Public or Private Land?
#11
Spike
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: North East Ohio
Posts: 55
RE: Public or Private Land?
I would consentrate on deer crossings along the roads that lead into or go through the park. Make yourself a little map or get one from the park office and drive these roads and mark the crossings. Hunt the sideof the road that leads into heavy cover and stay on the down wind side of the trail,lets say 50 yrds + in from the road to 40,50 yrds of the side of the trail with a gun, depending on how thick the cover is. This type of set up gives you two ways the deer will travel, across the road or along the road as they are pushed by other hunters. I don't try to isolate myself from the rest of thehunters I use them to my advantage. I look for trucks and listen for shooting and setup at a crossing I have marked on my map where I think I have the best chance of seeing deer movement. Most hunters will come back to the truck after a few hours of huntingfor one reason or another and this is your time to kill a deer. This is an excelant time to go scout for those crossings,they are well worn down and can be seen from your truck. If all else fails give this a try,it works for me. Good Luck
#14
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: MB.
Posts: 2,984
RE: Public or Private Land?
Mostly private land with in walking distance... One problem I find when looking for a new locations is that you never know how many hunters use that land till hunting season starts...
#15
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 362
RE: Public or Private Land?
Thanks for the input. I was curious where mostly everyone hunts on here. This was my first season and a friend had taken me to where he does 99% of his hunting. He said there are usualy only him and another guys who hunts it all season. However it gets busy about every 5 years. One I went out early, and when I came back late morning I counted 7 hunters...There isn't that many spots in this area. The last month of deer season, there was hardly any sightings of deer during shooting hours. I have asked my buddy about other WMA/State Land I have found and he said they are like Wal-Mart parking lots. I am going to give a couple of them a shot and go real deep like some of you have said.
#19
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Pontotoc,MS
Posts: 27
RE: Public or Private Land?
I have the oppourunity to hunt both private & public and have killed my bigger deer on public land. If you hunt public land. You just have to get up a little earlier and walk a little further. The deer I killed on public land this year was around 1.5 miles back in the woods. When I shot him he probably wasn't but about 80yds away but I had to walk about 300yds just to get to him. I was over looking a beaver slough and I had to walk all the way around it and then drag him all the way back across the beaver's dam just to get him to where I could get a 4-wheeler to pick him up. So if you will go that extra mile on public land I promise it will pay off for you.