get deer every year. Is it truely hunting, no, but I do enjoy the meat and share it with a friend. I also do try hunting and sometimes get deer but I have more luck near my home. Can I help it if there is a swamp, next to a lake, and a big funnel area in my back yard? So I have a tree stand on the fringe of the swamp in a high traffic area.

Yes I someines take advantage of it but I do enjoy hunting these other properties when I can.

T

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

I love hunting public land and getting way back on the ridge tops, but unfortunately that isnt possible much these days, legs wont take it anymore, although I do manage at least one trip way back each year. I would truly love to find a big farm to hunt, especially in bow season but thats a hard and rare thing to find in this part of west virginia anymore, mostly due to people who could care less about a farmers land, livestock or fences.

I have been recently considering the idea of finding a hunting club to join but I wouldnt want to join something thats not fair chase or something that ismade up of non ethical type hunters.

I cant understand why someone would be jealous over someone being able to hunt private land.

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

i have never hunted public land , i grew up hunting a parcell that my family had permision to post , i and a couple of freinds are the only ones who hunt it now . i also through my bussiness , have contacts with a few farmers and seasonal rental ( BUNGALOW colonys) that i have hunting acess . i have more hunting opertunities then i can use . i consider myself fortunate that i can keep my options open . some of the areas the land owner offered me acess without even asking him i was just complementing him on his beautiful land . and hes like do you hunt ! oh here we go again , more options . lol

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

Quit bitchin about private land and BUY some like I did. Get your priorities straight!!!. You dont need a fancy car or whatever GET HUNTIN!! Go together with some huntin buddies and get some like I did if you cant spring for it yourselves.

I get more enjoyment out of it than you can imagine. Plus its a great investment (timber sales). I love putting food plots out and doing managment activities, scouting and putting new stands in its great fun.

But I tell you what,,,If you just cant afford it and you can do some hiking there are GREAT places to hunt on the game lands. (At least on SGL 36 and 12 near where I hunt) plus there are alot of public land around if you want to put the work in and find a new area to hunt)

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

Hey MikeE51848,
It's not hostility. Perhaps there is a tinge of jeolousy, I'd admit Are you kidding? You're PISSED!!! You're one of the people this post was aimed at! Give me a break. Just because I hunt on private property, that means I can pick and choose my Deer? ARE YOU KIDDING? My primary hunting spot IS on private property, but I don't own it. I have permission to hunt it, along with a TON of other guys. And the guy who hunted 10 days of gun, and shot a 90 lb doe the last day on a state forest, is more of a hunter than those who hunt private honeyholes and pick out which deer they'll shoot. You are one dilluded dude! Have you ever tried hunting a nice buck on a farm that has 18 guys pounding the woods, looking for Turkeys at the same time? Four-wheelers ripping around. Guys spotlighting and jacking Deer all year long! Don't tell me I'm not hunting! Among my peers, I'm one of the only guys on that property that actually HUNTS! Most of the neighbors get their buck before season, at night. These animals are "PRESSURED" to say the least!
If you're not satisfied with the land you're hunting, then move. I know there are a lot of guys all over who were complaining about this past seasons deer herds. My best friend hunts the same land and the same stands as I do. Between bow and gun he killed a grand total of 1 Doe! How is it that I killed 2 Doe and an 8pt Buck with a 15" inside spread during bow season and 2 more Does and another decent 8 pt buck during gun? SAME PLACE! And I'll bet you a day didn't go by that I didn't see someone else walking around while I was in one of my stands. All on "NOT SO PRIVATE" private land!
Don't have an attitude with someone, just because they're successful.

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

If you don't have access to private land you gotta get out there. Get out there in areas you think you might want to hunt and ask permission. The worst thing they can do is say no. My brother is a ginseng & mushroom hunter. He scouts areas (farms with timber) on maps and then goes out to talk to the owners. They almost always give him permission. Then he gets to talking to them about the wildlife he sees and then he mentions about hunting. Again, almost all the farmers give permission. Yesterday I hunted a large farm which isn't farmed anymore. This farm is about 200 acres with probably half of it in timber. I didn't have any luck but I had the pleasure of scouting a new area (lots of deer sign) and I have my brother to thank for it.
Get out there and get permission. There are many farmers who would love to have hunters take out some of those deer....

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

Go/contact your local regional game office. They should have a list of land owners w/ deer damage problems. They usually welcome hunters. Always carry a positive self-image. Confidence is key. Good luck.

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

The bottom line is that you gotta pay your dues! Private land or public land can provide good hunting but both require some investment of time into your sport.

If I am hunting public land, and I do a lot of that, I look for remote, ugly inaccessable, steep areas where the average nimrod won't bother with and go there. I've killed many deer and some nice bucks in the ANF area and it doesn't get any more public than that.

Some of my best private land is available to me because I put a lot of time in making sure my landowners are happy to have me there. Sometimes that means dropping off some venison, sometimes it means stopping to just talk to em once in awhile, sometimes it means making sure I put in enough time hunting to get rid of some does for them when I might really rather hunt another spot for a certain buck.
When I hear a guy complain about no place to hunt, I can't help but wonder what kind of hunter he must be. If he just aint askin, he gets no sympathy from me. If his reputation is keeping him out, well, nuff said there.

Not long ago, Big Country and I met for breakfast after a morning bowhunt at a local restaraunt and this guy came up and asked if we were hunters (was the camo his first clue?) When we told him yes, he asked us to come and kill some of the deer on his property. We followed him home, walked his 5 acres and saw about a dozen deer including 3 bucks. Big country came back that very evening and shot a doe on video.

Now to the guy who hunts 1 or 2 days a year, doesnt scout, doesnt take the time to get to know some landowners and doesnt want to go where it's too far, too steep, too thick and is gonna have a problem finding an abundance of deer....

TOO BAD!!!

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

BTBowhunter-

AMEN!!!

I COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER MYSELF
(although I've obviosly tried)

J-BOW

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

I too hunt on private property. I haven't had too much trouble gaining access. You just have to stay after it. No sense bitching about it. I have always moved on to sometimes greener pastures if I found myself to be in a poor area. I can't hardly understand the concept of someone not trying to gain access to better areas. I'm always looking for another place to hunt.

J-bow

How is it that you can kill two buck and four doe in a season? I'm not allowed more than one buck in the Pennsylvania that I hunt....Jim

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

Hi Jim!
I hunt in NY, just over the border from the great state of Pennsylvania!!! A "Super Sportsman" tag up here gets you one Bow Buck and one Gun Buck! I recieved, legally, two doe permits. People can also sign over their doe permits to other hunters. A lot of my friends are lightweights and only hunt once or twice a season. They graciously signed them over to me, and I filled them. You can use them during gun or bow!:D

Thanks,
John

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

J-bow...Sorry about the misunderstanding. I must have had a brain cramp assuming you were hunting in Pennsylvania.

Super Sportsman tag huh? That's a new concept to me. You are pretty fortunate to have that many hunting opportunities. Congratulations on your outstanding season and good luck in the future.

Jim

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

I think your seeing the increase of public land hunters here in PA. getting mad at private land hunters because most private land hunters support DR. Alt's plan to reduce the herd by 50% but would never consider lowering the herd on their property to meet Alt's 21 or lower DPFSM. So Alt keeps pouring more tags out knowing full well that the tags are only being used on public or private land that is open to hunting were deer numbers are already near or under the target goal, meanwhile the herd on private property that isnt open to hunting or has limited access to a few lucky hunters continues to grow. So I guess what I am trying to say is alot of public land hunters are getting pissed because the majority of the herd reduction is taking place on public land but alot of the Alt supporters are private land hunter's and not doing their part to meet Alt's goals on the private land they hunt. If your wondering, I hunt private land, and since our target goal is 17 Deer Per Forested Square mile and York co. is only 27% forested their is No way I would lower our herd to meet Alt's idiotic Target goal on our property!! So there is no way I would support Herd reduction of that magnitude on public land either. Pike

RE: sense a lot of hostility towards us who are fortunate enouph to hunt private land
 

You can get land to hunt. It may not be always the best but it is out there. I spent over $100 giving away summer sausage to land owners last year. Folks love this stuff. Word gets out and for you know it you got land coming out your ears. We shovel walks and driveways, till gardens all kinds of stuff. I just gave a lady I hunt off of 10 chickens for eggs the other day. Pick up rocks out of fields on your way out and in. Little rocks can do big damage to a combine.
I feel I should give them something for letting me hunt on something I can't afford myself. To show how much it means to me.
Word gets around if your a screw up to. You loose one place for doing something stupid,it won't be long you won't have any spots.
There is plenty of land to hunt for everyone. I know farmers who want peope right now because of corn damage. Fruit farms are good places to ask to.
Get a plat book and do the foot work.