Anyone here who hunts public land regularly?

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saxrulez

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I'm going deer hunting for the first time this weekend. For those who hunt public land regularly, do you usually take a tree stand with you and set it up in the morning? I'm debating on just seeing what I can do from the ground for my first trip out by sitting up against a tree.

Any advice? Tips/tricks for deciding where to hunt on the land?
 
depends on what your hunting with, bow i would prefer to be in the stand but with a shotgun or rifle i like to cover ground/sit for awhile. maybe go on the ground your first day out, look for sign or a promising spot, and make a little ground blind for yourself? my dad has lost tree stands to thieves and thats no fun, but the worst they can do to your natural ground blind is be in it on saturday morning. cant really lose if you ask me. good luck!
 
I usually take a climber with me when I hunt public land. If there is an abundance of streight trees with no branches below 15-20 feet then a climber would be a good choice. If you don't have one, it might be a little late to get one for this season, but keep it in mind.
 
ive never tried a climber stand myself, all i have are those old dinosaur ones that weigh 1000 lbs
 
I hunt public land and im running 2 Stands both with feeders and ladders on them
One is hidden pritty well and the other would not be to hard to find I use a chain and a lock on the ladders and for the feeders I use a cable with a lock on it also they are bucket feeders hainging from a tree. Yes you have to fill them more often but for the money they are the cheepest way to go so if they are stolen im not out to much. With that being said a lock will onley keep the HONEST PERSON HONEST..
 
During your morning hunts try to stay in the woods later than most hunters. When they're leaving they usually drive deer to you.

Hunting from the ground is fine you just can't get away with much movement. If you can sit with a big tree at your back that will help conceal you.
 
I ONLY hunt public land, but I don't sit and wait. I hike around and find the deer/elk and shoot them. Only at a sunset, will I sit at the edge of a well-used spot to catch them coming down to graze at night.
 
I like the spot and stalk. I like sitting and glassing for animals. It is way to easy to push them out of an area if you go wondering though, they know you are there and coming before you ever have a chance to see them. So I usually like to find a high spot and then glass for a while.
 
First be safe, know where you are and where you are shooting, bring a compass. No deer is worth an injury to yourself or others. Beware of others, some idiots will shoot at anything and steal deer, stands and move in on your spots. 2. Be legal, what are shooting hours? can you bait deer? what firearms are legal, what tags do you need etc. If you have that covered what kind of terrain are you hunting? How crowded is it? Do the other hunters move, drive deer? or do they post on a stand or ground? Are you in a party or alone? If not too crowded look for escape routes and crossings. Some times it's bet to do the oposite of the others. If there is a hunter in every tree and behind it, try to find patches of dense cover. Consider the first hunt more a scouting trip.
 
First thing you should do is check your local and state regs on the use of portable stands. On some state and most federal land, stands must be taken down at the end of the day or anytime they are vacated. On most public land causing any kind of damage to the tree is also a violation. This means the cutting of branches and using screw in steps are verboten. For the first time out, in a new area, you probably will be just as well off on the ground. Less to carry and less to worry about. Also, unless you have scouted the area and have already picked out a good spot, being mobile with less baggage will be a better than luggin' a heavy, noisy tree stand around all day with the hopes of finding the right tree.
 


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Any opinions on these? I'm assuming the one closest to the road is a bad decision. Any other area's in this section that would be promising? The very large open area south of those 3 is a "safety area" and is off limits.
 
I'd go #1, or between there and the water. If someone beats you to it, anywhere could be good. That looks like a good area to hunt. I hope it's not too crowded. That saddle between #1 and # 2 looks like it might have possiblilties, or close to the open areas early and late in the day. If you find a trail accross the slope, sit downwind from it.
 
I'd try north of #2, along that draw. Find a spot where they cross. Anywhere on public land where there is easy access there will be pressure. Any place with a lot of sign and easy access will be hammered.
 
Check your Regs.

You need to check your local regulations. Some states do not allow tree stands or screw-in steps that can damage the tree. Some have a time limit for leaving stands in place and some do not allow feeders on public land.

Personally, I would take one of my cable climbers and take it home at the end of the days hunt. I have had a few stands stolen over the years.
 
stay of the ridges when walking to avoid skylining, even in the wee hours. on a first hunt to a new area i like to pack ground blind matteral and a foam seat for comfort. its light and will get you hidden fast, a first hunt is a great time to scout the land. thats a lot easyer to do with out i stand on the back. hunt form the ground and check a few areas out realy well befor you chose a tree to hang in. G/L and happy hunting!
 
Go west

Go west of 1 to where the might feed at night. I would also go north by the private property if they have beans, corn etc
 
Haha, I picked out probably the worst spot possible this morning while it was dark. Waited till about 830 and hopped down to scout out the area. I'm gonna eat and move all my stuff/stand in a bit. Found a pretty good area north of the dirt trail just north of #2 where it looks like a creek occasionaly is. Lots of tracks there.

I'm going to try and stay put there until sunset.
 
Well. I had fun! But that's all I took home! No deer seen. Watched an armadillo for about an hour and some squirrels. I put a few drops of buck urine near one of the trails along that draw, which I now think was probably a mistake. I learned by talking to the WMA guys at the check in that the rut here is early-mid january! So while I didn't see any deer, I'm REALLY looking forward to the next 2 months of hunting.

I was approximately NNW of #2.

I also was surprised when I checked out that NOBODY had brought a deer in today at all!
 
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