Is a public land kill more satisfying to you than a private land kill?

Assuming everything else being equal, does a public land buck (or doe for that matter) that YOU killed give you a feeling of more accomplishment than a private land kill?

Do you perceive a big buck killed on public land by OTHER HUNTERS to be a much greater accomplishment than a big buck killed on private land?

Have you personally ever hunted public land only for the extra challenge when you could have been hunting your private land? Perhaps just to say to yourself you can do it as well on public land.

 

Never done it

Yes

No

 

No question about it... when I throw up some pics of my most treasured trophies, I take special pride in saying they were public-land, DIY hunts...

Just a few, but there's many more... 99% of my trophies come via public land.

 

I have 4 private land spots that total right around 200 acres. I also hunt a 800 acre bowhunting only piece of public ground. I am really looking foward to my first kill on the public land.

You cannot leave stands there overnight also, so every hunt is a pack in, pack out. I cannot wait to get back out there this year. It will be a great feeling when I put one down on public land.

 

Overall, yes I feel a little extra sense of accomplishment with public land deer. Especially the areas with heavier hunting pressure.

 

I hunt almost all public ground but have taken several deer from private land. I dont think one was more satisfying than the other but public land is much harder for sure as the area I hunt is extremely pressured. Im not a trophy hunter I dont care how old or big a buck is, if I see one hes legal and I like the looks of him ill take him so I have never taken a large buck and can only imagine that if your goal was to take a big mature buck around here you would have one hell of a time trying to do so, maybe ill get to that point someday but not now. If I owned some land to hunt I dont think I would bother much with public land hunting at least around here and I would probably be more selective of the deer I would take.

 

Wow! A serious response from the Vitomiester.


I really hope to find out this year. Hunting public land almost 100%.

 

Never had to hunt public land but I would imagine so

 

Not really as far as my experiences have gone. I've hunted some public land that was some REALLY good land regardless of public/private. All of the private land that I do hunt is so small it's not like I am the only person hunting those deer. They just happen to cross my patch while I am there. And there is really no land where I am the exclusive person on it. Sometimes there aren't many others, but I still share the woods.

 

I don't read into other animals trophy worthiness based on a two category system. I've hunted public land where I literally saw 15+ P&Y in a 12 day span, and I've hunted private land where the biggest buck killed in the past 20 years may have pushed 110".

It's all about the specific piece of property.

I guess if all else truly was equal, then there wouldn't be a difference.

 

Greg, great public land kills. Way to go!

 

This isn't a yes or no answer for me..

Yes, it is rewarding taking an animal on public land that everyone has an equal opportunity at. But honestly,
it is easier for me to hunt public land as it is vast and you can really get on the deer. On the private land I hunt it is all such small acreage many of the places I hunt literally only have one spot on them that is only good for a week out of the whole season.

So I bounce from property to property all year on the private land, but when hunting the public I can really just go after them and not be restricted by property lines.

The problem with the public is the lands I hunt are all two hours or more away and since my son was born I haven't been able to get away but for a couple hunts there the past two years. I miss the big woods and the ability to roam freely.

 

I hear your about being able to roam. That is something I am really digging about this public land I am hunting. YOU can determine how close to their beds you want to get. With private land, you typically are confined by property boarders.

 

While it depends largely on certain factors I would have to yes just because of hunting pressure and a number of other things.

Public land buck from last year:

 

There are public areas in MN that are excellent hunting and often better than a lot of the private land.

So, no I don't percieve public deer as being a higher acomplishment in any way.

A lot of the biggest bucks I can think of that have been killed by people I know were on public and I'm not talking about accomplished hunters who put a lot of time it in most cases.

Hell I have friends that own good hunting land and choose to hunt public because it is where that have had most success killing large bucks.

All that said...MN has like 4 million acres open to the public...I would imagine many states don't offer as much.

 

I think too many people paint "public" or "private" land with a broad brush. There's public land that's likely 100 times better/easier (yeah, I said it) hunting than most private ground and less pressured if you're willing to put in the leather and homework. I'm sure Grizz and the other guys that get it done in a big way aren't heading out to the couple hundred acre park with the rest of the weekend warriors and flashlighting each other in the morning. Just the same as private ground can be as awesome as it is sucky. Not everyone with private ground has good whitetail habitat and even some that do, don't have the resources or authority to develop it more.

Yeah, there's guys that grind it out and guys that don't. But a 1000 acre tract is a 1000 acre tract. Public guys, what excites you more, terrain features and signs or if the state or an individual owns it?

I'm not banging, I just think that the labels are a bit gray at times. I'd bet that any of the public guys would take the hundreds of acres of State forest adjoining my 175 acres of private, given the choice and it's not because they want more of a challenge.

 

I agree with Scott...

It doesn't make a difference and never has for me personally.

I wish we had public land around me and in my state.. but that's a pipe dream. The ability to roam and hunt the deer the way I want to would be awesomely fun.

Instead I have to wait out most the season like a chump til the right moments. Blah.

But.. that's what you get when you live in the concrete jungle.

 

Well said Ben.. and I agree 100%.

But.. you know as well as I that you'll never get everyone to agree with that.

There are always guys who "did it harder" than you.. and it cracks me up.

I say.. congratulate the guy no matter what.. as long as he/she did it with legal means. That's it.

 

Over the past 20 seasons I have hunted public land 95% of the time. I enjoy getting out and hunting them over vast areas. BUT as I get older and my children inch closer to being able to hunt, the more I wish I could have some good private land to hunt. Where I hunt it is a real process on the military base. From checking in, checking out, no hunting zones, intermittent closures of hunting areas I have scouted at the worst times, and 1000's of people walking all over the land.....the place can be tough, yet I love it. I would love to own about 40-50 acres one day and only hunt it at the right times, and then supplement that hunting with public land the remaining 80% of the time.

 

Good post, Ben.