The Basic 5 For Big Bucks On Public Land

[NFA-ADK]

 Great way to oversimplify it but in reality they are two different worlds.  Many things on public land are out of the hunters control.  You can't save a area because 10 others have hunted it before you did.  You can not do any management on state land property.  No modifying trail, food plots, or even cutting limbs in your shooting lane.  Your best spots usually have several other hunters who use the same spots.  Some hunters still-hunt making the deer aware of our presence others from tree's, knowing how deer will react to this presser is not the same as private land usually due to the abundance of hunters on state land.

Knowing the deer helps but it is much more involved on state land than private from my experience.  State land you have to factor in knowing the hunters as much as knowing the deer because a bad hunter can change a deer's travel routes, travel times and even bedding area's, really bad hunters can make them leave the area too.  Or at least the area you have access to hunt!  

Private land usually has much less intrusion by other hunters making the days you do not hunt a sanctuary for the deer that they feel safe in.  That is not the case in state land unless you are talking about a lot of land where hunters do not encroach on each other.  Simply put I can pattern a deer on private land and every year on that land the deer will pass by the same area 100%, not even close on state land.  Hunters cause them to adapt more as they put more presser on them.

The key to hunting public land is the same as the key to hunting private land: know the animal, and know how to put yourself in a position to take that animal. ;- )

 

[The_Real_TCIII]

Another thing I try to do is take off Wednesdays and Thursdays to hunt public, so there's a chance the deer have been left alone for three days since the weekend. Fridays I see more Hunter taking three day weekends

[dlgerow]

You can place a trail cam on state land you just need to leave your name address and phone number attached to the tree with the camera.

Are you permitted to put a ladder stand up on state land? I know the risks, just wondering if I could put one up for a day or two. Thank you.

[Red]

each state land has its own set of rules. On the state land that allow you to hang a tree stand ladder stands are usually allowed. You need to leave your name phone number and address with the stand

Are you permitted to put a ladder stand up on state land? I know the risks, just wondering if I could put one up for a day or two. Thank you.

[DirtTime]

Hunting really thick or dense woods is tough whether it's public land or private. You need some extreme stealth to get into those areas, and clothing that doesn't make a lot of noise when branches or w/e slide across it. You need to be super quiet and very methodical with a light foot. Just to get into areas like that to scout can be difficult, carrying a gun, vert bow, or crossbow s just more things that will hang up on branches and bushes. Especially in the dark going in or out of your spot.

If you are brand new, and do not have anyone to teach you the ropes, I would stick to basics and keep things simple. As you learn, you gain a respect and knowledge of the woods and the deer, and that in turn helps you grow and become more and more quiet and know how to hunt those nasty areas that most hunters don't bother with.

 

As for leaving things in the woods of public land? To the laws I know you cannot leave anything on state land. At least the state land I have hunted. I just sent an email asking about leaving trail cams and treestands on state land, so hopefully they can clarify the things I thought were not legal. Also, it's not just theft. Another hunter may come across those cam and think "Trail cam, hmmm. Maybe I need to watch this area a little closer.". So they start scouting the same area, and decide on a few spots in that area of their own. Opening day, ( I am using gun here as an example ) you hear "BANG" 10 minutes after legal hours start. You see nothing the rest of the day. Why? Because you just let other people on public land know there might be activity in the area and they put boots to ground and located where/when the deer are heading into your area. On public land not everyone knows everyone, not everyone is friendly, and not everyone will respect your area/s. On public land it's every hunter for themselves, and remember, all the other hunters in the area are after the same deer you are.

[wolc123]

The Wed, Fri thing is a big advantage on pressured private land also. Most retired folks don't have the gumption to hunt very hard so pressure is always much heavier on the weekends when all us "working stiffs" are in the woods.

I know the deer pattern me, at our place and at my folks farm. On the rare days during archery season, when I can get out mid-week, the deer action is always heavier. I would have never filled my buck tag last fall, had I not got a Wed morning off to find our farm "alive" with deer. That was the only day, bow or gun season, that I saw more than one deer here. That is with just one guy on 100 acres, so it must be worse on a lot of public land.

I first sighted my gun-season buck last fall, when he was still on public land (the 6.5 million acre Adirondack park.) I felled him about 50 yards from the line on a good sized chunk of private land with controlled access. If you can find a place on public land, with difficult access, that is adjacent to an "off-limits" sanctuary-type area, your odds of scoring a big buck would go up a bit.

[Five Seasons]

Another thing I try to do is take off Wednesdays and Thursdays to hunt public, so there's a chance the deer have been left alone for three days since the weekend. Fridays I see more Hunter taking three day weekends

 

great piece of advice I forgot. Bowhunters have pretty free access as it is, and after the first weekend or 2 of gun, the pressure drops too. However, the deer are pretty spooked then.

 

When I first started public land hunting I hunted a few weekdays that I saved vacation for and had much better experiences. I also didn't believe the advice of hunting from 10-3. I overslept one sunday and got in the stand at 7:30. 90 minutes late. So I stayed late and shot a doe at 11am. go figure.

[Five Seasons]

Hunting really thick or dense woods is tough whether it's public land or private. You need some extreme stealth to get into those areas, and clothing that doesn't make a lot of noise when branches or w/e slide across it. You need to be super quiet and very methodical with a light foot. Just to get into areas like that to scout can be difficult, carrying a gun, vert bow, or crossbow s just more things that will hang up on branches and bushes. Especially in the dark going in or out of your spot.

If you are brand new, and do not have anyone to teach you the ropes, I would stick to basics and keep things simple. As you learn, you gain a respect and knowledge of the woods and the deer, and that in turn helps you grow and become more and more quiet and know how to hunt those nasty areas that most hunters don't bother with.

 

the difference on private land is you can make an approach trail through that area so you're not so noisy. And honestly, I wouldn't worry too much about noise on private land. Get in at the right time and it wont matter as other hunters will push the deer to you.

[The_Real_TCIII]

great piece of advice I forgot. Bowhunters have pretty free access as it is, and after the first weekend or 2 of gun, the pressure drops too. However, the deer are pretty spooked then.

 

When I first started public land hunting I hunted a few weekdays that I saved vacation for and had much better experiences. I also didn't believe the advice of hunting from 10-3. I overslept one sunday and got in the stand at 7:30. 90 minutes late. So I stayed late and shot a doe at 11am. go figure.

I see a lot of deer between 10 and 11, after about 8:30 Im pretty much staying for that magic hour

[The_Real_TCIII]

it's amazing what they can travel through. and even worse what they decide to crash into when they die. I found this guy only by crawling on my belly, then going back and getting pruners so I could get him out of the brambles.

 

 

I crawled right in and found this guy like this, I about had a heart attack. I lost a quart of blood getting him out of there

 

Edited September 3, 2015 by The_Real_TCIII

[DirtTime]

The Basic 5 For Big Bucks On Public Land

 

That's the post title. That's the actual topic.

 

Not everyone gets to have the luxury of private land on day one. Or even for many years after they start hunting. Hunting private land is a bit easier then public land. Private land you can do as you wish if you own the land, or if a lease you may still have the right to cut shooting lanes etc. Even private land you just have permission to hunt may allow you to do what you like.

 

State land or public land, the rules change. You have to follow state regulated laws. You can't cut shooting lanes, pressure is much higher, and like I said, it's first come first serve. So you really have to get in there and see what's going on.

 

Here's an example ( for anyone familiar with upstate hunting, or you can look the place up on Google, it's small ):

Lost Valley State Forest has some good deer. It's not very big, but gets a lot of hunting pressure ( last I knew anyway ). So a new hunter who has no one to teach them will use the first part of this thread to get going. Then, they will learn, grow as hunters, and hopefully get a good deer, buck or doe.

 

[DirtTime]

It took a few days, and I apologize for my misconception. I was under the thought that leaving anything on state land was prohibited. So I am having crow for breakfast. Here's a quoted reply from DEC on the topic:

Tree stands or hunting blinds that do not

injure a tree, are properly marked or tagged

with the owner's name and address or valid

hunting license number may be placed during

the appropriate hunting season, but

must be removed within 30 days of the end

of the season.