How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

I have always hunted on private land. Since I can't shoot any does on the land I normally hunt on, I figured I'd try public land. Any tips on using public land?

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

Try to go during the week when most hunters are at work!;)Week-ends are pretty hectic.

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

my neighbor went down to the lake of the ozarks this year. when daylight came, he counted 17 other hunters all withing 120 yard of him, and when a doe came thru, everyone fired at the same time. He got down and walked out 7 miles to the nearest road and hitchhiked home. I'd invest in a bullet proof vest if I were going on public land. Just a thought. be safe and good luck.

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

Not a good idea, be very aware of your surroundings

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

Luckily they can only hunt Wed and Sat with rifle or shotgun. The rest of the time is Bow only. Think I'll stick to the bow days!

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

i hunt public land all the time i hardly see a hunter were i hunt i go were no body else will go most huntersdon't want to go very far off the road to hunt

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

I too hunt public land. I don't have any private land to hunt. Opening day i will not take my children with me because of way to many hunters in the woods. After that though during the week i usually don't see anyone. on weekends a few more people but not as many as opening day.
Hunt where you can, eat what you kill and just be careful of the other people in the woods with guns.

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

make sure you where orange and also go to the areas way back alot of the hunters will not go very deep in the woods.

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

im begining to think that with everybody saying the place to hunt public is far back in the woods where nobody goes...that the best place now is nearest the road. 'cause everyone thinks no ones gunna be back in the woods so now thats where everyone goes, so now nearest the road there is nobody. im not sure though, just a thought.

be safe, public land can be rather productive if hunted properly. my friend shot an 8 point on public land last year and this year a couple does.

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

Not very

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

the land is very safe- it is the people around you i'd worry about

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

Out in my area, I've hunted right close to the road and only met one other hunter the whole time--and that was on the entrance path. Regardless, I usually hike a few miles back where NOBODY else goes. It's something like 45,000 acres, so there's plenty of room for all of us. :-D

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

I have hunted public land from Pa. to idaho north to alaska I have 25 mounts on my walls and many more animals to show for it.I do reseach all year till hunting season. confidence gives you patiencegets yousuccess, and success brings confidence. Thats all you need.

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

i hunt public land and it's great during bow season. come gun it gets crowded. opening day is awesome, there's tons of hunters out and the deer are running wild right at sunrise. i prefer to be on the ground so i can move. hunt funnels or edge that lead to thickets or low land. they seem to head for those first in my experience. remember to wear orange! there are a lot of nuts out there that are trigger happy man. after the first weekend here the deerwere verystressed and went nocturnal. now i hunt thickets, swamps, ravines and such features that arn't hunted and are good cover. problem is i'll have to process the deer right there since dragging it back to the car would be insane. good luck and hope i helped you out.

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

I've never had much competition at the publics that I've hunted , and one of them was several thousand acres . Yes , some of the more popular publics can be crowded and hazardous , but only if you stay within 1/2 mile of the parking lots . Invest in a Deer Sleigh'r and walk in 1/2 mile and the "Orange Army" will move them right to you if you have the foresight to be in your stand well before they arrive .

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

Hunting the Nat. Forest here in VA for the first time since moving here I can honestly tell you that most hunters will not go more than 1/2 from their vehicle. The reason for this in my opinion is because the terrain is rather hilly and it just takes a lot of effort to get around. A lot of hunters like to drive the roads in their trucks when it's cold and call that hunting too. The thing to remember is that most people are inherently lazy and will not put much effort into anything that doesn't guarantee a return. Real hunting requires effort and you cannot ever be guaranteed anything.

But what do I know, I've only been hunting for this season so far in VA and have no deer kills to show for it[:@].

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

How safe is public land/public highway's/public resturants food it's all relative, We are as safe in most case's as we set ourselve's up to be. If you do your homework and use common sense you will probably have a great time and when you learn to use the other hunters to your advantage you will be very successfull. the death rate is extremely low compared to how many hunters there are in the field and if you take into account the number of deaths that are self inflicted the # goes way down. you are at greater risk getting to the woods and coming home than when you are actually hunting.these stories of 17 hunters within 120yds and 7 miles to walk out to hitchhike home are what folklore is made of, I hunted the most populess (sp) state with a terrible reputation for overcrowding for 35 yrs (NEW YORK) and never came close to seeing anything like that fella in missouri described. Seem's like somebody may have gotten discouraged and needed an excuse.

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

it depends, if you got a bunck of drunks out there no its not safe, if you have a group of people who know what they are doin then yea it should be ok. just find out where everyone hunts and get far away from them as possible to be on the safe side.

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

unfortunately public land is where i am forced to hunt. deer leases in my area go for $5,000.00 to $8,000.00 a year. poor guy like me can't afford that. most important thing with management area's is to scout well ahead of the season and try to hunt where no one else will (swamps with lotsa skeeters). only draw back is most management area's, atleast around here, practice no qdm. bucks never get a chance to age. there are exceptions but mature bucks are few and far between.

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

I believe that there are just as many, if not more, hunting accidents on private land as there are on public. The real problem is the number of hunters and the ability to have a quality hunting experience. To me, some degree of solitude is important. As many others have said, the pressure usually diminishes greatly after the first day. Good luck and be safe.

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

i hunt public land during bow and gun....wear orange!!!

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

I know the feeling, MarinePride.... I am from Richmond, VA. You should see the public WMA's close to Richmond on a Saturday! I stopped by one recently, and didn't even get out of my truck! I sat there thinking to myself....

OH...
MY...
GOD... [&:][:'(]:eek:

I have never seen such a gathering of pickup trucks before. I probably would estimate that there is a sea of blaze orange upon every ridgetop or behind every tree out there.... I decided to drive on and head out further to the state forests.

I agree about the Nat'l Forest. It's great out there! Huge, rugged, steep terrain, and not packed to capacity with hunters. If you go in deep, you most likey won't see anyone at all!

As far as the "I've only been hunting for this season so far and have no deer kills to show for it", I know exactly how you feel. I'm on my 4th year with no deer in the freezer yet. It takes tremendous dedication and determination to bag a public land buck and/or doe. The only "kills" I have to my name are 2 ducks and a single goose - when I went waterfowl hunting a few times with some guys I know. It was fun, but way too cold for this guy... [&o] I mean, hey... you think it's cold deer hunting? Pfffft!!! Try waterfowling in the sleet/snow on a frozen marsh... I gave up waterfowling... No offense to the guys I knew, but, I told them quote-unquote, "You all are crazy... I am about 3 steps from getting hypothermia or hospitalized with pnuemonia... Sorry guys, it's cool and all, but this is nuts...." [&:]

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

Try to go during the week. Always go in early, anhour or so before shooting light and try to stay until after shooting light. Always wear plenty of orange and keep your head on a swivel. Look for spots that are away from roads or easy access, I may have to walk some but no hunters there when I get there.

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

I make it a point to go during the week on my own land. I like to avoid other hunters. I like to be the only one in the woods. But this year, in my area I think hunters are converting to duck hunting. I have not heard hardly any guns go off, even on opening day, and the only place to check deer in has not had very many deer checked in there. This is good for me being that I like being alone. Either way, I've heard that public hunting land can be a great thing but I have also heard stories about ppl shooting a deer and it running off and then another hunter finishes it off and steals your deer.

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

It depends upon the public land and the part of the public land you're hunting. Most hunters hunt close to roads not because they don't want to walk far but because they don't want to drag a deer far. Getting deep into the woods will help but be prepared to have a long difficult drag or butcher the deer where on the spot. Finding limited access land and getting a permit will also get rid of most of the crowds. Of course that may take you years to get but it worth it.

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

I do 90% of my hunting on a crowded WMA.

1. AS Rebel has said ...try to hunt MOn.- Fri.

2. Plan on walking at least 1 /2 mile from the dirt road.

3. Lesson I learned last week. Stay away from auxiliary roads. Poachers use them and drive up and down them. Get away from people. Scout a new place away from everyone. The game is out there.

4. talk to those at the gate who are scoring frequently and ask for advice. People love to give advice.;)

5. Keep your hot spot a secret. Use illuminated tacks instead of flagger tape. You do not wan tto advertize your spot.

6. Carry your climber in and out of a WMA .You stand a 50% chance of having the cable cut and stolden.

RE: How safe is public land to hunt on?
 

There is no public land in the units that I hunt so I never had this problem. You gotta know some people or have your own land. I was raised there so I have both. I know I am one of the lucky ones.