Private vs state

[fadetoblack188]

How many of you guys are taking birds on private land as opposed to state. I don't have access to private and I feel the private land guys have better luck?

I've been out 8 times have not herd a gobble. Going to try a new spot this weekend not sure where yet.

[letinmfly]

Private land does have its advantages, such as controlling who is on it.  If someone doesn't belong there they trespassed and you work around it.  On state land there is no trespassing...just unethical hunters.  Case in point....

Last Saturday my friend and I split up and hunted two different areas of state land.  When we met up later that morning he told me of his encounter earlier that morning.  He was set up and started to with some soft tree talk.  After a little while he repeated his sequence and hears a hunter calling back, with a mouth call, from behind him.  A few minutes later he hears someone whistling so my friend answers to him and asks, "are you looking for me?" The guys answers back, " yeah I wanted to know where you were so I wouldn't hunt to close to you."  REALLY?

My friend asks him where he is from and they guy answers Staten Island...so with that my buddy responds " that figures " and gets up and leaves.  Turns out it was two people hunting with bows for turkeys. When he gets out to his car he sees that they even parked right behind him on his bumper.  Why would you hunt in the same spot when someone else is already there?  Some people have no consideration nor common sense not to I guess. 

When I get to a spot and someone else is already there I move on...even if it means not hunting that day.

 

With that being said, I've killed 5 longbeards in the last three years on state land.  I hope to make it 6 on the last day of the season!!

[apoallo]

I try to hunt private as much as possible.. I feel state land is over crouded. especially during deer season... It just so happens that my friend owns 130 acres of farmland 15 minutes from me so.... plenty of turkey just not so much deer... I wish it was the other way around because Im not that big into turkey hunting. I just dont enjoy it as much as deer.. I know turkey are probably just as smart if not than smarter then deer and it is VERY challenging to bag one but it just doesnt make  my adrenoline leak out of my ears like deer do. maybe something about them being small....;idk. Best advice is try to Roost them the night before if possible to see if you can get in a location where they ar at. you might not see or hear anything but they are in there... goodluck

Edited May 24, 2013 by apoallo

[TheTruth2]

I've taken a bird the past 4 years on state land that's extremely crowded. You have to go where people don't know of or lazy to get to. If there are big hardwoods on the property, that's your best bet. All the state landers hunt the fields... If there's a river bottom, your golden

[Five Seasons]

How many of you guys are taking birds on private land as opposed to state. I don't have access to private and I feel the private land guys have better luck?

I've been out 8 times have not herd a gobble. Going to try a new spot this weekend not sure where yet.

 

private for me. i think it all depends. I hear good things about some state and bad about others. Same goes for private. I think generally though people do better on large private plots with both deer and turkey. Private land thats small and heavily pressured from within and neighboring properties is going to be worse than a big track of state land if you're willing to go deep into it.

[Fantail]

When I didn't have private land i got to know a bunch of wma/state land spots. I still hit them now and then and much like this year they give me a reason to go back.

[ants]

I have seen and heard a decent number of toms on private land, but not shots and the last time out it was pretty quiet. My buddy hunted state land yesterday and had some good action early in the morning, but he didn't connect. We're hitting the state spot first light tomarrow.

[TheTruth2]

Ants I see your from Cicero. Which state land?

[TeeBugg]

Public land for me. I have one or two good spots on private land. But with work and whatnot....just is easier for me to hit the public land. Thats where i took my bird this season!

[ants]

Ants I see your from Cicero. Which state land?

 

Three Rivers in Baldwinsville. Actually I got a nice Tom there yesterday morning. In Cicero I hunt private land near the Cicero swamp. I have had action there almost every time I went out but no shots.