A different take on access

[elk yinzer]

I've seen a lot of guys thinking that they will bust their nuts to get to difficult-to-access pieces of public property, bordering private, with the assumption that they will have that to themselves. It's sort of become a mainstream mantra lately. I just watched it on a THP episode where they ferried across a river and figured no one would do the same to get in there, as if it was the ONLY way to access that piece.

I just thought I'd point out; how I see these properties, I often assume someone is accessing them from the private. We do the same at our hunting camp. There is an almost landlocked parcel of public, we access through a farm we have permission. One of the adjoining farms also allows hunters to cross through for access. Meanwhile someone just going off this difficult-to-access map theory might assume they've found a honey hole by taking a 2 mile jaunt over hill and dale with a few stream crossings. It looks like an access gem to the map scouters, but reality this piece is hunted pretty hard. Congrats for your find, but meanwhile we're there hunting it 400 yards from the truck. Time and time again in other situations I've encountered this, often with people driving ATV's right up to the property line.

I don't mean to be Chief Poopoo, I believe no idea is a bad idea, I just thought I'd point this out. I would just argue that difficult access factor tends to get a little overemphasized because the backside access factor is often left out of the consideration.

[thwack16]

I agree with you. I pretty much always have in mind that someone will come in from private.

[rfickes87]

But is there bedding nearby? So hear me out...

I just walked 2 miles back on a piece of Ohio public a few weeks ago. to my absolute amazement there is a ladder stand there. how they lugged it all the way back there i don't know but its there. Some might get frustrated to see that but for me, i'll be 200 yards away next to the bedding where as that guy's stand is down low in an open creek bottom where i saw zero deer sign.

I know what you're say elk yinzer, believe me. But i didn't get discouraged when i saw that stand 2 miles back even though i was very surprised to see it bc i knew where the bedding probably was and he wasn't screwing it up and then sure enough i found it. your point that guys will find a way is absolutely true but there was still huge rubs around and i found the bedding. and my sit won't be compromised by that guy at all, i'm sure of it.

the only real factor time and time again that tells me where people do and don't go is when i find the actual bedding in person, based on assumptions i made from looking at a map. that bedding is the gospel truth.

[elk yinzer]

But is there bedding nearby? So hear me out...

I just walked 2 miles back on a piece of Ohio public a few weeks ago. to my absolute amazement there is a ladder stand there. how they lugged it all the way back there i don't know but its there. Some might get frustrated to see that but for me, i'll be 200 yards away next to the bedding where as that guy's stand is down low in an open creek bottom where i saw zero deer sign.

I know what you're say elk yinzer, believe me. But i didn't get discouraged when i saw that stand 2 miles back even though i was very surprised to see it bc i knew where the bedding probably was and he wasn't screwing it up and then sure enough i found it. your point that guys will find a way is absolutely true but there was still huge rubs around and i found the bedding. and my sit won't be compromised by that guy at all, i'm sure of it.

the only real factor time and time again that tells me where people do and don't go is when i find the actual bedding in person, based on assumptions i made from looking at a map. that bedding is the gospel truth.

That's basically my point, you have to look at every spot in a vacuum. Just a reminder that there isn't a one-way osmosis wall between private/public and guys regularly do cross off private to hunt public.

Certainly sometimes those will turn into killer spots. I'm just pointing out not to fall into the trap of thinking those spots are the only ways to mine big bucks out of public land. I've fallen for it at times. I got super pumped about this area I found last year. It was 1,000' drop, followed by a 1,000 foot climb. Brutal. No one sane is doing that. I'm thinking there is no way that is getting pressure. I scout it completely and come to find out it's getting hammered from the backside, there's an ATV trail on the border and treestands all over. It's still on my radar. I still think I could haul a mature buck out of there, but it's pretty low on my priority list because I have areas to hunt that aren't that brutal to get to.

In the past few years I've gotten somewhat away from relying too much on cyber scouting and this is one of the reasons. Sometimes it leads me away from the KISS philosophy.

[mheichelbech]

I totally agree with your premis. I accessed a public property just as you noted, through private. Found out later that many hunters were coming in the other side...the long way around so to speak. However what I also figured out is that it was all gun hunters. Virtually no bowhunters. As such, for the first 45 days of the season I have not much pressure.

I have found several places that have heavy gun pressure but little bow pressure. I hunt them accordingly and save other spots for when gun comes in and the deer get chased to the private.

[walking river]

Public land in Michigan...I can't tell you the number of times that I've felt I've gone where no man has gone only to start finding trash or other human sign. Most disappointing. Not necessarily an automatic disqualification though.

[greenhorndave]

Agreed with the original post. I have seen stands and activity that almost assuredly comes from private that is a relatively short stroll for the neighboring landowner but a seriously haul for someone on public. Spots that looked great when only considering public weren't so stellar when the private owner can saunter through a mature woodlot to hit the transitions in a 1/4 of the time and effort.

My tactic is shifting to difficult or overlooked spots that are that way for *everyone*. Doesn't mean I won't run into anyone (particularly Beasts), but they're going to have to be determined, not just fortunate in terms of land ownership position.

[dan]

Spot on... When I say "over looked" areas a lot of guys immediately start talking remote. When often its the stuff next to the parking lot. Remote seems to be the buzz word right now... I scouted a public property for a guy once. There was a lot of remote hard to access islands and such and the best way to get there was a boat. There was a big camp site next to the boat launch where all the hunters camped... I immediately fixated on a patch of dogwood in the cattails 75 yards from the boat launch next to the campground. Noticed it on the map before even getting there. Sure enough, that was really the only spot I found that had increadable buck bedding and a bullet proof set up with no hunter sign. The most remote stuff had hunter sign all over it and only occasional big buck sign.

Over looked is not the same as remote

[HunterBob]

I've seen a lot of guys thinking that they will bust their nuts to get to difficult-to-access pieces of public property, bordering private, with the assumption that they will have that to themselves. It's sort of become a mainstream mantra lately. I just watched it on a THP episode where they ferried across a river and figured no one would do the same to get in there, as if it was the ONLY way to access that piece.

I just thought I'd point out; how I see these properties, I often assume someone is accessing them from the private. We do the same at our hunting camp. There is an almost landlocked parcel of public, we access through a farm we have permission. One of the adjoining farms also allows hunters to cross through for access. Meanwhile someone just going off this difficult-to-access map theory might assume they've found a honey hole by taking a 2 mile jaunt over hill and dale with a few stream crossings. It looks like an access gem to the map scouters, but reality this piece is hunted pretty hard. Congrats for your find, but meanwhile we're there hunting it 400 yards from the truck. Time and time again in other situations I've encountered this, often with people driving ATV's right up to the property line.

I don't mean to be Chief Poopoo, I believe no idea is a bad idea, I just thought I'd point this out. I would just argue that difficult access factor tends to get a little overemphasized because the backside access factor is often left out of the consideration.

I learned this exact thing last year. Hunted some spots that I thought would be golden and required a kayak and a long walk only to find stands and other hunters nearby. However, I did learn this property well and will be looking to get some of the homeowner permission to access in some spots, so it's not a waste of time all the way.

The only spots haven't seen nobody has been places that do not border public land.

[HunterBob]

I've seen a lot of guys thinking that they will bust their nuts to get to difficult-to-access pieces of public property, bordering private, with the assumption that they will have that to themselves. It's sort of become a mainstream mantra lately. I just watched it on a THP episode where they ferried across a river and figured no one would do the same to get in there, as if it was the ONLY way to access that piece.

I just thought I'd point out; how I see these properties, I often assume someone is accessing them from the private. We do the same at our hunting camp. There is an almost landlocked parcel of public, we access through a farm we have permission. One of the adjoining farms also allows hunters to cross through for access. Meanwhile someone just going off this difficult-to-access map theory might assume they've found a honey hole by taking a 2 mile jaunt over hill and dale with a few stream crossings. It looks like an access gem to the map scouters, but reality this piece is hunted pretty hard. Congrats for your find, but meanwhile we're there hunting it 400 yards from the truck. Time and time again in other situations I've encountered this, often with people driving ATV's right up to the property line.

I don't mean to be Chief Poopoo, I believe no idea is a bad idea, I just thought I'd point this out. I would just argue that difficult access factor tends to get a little overemphasized because the backside access factor is often left out of the consideration.

I learned this exact thing last year. Hunted some spots that I thought would be golden and required a kayak and a long walk only to find stands and other hunters nearby. However, I did learn this property well and will be looking to get some of the homeowner permission to access in some spots, so it's not a waste of time all the way.

The only spots haven't seen nobody has been places that do not border public land.

Last sentence should say private land not public land.

[Ack]

One of the best spots I ever hunted was secluded like you mention, and nobody accessed from the private. Was a true gem until the beavers dammed the creek and changed the deer's travel route.

I've seen it both ways....can be nobody back there, or tons of pressure from the private. Only way to know for sure is to walk it and draw your own conclusions.

[cspot]

I've seen a lot of guys thinking that they will bust their nuts to get to difficult-to-access pieces of public property, bordering private, with the assumption that they will have that to themselves. It's sort of become a mainstream mantra lately. I just watched it on a THP episode where they ferried across a river and figured no one would do the same to get in there, as if it was the ONLY way to access that piece.

I just thought I'd point out; how I see these properties, I often assume someone is accessing them from the private. We do the same at our hunting camp. There is an almost landlocked parcel of public, we access through a farm we have permission. One of the adjoining farms also allows hunters to cross through for access. Meanwhile someone just going off this difficult-to-access map theory might assume they've found a honey hole by taking a 2 mile jaunt over hill and dale with a few stream crossings. It looks like an access gem to the map scouters, but reality this piece is hunted pretty hard. Congrats for your find, but meanwhile we're there hunting it 400 yards from the truck. Time and time again in other situations I've encountered this, often with people driving ATV's right up to the property line.

I don't mean to be Chief Poopoo, I believe no idea is a bad idea, I just thought I'd point this out. I would just argue that difficult access factor tends to get a little overemphasized because the backside access factor is often left out of the consideration.

I have seen that in Ohio where the public and private is checkerboarded. Hiked back to some spots only to see a worn trail onto it from a private parcel.

[big Den]

Just finished scouting today..i look for spots within spots.Kind of like fishing presured water..The public here get hit hard, In the past 5 yesrs i have only been messed up by someone 3-4 times. I hunt 40 + dsys..here is the keys .. WEEK DAYS.. LOOK HARDER FOR HUMAN SIGN.....HUNT IN CRAPPY WEATHER..Be mobile..

[PK_]

Look for large private tracts with good habitat. This keeps guys on their own ground usually. Look for tower stands and food plots. You can see them on the map.

If you see a larger tract of private in a given area and can get the name, usually the local game warden or other local hunters know if that family hunts, does not allow hunting or what the situation is. Assuming you are in a small town setting...