I think anyone that has ever hunted public land has ran into some sort of issues with other hunters. It's just part of the deal unfortunately. I scouted some public land during the summer and narrowed down where I wanted to hunt. In Missouri, we can leave our stands all season, starting September 1st. I scouted again about a week after the season started and didn't find a stand or any sign in the area so I came back in one late morning to hang my stand. Two guys came by dragging a doe and informed me they had a stand about 40 yards away. After they were gone, I got down and located the stand which was about 75-80 yards away and I decided I was going to leave my stand because I plan on hunting it week day evenings. I didn't personally intend to set up on them, but I had done my homework on the area and felt like it would be a good evening stand location so I kept the set. I put a life line and a pull rope up, left the top two sticks and the stand. Came back to hunt it about a week later and someone had stolen my lifeline and stuck a bunch of branches up in my stand. Clearly their way of marking their territory. I contacted and reported to the conservation agent. I've walked a great deal of that conservation area and there are stands all over the place, some that had clearly been there for years, even though they are supposed to be removed by Feb 1st. It's just too much land for them to really manage for that type of stuff. I don't agree with moving in on people, but I also understand that sometimes it's impossible to know.
Where in the world are you finding a lease for $1 an acre? Are you sharing it with others to lower your price considerably? Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Do what I did this year. I looked at several maps and and tax maps. I then picked out places that were good size farms and went and knocked on doors. I simply asked if I could hunt their property. I had several upon several "no" answer. All of the farmers were extremely nice and thanked me for asking. They had several reason why they said no. I only got one farm to hunt and I got a good one. I landed a 500 acre dairy farm where the farmer grows his own corn and hay. He gave me full access to the property. I already this season shot a buck off his property and shares the meat with him. I stop on to say hi and chat with him. We are gaining a very good rapport and a friendship is forming. I now have golden access to come and go as I please, park where I want and full range to all the property at anytime for any game. I offered him a "work" day to help him around the farm with odd jobs. I got lucky as this was only 1 out of about 15 spots that I asked. Just start "hunting" for land same as you would deer. Do your homework, scout around and just go after it. Worse they can say is "no".
Twisted logic! Ya gotta hate it when it's right..... What good is an expensive bow if you got no place to hunt good deer with it?
I foresee a lease is in my future...but to be honest if I lease it'll be somewhere away from home or I'll just spend hard earned money towards land of my own in Wisconsin or somewhere affordable (not common man's land rates here).
Years of doing the same thing everyone else does but doing it successfully with incentives to the landowner.., and lots of luck Yes I share it with good hunters and limited pressure. It can be done! Communication and having similar goals make it doable....
That's impressive pricing! Taking care of the landowner should always be a priority. Treat them right, and most will return the favor Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
I'm not sure what kind of public land you are hunting but it's my understanding that on some forms of public land in MN it is legal to leave stands up for the duration of the season.
Wow this post took off. Where I hunt there are no leases. Eastern mass doesn't really have acreage to lease. Large acres of land are conservation that are open to public. We get permission from landowners that have roughly maybe 10 acres at the most to hunt. But you still have to deal with the trespassing hunters that are illegally hunting the private land. The last thing the owner wants to hear after you convinced them to hunt their land and there won't be a problem. Then you have to tell them ya you have a bunch of trespassers hunting. Because we know what they will say no hunting at all. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
"A person may not construct, occupy, or use any elevated scaffold or other elevated device for the purpose of hunting, watching, or killing wild animals, except that portable stands may be used if they are removed each day at the close of hunting hours and do no permanent damage. " From the regs. It may be different for state forests and state parks. I have only been hunting on WMA's though.
I guess that did seem really pouty. My bad about that, but if you think I am just wallowing in my own pity and giving up then you’ve got the wrong idea. I was simply relating my experiences to this post. Other hunters are part of the game. Trust me, I got that. But it’s frustrating. I don’t particularly like when guys are walking past my tree when I have deer heading my way. Am I supposed to? Lol.. But anyways, thank you for the tip. I’ll remember that I can just go buy some “adult” land next time I want to go hunting!
On the public i hunt. The rule is 30 days prior to season to put up your stand. I think there is a 200 yd rule but dont know if thats by the book or just rule of thumb passed on to me. I dont think its greedy to get out on public land and scout and do homework and then temporarily "claim" your spot. Its the same when we duck hunt public. First come, first serve, 200 yd rule. If you go to a spot and someone else beat you to it then for your "Own" benefit, move on. Who wants to hunt right on top of someone anyway?? And what it really boils down to is safety. IMO
I hunted public for years and always thought I needed to get on a good lease to improve my hunting experience and opportunities. When I finally got on a 900 acre lease in a great location I found out that the problems I thought I would be avoiding were actually much worse on the lease. I have found that leases cause more people to think they are entitled and that the rules really don't apply to them. I now hunt public land exclusively and don't have any problems. I do get to hunt during the week quite often and I do try to access areas others won't or cant easily get to. I've never had a confrontation and I've never even ran into someone else in my sets. I say "my sets" but I do not leave my stands out as I don't want anyone else to know where I'm hunting. I am blessed to have access to several thousand acres in the surrounding counties. I don't see myself ever again paying out hundreds of dollars to a lease and then spend my time worrying about infighting and treaspassers when I can much more easily hunt anywhere I choose on public land. If your having problems with people in a certain area....move. I have killed several deer and found good spots when trying to avoid others. Good luck!
