Hunting public land (eg Tri-county)

[rabidsquirrel]

I just got bumped off the private land I've been hunting for the past 5 years due to new management. Absolute worst time of year for this to happen and now I'm in a panic. It's prime bow season and I need to act fast. My only option is to prowl the public locations now. I need to know what to expect. I prefer not to use a stand, but instead sneaky sneak on the ground. I've only squirrel hunted at tri-county and have never attempted deer hunting. How hosed am I? Is it worth hunting public land? Or, is it just to much of a cluster mess? Should I expect to actually see deer? Help!

 

[ilikeguns]

I'm not from your area and you obviously can hunt however you choose on public land. However this isn't the west where there are hundreds of thousands of acres to roam and not bother anyone. You are going to seriously tick some people off if you are walking around in prime time at prime hours on Indiana public ground. You WILL be walking in on people and ruining hunts. Again, you have every right to do so and I'm not saying don't, but as a public land hunter myself, it sucks when you are the one sitting in a stand in an area you worked hard to get into and some dude comes stalking through. I occasionally still hunt myself, but I wait for nasty rain or stormy weather and when I Isign in I can see if anyone else is as dumb as I am to be out in it. If not then I will still hunt through thick cover.

 

[ruger44srh]

Isn't there a good chance someone stillhunting/walking/sneaking through the woods will push deer past a hunter in a stand?

 

[rabidsquirrel]

I'm not from your area and you obviously can hunt however you choose on public land. However this isn't the west where there are hundreds of thousands of acres to roam and not bother anyone. You are going to seriously tick some people off if you are walking around in prime time at prime hours on Indiana public ground. You WILL be walking in on people and ruining hunts. Again, you have every right to do so and I'm not saying don't, but as a public land hunter myself, it sucks when you are the one sitting in a stand in an area you worked hard to get into and some dude comes stalking through. I occasionally still hunt myself, but I wait for nasty rain or stormy weather and when I Isign in I can see if anyone else is as dumb as I am to be out in it. If not then I will still hunt through thick cover.

I appreciate the insight. This was one of my concerns. Obviously I don't want to be stepping on anyone's toes.

 

[ilikeguns]

Isn't there a good chance someone stillhunting/walking/sneaking through the woods will push deer past a hunter in a stand?

It's possible. I will say this. I have hunted the same 8000 acre public property for years now. I know these deer. The bedding areas, the hidden feeding grounds, the travel routes and where the highest concentrations of other hunters are and how that affects the deer. I have spent countless hours scouting, shed hunting and watching the deer in this property. I have taken a lot of deer and a few good bucks. Several of my stands are well over a mile from the truck. I can't count how many times I have had deer blow by me a hundred miles an hour or had deer bedded in front of me or feeding next to me one second and bust out of there like hell hounds the next. Then two minutes later see some dude stalking through. On the other hand, I have never, to my knowledge, taken a deer with a bow as a direct result of someone wandering through my area. Not saying it can't happen, but the other scenario is much more likely. I am not crying or complaining,I understand it is just one of the frustrations you deal with hunting public ground and you have to take it in stride. As I said earlier, a guy has just as much right to hunt in the way he enjoys most as I do. Not saying he can't or shouldn't do it. Just giving a different perspective to think about to a new public land hunter.

 

[sbcman]

I too have had to move to public ground this year and it's worked out alright so far. The most educational part of hunting these grounds is that some guys are using some REALLY LOUD bows. Couple of dudes came through the other day and their bows looked just like a double barrel shotgun and an 870. Weird, huh.

That's just some of what I've come to expect from hunting public ground and as ilikeguns said, you just gotta take in stride. On the other hand, I've met a couple of cool guys that have hunted those lands for years and gave me some good advice. I somewhat cringe at what next week will bring, I might sit out some of the firearms season to get back in with bow afterwards. Really looking forward to muzzleloading season on those grounds.

 

[Hookeye]

Did the ground pound a few times bow, on public land.
Lots of scouting/walking.........passed a couple of shots. Only popped one spot and stalk.
Great time afield, low % chance of success.
Went where there usually were no cars, had scouted it prior to season.....so probably less deer there (and less chance of screwing up somebody else's hunt).

A knowledgeable and polite bowhunter scouting or still hunting...........might be less problematic than the guys who have stands hung and think they can just march out there to them.

 

[rabidsquirrel]

Did the ground pound a few times bow, on public land.
Lots of scouting/walking.........passed a couple of shots. Only popped one spot and stalk.
Great time afield, low % chance of success.
Went where there usually were no cars, had scouted it prior to season.....so probably less deer there (and less chance of screwing up somebody else's hunt).


A knowledgeable and polite bowhunter scouting or still hunting...........might be less problematic than the guys who have stands hung and think they can just march out there to them.

This is what I may end up doing this year. Wait until after muzzleloader season, then sneak out with a bow where there aren't other hunters. Thanks for all the input guys.

 

[Hookeye]

Late season in the areas I went, it was dang near worthless. All the deer were blown onto private ground.
Oh you'd see tons of them, after dark.......still on private ground.

Best is pre gun season (early bow).

I have hunted gun season, public land, a couple of times, 1st week, middle of the week........saw some bucks, nothing great.

Bring your A game..........those still alive are beyond skittish.

Best luck I think would be on BIG public land. Smaller areas.............tough gig once the lead flies. That said, the deer I saw were on the outer edges of the place I went.