The joys of public land hunting (rant)

Well, another year of public land hunting has come and going for my daughter and I. Another year of 4 -wheelers zipping through the woods , blinds set up 50yds. from our clearly marked stand, cars (90's impala) parked inside the woods, several walk throughs with the customarally " See any yet ? ", guys sitting across from our stand then rideing out past us. But the topper was the evening we find a SUV parked in the woods 70 yds. in front of our stand, I don't even know how they didn't get stuck, but we watched them drive out. Is this just the area I hunt or do you guys deal with the same stuff ? I mean, 1. Have hunters become so lazy they can't walk 300 yds. to a stand ? The "car guy" drives in the woods 50yds. from the parking area, he can walk 300 yds to his stand but can't walk 50 yds from his car ? 2. Am I the last guy who carries out his deer quietly on a 2 wheeled cart by hand ? I guess you can't hunt deer without a 4 wheeler anymore. 3. Where's the courteous given to fellow hunters ? If I see organge I stop and quietly go back, I put my stands away from other stands not across from them. How do I explain to my daughter that this is just how people are today ? It would be easy just to give up, but alas we found a spot for next year with no ATV trails and up a steep hill only acessable by walking/climbing. So we'll hang in there. Sorry for the rant I just had to get it out of my system so I can move on. -Thanks

You have just described the reasons I quit hunting public land more than 20 years ago.

You have the right idea going forward. Most people won't walk 300 yards anymore (don't ask me why). Find a place to setup that is remote and you will be in teh deer haven.

Deer don't like these folks anymore than you do.

I recall reading some stat that had a huge percentage of hunters hunt less than 1/4 mile from their vehicle. If you are going to hunt public land, get up a little earlier, walk in a little further, let the knuckle heads push the deer to you.

and so many mock Texas's stance on PRIVATE hunting land holdings.


and the lack of Public hunting lands..



the issue with Public Property is the public..
CHEF

Couldnt agree more

I see similar things.

This year I went to hunting strictly on the ground with a portable Ghost Blind so I could stay on the move and away from the idiots. I am not tied to a stand and the work involved when some idiot puts a stand 30 yards away from mine, orhave to deal with someone cutting down my stand or stealing it.

Instead I move with the deer patterns and have had the best season yet.

So far it has worked out very well.

Yah, we ditched the stand by the second weekend and sat on top of hills with our backs to large trees. It sucked because we put alot of work in there cutting shooting lanes and creating naturals funnels with brush. She got a doe from there during the youth hunt and we had seen alot of deer prior to opening day. We're going to move it in the spring to our new spot witn no ATV trails and a lot more physical effort to get to it. We are trying to stay positive and wrote off this season as a learning year. I'd like to see one of those deer hunting shows experience these problems

By the way, do deer seemed spooked by a blind that just showed up one moring ? -Thanks

I don't miss hunting in Indiana one singe bit. Even hunting on private property that was clearly marked you still dealt with the idiots that you described.

I spent 2 years hunting public land in Pennsylvania. It was tough but I was able to kill deer and stay safe doing it. I went into it knowing what to expect so I patterned thehunters as much or more than the deer.

One of the reasons I'm thankful I've always had the family farm to hunt. I've hunted National Forest one time and didn't care for it in the least bit. Saw more orange than game day in Knoxville.

Worst part about owning the hunting land is keeping up with trespassers though. But that's another thread...

I walk in 2.4 miles to my hunting area. It is rare to see others in there. Got a nice hog on Sat.

Texas type 2 lands. Caddo National Grassland. 17,000 + acres. No ATVs alllowed. Drag em out....

There's the biggest key.

You guys can drive vehicles on public land? Hunting deer on public land in wisconsin is very similar to your story minus the vehicles being allowed part. Everything is foot travel only.

The New York City water supply, known as the DEP has been buying the land around my parents at 10x the rue value in an attempt to stop people from build and farming and developing. Part of the process opens the lands to publuic hunting. So hundreds of acres of land that my family managed and posted for absentee or seasonal land owners was bought up at a price no one can compete with. This was the first year that it was well known that the land was open to the public. It was crowded with loud impatient douche bags who either hollered and shot all day at nothing or sat 20 yards away. Fuck the DEP and FUCK NYC.

The only public land I hunt on now takes 2 hours to hike into. It weeds out the douche bags

I'm on about 25 acres of private land for the next week and I know what you're talking about. I got up at 4 was in my stand an hour before sunrise and what happens?

0830 a guy that doesn't have the owners permission shows up, slams his car doors and every few hours I hear a shot from where I last draw him. I think he's shooting squirrels or something with his deer rifle. He seen sure ain't shooting at deer, they've been bed down all day here.

There just is no escape.

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State land, but I know of lots of county land that had vehicle access. Rules for vehicles vs ATV's vs Foot travel vary.

wait, you are cutting shooting lanes on public land?
why?

I am glad I have only hunted public land once in my life. Never again.

It's not that bad down here but I am hunting in National Forest land. Not a ton if hunters either. I've heard them shoot but only come across one guy on horse back. I spend most my time hiking in. Usually hiking in an hour before I stop to glass for a while. Then it's deeper in... Only problem I am having is running across all the illegals fucking trash and the drug smugglers dump spots with all the empty burlap sacks mother fuckers!

That and all I keep seeing are fucking does

I'm glad I don't have those problems on public hunting land.






I'll be hunting the same spot come Wednesday.

"Cutting" and "lanes" would be the wrong choice of words here, my bad. I'm refering to snipping/pruning the the smaller (1/4" or less) limb tips that were within a few yards of the stand with hand held shears. And removal of the dead branches that had fell and hung up in the trees. So no, I was not "cutting lanes" in the sense you were thinking. My DNR friend said it was fine as long as no saws were used.

Public hunting lands are extremely dangerous. I will never hunt Jackson-Bienville WMA in La again. Ever.

We have 550 acres of private land...i've had 4 wheelers ride past me....treestands stolen......trail cams stolen...camp broken into...fences cut so they could drive onto our land.....even burnt down the hay shed



I think the problem is people in general....Most of them are now lazy and selfish, not to mention stupid

We hunt public land here during 2nd season shotgun and rarely see anybody else except the occasional DNR officer checking licenses.

Where at, my family hunts private land/public land around Lake Rathbun?

eta: 1st season

They don't even see the Ghost Blind until very very close.

I had a very large buck, it was hard to count, but it was at least 8 points with very large tines so I know there must have been smaller points I did not see. because it was getting dark, he walked straight towards it from 30 yards to 5 yards ( my placement sucked ) and at 5 yards walking directly toward it he stopped and noticed it. 15 feet head on before he even saw it. Then he stood still and looked at it for about 4-5 minutes not knowing I was directly behind it looking back with bow in hand. Google Ghost Blind, it's totally different than a regular ground blind. The pictures on the web site are accurate.

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