New Public....how do you approach?

[megavites]

Here’s a question on how others approach a new piece of public land. A buddy and myself scouted two new pieces last winter and have somewhat of a game plan but we are still planning to hunt our way in, using sits on the outer reaches to determine how far in we push. Piece consists of small marsh into creek drainage and timber up to a larger/deeper creek(30’ across). We bumped does back and forth from the oxbows last winter. There’s basically parking for 1 or 2 vehicles max., so we’ll know if someone is in there, but the plan is to go early afternoon and hopefully be in there before others.
My question is what do others do when encountering another hunter as you walk in?
Continue on to your deeper spot or bounce outside to another area within the same public?

[ajandrs]

I pass several stands on my way through the public land I hunt but I've never actually seen anyone in them. In my mind I like it because I know with a fair amount of certainty that no one else is getting as deep into the woods as me ... I've never seen a stand as deep as I go. I do have one spot with decent sign that I might sit sometime this year and the tree next to where I would setup has a tether strap on it about 18' high, if I were going to that spot and someone was sitting in that other tree I'd just wave and keep going deeper. I figure it's public land, you're bound to come across other hunters at some point. On my walk out last night I past 2 guys tracking a blood trail, said hi, asked what they shot, told them congrats and good luck on the tracking and went on my way.

[Rob loper]

Cyber scout it
Scout transitions and hunt the hot sign