Opening day public land, where to be?

[Mschmeiske]

if you don't have any solid Intel on deer around or bedding, but you know there's a chance people could be pushing deer around on opening day where would you go? Climb in a thicket or escape trails and hang up there? Food? I'm gonna try and scout some more before October first but I was just curious what some of you might do?

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[matt1336]

Find white oaks that are dropping.

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[tgreeno]

Sit at home and wait til Tuesday, when all the weekend warriors are working :). I prefer to avoid the masses when at all possible.

[October's Assassin]

without having any intel at all i would prob start with food and see what happens. you may or may not kill but it could work out as an observation stand. from there maybe water? it has been dry in my area lately and super hot so that would be great here. I would spend a few days learning before i moved in to much though.

[Hawthorne]

If it's stateland and a lot of guys out I would sit a thick escape bedding area and stay late. Look at an aerial to try to guess where the deer will get pushed to. Find a side or back door entrance and get there early. If it's a Saturday opener the public usually shows up

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[PK_]

Highly variable depending on the terrain, the access, the amount of pressure I would expect and what type of deer you are targeting.

Escape routes, thick cover or white oaks that are far from access would be things I would look for.

[mainebowhunter]

What would I do? Scout. And keep scouting till I found something worth hunting.

Thats just me. Its no longer enjoyable for me to sit in a treestand without previous intel.

[tgreeno]

What would I do? Scout. And keep scouting till I found something worth hunting.

Thats just me. Its no longer enjoyable for me to sit in a treestand without previous intel.

YES! Scouting is alot of hard work! But can also be very rewarding! There is no magic to how beasts find mature bucks! They put in many many hours of blood, sweat & tears. I originally posted I wouldn't be hunting opening weekend. One of my reasons is, I don't want to educate other hunters to where I'm hunting. I'm luckily able to hunt during the weekdays when I usually have the woods to myself

[H2archer]

'd look for escape routes. I just saw this play out this morning. Squirrel and dove came in season here on the first, I snuck in a 300 yard wide patch of oak woods between a road and a crop field with corn and sun flowers to try to get a couple of squirrels. About 8:00 another hunter came walking through on the access path heading to the field to try for some doves. About ten minutes after he was out of sight 5 does/fawns came trotting right past me on a trail from the crop fields just up wind of me and crossed the road onto private property. I marked that spot on GPS and will be setting up there a time or two during the season.

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