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public land sucks
i got in the woods late this morning due to the flat tire and hunted from 8:30 to dark. at 4pm "prime hunting time" 3 guys walk into the field i was in. as they come in i see one of the guys point directly at me the one other guy shrug his shoulders and they all started to walk in. 2 of them cut through the woods behind me and the other guy walks through the middle of the field to the other end and climbs up a old stand. not 10 minutes after the guys went behind me i heard 6 shots, and 5 minutes later they walk back out to the field from where they went in and just stood in the corner of the field. this really pissed me off so i walked over to ask them why they would stand out in the open and shoot the chit while i'm tryin' to hunt. when i got to them i asked if they made ita habbit of F****** up someone's hunt, they played dumb and acted like they didn't know what i was talking about. i asked them what they were shooting at and the younger guy told me "it had tines just not 3 on one side" this pissed me off even worse. they screw up my hunt to shoot illegal deer? i told them i had been there all day and was leaving because the deer wouldn't come anywhere near this field because of all the traffic that shows up in the best hunting hours, and again the younger guy sticks his foot in his mouth..."yeah no doubt" i just laughed and said i'm talking about the 3 of you!
i thought about calling my local game and fish officer, but i don't want to be a tattle tail. looking back i wish like hell i would have called him. |
RE: public land sucks
The same type of thing happened to me and my dad. some people out on public land can be a$$ holes.
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RE: public land sucks
in the north east part of arkansas they only have a 3 day shotgun season, so the flat-landers of arkansas always come here to the ozarks and those people are the a$$es! they don't live around here so they don't give a crap about the land or anyone hunting it! game and fish break the state up by zones, i think you should only be able to hunt the zone you live in! that would make it easier on me and everyone else.
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RE: public land sucks
IF I were you and had to hunt public land, I would find the biggest piece of land I could find and get away from everyone. Also, look for obvious funnels so when the dumba$$'s start bumble_f$%^ing around they will push the deer right by you.
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RE: public land sucks
good idea. i really wanted to hunt this property as much as possible because i can't hunt on it after the 16th. my next piece of land is more likely to produce.
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RE: public land sucks
I hunt public land too.
Some advice. Get a good arial shot of the land. Mark off roads and access points. Then find the area that is farthest away from those areas. Once you find that area, look at a Topo map and decide where the funnels are. Many times the deer will be run off by the folks hunting closer to the roads and access areas and push them right to you. Get in there early and stay all day. The movement of the people who leave and come in mid day will also help push the deer your way. The public land i hunt does not allow ATV's. It may be the dead of winter but i actually boat in to the back side of the property. This way i am farthest away from the roads and other hunters. Not many people will boat in during the winter months. I hunt on private land too but my biggest buck came off this public land because i got away from everyone else and let them push the deer to me |
RE: public land sucks
I hunt a good bit on public land as well. I rarely see another hunter. I pick places where ATV either aren't permitted or where they can't go. Also, if I find a spot where I think getting a deer out would be nearly impossible, that's a good starting point too.
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RE: public land sucks
Not to apologize for the behavior of the other hunters, but has it occurred to you that walking into the woods at 8:30 might not have been too popular with any other guys who might havegotten out there before dawn?[&:]
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RE: public land sucks
Same here.....I had 3 people walk by my stand on Saturday. I was in and in my stand by 4:30 and by 6 the first one came along. Then another around 7:30 and the last at around 10ish. I had a doe walking straight at me....I was fully planning on taking her, she was good sized and I am not a trophy hunter...yet. Anyway, she got about 40 yards away and her head pops up and she takes off at a trot, looking behind her occasionally. No more than a minute later the hunter walks out.
They also can never just leave quietly. All 3 walked over to me and asked me if I had seen anything.......Just pisses me off. |
RE: public land sucks
Well public land is just that - PUBLIC land. When land is private they owner(s) can dictate how & when it is used. But when it is public, well everyone is free to use it as they see fit and when they see fit. Everyone just has to find a way to get along and I think a bit of politeness goes a long way.
"Excuse me but I put a fair amount of scout work into locating and choosing this spot and I got up extra early to get out here before anyone else. I would appreciate if you would move a considerable and safe distance away from here so that I will not have to worry about you being beyond any of my shots." In addition MO-KS hunter gives some good advice as does Danny D. |
RE: public land sucks
ORIGINAL: Lanse couche couche Not to apologize for the behavior of the other hunters, but has it occurred to you that walking into the woods at 8:30 might not have been too popular with any other guys who might havegotten out there before dawn?[&:] |
RE: public land sucks
Must be an awfully small piece of public ground if everyone else is supposed to stay away because one vehicle is parked there. Of course, that's assuming that a lack of vehicles actually means no hunters are in the woods by 8;30. Not trying to pick, just making the case that it is easy to point fingers. i do agree that they wereroyal clowns based on how they acted once they got into the woods.
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RE: public land sucks
thats why you have to search for those places on public land where hunters won't walk to. The lazy people will walk a short distance, you have to put some effort in and walk that mile to get in deep. Deer know where those places are, and you should also.
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RE: public land sucks
if the tables were turned and i entered a field where someone was already hunting i would have moved on to another location and not taken the chance of being "mistaken" for a deer!
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RE: public land sucks
there is some great hunting on public land, bow hunt all year and might see a squirrel hunter every once in a while. Gun season is a little different.
98% of the time, most people will accidentaly walk up on you.the other2% will ruin it for you. That 2% is usually idiots. Alot of Memphis, TN people hunt on the public lands here in MS. Most are supper folks but there is those bad apples (2%) that gives these follow good hunters from Memphis a supper bad name around here. I wish that I had the time to tell you about these "idiots" that accually pointed the rifle at me, left, come back with more friends, armed with one deer rifle, sawed off pistol grip pump shotgun and a sks. They were hollowing "there he goes" and then start firing every direction while walking a circle around us. that is the scarest that i have ever been---knocked off the safty and told my dad (on the radio) that i'm going to kill these guys. I ended up not squeazing the trigger. Soon after they headed out still shooting, I heard a young kid scream, "STOP YOU JUST SHOT THE TREE I'M SETTING BESIDE". You can only amagine how that made me feel. Things run through my head--if I would have just shot one or two of them, that would not have happened to the young person. God took care of all of us and I have yet to see those idiots back. You will find more better than good out there, so good luck. |
RE: public land sucks
ORIGINAL: twoshotlaw there is some great hunting on public land, bow hunt all year and might see a squirrel hunter every once in a while. Gun season is a little different. 98% of the time, most people will accidentaly walk up on you.the other2% will ruin it for you. That 2% is usually idiots. Alot of Memphis, TN people hunt on the public lands here in MS. Most are supper folks but there is those bad apples (2%) that gives these follow good hunters from Memphis a supper bad name around here. I wish that I had the time to tell you about these "idiots" that accually pointed the rifle at me, left, come back with more friends, armed with one deer rifle, sawed off pistol grip pump shotgun and a sks. They were hollowing "there he goes" and then start firing every direction while walking a circle around us. that is the scarest that i have ever been---knocked off the safty and told my dad (on the radio) that i'm going to kill these guys. I ended up not squeazing the trigger. Soon after they headed out still shooting, I heard a young kid scream, "STOP YOU JUST SHOT THE TREE I'M SETTING BESIDE". You can only amagine how that made me feel. Things run through my head--if I would have just shot one or two of them, that would not have happened to the young person. God took care of all of us and I have yet to see those idiots back. You will find more better than good out there, so good luck. Something just aint right!!!!!! |
RE: public land sucks
Yep, public land does suck, but I don't have the luxury of owning land or havings friends that do.
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RE: public land sucks
JESUS CHRIST! ok so ive never hunted before, so instead of heading out this year im gonna wait till next year to read up and get a better feel for hunting. but you guys are making me not wanna go hunt on public land (only choice). not cause of the ass holes but in fear that ill be the ass hole. but atleast i got some good advice from you guys. scout the area ahead of time, find your spot DEEP, get in my tree EARLY, and most of all SHUT THE F@@@ UP. lol thanks for the knoledge
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RE: public land sucks
Not all public land is bad, its just certain areas. My dad shot a very nice 11 pointer on public land, but that was 14 years ago...
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RE: public land sucks
Never hunted public land before. But in any case everyone should remember when faced with this kind of situation. Usually both parties have fire arms. Politeness & Respect for all you meet in these situations should always be used.
It is always better to not see deer then to get a hole placed in an area of your body there shouldnt be one. |
RE: public land sucks
80% of my hunting is on public land in Arizona and California, I have just learned over the years if I want to avoid people and possible run-ins with others...is to get as far away as I can from everyone and everything...there's a ton of public land to do that on in California and Arizona.
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RE: public land sucks
Public land is terribly misunderstood. Follw DannyD's advice and use those feet. I have a wall full of nice bucks that have almost all came from public land. You can look at a good map and tell real quick where the deer will be the hunters wont....
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RE: public land sucks
Danny D
your right ------------ something ain't right!! These guys would come in off of their parents 5 acres and they don't buy any MS license. How I know------------ Spoke with one of them 2 summers before, while scouting, really nice guy----he had me fooled. The reason that I told dad that I was going to shoot back is because that person I spoke to shot towards me and I could feel the concusion. That is what really scared me. I was wrong about not seeing them again during hunting season, the next season rolled around and the first idiot in the story come walking in on me again. I got down and confronted him (while he was by himself) abd I told him that they don't know just how close that they come to being killed and that I will not stop from shooting the next time. This confrontation happened at my atv where he was standing, when I finally caught up. He never said a word, turned and walked off, not to ever see him or his idiot friends again. We have been taking good deer in this forrest for going on 9 yrs. Jimmy ( hunting bud) took a 142" 8pt---awsome for national forrest in north mississippi. Good luck and God bless you and yours----- |
RE: public land sucks
ORIGINAL: lucky_shot i got in the woods late this morning due to the flat tire and hunted from 8:30 to dark. at 4pm "prime hunting time" 3 guys walk into the field i was in. as they come in i see one of the guys point directly at me the one other guy shrug his shoulders and they all started to walk in. 2 of them cut through the woods behind me and the other guy walks through the middle of the field to the other end and climbs up a old stand. not 10 minutes after the guys went behind me i heard 6 shots, and 5 minutes later they walk back out to the field from where they went in and just stood in the corner of the field. this really pissed me off so i walked over to ask them why they would stand out in the open and shoot the chit while i'm tryin' to hunt. when i got to them i asked if they made ita habbit of F****** up someone's hunt, they played dumb and acted like they didn't know what i was talking about. i asked them what they were shooting at and the younger guy told me "it had tines just not 3 on one side" this pissed me off even worse. they screw up my hunt to shoot illegal deer? i told them i had been there all day and was leaving because the deer wouldn't come anywhere near this field because of all the traffic that shows up in the best hunting hours, and again the younger guy sticks his foot in his mouth..."yeah no doubt" i just laughed and said i'm talking about the 3 of you! i thought about calling my local game and fish officer, but i don't want to be a tattle tail. looking back i wish like hell i would have called him. 3 years ago I had a nice turkey shot out from under me, while I was calling him in. Then he walks right to me and shows it to me. The thing is he had just as much right to be there as I. |
RE: public land sucks
Here in New England I try not to hunt public/state land. Especially in shotgun season..LOL.. You have everyone and thier cousin out thinking they are a hunter and I dont want to be mistaken for a deer.. ;)Then again not everyone has private land to hunt on.. If you have to hunt public, get as far away from everyone else as you can, Lots of usefull information in this thread about how to go about it..
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RE: public land sucks
Welcome to true hunting at its finest.
public land can and will ALWAYS be harder than any private land hunting......as everyone has said, get away from road or find another spot. don't be the lazy one..... you may feel frustrated because if it is public than you should be able to hunt it and should not have to go other places...i know i was!! but trust me...deer are not dumb, they too will go away from roads, deep in canyons, and stay away from retards like those mentioned.....so yes, you will have to work a little harder for your deer, walk further, hunt longer, etc...but there will be no other hunters to mess up your hunt, no one to shoot in your direction.... and the key to it all....... you will see MANY times the amount of game you would see sitting in a corn field next to your truck |
RE: public land sucks
me and my dad were turkey hunting and were sittin under a pine tree calling and next thing we know this dumbass shooting at sounds shoots right in front of us (bullet hitting right in front of me) nearly hittin me and me and my dad both went off on him!
there are a bunch of dumb people that i think shouldn't be allowed in the woods but still yet they are out there!! |
RE: public land sucks
I hunt public land...almost exclusively. I have shot a number of good deer off of it as well. The thing you have to do is go where the others ain't. I know that sounds difficult at times, but I go where no one would think of walking through. I go into the woods and have my stand so deep in the thick of everything that no one would want to be near my stand.
That is how I get my deer! |
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