MichaelHunsucker

I have had good success just driving around and asking people for permission. Im sure it might be different in Illinois, but if you do it long enough someone is bound to say yes and let you hunt. Have you tried askin permission on private farms?

brucelanthier

I hunt all public land. The smallest parcel is about 300 acres to the largest of about 1800 acres. If you get far enough off of the main travel routes you will not likely encounter any other hunters. Most just hunt right off of fields, power lines, fiber optic trails and old logging roads. It is my opinion that most of the hunters that would be inconsiderate of other hunters usually wouldn't know how to read a map so they stick to areas where they won't get lost LOL.

MikeVT

I am forced to hunt public land exclusively, I've found the best way is to use other hunters to move animals to you. Find the easiest way into a parcel of land then find thick cover around these trails. I have set up 50-75 yards next to heavy cover off of well used logging roads. Get in early and get set up. Deer will usually bed in these areas and wait until all the traffic goes by, then get up to feed. Also, when everyone starts to come out of the woods for lunch, they will move the deer around again, and if you are in the right spots, you can use these wingnuts to your advantage. It might not be perfect, but the land is free to hunt.

ahunter55

I have Bowhunted many states & LOTs of Public area Bowhunting.
Sometimes you will encounter the irresponsibe or unknowing hunter. I just sit tight & once they move on your deer move .
I Bowhunted a "special" hunt this year & was able to watch deer under circumstances with several "Humans" wandering about.
My stand was in a dry wooded ravine about 100 yds. wide & 2 miles long with a "Walking Path" on the East side & about 75 yds. from my stand.
I witnessed several Deer (Bucks & Does) bedded & walkers go by & 3 regulars WITH dogs. The deer always were perfectly still-bedded & standing with ears perked until the walkers passed. I saw 6 different walkers & 1 with a dog pass by 2 bedded Does that were out of range for me but within 20 yards of the path. I did take one Deer BUT I also had 6 different Bucks pass within easy range (15 yds or less). Just not what I wanted to fill my one & only Buck Tag with. MANY walkers passed VERY close to these deer & never knew. I know they were not hunters BUT the Deer did not know this. Public facilities are the same-the Deer adapt & if you sit tight those fly by night hunters will send them to you.
Yes, it is discouraging when you put the time & effort into a hunt & some yahoo wanders by. Good Luck.
I have taken good Bucks (& Does) in Public Areas that you practically had to wade through the hunters to find a spot. Anyone ever been to Ws. Necedah Wildlife Refuge in the 60s on opening day of the late season??
If so, you know what I mean......

Mike Hill

In my state if the land is not posted then it is open to hunting, so I feel that all my hunting is on publec land. I have ran into all kinds of folks while hunting including antis who have keyed my truck came through the woods singing Komby-ya and what not. the only thing I can tell you about folks like this is they wear down after a while of them hunting like this and never seeing game they will either learn to do it right or quit. As was stated earlier you should speak to them in a non judgemental way and see if maby they can use some guideance we need all the support we can get and teachint them how to be succesful will only add strength to out numbers. On the other had if they are idots good luck but they won't stick with it. I have shot a lot of deer when people like this have told me there arn't any deer around.

JFergus7

The only land that I have access to is public. Thankfully the area has sign in sheet so you know when you head out to an area how many people are already hunting. And they limit it to 4 people. That certainly doesn't stop them from coming through. I always make a point of walking extra slow if I know that people are already in the woods. But if I am up in a tree already and see someone coming through the first thing that I grab is one of my calls. Soon as they get into range I try to grab the attention to let them know that I am already in that spot. I have never run into a problem with other hunters this way. They usually wave and move on. Once or twice I have gotten the guy to notice me and start talking. But that is rare.

PreacherTony

I agree with Michael here .... if you haven't already.

If you have knocked on dozens of doors already, I would look for a new spot ..... I know what you have gone thru ..... it stinks

SoggyCereal

I've only encountered an idiot once, but he was a huge one.

This wasn't during bowhunting but I guess I'll post it anyway, this was during turkey season. We had a huge longbeard in the roost, biggest one I ever saw. It was the last day of the season. We were under a pinetree looking over a cornfield. And he came down and wouldn't respond to any of our calls, he was just circling around in the field. We were watching him for atleast 2 hours and he had just started coming towards us. He was at about 60 yards and this guy just like jumps out from the bushes and the bird flies off. I have no clue what this guy was doing, he was wearing camo but he didn't have a gun. Either way, he saw us and ran off before I could say anything to him.

I'm still mad about that, and I haven't seen that longbeard since.

JFergus7

I would have fired a shot into the air and watched him crap himself. Your defense of course was that you aimed at that bird!

Smluchtel

Haha,I don't know if I would do that.