Hello Everyone! I've been hunting public land the 2 years I've been hunting and have only seen a few deer and none of them close enough to take a shoot. So I need tips, advice or even old wise tales to help my chance for my first deer. I know to look for scraps, rubs and to look toward the back of public land since they have less pressure. But what else?? Should I look near a river or stream, on the edge of an ag field or meadow? Thanks in advance, OutdoorJunkie
OutdoorJunkie, use the search feature for the forums. I know there have been several threads asking the same thing and has been lots of good info in each of them!
Hunt the terrain, not the deer. Buy Mapping Trophy Whitetails. It will explain terrain features to look for on topo and aerial maps. Go where others don't go. If everyone is set up by the road, walk further back. If people are walking further back, set up at a area that might be getting passed up.
Ordered it in August and am about 3/4 done with it. A great read and would definitely help the OP out.
Schuls - I tried before I posted this question but I must of not used the right keywords. I'll look again after work tonight. Thanks CowboyColby - How can you tell if a trail is being used or if it's a hikers trail or is it just guess set up and wait? Jake - Thanks I'll have to find a copy and read it. virginiashadow - I just google earth and topo maps I find online the public land is pretty flat. Maybe the "Mapping Trophy Whitetails" book will help me understand the topo maps and using the terrian better.
go further in than anyone else ... when u think u went far enough keep going .... then start looking for food sources and fresh deer sign ...... get in well before anyone else in the AM long b4 sunrise and have all the lazy hunters push the deer to u ......
Post some maps up here. VS will surely point you in the right direction. You'll be able to see what he highlighted and why, which will help you out alot. If the terrain is flat then you could probably get by with aerial images. Look for: -Small strips of timber connecting two larger pieces. -Thick areas could be possible bedding. -Small thickets along fields. Bucks could bed there to have a view of the field. -Bends in a stream or river. The outside edges will most likely be a steep bank that will funnel deer around or push them through the middle of the bend.
Your biggest obstacle for being successful on public land is other hunters. Essentially you have to out hunt everyone else. You have to find ways to access great spots without using the same routes as everyone else. You have to be willing to go earlier, stay later, and go further. Most of all, be in the woods at times when others are not. I hunt public ground exclusively on weekdays. And lastly spend lots of time in the woods. Nothing can replace boots on the ground. You have to know the terrain as good as the deer and most importantly better then anyone else.
Ok I attached a copy of the topo map and the google earth images that Ive been looking at. Im going to also add links for maps.google and the dnr map.
Outdoorjunkie....I would focus all my scouting efforts in the yellow area. I marked the boundary in red. Access for other hunters is too easy until they get to the far edge of the field. At that point the walk in is about 3/4-1 mile. After that your opportunities will increase. I would look for beaten down trails near the creek as the deer may very well bed on the public or very close by before they hit those those fields in the evening and return in the morning. If you find that happening you sneak in and ambush them as they bed in the morning or cut them off in the afternoon before they cross the creek. As the ground looks very flat, look for any rise in the terrain and or thickets that have any deer sign. Then look for trails/food sources and cut them off. I would walk that entire section I marked in yellow. That is just me and I bet others have some good suggestions.
