Public or Private - Where do you hunt?

[OkXbowHunter]

I get a little fed up with some people who believe they're too good to hunt public land. I think what many of them are really saying is that they're too lazy or not knowledgeable enough to get out and find deer on public land. This is just my experience with several people I know, it's probably not your situation at all, so don't take this post the wrong way. I'm just venting because I had a guy trying to finagle a hunt out of my buddy and I on the private property we hunt. He uses his kids as an excuse to try and make us feel sorry for them. He says there are no deer on public land and a hunter behind every tree.

Where I live in Oklahoma, we're blessed with a lot of public hunting options. Sure, we have some popular WMA's that are crowded, but we also have some that get very little pressure for one reason or another. I've been hunting them since I was 8 and continue to take deer every year from several.

I have a couple of cheapo game camera's ($50 Tasco's) out on several public hunting areas near my home. I've taken pictures of several bucks that will go over 100 inches and more than a few Does (a few were HUGE). These areas are not more than 15 or 20 minutes from his house.

I've told him about several of the spots and told him to take his Son and go hunt them because I doubt I would get too because of my Dad's health and my pulled hamstring. All I get from him are excuses I guess I should go and put up the stand for him as well

I hunt public land even though I have permission to hunt some private land. The private ground we have is about 200 acres broken up in 3 lots. Only about 40 acres total is huntable (meaning it has trees on it), the rest is cow pasture. And as I was reminded Sunday and Monday mornings, when you hunt places with cows, you have to put up with Cows coming into your area and sticking around all freakin' morning!

Cows that bawl at the top of their lungs, cows that fight each other and go crashing through the brush like locomotives, cows that hunch up and pee and cows that poop next to your stand. No wonder Deer are not fond of cows!

Enough ranting, just curious, where do you people hunt at? Public or private land

[onebigskittle]

Private land hunter here and my reason is public land is to far for me to go when all i have to do is walk out the door and im in the woods. I have a farm to hunt on that a friend owns and only 2 people have permission to hunt but i would not place a blind and leave it and think it will be there when i get back ...same thing with cameras or tree stands..and i know i wont leave them on public land.
The last public land i hunted was like a person behind every tree and i like to know where im at and who is in the woods with me at all times.
Matter of fact i wont hunt with just anyone. nothing pisses me off more than to go with someone that gets up and walks by me that im hunting with because they got cold or bored and wanted to go home early and should not be in my area anyway when they should be in another.so if ya go with me for the first time i give the we in it to win it speach....thats my reason

[GaryM]

I hunt private land, mainly for convenience. I'm very lucky. I can walk out my door and with a 5-10 minute walk and I'm in my stand or my blind. 360 acres across the road I can hunt and another 125 acres behind my house. I can see my house from both of my spots. Why go anywhere else?
I have a Corps of Engineers lake 2mi. from here (Shelbyville Dam and Resevoir) and the boundry line for the gov't ground is a mile away. There are 21,000 acres of huntable gov't ground around the lake and I'm sure there are some monster bucks in there. There are not enough access areas and you are not allowed to use a 4 wheeler to get a downed deer out. I'm not physically able to drag a buck a mile up and down the steep terrain, and don't plan on trying. The Corps ground is best accessed by boat. It's much easier to drag a deer to the lake shore as it's downhill all the way. Loads of deer on the gov't ground and little hunting pressure if you go way back in there...you just have to be tougher than the rest to get them out. Gary

[vixenmaster]

Up until i bought this property last yr. all i hunted was public hunting land, Nat. Forests & WMA's. I have taken well over 100 deer on them. I have also joined private hunting clubs & taken about same amount of deer. Good hunting can be found its a matter of looking fer it

[warningshot]

both , have private where we are chasing guys off all the time ..and endless amounts of crown land

[Shakibods]

Sorry, but I would like to vent as well on this subject. I have hunted both however, but it has been primarily public land for the last 13 years (I have moved around alot with work). The one story I will relate and I am sure that it has happened to most that have hunted on public land, is about lazy and unsafe hunters on public land. I am talking about those guys that do no scouting, drive up to what they think is a remote spot, walk in the woods and sit their lazy posteriors down, even though there are people in orange around them and there only response is...this is public land and I will hunt were I want. Last year was by far the worse, I hunt with a group of guys, each of us in tree stands (Treelounges...I would recommend them to anyone), with at least 300 yards between the two closest. These guys show up and start walking through the area, shooting at anything that moves and totally ignoring those in orange around them. And when I say ignoring, I mean sitting down with 75 yards of two of our guys positions and not even acknowledging our repeat calls out to them, letting them know we were there. I finally get down, after one of there guys gets lost and is dragging out the equivalent of a german sheppard and talk to him. He is basically from the a northern city in Ohio and he and his buddies liked the looked of this place when they drove up opening day. I relate to him about not only my group, but the group of guys across the way (10 hunters that have been coming there for 25+ years) and the group of four locals down the road. He basically stated that he doesn't care and this is public land and they will hunt where they want. Come to find out at camp later, that they shot (repeatedly) at a running deer (which happened all day long) and a slug hit a tree about 45 feet from one our guys, but even worse, another one of them did the same and the slug hit within feet of one of the locals. Now the locals are good ole boys and we/they always stop by and talk, share a drink, etc., however, when you're in the hills southeast of Ohio, these boys don't play. Luckily for the new hunters, they did not return the next day.
So it can become very uncomfortable and in some cases unsafe on public land, so I can relate to someone being hesitant to go there, especially if they have had a rough experience. However, if it is a case of laziness, either not wanting to find a spot or not respecting the people, the hunt or the game then those are the hunters that need to be educated, corrected (if possible) or shunned.
Sorry for the long winded response to your question. Also good luck during our season.

[Hazmat]

I hunt private land for Deer and Turkey in southern Ontario and public (crown) land for black bear and moose in Northern Ontario.
I prefer to hunt private land for my personal safety as well as security of my hunting gear but have to hunt crown land for moose and bear up north (Armstrong, Ontario) where I have run in to other hunters hunting the same area, it can be frustrating when you get set up and at sunrise you glass someone alse hunting the same marsh within rifle range

[one shot scott]

Here in Southern Ont we only have to option of hunting private land. And many people have a hard time finding a hunting spot. its not until you get 2 hours north that crown land becomes available.

[B-Logger]

Over a period of many years I have hunted both. Growing up on a farm helped a lot. Then I also began hunting public land and did so for many, many years. We used to go for anywhere from a week to 2 weeks on a 325 mile trip and set up army tents. We had a ball. Now I don't go so far to hunt and we are blessed with having our own land that is a deer haven. We do things to keep deer on our property too and that is just another great part of hunting.

I have to also tell that a couple days ago I actually goofed. I took a shot that I am ashamed to admit was wrong. Naturally I followed up on the shot. As I was looking around for any blood and looking for a dead deer, I suddenly found myself about 15 yards from 3 bedded does. When I looked at them they got up and started to run. I said, "Hey. Where are you going. It's okay here." You guessed it. All 3 stopped. The furthest one was probably 25 yards from me. The closest was still about 15. I was talking on the 2-way radio to my wife and I'm assuming they are used to my voice and my scent. Even with all the shooting on opening day of rifle deer season, these 3 were easy to calm down. Just another sweet part of hunting your own ground.

[wabi]

The aspect I disliked the most about hunting public property was all of the litter scattered everywhere. Some folks must have believed the park ranger was going to come around occasionally and pick up the trash they threw. That was never the case.

I hunt private land because there are few public areas close to me, but I fish a good bit on public waters.
The last year or two the DRN has been chopping away at it's budget and removed the trash containers from many state parks as a way to cut costs. It's amazing the number of people that just leave their trash laying now.
I guess I'll never understand the mindset of that type person. I figure if I can pack it in, I can pack it back out just as easily. I had to have a pack or pocket to put the item in when I carried it to the fishing spot or picnic table. I took the item out to eat, drink, or use it and at that point the pack or pocket had room to put it back - so why not put the empty container or used item back and carry it out??????

[ecoaster]

I hunt public land 20 minutes from two major cities and fill my tag every year. Deer are everywhere you just have to be a bit more on your game to figure them out in pressured areas.

[j.krug]

Here in Southern Ont we only have to option of hunting private land. And many people have a hard time finding a hunting spot. its not until you get 2 hours north that crown land becomes available.

I hunt on my uncle's farm and a couple of friends's places (private land) for the same reason. That's all that's available to me here in Essex county.

[Hoss]

Like said Oklahoma has a lot of Public land....some good some terrible..ME.I go to many different places. Just down the road is a big wildlife area. I like to take the boat and go by river to try to get away from places that people can get to on foot. As I get older it gets tougher..It’s a love Hate relationship. As for the deer on public lands they hardly make a sound when they move thru that stuff. You have to get sky high in the tree and if not you can be picked off easy. Hell I’ve been 17ft up and make one small move and BLOOOOWWW the dam doe gives the alarm...Heck I’m so sore from hard miles I’ve got to move some..hahahaha...The wildlife department has been lacking funds over the years so the area I hunt is not taken care of . Its growed up and thick everywhere. BUT That grows big deer..BUT so many idiots stomp thru there the deer have a Masters degree in avoiding Humans. Someone made a remark about "snapping limbs as you go to your stand will pull the deer in" HA HA HA. Yea they are curious creatures BUT you do that around there and you will spook them to the thickest cover they can find. Deer on public land have heard every deer call, rattle sequence smelt every scent..The best way to kill one in there is ambush...and scent lock is a joke..They wind anything out of the normal you won’t see them. It may work where deer are not so educated (stupid) but not on Public land. I find trash out there and haul it home myself and you bet if i find some info in it that has your name on it. The Game warden is going to know..I’ve done it..to many road hunters. they kill the deer at night and year round. If you come across a big boy he’s super smart---well until he starts thinking with the wrong head..It’s very frustrating and sometimes hard to stay motivated. I’ve had stuff stolen and I’ve had guys walk right by my stand with me in it and ruin a hunt. Hell I’ve had guys hunting in my stand when I show up...I’ve been setting on opening day of rifle..I hear someone coming SO I shine my light at them to let them know IM HERE GO AWAY.so what they walk right by me into the area I’m hunting on the way to the spot they want to hunt.. I could hear them talking when they finally sat down..I couldn’t believe it. What if I had to sling some lead they were right in the danger zone for where I was hunting..a few minutes after light BOOOM..I was pissed. I saw a big brute in there 2 days prior and I was thinking they got him GREAT! The came by with a first year fawn. I chewed these young boys out and educated them on common courtesy’s in the field.

[frisky]

I hunt my own 20 acres. I also hunt a friends 20 acres, I do favors for him in return I hunt his private 20 acres. Who has the better deal, I think I do!! I some times hunt the public stuff, but rarely.

[DaveShooter]

I hunt public but I have also hunted private land as well. I have taken all types of game and deer on both through the yrs.About trash yes their are alot of folks I would hate to see the inside of their homes I mean if they trash up mother earth, than their house on inside and out must be a dump or land-fill.
I have seen deer on private and public hunting lands. Alot of folks don't or won't let you hunt on their land do to liabilty reasons or they hunt their land with family.