Tips for hunting public land

[BigHills BuckHunter]

The private land I have been hunting is burned up. Ive sat every spot I had planned and with my dad, uncle, brother and cousin hunting it...its time for me to move on. I hunted public tonight for the second time this year and I really enjoy how refreshing it is to not hunt the same land over and over again. The hunt went really well I ended up shooting a big doe and will track her in the morning.

Im wondering how you guys make public land hunting work for you? The public I hunt is not nearly as pressured as it sounds like for alot of you guys so its a bonus, at least for bowhunting. I live in a very rural area.

I will be honest I dont own a lone wolf treestand so its very hard for me to carry in a metal stand and set up not being that big of a guy. I use the strap 3 steps to get in. Sometimes like tonight I sit on the ground. I would love to buy a lonewolf but money is low right now.

Any advice on hunting pressured deer like this? Im assuming to hunt like I normally do. Wait for the right wind, make sure thermals wont mess up the hunt, hunting corridors, 2/3 bedding elevation etc. Should I go further than normal to kill a big buck? I know this piece of land very well from scouting the past two springs and have beds located to hunt but some are so far out carrying in a heavy metal stand is not only noisy but heavy and strains on my bad back. Any advice would be very helpful and appreciated Thanks!

BHBH

[Zap]

Become a sneaky sob and hunt off the ground.

Find a good spot and prep some lanes to shoot.
Bring a good chair and get comfy.

[wmihunter]

Sounds like ur best bet is sitting in cattails or find some good deadfalls to hide in.

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[Bucky]

The private land I have been hunting is burned up. Ive sat every spot I had planned and with my dad, uncle, brother and cousin hunting it...its time for me to move on. I hunted public tonight for the second time this year and I really enjoy how refreshing it is to not hunt the same land over and over again. The hunt went really well I ended up shooting a big doe and will track her in the morning.

Im wondering how you guys make public land hunting work for you? The public I hunt is not nearly as pressured as it sounds like for alot of you guys so its a bonus, at least for bowhunting. I live in a very rural area.

I will be honest I dont own a lone wolf treestand so its very hard for me to carry in a metal stand and set up not being that big of a guy. I use the strap 3 steps to get in. Sometimes like tonight I sit on the ground. I would love to buy a lonewolf but money is low right now.

Any advice on hunting pressured deer like this? Im assuming to hunt like I normally do. Wait for the right wind, make sure thermals wont mess up the hunt, hunting corridors, 2/3 bedding elevation etc. Should I go further than normal to kill a big buck? I know this piece of land very well from scouting the past two springs and have beds located to hunt but some are so far out carrying in a heavy metal stand is not only noisy but heavy and strains on my bad back. Any advice would be very helpful and appreciated Thanks!

BHBH

I would make the effort to hang a heavier metal stand in a rut funnel and in the hills and hunt the crap out of it once the time is right (early Nov). As you know in the hills the bucks seem to come out of the wood work during the rut and cruz the hills sides looking for love. This will work as well on your over hunted private ground... once they heavy cruzing starts bucks will travel outside of their comfort zone and that is why they get killed

[Badger]

You can be very successful hunting from the ground if you find the right spot. It's far more difficult on pressured mature deer but it can be done. I find shooting a deer on the ground to be a lot more exiting, you need to bring you're A game..

[wmahunter]

If I hunt on the ground, I try to find 3 trees growing together or a good tight clump of vegetation to can get inside. This makes a good blind.

[BigHills BuckHunter]

If I hunt on the ground, I try to find 3 trees growing together or a good tight clump of vegetation to can get inside. This makes a good blind.

When I got that doe from the ground I had a big oak right in front of me so I could draw back without her seeing me. Then she came to the other side and I shot her. I always like to have some type of tree right in front of me to breakup my outline and give an advantage when drawing back, then its like having two shooting lanes on both sides of the tree.

[Brad]

You certainly don't need a Lone wolf stand to hunt public, any treestand will work. The whole idea behind the Lone Wolf setups is not the stand its self, its that you are mobile and hunt lots of spots over the course of the year rather than always sitting in the same treestand over and over and over again. The reason the LW stands are so popular is because they are light and easy to hang and take down, not to mention fast. Any stand that is lightweight will allow you to be mobile if you chose, just give yourself enough time to do it each trip. Instead of leaving an hour before you want to be in the stand, leave 3 hours etc. The LW stands are not cheap, but they are worth it, and if you find your self short on cash, do like I did, sell your accumulation of pixie dust (every hunter is bound to have a good stash) on a garage sale etc and save your pennies until you can get one.

Now with that said, you do not even need to be in a stand to be successful although it will help. It is easier to see from the air and easier to control your scent most of the time, but that doesn't mean you have to be in a tree. There are lots of guys who hunt public on the ground successfully. Find something that works for you and then use it, if it means hunting off the ground great, if it means sitting in the crooks of tree's great, if it means having a LW stand and sticks great, just get used to it and you will do good. Hunt fresh spots, watch your scent, scout more than you hunt (this is where I struggle but I am improving) and have fun, the rest will fall into place soon enough.

[MN Legacy]

Hey Brad,
I love my LW stand and sticks and thats how i got mine was saving up my pennies.

[kwaldeier]

Sounds like a ground attack would be your best bet!

[keb]

Become a predator, make your body and mind part of your equipment, you have to outlast the deer and the other hunters.

[James]

I have to disagree with the ground guys. It sounds fun but I think you'll get picked off and busted more than any kind of payoff. I'd pinch pennies and purchase at least a used setup. I made a cheap climber work for years before I had good gear and I still killed bucks.

Being setup in the right tree to kill is so essential in my opinion.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[dirt nap giver]

I kill em from the ground quite a bit. 3d leafy suit and my Huntmore chair. Love it! Especially when they are traveling in an area with no huntable trees around.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[woody283]

The huntmores are a great seat but for hunting from the ground, i would look at the Waldrop pack seat..Its like a Lone wolf for the ground.

[dirt nap giver]

The huntmores are a great seat but for hunting from the ground, i would look at the Waldrop pack seat..Its like a Lone wolf for the ground.

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhh, no thanks! Fake a Huntmore any day!

[ Post made via iPhone ]