Public Land with a lot of (non deer hunting) human activity

[ajandrs]

Hey all, newer hunter here in central IL (flat farm country) with a couple questions on public land that has a lot of human activity on it. It’s a state park about 15 minutes from my front door with good deer on it, but it is used heavily for hiking and equestrian trails, suffice it to say in the off season there are plenty of people and scent back in these trails and woods. On top of that, it’s only open to deer hunting 24/7 in October, then on 11/1 through the end of December they do controlled Pheasant release hunts Wednesday-Sunday, leaving Monday and Tuesday as the only deer hunting days in all of November and December.

So I guess my question is, once it gets into that Pheasant season how is that going to affect deer movement and bedding … and I suppose I should say I’m still new to finding and tracking deer bedding and movement. Most of the fields are along the outer edges of the park, so you can get deeper into the timber and away from those areas, but I’ve taken off work a few Mondays and have seen practically zero deer movement. I did rattle in 3 bucks one morning, 1 worth shooting but couldn’t quite get him within shooting range but now that we’re post RUT I haven’t seen anything the last couple times I went out. Also on 2 of those Mondays someone had a bunch of dogs out there training … non-stop barking and yelling off in the distance for a good 2.5 – 3 hours those mornings.

There’s another state park about 45 minutes from me that has open archery hunting all season, but I didn’t make it down there this year to scout. Thinking ahead to 2018, would I be better off going to that further park and not even trying to get into the closer park once the pheasant hunting opens? Just not sure how much that pheasant hunting is rattling the deer or making them hold tighter to their bedding areas. Either way I’m going to scout and plan to attack that park further away simply for the fact that I can keep hunting 24/7 there as opposed to only Monday and Tuesday at the closer park.

One last question on “in season” scouting … being new to all of this I’ve been trying to be very considerate of other hunters in the area, maybe too considerate. How much are you scouting public land in season, and do you worry about bumping into other people’s sits? As I mentioned above I haven’t been seeing much movement (some sign) but I’ve been hesitant to get down and scout around for better sign because I don’t want to off other hunters if I walk into their stand or bump deer. There’s a ton of acreage I haven’t touched yet so would you get in there and scout around and just not worry about who / what you might bump into? Since it’s in season how intentionally careful and quiet are you as you move through the timber as to not bump deer out of their routines? On January first this park goes back 24/7 archery for the remainder of the season so I plan on getting several more sits in come January.

[Mathewshooter]

I hunt public land that is used by a lot of non hunters. What I have noticed is the deer seem to know where people are supposed to be and where they're not. If you're on or near a trail, they will stand there and watch you walk by but step into the woods a little bit and they head for the next county. The deer also seem to tolerate human scent a little more in these areas where human activity is normal as opposed to an area that never has humans in it. This isnt to say you can get sloppy but you might just get away with more than you normally would and it will allow you to get off a shot. Myself, I would definitely hunt the other park after November 1st. It seems like theres a bunch of human activity going on at the park closest to your house during November. The only way you might be successful there is to get right on top of the bedding area and hope to catch them moving at first and last light. As for in season scouting, I usually do it in the middle of the day when most people aren't hunting.

[wolverinebuckman]

As for in season scouting, I usually do it in the middle of the day when most people aren't hunting.

This is exactly how I feel about in season on scouting. I just started hunting a couple of pieces of public land this year after October 1st. I've been all around quite a bit of them. I may have ticked off a few Hunters, but I look at it like this, say I was set up in my stand and suddenly a guy who was hunting deeper in than me walked past me, I'm on public land I can't control that. Same thing with scouting. I'm betting that Dan doesn't have too many people walk through where he's sitting, he chooses to get away from where everybody else is. one day when I was getting out of my car to go in and Scout an area, I walked right past a guy that was literally 20 yards off of the parking lot up in a tree.
one day when I was in a tree, some guy walked past me going to his car 15 minutes before dark, I guess he was scared. It happens.

[PK_]

There are a lot of moving parts to this scenario...

Are they using dogs? Are the dogs well trained or are they chasing deer? Are there any swamps or areas the dogs might stay out of?

My advice is hunt near home on the days it is open and see how that goes. Hunt the other park on the weekend since that is your only option...

[Mathewshooter]

As for in season scouting, I usually do it in the middle of the day when most people aren't hunting.

This is exactly how I feel about in season on scouting. I just started hunting a couple of pieces of public land this year after October 1st. I've been all around quite a bit of them. I may have ticked off a few Hunters, but I look at it like this, say I was set up in my stand and suddenly a guy who was hunting deeper in than me walked past me, I'm on public land I can't control that. Same thing with scouting. I'm betting that Dan doesn't have too many people walk through where he's sitting, he chooses to get away from where everybody else is. one day when I was getting out of my car to go in and Scout an area, I walked right past a guy that was literally 20 yards off of the parking lot up in a tree.
one day when I was in a tree, some guy walked past me going to his car 15 minutes before dark, I guess he was scared. It happens.

I've never ran into another hunter while scouting in the middle of the day during bow season. Must be nobody hunts that time frame around here. Thats probably why I see so many shooters between 10am-2pm. I got a shot at a huge 10 pointer at 2:30 on November 6th this year...unfortunately my arrow hit a branch and I just winged him. My brother saw him on opening day of gun tending a doe, no worse for wear.

[matt1336]

Hunt when you can, wherever you can. If you’re just starting shoot whatever you can. Shoot does, fawns, little bucks , big bucks and medium sized bucks. I thought I read that you’re a beginner and passed some deer cuz they aren’t what you wanted. That’s fine, but I’m going to suggest that you rethink what you’re considering shootable deer. You need reps. You need to know when to draw, when to move, when not to move, learn about stand placement, you need to learn deer behavior in general before you’re going to get on and kill more mature deer with any kind of consistency with a bow and when you think you’re good a buck will tell you otherwise.
This is my general response to the newer hunters. Kill stuff, enjoy venison, enjoy the drag out and for God’s sake, don’t give a rip about what others say about what you kill. You’re not hunting for them and don’t invite them over when you have blackstraps on the grill.

[justdirtyfun]

The closest property could be a place to study up on overlooked spots. Lots of disturbances and they are still there. So where exactly?
The other place can be more scouting and maybe pick a certain time of year to focus on, like post rut.

[ajandrs]

I hunt public land that is used by a lot of non hunters. What I have noticed is the deer seem to know where people are supposed to be and where they're not. If you're on or near a trail, they will stand there and watch you walk by but step into the woods a little bit and they head for the next county. The deer also seem to tolerate human scent a little more in these areas where human activity is normal as opposed to an area that never has humans in it. This isnt to say you can get sloppy but you might just get away with more than you normally would and it will allow you to get off a shot. Myself, I would definitely hunt the other park after November 1st. It seems like theres a bunch of human activity going on at the park closest to your house during November. The only way you might be successful there is to get right on top of the bedding area and hope to catch them moving at first and last light. As for in season scouting, I usually do it in the middle of the day when most people aren't hunting.

Thanks Mathew, pretty well confirmed my gut feeling about it. It's good to know the presence of human activity isn't going to totally screw things up. I had often wondered if all that activity softened the deer to it a little and made them more tolerable of the noise and scent, but I still take all my normal precautions to eliminate as much of that as possible when I'm in there. I've been studying the map quite a bit the last couple weeks and once January hits I'm going to get in there and scout a couple new areas and then try to get a few sits in before the end of the season. At this point I'm just wanting to get some meat in the freezer, but I'll definitely scout out that other land before next season so I have another option to get into throughout November and December.

Thanks again for your help!

[ajandrs]

Hunt when you can, wherever you can. If you’re just starting shoot whatever you can. Shoot does, fawns, little bucks , big bucks and medium sized bucks. I thought I read that you’re a beginner and passed some deer cuz they aren’t what you wanted. That’s fine, but I’m going to suggest that you rethink what you’re considering shootable deer. You need reps. You need to know when to draw, when to move, when not to move, learn about stand placement, you need to learn deer behavior in general before you’re going to get on and kill more mature deer with any kind of consistency with a bow and when you think you’re good a buck will tell you otherwise.
This is my general response to the newer hunters. Kill stuff, enjoy venison, enjoy the drag out and for God’s sake, don’t give a rip about what others say about what you kill. You’re not hunting for them and don’t invite them over when you have blackstraps on the grill.

This is good advice, and you're right I did say only 1 was a shooter but I should have expanded on that. The shooter, and big wide 8 pointer never got closer than 45 yards, the youngest was a spike and was about 30-35 but way too much timber and brush between us to get a clear shot. He came to the small trail I was sitting up on and all he had to do was turn left and take about 5 steps and he would have been in the open, another 10 yards and I would have had a perfect 15 yard broadside shot, but he crossed the trail and kept going. I was ready and had my release nocked, if he had turned left I would have put him down ... or tried at least!

Your advice is extremely solid for beginners though and I take it seriously because I was seconds from having to draw and the adrenaline rush was intense as I waited to see what he would do when he came to that trail. It's funny because about 15 minutes after the encounter my apple watch vibrated and when I checked it was warning me of a cardiac event. It's constantly checking heart rates and if it sees irregularities or HR spikes when it's not detecting movement (exercise) it will warn you as a precaution. Going back and looking at the data my HR was in the 150's when I was about to draw. I imagine it will take many reps for that rush to subside a little and become more familiar. And no, anyone who makes fun of the kill doesn't get to enjoy the straps!

[ajandrs]

The closest property could be a place to study up on overlooked spots. Lots of disturbances and they are still there. So where exactly?

This is a good point, and while sort of obvious now that you mention it I hadn't really given it much thought. This public land area is roughly a square mile, with parking most all the way around it so you don't have more than a half mile hike to get to most places. So far this year I've gone in a half mile and have seen 3 other stands near mine ... and now that I think about that it's hard to think that's a good thing. Obviously those other hunters also think the area is good, but that means more pressure and scent that I'm putting myself in the middle of. There is one section that would get you into the 1000 - 1100 yard hike range that has some promising features and I've only ever seen 1 truck in the lot that's closest to that area so that's my next spot to start scouting.

I know points are considered good bedding areas in hill country, but is that also true for flat lands? There are a few really good points in this other area but again, it's all pretty flat land everywhere I look here in IL.

[ajandrs]

There are a lot of moving parts to this scenario...

Are they using dogs? Are the dogs well trained or are they chasing deer? Are there any swamps or areas the dogs might stay out of?

My advice is hunt near home on the days it is open and see how that goes. Hunt the other park on the weekend since that is your only option...

Unfortunately I don't have any idea what the dogs are doing, I can just hear them off in the distance. I don't believe they are using them for any actual hunting purpose, my guess is they're training them. They are moving several hundred yards though as I can hear them off to the East of me, but then they'll swing up on the North side of me and then back East. I know it's driven at least one other hunter out of his tree, one day when I was gearing up at the car another guy walked out and just said "those damn dogs are at it again." Given they only allow deer hunting on 2 days of the week throughout Nov and Dec I wish they would keep those other people out of there, but I guess you have to take what you can get ... next year I'll hit up that other land once November rolls around and not have to worry about this place.

[PK_]

Oh wow so they are running dogs even on the non-pheasant days...

Yea that is tough. Might still be good bucks in there if the dogs don’t run them and there are places for them to hole up. Just tough to say.

[justdirtyfun]

I hear guys say that the deer are in the thick stuff. And when I scouted in a busy area they were. Ducking, twisting and moving branches is really good to keep other PEOPLE out of the prime stuff.
If you can't see a way in or see very far THAT is the place to study.

[Twenty Up]

I'd scout it once or twice for overlooked spots and see what comes up. Wouldn't keep high hopes, seems like a lot of pressure

[elk yinzer]

I avoid our gamelands where they stock pheasants. The few I have been to get hammered and if you were to find anywhere overlooked it would really be luck more than anything. What's overlooked today will probably have hunters stroll through tomorrow just as I have Mr. Big Buck in range, and since I can avoid nightmare scenarios like that, I do. Now if you can get access to some surrounding private, then yeah, you could majorly be in business, because those areas do hold deer outside the crazy season, and those deer have to go somewhere.

As for other human activity, I hunt some places that have tons of hikers, mountain bikers, campers. I call one of my best spots the amusement park, it's nuts. That doesn't seem to bother the deer whatsoever. They know where the human scent "should" be, and as long as they stay on the trails the deer are fine. I see all the time where deer will bed within 100 yards of heavily used trails. Those people can make an incredible racket hollering and talking in the woods, and I've sat in my tree and watched deer not react to that at all.