Cuzzinfish wrote: What are the factors any of you would consider in crossing off a public hunting property?
-I would not even scout a property that has NO difficult to access areas. If you can walk UPRIGHT all the way to your area, I would NOT even scout it. It HAS to be physically difficult to walk there or you will have company....that is the bottom line for public land. Overlooked spots are a whole different conversation.
-The thicket area around the corp of engineers lake sounds promising to me! You have lots of hunting pressure...yet you see mature bucks while hunting!! That means the mature bucks have a safe place to bed and you need to find it. My theory is that the lake is creating thermals that pull hunters scent towards the lake in the late afternoon, AND every single hunter..including YOU is approaching and hunting from the outside. The bucks know exactly what is going on. If you can access via the lake, and hunt near the lake so the evening thermals are pulling your scent towards the lake, I believe you could kill one of these "racks floating thru the briars". They would have no clue! Maybe??