Adrian J Hare

The answer is At times but is not impossible. Public land that one hunts year after year is very easy. As someone hunts an area he or she gets to know how the lay of the land is and where and when the birds travel. This cuts off most of the guess work of killing birds on a regular bases. After a hunter figures out this Public land , it makes the ball game that much easyer for a hunter to take a bird on the Public land. Yes the Public land birds do through cerve balls at you at times because of presure involved with the open land hunting , but it is not impossable at all.

Now Mr. longbeard if you want to be a real turkey hunter and feel proud of killing birds on Real public land , get your rump out of your State and hunt Public land where you have not stepped foot on before. Yes now you know noughing about this land or what the birds do on this such land. These birds are presured just as bad as the places you hunt , but the game is a lot different because you don't have any idea what or when or where this birds are/or doing. Thats a Real Turkey Hunter !

This is something I have done a high amount of times all across the US and have never stepped foot on these lands before, not playing on the same Public land year after year that one hunts and understands. Yes I have got skunked on the odd track , but not very many times and it had more to do with time then it did what I know about the sport.

There is a lot more to Public land Gobblers then a lot know. Is it impossable to kill birds on Public land ----- No, it can be done easyly if you are a woodsman.

So if you want to be a Turkey Hunter get out of your State and hunt the hard hunted birds.

I'm not blowing my horn , only making a valid point about the smart remarks that tend to be tossed towards hunters on this forum...BT

Arrowmaster

I hunt some public land here in Indiana and I have to agree its easier once you know the lay of the land and where the turkeys travel, struting areas and dusting areas. But Ive been to Mississippi twice and Kentucky once and got skunked there while hunting public land. But I had a blast doing so. Now I love hunting Missouri. Awesome so many turkeys.

maytom

Some good points BT.Some otherthings to take into account, is that many guys love to hunt the first few days of the season, and not to stray too far off the road, for being afraid of getting lost.

So with public land hunting in mind, try hitting it during the week when most other guys will be at work, instead of on the weekends. Also, towards the end of the season, there will less hunters in the woods.

StrutnBPS

To a point I agree, to a point I disagree.

Some places around here are hammered with every kind of call in the world. So the birds hear a call, they go running the other way. Other places are the opposite. I killed a nice long beard on public land last year, but it was a VERY small tract of land that most people don't even know about or bother to hunt b/c it is so small.

I was hunting in Sand Hills State Forrest last year and got so pissed. Its not the turkeys that piss me off, its the other hunters with no respect for others. My cousin and I went to a spot that we have been scouting all year. Opening morning, we got there at 4:30am. I parked my truck in the middle of a fire break for the sole purpose of blocking any other trucks from driving down it and messing us up.

I went down the rail road tracks while my cousin got in his favorite spot (he has killed a bird in this spot on opening day for the last three years). Right at day light, there it was...a gobble right where my cousin was set up at. I was like "man, that dude sat under the tree the bird was in". Well, I went on down the tracks and stepped into the woods where I wanted to set up. Right at day light, three gobblers starting sounding off. I didn't call to them, I just sat there, enjoying the moment. About five minutes later, I heard someone calling with a slate call. I was like "damn", this sucks. The guy came in from the other side, which I had not planned on anyone doing.

After the birds flew down the guy kept calling. The birds would not answer to his call. After about ten minutes, you could tell the guy was walking towards the birds. So I started doing a soft yelp. Every time I yelped, the birds tore up gobbling. All I wanted to do is get their attention so when that other idiot ran them off, they would come my way.

Just then, I hear someone coming down the tracks with a box call. This guy was an idiot and a half. He would yelp for at least a minute W/O STOPPING!!!!!. The birds would not answer to either of the guys. I yelped again and the hen with the toms starting yelping back at me. I knew I had the birds now. But the guy behind me kept coming down the tracks. So, I got up and walked out on the tracks and started waving my hands and hat to the guy to go the hell away. This dumb A$$ started walking closer to me.

About that time, BOOM BOOM. Two gobblers being carried out one another guys back who was slick enough to get b't the birds and me.

I was irate. I started walking back to the truck. Hopeing that my cousin was having better luck. When I got to the spot where he had sat up. What was there? A FREAKING TRUCKKKKKK!!!!

This a$$hole scratched up a brand new tacoma and knocked down i don't know how many trees to DRIVE AROUND MY TRUCK........My cousin came walking out of the woods madder than I was. He said the guy came in and sat down beside a tree 20yds away from him, smoking a cig.

And what really pisses me off is that everyone of them were from NC!!!!!!!!! Our season comes in two weeks earlier than NC's so they come down here. I would more than LOVE to vote on a law allowing ONLY RESIDENTS hunting for the first week of season.

It is not the birds that piss me off, its the lack of respect of other hunters. If i see a truck in a spot, I will go a 1/2 mile or so down the road before I stop. Just out of respect for the hunters....[:@][:@][:@]

LoL...thats my thoughts about SOME public land hunting.

But to answer your question. If done right and in the right spot. No, I don't think its harder. Most of my hunting this coming spring will be done on public land.

deerslayerSC

hey BPS. What other public areas do ya hunt? Mcbee WMA, Sumter Natl., Manchester? You familiar with any?

ranchand99

Yayayaya.Just kiddin'StrutnBPS!!!!!.I have been right there with ya',and it can be so dawg on aggravating!I thought for a second you were in GA,on one of our WMA's!It's the same down here.You can kill a bird,but I don't even mess with them during the mornings at public land...#1-Most of the time they will go to the hens anyways...#2-Some prick will bump his bird...your bird...somebody elses bird,and every other bird within his hearing.Because he wants to be so greeeeeeedy and cut everyone off.They just don't understand you can't walk right up to a bird on the limb.Then he'll leave at 9am.I have to agree with maytom.I say it is the hardest to hunt.Believe me if you hear/seea birdonpublic land trust me...atleast 5 other people have too!Don't trick yourself into believing you are the only one on a bird.They will tell on themselves.Generally on public land your best chanceto get one will opening week,after that ...mid-day,afternoon,late season(if any are left).Other than that go somewhere else.

jrbsr

This past spring I had a nice tom coming to me.
It came closer then it was going away.
Then he was coming in to me.
And about halfe way to me another hunter shot it,
I didn't know he was there.

He walked out right by me going out of the woods.
He said he didn't know I was there,
And said he was sorry if he shot my bird.
I know he didn't know I was there,
But it sure don't help that helpless feeling.
It was public land so he had just as much right
To be there as me.
I spent two months scouting to find the turkeys
and he said he just came that morning.
Talk about dumb luck.


Maybe it will be better next spring.

The public land I hunt is about two square miles.
One mile deep and about two miles wide.

Last year during turkey season there was about three to five turcks/cars,
All the time.

During deer season it looks like wal-mart parking lot.

I would go to another public spot but its like a two hour drive one way.
I am on a limeted budget so thats out.

Oh well at least I got close and maybe next time it will be better.

jalvja

I like to hunt them birds in a penNo bigger than 8x10That way I can score about 50% of the time

Adrian J Hare

Guys , You have discribed the same thing that runs all across the US and as well in Ontario. Disrespect runs in all Public Land tracks that are large. Most turkey hunters don't care weather or not they screw up anothers hunt , all they want to do is Kill the bird, they don't know you and they will never see you again.

Working these birds on another hand can take a few days to learn and understand how the birds are going to react to presure. You on the other hand have the first step of working these birds. Knowing that others are going to show up and work the birds like a compation and that can play right into your hand. The most common thing a turkey hunter does is sets up and calls like no tomorrow and what is the first thing that these birds do ? Thats right head the other way.... If you have to reset your setup then you have to do it to get yourself on the other side og the birds. Most times in these type of areas birds will take the thickest route, something that every turkey hunter has trained himself to hunt open and spots that one can see to shoot 40 yards. Get out of that habit and start cutting down your shooting to 20 yards, hunt the cover. Less calling is much better on these tracks another point that is not practciced enough. Use the disrespectfull hunters to your advantage.

Something else I have learned on public land is never hunt areas that you leave your truck or car at. Travel away in another direction. The way most thing when they see a truck is that this person has and knows of birds in the area and will cramp your hunting by using your knowledge. Outside edges of Public tracks are some of the best hunting. Presure in these type areas train turkeys to fly from the roost and head directly out into private lands for the lack of presure.

When you put all the issues togeather and think like the disrespectfull hunter and the gobblers in these tracks you will notice that you will kill these birds , maybe not in one day , but will over power the train of thought. Get Smart and Get-R-Done! ...BT

Bobgobble2

Great points BT!!!Cant say enough about time spent in the woods before season especially on public ground!If you scout properly learn the lay of the land and behaviour of your birds than you can make things much easier on yourself hunting public birds!Homework in my opinion is part of this game anymore and for the most part is second nature to those that are dedicated to puttin birds down simply because knowledge overcomes the iggnorance of those that have been described here and those that dont put any effort into understanding the birds in any given area!I see more laziness expressed afield on our public grounds far to much with doods shootin at birds out of there trucks,off quads,trespassing,roost shooting..etc!!Even if I hunt out of stateI usually spend the first day looking the countryside over and gathering all the info I can about the area I intend to hunt!Really in alot of casesI findthe iggnorant have a pattern too and adjust my hunting to put myself in the birds under those circumstances!Its up to you really how much effort you want to put into the sport,for me its to much my wife tells me,but than again we eat alot of wild turkey!!!!!!