difficulty of private vs. public land
08-08-2007, 03:51 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 362
difficulty of private vs. public land
since i must hunt public land this year, i was wandering how much harder it is to kill deer on public than private land. what aspects are more difficult, or even jus different. aside from the fact that i cant sleep at hunting camp, wake up and walk to my stand (which i loved), what else makes it more challenging to kill deer on public ground. im talking about either deer in general (does, little bucks, any type of deer) and also good deer (mature bucks). is there anyone who can hunt both types of prefers hunting the public land over the private?i hope this question makes sense. thanks guys
08-08-2007, 04:34 PM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: PA
Posts: 9,085
RE: difficulty of private vs. public land
one thing i like about public land is the tracts of it i hunt are large. if i feel like walkin i aint gunna run outta room...if i see other hunters which i feel are hampering my hunt, big deal...i walk to one of my deeper spots. also like the....variety of habitats i can get on public land. i can hunt a pine thicket...or a hardwood flat...or a creek bottom...a mountain side...a maturing cut etc etc...most private land is smaller and you dont get that variety..
i have worse times hunting private land around here than public alot of times. around here private land is generally small..most of it is crops...and if you got permission, so does everyone else...atleast the people i deal with and where i hunt. so to me it may as well be public land.
thats just how MY private vs public goes. i hunt both. i enjoy to hunt both.
just take my advice...if your in a state with a decint hunter population(1 million or so in PA!) get away from the trails. last year i didnt see ANY bowhunters. but i had a squirrel hunter sit pretty much directly under my stand..i had my orange out...he never seen me till i coughed really loud and waved my orange hat...he still didnt go but 15 more yards...another time i had a fall turkey hunter setup across the gasline from me. im halfway up my tree...waved..climbed the rest of the way and he still sat down and tried to call turkeys....
11 thousand acres and they hunt where im hunting..parked beside my truck only truck parked on the whole road! but thats public land. i know the deer like the habitat close to the road and are in there during the bow season. guess i gotta go a bit deeper this year...or off the trails/gaslines/parking lots..
i have worse times hunting private land around here than public alot of times. around here private land is generally small..most of it is crops...and if you got permission, so does everyone else...atleast the people i deal with and where i hunt. so to me it may as well be public land.
thats just how MY private vs public goes. i hunt both. i enjoy to hunt both.
just take my advice...if your in a state with a decint hunter population(1 million or so in PA!) get away from the trails. last year i didnt see ANY bowhunters. but i had a squirrel hunter sit pretty much directly under my stand..i had my orange out...he never seen me till i coughed really loud and waved my orange hat...he still didnt go but 15 more yards...another time i had a fall turkey hunter setup across the gasline from me. im halfway up my tree...waved..climbed the rest of the way and he still sat down and tried to call turkeys....
11 thousand acres and they hunt where im hunting..parked beside my truck only truck parked on the whole road! but thats public land. i know the deer like the habitat close to the road and are in there during the bow season. guess i gotta go a bit deeper this year...or off the trails/gaslines/parking lots..
08-08-2007, 07:39 PM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Humboldt County, California
Posts: 511
RE: difficulty of private vs. public land
i have always hunted public land and the worst part about it is that so many people hunt public that its hard to find big bucks (only bucks are legalin california). you find good deer but hardly ever great deer(trophy wise that is, to me every deer is a great deer)
08-08-2007, 07:43 PM
#4
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Northeast Tennessee
Posts: 5,673
RE: difficulty of private vs. public land
Public land here is a real crapshoot. My uncles, cousins, and grandpa all hunted public land 20+ times last year and saw like 4 deer combined. My stepdad and friend go another day, 1 time, and doubled up on does. I prefer Private heavily.
08-08-2007, 08:00 PM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
RE: difficulty of private vs. public land
I actually like public land sometimes. I have some private land, and I get bored looking at the same landscape sitting in the same area, waiting to ambush deer, I know are going to walk by hoping a buck decided to join. Its gets to a point where it doesn't feel like hunting. So I hunt all kinds of public land around you. In MD, its fairly easy. First off, you have to worry about someone being in your spot. You need to have at least 2 spots picked out. Second, plan for the public to push deer to you, or plan for the deer to move around them. Its a cool challenge and sometimes works out nice. But be prepared to walk 1.5miles in or more. I have shot a buck on the eastern shore that I saw sneaking very carefully around a trail, just to run into me.
I love hunting different places, scouting them, and looking over new land. Don't be so worried about having private land.
I love hunting different places, scouting them, and looking over new land. Don't be so worried about having private land.
08-08-2007, 08:45 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Where the ducks don't come no more
Posts: 4,420
RE: difficulty of private vs. public land
It depends entirely upon where you are in the world. In Alaska... I think its just about all public land. In most parts of VA (unless you count military bases, and GWNF aside), most of the WMAs are overrun with hunters. Most have little no respect for their fellow hunters.
All depends on where you are.
All depends on where you are.
08-08-2007, 09:01 PM
#7
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Michigan/Ohio
Posts: 11,682
RE: difficulty of private vs. public land
ORIGINAL: mauser06
one thing i like about public land is the tracts of it i hunt are large. if i feel like walkin i aint gunna run outta room...if i see other hunters which i feel are hampering my hunt, big deal...i walk to one of my deeper spots. also like the....variety of habitats i can get on public land. i can hunt a pine thicket...or a hardwood flat...or a creek bottom...a mountain side...a maturing cut etc etc...most private land is smaller and you dont get that variety..
i have worse times hunting private land around here than public alot of times. around here private land is generally small..most of it is crops...and if you got permission, so does everyone else...atleast the people i deal with and where i hunt. so to me it may as well be public land.
thats just how MY private vs public goes. i hunt both. i enjoy to hunt both.
just take my advice...if your in a state with a decint hunter population(1 million or so in PA!) get away from the trails. last year i didnt see ANY bowhunters. but i had a squirrel hunter sit pretty much directly under my stand..i had my orange out...he never seen me till i coughed really loud and waved my orange hat...he still didnt go but 15 more yards...another time i had a fall turkey hunter setup across the gasline from me. im halfway up my tree...waved..climbed the rest of the way and he still sat down and tried to call turkeys.... 11 thousand acres and they hunt where im hunting..parked beside my truck only truck parked on the whole road! but thats public land. i know the deer like the habitat close to the road and are in there during the bow season. guess i gotta go a bit deeper this year...or off the trails/gaslines/parking lots..
one thing i like about public land is the tracts of it i hunt are large. if i feel like walkin i aint gunna run outta room...if i see other hunters which i feel are hampering my hunt, big deal...i walk to one of my deeper spots. also like the....variety of habitats i can get on public land. i can hunt a pine thicket...or a hardwood flat...or a creek bottom...a mountain side...a maturing cut etc etc...most private land is smaller and you dont get that variety..
i have worse times hunting private land around here than public alot of times. around here private land is generally small..most of it is crops...and if you got permission, so does everyone else...atleast the people i deal with and where i hunt. so to me it may as well be public land.
thats just how MY private vs public goes. i hunt both. i enjoy to hunt both.
just take my advice...if your in a state with a decint hunter population(1 million or so in PA!) get away from the trails. last year i didnt see ANY bowhunters. but i had a squirrel hunter sit pretty much directly under my stand..i had my orange out...he never seen me till i coughed really loud and waved my orange hat...he still didnt go but 15 more yards...another time i had a fall turkey hunter setup across the gasline from me. im halfway up my tree...waved..climbed the rest of the way and he still sat down and tried to call turkeys....
11 thousand acres and they hunt where im hunting..parked beside my truck only truck parked on the whole road! but thats public land. i know the deer like the habitat close to the road and are in there during the bow season. guess i gotta go a bit deeper this year...or off the trails/gaslines/parking lots..
Right now I have 4 big woodlots I hunt in Northern MI. In each of those 4 I have 2 to 3 sections I hunt and know.
08-08-2007, 09:42 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Pa
Posts: 4,647
RE: difficulty of private vs. public land
I think a lot has to do were the public/private land is... If your talking about public land in the mid west, it prob isn't that bad... Your talking about public land in Md,Del,NJ, you got your work cut out for ya
As far as private land goes... A lot has to do were it is, how big it is and how much pressure it gets... A 200 acre farm with 10 guys stumbling around on it could be worst than public... Now you take 500-1000 acres farmin decent whitetail country. Add lite hunting pressure and you have a recipe for some easy hunting
Over all if your hunting public land on the eastern untied states from florida up to say Pa you are in for some real huntin
As far as private land goes... A lot has to do were it is, how big it is and how much pressure it gets... A 200 acre farm with 10 guys stumbling around on it could be worst than public... Now you take 500-1000 acres farmin decent whitetail country. Add lite hunting pressure and you have a recipe for some easy huntingOver all if your hunting public land on the eastern untied states from florida up to say Pa you are in for some real huntin
08-08-2007, 10:38 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Northern Idaho's Panhandle
Posts: 4,436
RE: difficulty of private vs. public land
It all boils down to pressure. How much pressure a piece of ground recieves and the animals that use it. Public or private.
Any area that recieves little to no pressure is much easier to hunt. The animals on it will move more freely in the daylight, even the older bucks.
How many whitetail shows do you see being made on public grounds....
Any area that recieves little to no pressure is much easier to hunt. The animals on it will move more freely in the daylight, even the older bucks.
How many whitetail shows do you see being made on public grounds....
