Very discouraged on the Public Land.

[swamp-assassin]

i hear that headgear...believe it or not its actually a serious question...because like others have said, i could go to spots on public that i will have a good chance of seeing deer, i choose the spots ive sat because they are remote, overlooked and because of sign or terrain feature, look like a spot close to bedding...so if im not seeing the big bucks but im also not seeing anything, im hoping that means im hunting the right spots but the bucks are not coming for any number of reaaons..all part of what makes it challenging

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[dan]

i hear that headgear...believe it or not its actually a serious question...because like others have said, i could go to spots on public that i will have a good chance of seeing deer, i choose the spots ive sat because they are remote, overlooked and because of sign or terrain feature, look like a spot close to bedding...so if im not seeing the big bucks but im also not seeing anything, im hoping that means im hunting the right spots but the bucks are not coming for any number of reaaons..all part of what makes it challenging

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

Its not you... I ain't seen much of nothing either. Not a lot of big bucks around here to go after. It takes a lot of scouting and a lot of sits to get a chance. A guy has to have a strong mind and believe in his scouting to have it pay off on hard hunted public.

[Swampthing]

I,m experiencing the same here. Just not seeing the bucks, not on trailcams, not shining, not glassing, and for sure not hunting.

[ Post made via Android ]

[adrenalin]

I've been having a real rough start also. Not seeing squat. The sign is their in some spots and everything. Just remember, don't compare your sightings to what everyone else on the site sees or it will drive you nuts. Some guys just have their game figured out better and others just plain and simple hunt spots with alot more deer and bigger bucks. That's just the way it is. Public land hunting isn't gonna ever be "easy". I've hunted the public land around home and had to work my but off to just get on deer, and I've hunted public in other parts of the state that made me feel like a super star. The reality of it is their were just alot more deer and alot less people.

[Swampthing]

I've been having a real rough start also. Not seeing squat. The sign is their in some spots and everything. Just remember, don't compare your sightings to what everyone else on the site sees or it will drive you nuts. Some guys just have their game figured out better and others just plain and simple hunt spots with alot more deer and bigger bucks. That's just the way it is. Public land hunting isn't gonna ever be "easy". I've hunted the public land around home and had to work my but off to just get on deer, and I've hunted public in other parts of the state that made me feel like a super star. The reality of it is their were just alot more deer and alot less people.

Well said, I guy really needs to compare apples to apples.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Hunter74]

I'm just starting to think that I suck! So far I've hunted every weekend on some private lands that I've had good success on in the past as well as got good numbers of deer on camera this summer. All I'm trying to do right now is shoot a doe and I haven't seen a single deer. On top of that its my little cousin's first year of hunting and I've been putting him in what I thought were a couple of my best sets for seeing deer activity as well as getting shots at does and young bucks but even he's only seen deer two of the times we've gone out with only one opportunity to shoot but it was a buck smaller than he was willing to shoot

[ Post made via Android ]

[Scot]

No real response to your circumstances. I know what that type of frustration is like. All you can do is hunt smart and as one person said, the sign doesn't lie. Hopefully things will pick up for you! Good luck!

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[GRUD]

Every year is a little different, some years things happen early, other years it happens later. For my yearly trip to hunt public this year I didnt bring home a deer. I did take one shot at a doe but it was long and I misjudged the yardage. Anyway, I did locate one decent buck but not a shooter for me. I usually hunt persimmons but very few this year and the ones I found were not even ripe. Also, it seems like more guys are taking advantage of our fall turkey season which allows crossbows. I slipped into one of my best areas and just when I was about to set up I saw a guy walking around in the bedding area with a crossbow. I heard him calling turkeys and had deer blowing all evening. Anyway, I found a very large set of tracks exiting the area on the escape route which tells me there is a big buck in that area again. I set up further down on another bedding area but only saw a fawn. The other beds I know of in this area were just not really huntable with the wind that I had. Just gotta keep at it and sooner or later it will come together. I enjoy each year because it is always different and I have to adjust. To keep it enjoyable, I don't dwell on these hunts that were unsuccessful, I still learned a lot, but I think about the hunts to come. We just need a little rain to quiet down the woods a bit so we can slip in closer to the beds without spooking the deer.