Public Land
 

I typically hunt on Private land in Maine, but now that I live in CT I would like to hunt on some Public land as well, however I have NEVER hunted on Public land. Can anyone give me tips or suggestions on how to approach hunting spots on Public land? I'm afraid I'm going to either run into someone in the woods or take "someone's hunting spot" that they have always had. I know its public land, but I dont want an argument in the middle of the woods. Any suggestions? Is it best to go during the week hoping most people are working?? Thanks.

RE: Public Land
 

Most people have some horror stories about hunting public land. I have a couple, but you are correct about trying the off times. I'll never hunt public land on Thanksgiving weekend again. I hunted one secluded oak grove early in the season and took two does. Thanksgiving weekend I ran into a guy who was going to the same area. He was parked near where I usually park so we talked. He told me about a bunch of vietnamese guys running around the day before with AK-47s shooting at everything in sight. I thought he was just trying to scare me off so I just politely asked where exactly he was going and if he minded ifI hunted another grove about 150 yards away. He said he didn't. I never saw him again, but I also never saw a deer. I heard lots of trucks riding on the roads and heard a few shots. There so many people out there the deer weren't moving at all.

The worstfor me happened on an off day. I was hunting in a ground blind on a hillside near some American Beauty Berries. There was a trail at the top of the hill. About 10 o'clock I heard voices coming down the trail. As they got closer their voices were loud and boisterous. I thought, "These guys are drunk!" These two cowboys were riding horses down the trail. I thought that if they just kept moving something might come out after they leave, so I just sat and waited. They actually stopped on the trail at the pointnearest me and started hitting on a whiskey bottle. The first drunk cowboy started down the trail again but the second did not. He actually leaned over in his saddle and puked. Then he got off his horse and threw up again. I stood up and just looked at him about 20 yards away. The whole hillside now smelled like whiskey and vomit. My hunt was over. He yelled to his buddy that he was never going to drink straight whiskey again. Then he saw me standing there with my rifle. I yelled, "That's a great idea!" He hopped back on his horse and took off. It was public land and they had just as much right to be there as I did, but it was very stupid of them to be horsebackriding in the woods during deer season.

You can have a successful hunt on public land, but you run the risk of encountering other recreational users too. They might be fellow hunters and they might not. Some city fool might bring his family out there for a picnic in front of your stand and you really have no right to complain.

RE: Public Land
 

I used to hunt public land in my area and I would prefer not to again, I could go into several stories but I won't. I have a national forest that backs up to my own property andI will say this, if I had to hunt public land (in my area) I would go deep, I would go early and I would defianately go when the others are less likely to be there. Hope this helps you out and best of luck to you this fall....

RE: Public Land
 

How much public land could Connecticut possibly have? Didn't they just carpet the entire state recently? :D

Hunt the weekdays, go deeper than the others, bring a deer cart. Pattern the roads and parking lots and avoid them, most people hunt within a few hundred yards from their vehicle. Use an aeriel map to figure out where any other hunters are likely to be and position yourself in spots between those probable areas, your competitors will funnel the deer right to you. Plan on being there all day and prepare your gear accordingly, be sure to pack plenty of food, and clean water or a device to filter water afield such as this one: http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0013055515228a&type=product&cm Cat=SEARCH_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&%2Fcabelas%2Fcommerce%2FCabelasCa talogNumberFinder.giftCertificateURL=%2Fcabelas%2F en%2Ftemplates%2Fgiftcertificate%2Fgiftcertificate .jsp%3Fid%3D0005586990011a%26podId%3D0005586%26cat alogCode%3DIB%26navAction%3Djump%26indexId%3D& Ntk=Products&QueryText=water+filters&sort= all&_D%3AhasJS=+&N=0&_D%3A%2Fcabelas%2 Fcommerce%2FCabelasCatalogNumberFinder.giftCertifi cateURL=+&Nty=1&hasJS=true&_DARGS=%2Fc abelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form23&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1

RE: Public Land
 

It doesnt even look like rifles/shotguns are allowed and only shotguns maybe for a 10 day window on state land. If you have private land with more than i think 5 acres it looks like you can use rifles/shotguns all season... Anyone in CT can help?

RE: Public Land
 

Bigwilly,

I have bow hunted Conecticut the last couple of years. It is great to get a jump on the season and start huntingSeptember 15th. Connecticut has quite a few public areas to huntand there ais a lot of info and maps that can be found on their website.

This will give you some ideas:

http://www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/wildlife/pdf_files/outreach/connecticut_wildlife_magazine/cwmj07.pdf#page=3

http://www.depdata.ct.gov/wildlife/hunting/hntareas.asp?depNav=|

Bob

RE: Public Land
 

if you want to have success on public lands here are my suggestions:

1)find areas that hold LOTS of public land, this will increase your odds. Start here first, then after you utalize the following tips go and find smaller pieces of land (NF, BLM, State, etc) and apply the same tactics.
2)scout way before season, during season, and at the end of season. if your not in the woods you won't know where the deer are and like to be
3)get away.....go......farther then everyone else......get away from roads and stay away from ATV users
4)hunt SLOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! if you are going to still hunt.......

if not use spot and stalk......if not either, tree stands will be good........remember WIND is a KEY (like anywhere else, but on public land my 2 cents say it is magnified ten fold)...so if in a tree stand, or any other method make sure the WIND is right. If you want to kill something this is a MUST.

good luck and welcome to the world of Public Land Hunting!

RE: Public Land
 

go where no one wants to go

i hiked 5 miles where ATVs and any form of vehicle is prohibited, had to pack him and another buck out, but its well worth it...


most public land hunters are lazy, and only road hunt, if you can, google map the area and see whats hidden and what isn't.

PS: the buck in my Avatar was a public land kill

RE: Public Land
 

I think everybody pretty much summmed it up, you have to be willing to go farther, harder, and longer than everybody else.

RE: Public Land
 

We only hunt public lands...and there are definitely some rude people out there, most of which are other hunters. Opening day bow season 2 years ago, I think it was, we had two other bow hunters who were "walkers" come within 20 yards of us and just stand there talking...during prime-time. It took everything in me not to pelt them with a rock. We finally got up and left - our hunt was over. Last year, same thing happened, pretty much. We were hunting public land that wasn't all that big, but it was close to home and that's all we had to work with. We won't be doing that again. We'll miss opening day rather than waste our time and gas putting ourselves in a situation like that where we end up bitter and angry. :)

So, ike everyone said, go deep...very deep...and you should be good to go. If I can't get a mile in then I don't hunt there. I've just learned that the easier it is to get to your spot the more likely it'll be that someone may ruin your hunt.