Who hunts public land?

[mohican]

I've always hunted private land. That changed several years ago, and I started taking advantage of special hunts in public hunting areas.

I still hunt my own property, of course, and I advoid the crowd during deer gun season on public land. On the other hand, I've started taking advantage land I help pay for with taxes and license fees. I also get to see new scenery.

I would like to see some of these so called hunting videos shot on public land. It's hard to take someone's advice seriously when the credits show so&so game farm, "managed for trophy animals".
I would also like to see more hunting and gun writers write about hunts on public areas and less "ranch" hunting.

Next fall I plan a combined canoe trip/bow hunt in the southern part of Ohio!

 

[Shooter973]

Hunt public lands?

I do almost all of my hunting on public lands, as Utah is about 70% owned by the U.S. Govt. Other than a fairly narrow band of private lands along the Wasatch Front most of the wild parts of Utah are under Govt. control. Deer hunting is almost all on public lands and a large part of duck hunting is on public lands. The places that are private hunting only are so expensive that a poor working class guy can't afford to go there. In this case I'm glad there is so much Govt. control.

 

[cratz2]

I've never hunted on public land for one second but my buddy keeps trying to talk me in to going down to Georgia to hunt deer with centerfire rifles since we can't here in Indiana.

Anyone hunt the crazy numbers of deer in Georgia? Public or private? Anyone want to volunteer some time to us?

 

[PATH]

I try to hunt on private land that abuts state land. Two of my clubs have such a set up and it works fine for me.

 

[Poodleshooter]

Since I don't have $1,000-5,000 per hunting season to spend on a private hunting club or leased acreage, and since I don't know anyone in the state who owns enough private land to be huntable, I have to hunt public land only.
People in this state know darn well that hunters will pay big money for hunting opportunities, so they are usually reluctant to allow hunting without some sort of pricey fee. Either that, or they and their kin hunt the land, and don't really want anyone "moving in on the action". I can't say as I blame them for that; I'll probably do the same when I can afford land.
My family has been "town folks" for so long that there is no more huntable land in the possession of the immediate family.

 

[Newt]

I hunt public land most of the time, however, I guess I'm pretty lucky in the private land department. Arkansas has lots of acreage in Gov't land, but it's usually being hunted on by someone during deer season. I have a friend who's family owns 2 different plots of private land. Both of them join Arkansas National Forest. One of them is about 800 acres and the other is 300. Just blessed with the land I get to hunt. I hunt both of these as often as possible too.

 

[Greybeard]

The pkg. in TX includes lots of land and costs only $40. I usually get it because of some fairly close dove and varmint areas. Lots of pretty areas for just tromping around in the woods and/or fishin'.

Like the name implies though, it is very "public" so I avoid during primary seasons and stay with smaller and more distant private lands.