7 Tips For Deer Hunting Public Land
I guess this should have been written ealier in the year seeing how many States deer hunting season's are already under way.
But better late than never!
I receive quite a bit of email about Deer hunting on public land. Having just came back from a Controlled Hunt on Public Land myself, here are some tips for you that are heading out to hunt Public Land Deer.
- Get a map. Preferably a topo map and an aireal photo of the area where you'll be hunting. You can find good topo maps on the Internet at several areas or contact the USGS for an index. A good map will show you many things. Some of the things you'll be wanting to look for are: where are other hunters parking, areas that will funnel deer into a tight area such as saddles in ridges, potential feeding and beddeing areas, waterways, old roads, etc.
- Do your scouting. This should go without saying, but you'd be surprised at how many just pick a place and go hunting without ever setting foot on the place. Prepare for success by using some boot leather to get the feel of the land and to try and pattern both the Deer and Deer Hunters!
- Pattern the Hunters. Since you'll likely have company from other Hunters when visiting Public Hunting area, get to know where they park and the areas that they'll likely be hunting. Use this information to determine Where Not To Hunt! You can also use this information to determine likely areas where these Hunters will push the Deer as they're coming and going to their stands.
- Hunt the Midday. It doesn't take long for Deer to pattern the Hunters. They know that most Hunters will be out of their stands by 9 a.m. (many much sooner) and walking around before heading back to their vehicles for coffee, lunch and a nap. Plan on hunting during the midday hours. I can't tell you how many Bucks I've seen from 11 to 3 on Public Hunting land. If you've done your homework and are set up away from the other Hunters, you may be pleasantly surprised at a visit from a Buck during the midday when other Hunters are back at their trucks taking a Siesta.
- Call the Manager. Part of your pre-hunt scouting should be a call to the Manager of the Public land where you'll be hunting. They can provide valuable information on Hunter access and likely spots to find a Buck during the Hunting Season. They can also let you in on how the Deer herd is doing and clue you into what the Deer are feeding on.
- Plan on getting your Deer out. Many Deer Hunters never plan on how to get their Deer out once they have it down. They never think about it until they are faced with the daunting task of dragging a Buck out of the woods. It would be smart to invest in one of the Big Game Carts
advertised in the Outdoor catalogs.
- Think outside the box. As I said earlier, Deer pattern Hunters much better than Hunters pattern Deer. If most hunters are Hunting fields or easy to reach areas, do something different. Find thickets or other areas where Hunters will not hunt. Swamps and overgrown clear cuts are two of my favorite areas to hunt on Public land. I love to hear Hunters say "That area is too nasty to hunt, you can't see very far in there". That's the kind of place I want to be. The group of guys I grew up hunting with were the first to hunt the flooded timber for Deer. No one else would put on wader and go in after the Deer. Now, many people will but few are successful because the lack the patience and experience to still hunt the flooded timber properly. Do and go where other Hunters will not!
Most public hunting is not easy. But with a little planning and thinking outside the box, your hunt can be successful. Just remember, these Deer are hunted hard so plan on outsmarting them. You can reason, Deer can't!
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I found this cool government site that has maps separating public and private land and it’s all accessible for free – it’s on the geocommunicator.com website somewhere under interactive maps or some such thing. Anyways – thought I’d throw that out there…it’s been a huge tool for us as we like to hunt coyotes on the fringes of public/private land.
These are some great tips. Thanks for sharing. I’ve found hunting on large public blocks of land can be very rewarding if you are willing to do your home work and walk more then 100 yards off the beaten trail. I get in the woods early and hunt the hard to get to areas. It often makes for a long drag but I see a lot of deer even like you mentioned at mid day when everyone starts to roam around.
[...] time of year than when your scouting in the Pre-season. It’s also a great time to snoop around your public hunting land and see where he likes to hide or where other hunters are setting [...]
Always get yourself informed before going to your hunt, you could save time and be safe.
Tip #6: “# Plan on getting your Deer out. Many Deer Hunters never plan on how to get their Deer out once they have it down. They never think about it until they are faced with the daunting task of dragging a Buck out of the woods. It would be smart to invest in one of the Big Game Carts
advertised in the Outdoor catalogs.”
Couldn’t have been put better than that, my first big kill I had this exact same problem. Went out that day not expecting it to be such a big score, well I found out the hard way that a cart is the way to go.
I would like to see more info on how to sit still in a treestand. I like to hike around after sitting for 2 – 3 hours. I know that purist think that it’s wrong but I have had some success in being on the move!
Just recently moved from GA. Are there any management areas worth hunting in north East Texas? Are is a waste of time. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Just found your site through yahoo. Glad I found it I’ve learned a lot.
Great info! I have found that Bing maps and Google Maps are a great resource as well. No matter when the satellite image was taken, you can see where the hardwoods are versus the cedars, evergreens, etc. I hunted a public land site 3 years ago and got to right to my desired spot based on planning my hike in using the satellite images.
Thanks for the tips, hunting on a public land is kinda new to me and this tips is definitely worth reading.
Another useful tool for mapping out areas is the ducks unlimited migration map on the ducks unlimited website. It is great for scoping out terrain and u can even get a birds eye view and locate bedding and feeding areas. Thanks for all the tips as this has helped me alot.