Rethinking my public land strategy due to no pressure

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Swedishbowhunter
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Rethinking my public land strategy due to no pressure

Unread postby Swedishbowhunter » Tue Oct 22, 2019 2:25 am

This spring I scouted a piece of public that is surrounded by a ton of other public land. So I scouted it just like i would any other high pressure public land, looked for hard to get to places with thick cover, and have been hunting it accordingly. I ran cameras on it since may and have never had another hunter on camera, and I have never seen anyone parked around it. This weekend I talked to the adjoining land owner & he said he has never seen anyone bowhunt it. My cameras show there are a lot of good bucks in it, a really good amount of daylight mature buck pics. I think I need to change my strategy to hunting thick cover beds close to food being its such low pressure on it. The best sign I have been seeing is very close to the roads, thinking I am walking past where I should be hunting. Anyone ever get lucky enough to experience this & did you change your strategy?


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Re: Rethinking my public land strategy due to no pressure

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Tue Oct 22, 2019 3:16 am

Not every mature buck will be in overlooked areas or 10 miles deep - some times they are right with the other deer - even on pressured land. To me it is all about surviving long enough to mature - and that can happen anywhere for many reason but typically, on public, especially with long gun seasons they ones that are not 10 miles back in or in an overlooked spot don't live long enough to graduate to mature status.
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Re: Rethinking my public land strategy due to no pressure

Unread postby Lockdown » Tue Oct 22, 2019 3:32 am

I see this all the time. You can’t cross anything off the map due to hunting pressure. They can and do use any bedding area. Sometimes it will surprise you where they choose to lay. Start right next to the field and work your way back from there.

If you do find them, you still can’t expect mature bucks to move far. Even though it’s low pressure they’re still smart. My dad saw a big buck last week that stood up and went 75 yards then stood there for 45 minutes until it was pitch black. This was very low pressure private...
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Re: Rethinking my public land strategy due to no pressure

Unread postby backstraps » Tue Oct 22, 2019 4:29 am

Lockdown wrote:I see this all the time. You can’t cross anything off the map due to hunting pressure. They can and do use any bedding area. Sometimes it will surprise you where they choose to lay. Start right next to the field and work your way back from there.

If you do find them, you still can’t expect mature bucks to move far. Even though it’s low pressure they’re still smart. My dad saw a big buck last week that stood up and went 75 yards then stood there for 45 minutes until it was pitch black. This was very low pressureprivate...



I chased a buck one year that did this exact same thing to me three times in one season!! He stayed just on the other side of a fence on property I couldn’t hunt. Dark...I could hear him cross through the ironrods at the fence!!
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Re: Rethinking my public land strategy due to no pressure

Unread postby Chuck B » Tue Oct 22, 2019 7:01 am

Pudster wrote:This spring I scouted a piece of public that is surrounded by a ton of other public land. So I scouted it just like i would any other high pressure public land, looked for hard to get to places with thick cover, and have been hunting it accordingly. I ran cameras on it since may and have never had another hunter on camera, and I have never seen anyone parked around it. This weekend I talked to the adjoining land owner & he said he has never seen anyone bowhunt it. My cameras show there are a lot of good bucks in it, a really good amount of daylight mature buck pics. I think I need to change my strategy to hunting thick cover beds close to food being its such low pressure on it. The best sign I have been seeing is very close to the roads, thinking I am walking past where I should be hunting. Anyone ever get lucky enough to experience this & did you change your strategy?



I just started hunting public (I still hunt some private however) a couple of years ago. And, I have had some of the same revelations as you. I have been going deep into wet nasty crap, but not having much luck. To further your point; meanwhile, I just scouted some fields this weekend (actually just taking the young lab out for some grouse but was also using it as a scouting mission) and I found some really nice rubs right off a big open field. Perhaps it is night time activity, but not sure. Gonna have to throw some sits at it. My guess, is that he is living close to the road and will go to the deep stuff when the gun season (and pressure) starts. Just like your example, this big piece of public I am referring to is pretty low pressure in early season I think.

You should be able to see some good sign soon if they are spending time closer to the road....
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Re: Rethinking my public land strategy due to no pressure

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Tue Oct 22, 2019 7:06 am

Chuck B wrote:
Pudster wrote:This spring I scouted a piece of public that is surrounded by a ton of other public land. So I scouted it just like i would any other high pressure public land, looked for hard to get to places with thick cover, and have been hunting it accordingly. I ran cameras on it since may and have never had another hunter on camera, and I have never seen anyone parked around it. This weekend I talked to the adjoining land owner & he said he has never seen anyone bowhunt it. My cameras show there are a lot of good bucks in it, a really good amount of daylight mature buck pics. I think I need to change my strategy to hunting thick cover beds close to food being its such low pressure on it. The best sign I have been seeing is very close to the roads, thinking I am walking past where I should be hunting. Anyone ever get lucky enough to experience this & did you change your strategy?



I just started hunting public (I still hunt some private however) a couple of years ago. And, I have had some of the same revelations as you. I have been going deep into wet nasty crap, but not having much luck. To further your point; meanwhile, I just scouted some fields this weekend (actually just taking the young lab out for some grouse but was also using it as a scouting mission) and I found some really nice rubs right off a big open field. Perhaps it is night time activity, but not sure. Gonna have to throw some sits at it. My guess, is that he is living close to the road and will go to the deep stuff when the gun season (and pressure) starts. Just like your example, this big piece of public I am referring to is pretty low pressure in early season I think.

You should be able to see some good sign soon if they are spending time closer to the road....


Actually I think you are having a lot of luck. I know you know this but for others, This is valuable information to keep tabs on from year to year so you can anticipate when the deer will relocate to hidden areas (if they do). Then next year you can anticipate action based off pressure you are seeing. The is never a bad/unproductive day in the field if we are "seeing" and keeping good notes for future hunts. Next year on opening day, for whatever reason you might see a tremendous uptick in pressure - then you will know to dive in deeper if you have notes of where they relocate to when pressured.
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Re: Rethinking my public land strategy due to no pressure

Unread postby Chuck B » Tue Oct 22, 2019 7:34 am

DaveT1963 wrote:
Chuck B wrote:
Pudster wrote:This spring I scouted a piece of public that is surrounded by a ton of other public land. So I scouted it just like i would any other high pressure public land, looked for hard to get to places with thick cover, and have been hunting it accordingly. I ran cameras on it since may and have never had another hunter on camera, and I have never seen anyone parked around it. This weekend I talked to the adjoining land owner & he said he has never seen anyone bowhunt it. My cameras show there are a lot of good bucks in it, a really good amount of daylight mature buck pics. I think I need to change my strategy to hunting thick cover beds close to food being its such low pressure on it. The best sign I have been seeing is very close to the roads, thinking I am walking past where I should be hunting. Anyone ever get lucky enough to experience this & did you change your strategy?



I just started hunting public (I still hunt some private however) a couple of years ago. And, I have had some of the same revelations as you. I have been going deep into wet nasty crap, but not having much luck. To further your point; meanwhile, I just scouted some fields this weekend (actually just taking the young lab out for some grouse but was also using it as a scouting mission) and I found some really nice rubs right off a big open field. Perhaps it is night time activity, but not sure. Gonna have to throw some sits at it. My guess, is that he is living close to the road and will go to the deep stuff when the gun season (and pressure) starts. Just like your example, this big piece of public I am referring to is pretty low pressure in early season I think.

You should be able to see some good sign soon if they are spending time closer to the road....


Actually I think you are having a lot of luck. I know you know this but for others, This is valuable information to keep tabs on from year to year so you can anticipate when the deer will relocate to hidden areas (if they do). Then next year you can anticipate action based off pressure you are seeing. The is never a bad/unproductive day in the field if we are "seeing" and keeping good notes for future hunts. Next year on opening day, for whatever reason you might see a tremendous uptick in pressure - then you will know to dive in deeper if you have notes of where they relocate to when pressured.


Right on.

I will say that shooting a P and Y on those spots would be better "luck" than just taking good notes on spots :lol: , but I like your silver lining!
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Re: Rethinking my public land strategy due to no pressure

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Tue Oct 22, 2019 7:44 am

Are we hunting the same places? I hunt public land that have barely any pressure during bow season and I feel blessed in those regards. Many overlooked public spots too. No one in my parts know what they are missing.
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Re: Rethinking my public land strategy due to no pressure

Unread postby Swedishbowhunter » Tue Oct 22, 2019 12:04 pm

Crazinamatese wrote:Are we hunting the same places? I hunt public land that have barely any pressure during bow season and I feel blessed in those regards. Many overlooked public spots too. No one in my parts know what they are missing.


You never know!!! Sunday I took a drive to get a bite to eat and listen to the Packer game for a while, I saw zero other cars out that belonged to hunters..... I just found this crazy. I hope they crowds stay away 1 more weekend!!!
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Re: Rethinking my public land strategy due to no pressure

Unread postby stratocasterNJ » Tue Oct 22, 2019 12:25 pm

Pudster wrote:This spring I scouted a piece of public that is surrounded by a ton of other public land. So I scouted it just like i would any other high pressure public land, looked for hard to get to places with thick cover, and have been hunting it accordingly. I ran cameras on it since may and have never had another hunter on camera, and I have never seen anyone parked around it. This weekend I talked to the adjoining land owner & he said he has never seen anyone bowhunt it. My cameras show there are a lot of good bucks in it, a really good amount of daylight mature buck pics. I think I need to change my strategy to hunting thick cover beds close to food being its such low pressure on it. The best sign I have been seeing is very close to the roads, thinking I am walking past where I should be hunting. Anyone ever get lucky enough to experience this & did you change your strategy?

I have never, ever, ever,ever been that lucky as far as hunting goes.
Is there "no pressure" during the bow season or all season, because as soon as gun season starts it is a totally different game. To add another point, I mentioned in another thread that in some states like mine, you cannot say "no pressure" and public land in the same sentence, it just is not possible. So if you have such a situation: #1 get on your knees and thank the good Lord for your luck. #2. Make sure no one is following you when you drive to your spot. #3 Do a lot of glassing from the highest point before you walk around aimlessly or do it when the conditions are the worst, rain, high wind. I can't wait to see what you drag out!
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Re: Rethinking my public land strategy due to no pressure

Unread postby greenhorndave » Tue Oct 22, 2019 1:35 pm

Pudster wrote:
Crazinamatese wrote:Are we hunting the same places? I hunt public land that have barely any pressure during bow season and I feel blessed in those regards. Many overlooked public spots too. No one in my parts know what they are missing.


You never know!!! Sunday I took a drive to get a bite to eat and listen to the Packer game for a while, I saw zero other cars out that belonged to hunters..... I just found this crazy. I hope they crowds stay away 1 more weekend!!!

The game is Sunday night. The cars will be there. Good hunting during day games though...
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Re: Rethinking my public land strategy due to no pressure

Unread postby PK_ » Tue Oct 22, 2019 1:50 pm

Pudster wrote:This spring I scouted a piece of public that is surrounded by a ton of other public land. So I scouted it just like i would any other high pressure public land, looked for hard to get to places with thick cover, and have been hunting it accordingly. I ran cameras on it since may and have never had another hunter on camera, and I have never seen anyone parked around it. This weekend I talked to the adjoining land owner & he said he has never seen anyone bowhunt it. My cameras show there are a lot of good bucks in it, a really good amount of daylight mature buck pics. I think I need to change my strategy to hunting thick cover beds close to food being its such low pressure on it. The best sign I have been seeing is very close to the roads, thinking I am walking past where I should be hunting. Anyone ever get lucky enough to experience this & did you change your strategy?


Yea I see it every time I hunt out of state early season. Everyone talks about pressure, there is very little bow hunting pressure in reality, early season the woods are a ghost town. The weekend warriors start piling in the woods late October just as all the foliage is dying off and that is when those thickets, deep pockets and hidey holes really fill up with deer.
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Re: Rethinking my public land strategy due to no pressure

Unread postby Lockdown » Tue Oct 22, 2019 2:06 pm

PK_ wrote:
Pudster wrote:This spring I scouted a piece of public that is surrounded by a ton of other public land. So I scouted it just like i would any other high pressure public land, looked for hard to get to places with thick cover, and have been hunting it accordingly. I ran cameras on it since may and have never had another hunter on camera, and I have never seen anyone parked around it. This weekend I talked to the adjoining land owner & he said he has never seen anyone bowhunt it. My cameras show there are a lot of good bucks in it, a really good amount of daylight mature buck pics. I think I need to change my strategy to hunting thick cover beds close to food being its such low pressure on it. The best sign I have been seeing is very close to the roads, thinking I am walking past where I should be hunting. Anyone ever get lucky enough to experience this & did you change your strategy?


Yea I see it every time I hunt out of state early season. Everyone talks about pressure, there is very little bow hunting pressure in reality, early season the woods are a ghost town. The weekend warriors start piling in the woods late October just as all the foliage is dying off and that is when those thickets, deep pockets and hidey holes really fill up with deer.


Yep. And I don’t even see that much pressure late October and Early November. I’ve figured out that it takes gun pressure to put most of the deer into what I would consider pressure bedding. Not that those areas don’t get used AT ALL earlier in the year. They do but not much.
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Re: Rethinking my public land strategy due to no pressure

Unread postby Evanszach7 » Tue Oct 22, 2019 8:24 pm

Hadnt hunted a field edge in 3 years. Decided to switch it up this year, an hung an observation stand on a public piece Ive hunted a lot. Got to pass a mature 9 I had glassed this summer. Id just assumed theres be too much pressure.


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