Yes, hunting "public" can be significantly more challenging than shooting birds/deer in someone's pasture. But, to paint another picture, there's always the guy who sets up almost within sight of his vehicle, just asking to have another hunter wander into him. Not so much a problem during deer season, thanks to blaze orange clothing requirements, but can get kind of spooky with turkey hunters.

The more difficult the terrain is to hunt, generally the fewer hunters you'll find there.

not to get off this topic,same has happened to me on deer hunting.

i hunt same spot for over 40 years.
1 year i got sick and out of state hunters came in and took spot i hunt.

the next year i went to spot to hunt and was told i could not hunt there.
they put their ribbons on spot 2 days before season.

so, evey year those 2 hunters sit next to me 30 yds away for 3 days in deer, i dont moved and they dont also.

this is way it is now..

first, i hide my truck in turkey season as best i can and make it look like i am hunting in another area.

if they see my truck, they know turkeys are here.

i had over 9 trucks stop where i hunted 1 year.

i have privateland and its just as bad..

only thing i do is not hunt on weekends and i HIDE my truck,i park at camps and WALK 2 miles down road to my spot..

YOU HAVE TO DO THESE TRICKS NOW.

what disturbed me more this year here in pa. was ALL the RIFLE shots i heard.

they are using rifles on turkeys in spring gobbler,if caught they say they are COYOTE HUNTING.

our sport is being ruined by what you just said and all people OUTLAWING using rifles and shooting turkeys for their 6 year old kids. and then getting another one with their tag.

this is world now,they act like TED NUGENT ,i have to get meat ,oh great meat at any cost.

That is insane, honestly I have for the most part always hunted private land. Actually up until this year I have only hunted public land for turkeys twice. I have walked out to the edge of feilds before and seen someones dekes in the corner or near the edge, and maybe for a split second thought they were live turkeys, but as soon as I give it a second thought it registers to me they are decoys andI walk away.
I never really thought somefool would actually take a shot at a decoy ( in GA we only use shotguns and bows, not rifles but still) Man if that ever happened to me I am afraid I would go into a rage beyond control.
Horizon...... if that man still has a tooth left in his head after that then youy are a man of great composure. I could not say the same about myself.

this is why i always put a big tree behind me when calling.

if some nutty shoots at least tree will catch most pellets.

this is also why i think the PGC is crazy for not requiring orange while moving in spring turkey season.

they say no accidents, so its ok, i hope they are right.

i STILL wear my orange whenever i am walking.

i know many hunters that were shot for turkeys over last 50 years and lot were never reported.

get that big tree behind you when calling and you will be much safer if shot at.

last year a kid here shot his dad in head for turkey,lucky kid was using no.6 shot, if it was no.4 he would have been dead.

never EVER put a kid behind you with a loaded gun.

Not fun hunting public land I agree. But here in PA. land owners don't know their rights and other jerks think they can kill a flock of turkey the NWTF released in your area, just cause they think any animal on their land is their's and nobody elses.