hunting public
08-09-2005, 07:46 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Iowa
Posts: 779
hunting public
I've never hunted public but will be fforced to this fall if i want to hunt during the week since i will be up at the university (luckily my schedule is perfect for hunting and I'll be able to hunt, also luckily there is two public hunting areas less than 20 minutes away). I'm going to be heading up to the public land that i'm going to be hunting to start scouting, but i was wondering how everyone approaches a new peice of public land that they've never been on and know nothing about. Where do you look, what do you look for, ect. ect.
08-09-2005, 07:49 PM
#2
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location:
Posts: 13,082
RE: hunting public
www.mytopo.com
Go there, pull it up, and for $15 you can order either an aerial photo, or a topo map of the area you plan to hunt. From there, you can find all the funnels, pinch points, bottlenecks...whatever. It is absolutely the BEST tool there is for land you have never set foot on. With a topo and a GPS....you'll never get lost. Period.
Well......unless you don't know how to read one...that may be a problem. [8D]
Go there, pull it up, and for $15 you can order either an aerial photo, or a topo map of the area you plan to hunt. From there, you can find all the funnels, pinch points, bottlenecks...whatever. It is absolutely the BEST tool there is for land you have never set foot on. With a topo and a GPS....you'll never get lost. Period.
Well......unless you don't know how to read one...that may be a problem. [8D]
08-09-2005, 07:55 PM
#3
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Lehigh County PA USA
Posts: 12,157
RE: hunting public
After you get done patterning the deer then I strongly suggest patterning the hunters. I am unsure how it is in your neck of the woods but on pressured public land here in PA that type of advice can pay huge dividends. Figure out where the other hunters hunt and what type of hunters they are. Playind off of their mistakes can often increase your chances at seeing and taking some nice deer.
08-10-2005, 03:34 AM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: palm bay fl
Posts: 4,504
RE: hunting public
look for human sign ,then look for the deer sign.......i also like hunting the week days rather than the weekend....all them weekend warriors out there can really screw up a good hunt....
08-10-2005, 07:57 AM
#5
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location:
Posts: 43
RE: hunting public
I have hunted a lot of public land here in North alabama and what has already been said is great advice. Deffitly find out where everyone else is generally hunting and use that to your advantage. One good way is to find escape routs and hunt those. Don't overlook the areas where you wouldn't think deer will be as thats where i have killed quite a few deer in the past. ONe thing i do is if i take a deer and i know there are other hunters parked where i am i do not drag it out until iknow they are gone especially if they know where im generally hunting or right where im hunting. Also try hunting later into the morning or even just hunt mid day if the area gets lots of pressure as the deer will learn to move then and not early or late.
