Wisconsin Private land-- to Public Land-- Back to Private?

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littlebuckhunter
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Wisconsin Private land-- to Public Land-- Back to Private?

Unread postby littlebuckhunter » Wed Dec 23, 2020 8:59 am

Good afternoon fellas,

Something that has been on mind a lot lately and just wanted to bring it up for discussion. This is in NO way an insult, just an observation. All these guys are 100X the deer hunter I am.

I've noticed that many of the guys that I follow on here had more success on private than public lately. I've been following along for years and have started to see the trend of success going from public back to private access.

Dan-- killed a nice deer on private land this year and then at a conservancy two years ago. 2/3 years is darn good but none true open public. It's just different seeing him hunting food plots and permanent stands after so many years of killing studs on public land. He hunted public land hard too.

A couple others on here that I follow and big fans of: Mario-- hunting and killed on private land, Lockdown-- shot a nice buck on private, Dewey-- hunts public only and sees good deer but nothing down as of yet.

I don't know about you guys but the public land pressure the last few years has been off the charts. I've killed some private land bucks but really struggled on public land. From what I can see on here, others may be in a similar boat. I hope the pressure backs off but I don't see it happening with Covid, THP, Beast, and others making public land hunting cool again. Lease and owning property prices have skyrocketed the last few years with no end in site. We have urban development continuing to take away more land. There is also out of state pressure from guys leasing large tracts for themselves (good for them, not complaining just stating an observation). It seems that the trend has been increasingly more pressure and people going where I use to see no one.

Will you guys continue to put your effort into your local public lands? I believe I will but may need to alter my expectations with the new addition of added hunting pressure.


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Boogieman1
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Re: Wisconsin Private land-- to Public Land-- Back to Private?

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Wed Dec 23, 2020 9:22 am

I will be honest with u. I like to hunt (a lot) I hammer the the public early season just cause I wanna go hunting and to keep pressure off my small acreage knock on door private. When the time is right I flip the script and hammer the private. There are a few overlooked pieces of public I currently hunt that I’m the only one hunting but I refer to them as private cause I’m only battling myself.

I still get good pics every year of public pressured bucks but on pressured public I battle mind games of worrying if the reason it didn’t happen today is because maybe someone else cut me off. On private I can relax and know it’s just a matter of time. I also have that luxury. If I didn’t I pretty much guarantee that I would be a lot better at hunting the pressured public.
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Primetime41
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Re: Wisconsin Private land-- to Public Land-- Back to Private?

Unread postby Primetime41 » Wed Dec 23, 2020 9:29 am

I've seen a been a big increase in pressure on public land in the last 3-4 years. But most dudes who try public don't last more than a season or two. I'm hoping the pressure subsides a bit in the next few years.

Hunting public land is hard, but rewards make it all worthwhile, in my opinion.
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Re: Wisconsin Private land-- to Public Land-- Back to Private?

Unread postby oldrank » Wed Dec 23, 2020 9:43 am

I own 2 parcels of private. I hunted the parcel behind my house 2 times this year. I hunted my up north parcel once. All other hunts were on public. I'd guess I'm over 60 hunts for the season.

Pressure on public was high this year. Alot of folks are educated on saddles, sticks n stand and mobile hunting in general. Up to 3 years ago I almost never seen another mobile hunter.

As stated by the OP I am sure it has directly affected Dan's hunting. I know it has mine. It seems like the popularity of Dan's style of mobile hunting started close to home for him. There were alot more Wisconsin guys following him before anywhere else.

It is what it is. We adapt and adjust as public land hunters. Folks can buy all the sticks n stands and saddles they want but that doesn't replace 40 years of experience.

In my opinion there is not to much difference in small private vs public. Around here every property is hunted. I prefer public because I have alot more room to roam. On private you are stuck to boundaries. Of course you can manipulate private land but really unless your managing a large tract I see no huge advantage. I will only stop hunting public when I physically can't do it anymore.
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Re: Wisconsin Private land-- to Public Land-- Back to Private?

Unread postby jkelley1487 » Wed Dec 23, 2020 10:49 am

I've seen an increase in public land pressure. I think there is definitely an increase in hunters that have nowhere else to go because the lack of access. There are many resources available such as this site, The Hunting Public, onxmaps, that gives everyone a chance to find productive areas on public.

I feel that there may be a shift in people as well. Hunters may be growing stale on high priced leases, the Outdoor Channel way of hunting. I think people are tired of it and getting back to the roots of available public land.
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Re: Wisconsin Private land-- to Public Land-- Back to Private?

Unread postby Swedishbowhunter » Wed Dec 23, 2020 11:43 am

jkelley1487 wrote:I've seen an increase in public land pressure. I think there is definitely an increase in hunters that have nowhere else to go because the lack of access. There are many resources available such as this site, The Hunting Public, onxmaps, that gives everyone a chance to find productive areas on public.

I feel that there may be a shift in people as well. Hunters may be growing stale on high priced leases, the Outdoor Channel way of hunting. I think people are tired of it and getting back to the roots of available public land.


I believe you are correct to some extent. There are still a majority that are gonna want to sit in there heated box blind over their paid for food plot on their lease. Like what was stated earlier, Covid and HP, HB popularity has definitely caused greater interest in public, but most will try it a few times and go back to their comfort zone in there box blind.
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Re: Wisconsin Private land-- to Public Land-- Back to Private?

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Wed Dec 23, 2020 11:46 am

jkelley1487 wrote:I've seen an increase in public land pressure. I think there is definitely an increase in hunters that have nowhere else to go because the lack of access. There are many resources available such as this site, The Hunting Public, onxmaps, that gives everyone a chance to find productive areas on public.

I feel that there may be a shift in people as well. Hunters may be growing stale on high priced leases, the Outdoor Channel way of hunting. I think people are tired of it and getting back to the roots of available public land.


I would like to believe your thinking is correct and in your area it very well might be. But what you said is exactly what I thought years ago. Turned out not the case at all. When lease prices started to skyrocket men with money viewed it as a business opportunity and leased it all up. Then offered outrageous prices due to the supply and demand. Most working class were on the outs. They gave public a shot a couple times but realized quick it was not for them. Most took up golf or fishing to replace it.

I think the push for real world public is great when honest. You know... a guy grinding it out day after day. But others go on a 2 day excursion to a strange public land and whack a giant not known to exist in a wide open field. Tv hunting seems tougher and the guys not seeing squat on public get discouraged. Truth is public is not easy it’s dam hard. But everyone has different things that gets them fired up. For myself it doesn’t matter how educated beyond his years this 115” 8 pt is or how hard it was for me to get him in range. It doesn’t give me the same heart rate a big ole stud does coming down the pipe. I love that feeling, it’s why I hunt. But I battle the odds everyday.
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brkissl82
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Re: Wisconsin Private land-- to Public Land-- Back to Private?

Unread postby brkissl82 » Wed Dec 23, 2020 12:10 pm

Idk but those hunting public guys sure do amaze me how often they get it done on public
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Re: Wisconsin Private land-- to Public Land-- Back to Private?

Unread postby greenhorndave » Wed Dec 23, 2020 12:20 pm

brkissl82 wrote:Idk but those hunting public guys sure do amaze me how often they get it done on public

Yeah, a serious tip of the hat.

I think it would be nice to hit it for 3-4 days straight to zone in on where they are now but my free time is far more constrained.
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Dewey
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Re: Wisconsin Private land-- to Public Land-- Back to Private?

Unread postby Dewey » Wed Dec 23, 2020 12:21 pm

brkissl82 wrote:Idk but those hunting public guys sure do amaze me how often they get it done on public

That’s the thing. Everybody sees that and thinks it’s gonna be easy. Doesn’t take long and a majority figure out that’s not the case and give up pretty quickly.
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Re: Wisconsin Private land-- to Public Land-- Back to Private?

Unread postby Jonny » Wed Dec 23, 2020 1:01 pm

I’d hunt private more if I had access to it and it was better than the public I hunt. I think most would do that. I’ve found that as long as I have goals that are attainable, success is always possible.

Having more time would make it a lot more interesting. I already told my boss I’m taking a week off next fall for bow hunting since I’m not going on a fishing trip. That will be fun unless I tag out early again. Then it might be out of state.
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brkissl82
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Re: Wisconsin Private land-- to Public Land-- Back to Private?

Unread postby brkissl82 » Wed Dec 23, 2020 2:09 pm

Dewey wrote:
brkissl82 wrote:Idk but those hunting public guys sure do amaze me how often they get it done on public

That’s the thing. Everybody sees that and thinks it’s gonna be easy. Doesn’t take long and a majority figure out that’s not the case and give up pretty quickly.


I agree, it becomes a grind. Many people dive in and after long hikes and setting stands up and taking them back down without seeing deer many get discouraged quick! A lot of people me included scout hard in winter when walking marshes is easy then come early season when the ground is soft and water is waist deep while swating mosquitoes....that makes a guy think twice
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Re: Wisconsin Private land-- to Public Land-- Back to Private?

Unread postby Dewey » Wed Dec 23, 2020 2:11 pm

brkissl82 wrote:
Dewey wrote:
brkissl82 wrote:Idk but those hunting public guys sure do amaze me how often they get it done on public

That’s the thing. Everybody sees that and thinks it’s gonna be easy. Doesn’t take long and a majority figure out that’s not the case and give up pretty quickly.


I agree, it becomes a grind. Many people dive in and after long hikes and setting stands up and taking them back down without seeing deer many get discouraged quick! A lot of people me included scout hard in winter when walking marshes is easy then come early season when the ground is soft and water is waist deep while swating mosquitoes....that makes a guy think twice

Yeah that deters 99% of them. :lol:
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Re: Wisconsin Private land-- to Public Land-- Back to Private?

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Wed Dec 23, 2020 2:26 pm

I hunted public land a few times this year. I got permission on a 40 acre section and I kinda burned it out fast. I knew I was burning it out but there was something satisfying knowing I was hunting timber only me myself is interrupting but in a more strategic manner. Knowing no one else is gonna come walking through your set up. Its been about a decade since I last bowhunted private land so it was a nice change of pace.

Two of my hunts on public land this season were botched by guys that IMO were inexperienced and didn’t understand public land courtesy. Those two set ups I thought would be dynamite set ups too.

I rarely run into other people in the past and if I did it was always in the parking area.

This season I noticed more cars and trucks in some parking lots. Its cool people maybe finding alternative things to do while the COVID is keeping things at a minimum but at the same time it sucks because hunting areas are getting hammered more than usual. Going into next season I am a little concerned I might have a repeat of this season. It might come down too thinking harder outside the box.
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Re: Wisconsin Private land-- to Public Land-- Back to Private?

Unread postby OH nontypical » Wed Dec 23, 2020 2:31 pm

brkissl82 wrote:Idk but those hunting public guys sure do amaze me how often they get it done on public


Agree but remember they are hunting for a living. I rarely can hunt more than a few days in a row and usually over a weekend or long weekend due to work obligations.

I think they are very mobile too and young enough to cover a lot of ground. They also hunt In teams which helps. This ups their odds. At 51 most of my buddies can’t or won’t hunt the hilly public I hunt.

We all slow down but I did kill my best public buck ever last year after mostly hunting private the last 10 year.

This year has been tough and have only seen two bucks on Public I would consider shooting. Neither presented a shot.

Either way I still love it.


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