I usually have between 1200-1500 acres from 5 different landowners. The tracts of land range in size from 60 to about 320 acres. The only down fall is that I don't have exclusive hunting rights. I can only hunt it during our muzzleloader season which is after a 9 day gun season and a better part of archery season. However, I do get most of it to myself when I do hunt it. Finding good hunting land is the main reason I started hunting the muzzleloader season 8 years ago. I feel very fortunate to have a lot of places to hunt, and I don't take any of it for granted.

Public land, big woods owned by paper companies in Maine. No fields, no farm crops, just miles and miles of thick woods.

In NH, also public land. Not as big as the woods I hunt in Maine but also considered big woods. Very little fields, ect. Mostly hardwood ridge, swamps and thick alders.

I hunt my 100 acres and the 107 acres next to mine that I lease from a cousin who lives in Colorado. I have to brag a little on the properties. It's pine hardwood mixed with lots of white oaks, beech trees, and several other oak varieties. There are two creeks running through the properties. There is a pipeline-powerline running through both properties. There is a lot of thick cover also, not just on my place, but also on the neighboring properties, which are lightly hunted. I hunt the 207 acres by myself, so there is not very much pressure put on the place. I will bring a friend every now and then. It may not be a huge area, but it's a really great place to hunt with lots of wildlife. It may be private, but I can promise you the deer are wild and wary. So are the turkeys.

I hunt my own land and the farms surrounding it. Im blessed.

I'm very fortunate as well to have 3 private areas to hunt and 1 public National Forest which is big enough to hold a lot of fellow hunters. One spot is around 100 acres the second 75 the 3rd. 85 acres and the Forest well it's huge. The 3 private spots are as different as night and day. One is hardwoods with bean feilds around it and a field not plowed this year,it has a creek that goes down the center. I consider this one the best for a mature Buck,but it's a new spot for me this year so I don't know what to expect. One is a corn field with some small beding areas at the rear that plenty of does seem to bed in,I have seen some small bucks as well. The same goes for the third private spot,does galore and small bucks with one nice 8 pointer,it's all a clear cut area timbered out. The Hoosier Forest well it's got a lot of deer but is to vast to hunt even the southern portion in a whole season. I'm greatful for so many spots but being a new hunter it's hard to know how to narrow it down to the best spot to hunt but I won't have to put to much pressure on any one spot.

100% public land.
Archery: close to developments, 50 yards from houses (no room for competition)
Rifle: big woods mature mass trees.

I hunt around 50 acres of private ground mostly mature oaks with 5-6 acres of CRP,and 10 acre corn field below the hill,there is a 5,000 acre marsh for public hunting directly across the highway from me and it has some monster bucks that usually leave the marsh and come into the hardwoods during the rut.

Many, many thousands of acres (edit: more like tens of thousands) are at my disposal, both public and private.




The country is purdy (peak into the background)



They grow 'em big here and there...


The grouse are fat and happy



The yotes are mange-free



Creeks for quacks



Shoot, even got river access for whitetails.

Mix of private and public. I've found two secrets to hunting public land:

1. Expect to occasionally have to deal with other hunters bumping into you. If you expect it, you're less likely to get pissed off when it happens.

2. Use other hunters to your advantage. The majority of other hunters are pretty lazy and hunt in really accessible, predictable areas. Find the thickest, nastiest patch of woods and you'll probably see the deer that the other guys push around...plus you're less likely to run into another hunter.

I've found this to work on private land that I share with other hunters too, BTW. LOL!

I've got access to 1400-1500 acres of private ground near home and also have a 500 lease about 1.5 hours away. We've been pretty fortunate when it comes to hunting ground over the years.