Newbie question regarding land to hunt on
 

Hi, so I am a new hunter. Never gotten anything, and have only been out a handful of times. None of my family hunts, so I never have had a mentor, just figuring stuff out on my own. I got my license a couple years back, and I have only been to some state land near my parents house. I haven't hunted much due to being busy, but I would like to do more so in the future. Currently, I am a sophomore year university student, and I do not have any idea where I should hunt. There is plenty of land where I go to school, but how do I tell the difference between public land I can hunt and private land? And if it is private land, how do I go about trying to get access to it, if I don't know who the landowner is? Also, is it normal for someone to go to national forest land and hunt/camp out for a weekend or so alone? I go to school in Idaho, if that gives you an idea of just how much land I have around me, I just don't know how to make it accessible for me to hunt. So if you could answer a question or two, that would really help me out.

There has to be other students in your school who hunt and perhaps are also looking for someone to go with. Put a note on the bulletin board the students use to find roommates, sell things etc. In addition, many campuses have a hunting and fishing club, that would also be a good place to look. If you are going to be a hunter, you have to learn to take the initiative because others are not going to come to your door and volunteer.

First of all, public land is normally marked. A DeLorme's atlas can be very useful for showing those boundaries.

Also use google maps, yahoo maps, etc. and maybe get some topo maps from the university library. They'll have 'em.

You might try get there in the normal daytime hours when the professional librarians are there if you have trouble finding them.That will probably show you the basic boundaries of public land.

Federal bureaus and state lands will have websites. BLM, national forest, DNR, etc.

Also, the court house might help. See if they offer plat maps for sale. They'll list landowners and their properties.

if you use aerial photos in conjunction with a plat map, you might be able to pinpoint a nice piece of ground and then see who owns it.

Try getting out of town or into the places where the locals hang out. The diner, the churches, etc. You need to be where country people are. maybe start going out to breakfast on Saturday morning at the place where the cowboys gather. Introduce yourself. Get to know them. Another good thing: volunteer to help some farmer with the work in exchange for hunting privileges.

Another tip: hunt small game. A lot of people will gladly give permission to hunt squirrels or rabbits, but not so much deer-at least not right away. Get on a piece of property, give the landowner an occasional hand, and see if you later secure permission for deer.

Also, do some driving. if you see some land, stop and knock on a door if nothing else and see if they know who owns it. Be prudent, though, about when you do it and how. Sometimes, all you've got to do is ask.

As far as camping out, I'd talk to more experienced people and some park rangers about it first. I wouldn't hesitate where I hunt, but I'm not going to get lost there as its a farmstead. Hunting a national forest might be another matter. I'd recommend a buddy or at least keep from going out too far at first. Tell somebody where you're going and when you'l return. You'd definitely want maps, a survival kit/first aid, fire materials, etc. if you're going remote.

ID. Fish & Game should have public land info that permits hunting.

As far as private property,find out who owns it and ask. If there's no house on the property you want to hunt you could get info at the county court house (go to the tax assessor office) see who owns it and call them.

Camping alone,new to hunting.......Hmmmmmmm. Well what are you hunting...,elk, deer, lion, bear? Do you how to back out a animal if you got to? Do you have idea on how to field dress your kill? Do you the right camping gear for the situation?

If you do forego the trip solo make sure you tell a few people where you're going,how long you'll be gone for and if you're not back on your tentative date to call the authorities!

If you're not a resident of ID. see if the state has any offerings for students,,some do and you will not have to pay a full non-resident fee.

Good Luck....Enjoy your hunt and be smart and you'll stay safe!!

I go to the BLM office and purchase maps of areas when they are new to me. A few bucks is easy compared to guessing, getting fined, etc.

Also, don't hesitate to volunteer at the local fish and game office. One other thing I did when I moved to CO is to volunteer with youth hunting groups as a camp cook, then a field mentor. I got in good with some really good guys, and it paid off quickly.

Please go with an experienced hunter for a few times before you head off on your own. There is too much to it - wind, boundaries, field dressing, tracking, following blood trails, etc. - to start off alone. I hunt alone mostly now, but it was a few years of doing a lot of grunt stuff to get ready.

Good luck!

Get with a fellow student at university that hunts. Honestly that will be your best bet. Figuring it out on your own can be a long up hill climb. Plus territory your not familiar with and no real woodman ship skills can lead to a story about you on the local news if things go really bad. Not trying to be a jerk, but just being straight forward. Does your school offer a forestry or wildlife biology curriculum? If so I would be willing to bet money you can find some pretty decent guys that can show you the ropes, maybe even makes some lifetime friends.