Public land strategy after opening day
 

I wasn't able to get out opening day of gun season, will be out this tuesday. Was wondering if anyone has thoughts on what areas to concentrate on after opening day. I hunt a heavily used public area, am thinking about either going in as deep as possible, or hunting around the super thick stuff.

Thanks,
Rick

RE: Public land strategy after opening day
 

depends on the size of public land you are talking about and how much it was hit by hunters.....i have seen it take two weeks of hunters hitting an area before the bucks go way deep and into the thick stuff and/or stay nocturnal.


my suggestion will always be that unless there is an absoulute honey hole close to roads that bucks will visit even though there is hunting pressure (yes they do exist)...then i suggest getting deep and further back away from the nearest access point you can. granite use common sense and some aerial photos to find an area that may in fact hold deer and not just start walking away from roads. You will still need to be in an area that deer would want to be....thick cover, water, food! etc..

good luck

RE: Public land strategy after opening day
 

I am in the same boat hunting public land. Where I hunt there is no real "untouched" areas that bucks can hide. Only the ridge where the deer bed which is of course private and off limits. I was however able to get a buck 11/28/08 nearly a week and a half into gun season. He walked off the ridge around 15-30 minutes before last light. I was guessing I would get lucky at the LAST possible point a deer could go in their corridor and catch one stepping out for the evening or rushing to the bedding area at the last minute before light. It paid off.....good luck....

RE: Public land strategy after opening day
 

I hunt public land and I always set up where I think the deer are going to travel when they are pushed out from the other guys. I am back in a mile from the road. They head for the thick cover.