Deer hunting PUBLIC land?

J

jlouis976

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Feb 25, 2008
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Do any of you guys archery deer hunt public land?

If you do not have time to scope out an area ahead of time on foot, what do you look for when you get there?

I peek through satellite images and maps, but I'd love to get some input on what to look for, where to go and that sort of thing.

Deer hunting and bow hunting are new to me and I have a ton to learn. What tips would you guys offer?

Thanks a bunch
 
jlouis976 said:
Do any of you guys archery deer hunt public land?

If you do not have time to scope out an area ahead of time on foot, what do you look for when you get there?

I peek through satellite images and maps, but I'd love to get some input on what to look for, where to go and that sort of thing.

Deer hunting and bow hunting are new to me and I have a ton to learn. What tips would you guys offer?

Thanks a bunch
Click to expand...

You can pattern them and where they travel. That is, determine where they bed and where they eat most often (fields, farms, orchards, etc) by finding tracks and trails, beds, digs and rubs, and then put yourself downwind in a good ambush spot. :thumbup:
 
But some bozo usually comes bumbling through at first light busting up my hunt, so I don't bother with public land any longer.
 
That's pretty much all we hunt anymore (not by choice, necessarily). At least in Arizona, it's pretty easy to decide where to go....FIND THE WATER. Aside from that, simple game trails that are pretty easy to spot usually have some activity. And pick high(er) ground for your ambush if possible, especially if you're not in an elevated stand.

And last word of advice, take a 'patience' pill before you go....the combination of bow hunting and public land can be long, tedious, and frustrating at times. Good luck!
 
I look at topo maps and look for ridges and saddles ( natural funnels) and for changes in topography ( swamp changing to hardwoods) I put the coordinates into my GPS and then put in some dirt time to scout. We have millions of aceres of state and national forest up here so if you are willing to walk you never see another hunter.
best advice for bow hunting is watch the wind and take your time and pick a spot.

Mike
 
if your in BC canada just head out to the major powerline clearings and sit by the road. Deer a plenty
 
That's a tough hunt.

Best to go out in the dark, walk in with wind in your face. Find a spot that seems like it will offer easy shooting put up a portable at least 10' off the ground and plan on staying put all day. The beauty of public hunting land is people push the deer around all day, if your the silent and still one your odds are good, just be ready.

I don't worry a lot about scent control on public hunting land, so many other people moving around usually that it's a non issue. Never hurts to practice it though.

Good luck
 
it's really tough to hunt a new piece of property without checking it out ahead of time. Deer patterns change alot during the season. The travel patterns they use now will change as the rut approaches. I look for funnels, bottlenecks and creek bottoms. Deer usually travel the contour of the land such as woodlines, hedgerows, fencerows and creeks. When the pre-rut kicks in, getting close in my area, look for rubs and scrapes. Especially the scrapes under a overhanging branch. Most dominate use these in a given area. If you can find a scape line you will find a dominate buck's travel route. When the rut is in full swing, all bets are off. Look for the concentrated doe feeding areas. The bucks will be chasing does looking for a receptive one. Most important, hunt according to the wind direction. You need to be downwind of the direction the deer are moving.
Everything I posted above is tough to do in a new area. You really need to learn the deer's habits. Unfortunately, hunting public land ends up being nothing but pure luck because there are usually alot of hunters there.
Scott
 
i would archery hunt (as i do now) on public land but not gun hunt. by the time gun season rolls around most of the deer have gone nocturnal due to immense pressure. you can go anytime of the year to do your scouting before and or during bow season. i highly recommend it.. do they allow you to carry a climber there? ours allows you as long as you take it with you when you leave and do not damage the tree.

some advice, look at topo maps and sat maps of your area.. find the thickest most secluded spot and come in down wind from it.. if you have agriculture in the area (not tobacco) and there is thick brush near it, thats a good spot. the more secluded and thick areas will hold the best deer imo... you can even scout the houses that surround it. look for where old folks live bc they no longer hunt and the deer are not spooked by slow moving folks.. you think i am crazy but these tips have been passed down and it works. when i hunt our local land (which is not often anymore bc i hunt my grandfather's land) i found some thick areas with a corn field somewhat near by and next to an old man's house. i shot many deer within 50yds of his backyard with my bow. they bedded near his house, ate his lil crops at night and flowers and traveled frequently to the near by corn field... do some extensive homework and WRITE DOWN NOTES AND MAP YOUR AREA WITH DEER TRAILS and you will soon figure out their travel routes and why.. the rest is just time in the woods to time them.. i love bowhunting
 
dawn-ish and dusk.

Practice shooting down from an elevated position. Trust me on this. Practice shooting down. :(

Deer behaviors change once gun-deer season starts. For bow season, they aren't that disturbed by intrusions. You can go out prior and walk around in safety. If possible, find a spot far from parking that can has distinguishable landmarks that you can spot in the dark.

Be safe. Remember, you are hunting, not finding.
 
"find the thickest most secluded spot and come in down wind from it. if you have agriculture in the area (not tobacco) and there is thick brush near it, thats a good spot." This is some good advice from Hung-solo. I would take it one step further and say to try and locate where they are bedding down.
If you locate a trail into some very thick secluded brush, there is a decent chance deer are bedding nearby. Get there at least 1 hr before daybreak and set up very quietly near where the trail meets the brush.
 
Wow, these tips freakin rock.


I'm in Missouri (Saint Louis). I've only been out one day so far this season and it rained the entire time........which strangely was very enjoyable even though I didn't see a dang thing. It gave me new appreciation for my boonie hat.


I'm going to try to get out to this area on Friday. The link is to a map. Below is a satellite photo.

NGIOB.jpg


If not Pacific Palisades, I'd head to Howell Island.

c9YjA.jpg



Where would you guys go?
 
Field and Stream has a very good article either last fall or two years ago about this very subject. Maybe you could dig it up.

Basically what I remember as the main point was to use maps to try to find hard to get to places for hunters, ie somewhere with a long hike in (no quad trails or roads), or somewhere only readily acessible by water (if you have a canoe or some such). But I'm sure that the article had more than that to say, you should try to dig it up, I'll see if I can find my copy.
 
If I get something I'll post the pics. I'll be using my RC-3 and my Mora Clipper to clean it. I might include my farmer just so it doesn't feel left out.
 
cmdionne said:
Field and Stream has a very good article either last fall or two years ago about this very subject. Maybe you could dig it up.

Basically what I remember as the main point was to use maps to try to find hard to get to places for hunters, ie somewhere with a long hike in (no quad trails or roads), or somewhere only readily acessible by water (if you have a canoe or some such). But I'm sure that the article had more than that to say, you should try to dig it up, I'll see if I can find my copy.
Click to expand...

Great tip! Thank you!
 
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