I don't have much to contribute as my best public land buck was about 90" back in NY several years ago. With that said, as I shared in my New Goals for 2015 thread a few weeks ago I'm really working my tail off this year to find and kill a respectable public land buck this year. I've put in quite a few miles but haven't found what I'm looking for yet. I've got about a half dozen more target properties I'll check out in the next month so I'm hopeful I'll find what I'm looking for. I'd love to see pics and hear your success stories about public land bucks. Anyone have pics and stories to share?
This is my "giant" so far. Though i did shoot him with a gun, ( he came out at seventy yards, way too far to shoot with my bow so i shot him with a gun. ) this is my first public land buck ever and it was on my first public land hunt ever. I also paid 100 dollars to hunt for the weekend in Arkansas so i was going to shoot anything that was legal. so it was this guy. This year i am hunting public land near my house and in texas we have the 13 inch spread rule so hopefully I will be able to contribute a bigger buck to this thread later this year! I have only been able to scout a little bit because it won't stop raining here. Hopefully this next weekend it will be better and i can get out there and scout.
I've gotten a few "fergy" bucks on public land, I don't even know if I took a picture. but like I mentioned in the "2015 goals" thread, one of my goals is to shoot a respectable (110-120") public land buck. As soon as the 3' plus of snow melts some I plan on pounding the ground to find what I'm looking for!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last year was my first attempt giving an honest attempt hunting public property. I moved to Wisconsin and wanted more land than the private I have access to. I bowhunted this piece twice, first time in passed a 100" 8 point then had a stud under me after legal light. Crawled back into it opening day of gun season and shot this respectable 8 point. I've scouted this piece this spring and it looks promising, it's wet and has limited access which equals little pressure.
was hunting about a 170" last fall. hope he is still alive. seen a lot of 120's. helps I'm 3 miles back in!!! so mine so far is about a 110".
My biggest public land buck is a 154" 10-point. I took him in 2006 off Howell Island in MO. It's a 2,500 acre, bowhunting only island along the MO river around Chesterfield, MO. It gets a lot of pressure but a ton of big deer. You just have to walk a couple miles to get away from everyone.
IL Public land 130's 9 point...that ended up with only 4 points after his death run, broke off last 2pts on right side (never found), then snapped the whole main beam off on right side (which I found)...shot him at 11:55 am...first and only deer I saw that day. I still have to hunt this public ground each year as I love the large timber and steep topography...fun to have room to roam compared to usually hunting 20 and 35 acre parcels. Plenty of good public land for big bucks in this part of state for those willing to put in the effort...especially if you have a boat. I sometimes wonder why I'm making land payments when over a few year stretch this buck, 2 bull elk, an archery turkey and shotgun turkey all came off public land...
First public land buck shot on first and only public land hunt to date. Scored 133 6/8. [video=youtube_share;uNWD-_SiD14]http://youtu.be/uNWD-_SiD14[/video]
This is my biggest with a bow. Scored 124". My biggest is a 149" ten I shot when I was 15 with a shotgun. Something awesome about shooting a buck that anyone had access to kill,but you were the one to get it done. Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
I had a self-imposed 25 yard max range limit (40lb draw wgt) and thus, had some real bruisers walk by me at 30-40 yards. Now that I'm out west and shot a deer at 40 yards and watched my arrow zip through it without problems, I kind of wish I had some do-overs on those IL bucks.
38 yard shot , he came in to some scent bombs , lip curled and then turned and walked to my right side and have a perfect broadside shot , dressed out at 243 Lbs , 150" my biggest , shot him with my Hoyt Havoc-Tec 3-49 ACC with a 100 grain Muzzy
164" is my biggest public land buck. Set stand, trimmed lanes, and harvested buck all within a 4 hour hunt.
Got this 171 7/8" hog on public land in Nebraska! I rattled as a last attempt with about 30 minutes left in my evening hunt. He walked by about 10 minutes later at 70 yards, going away from me. I grunted at him, he stopped, threw down a scrape then stood there for a couple minutes smelling my scent bomb! Gave another grunt and a doe bleat and he came walking down the creek bed to 27 yards! 15 points, 215 lbs field dressed, and my first Pope & Young
