White-tailed tips for public land please

Afternoon,

I was hoping some of you experienced public land hunters could help me out. This spring i started hunting, and although i was unsuccessful in filling my tag, i learned a lot, especially that their is not enough time in the day!!!

I hunted both private and public land and enjoyed both as i avoided the crowds and called in some birds in both areas.

My question is, how do you guys hunt white tail on public land?
Do you set up a blind or tree stand?

Im not asking for your locations, i just am curious if you lug in your stand on a daily basis or do you leave it up?
Do you hunt from the ground and combat your scent?
Cams on public land? Tips for securing ?

Any advice you would be willing to share would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Bugzy

Good questions, but the answer is kind of up to you and how much risk you want to take with respect to equipment being stolen. Of course, that also depends very much on the location and type of equipment.
I have some high price items I would not leave on public land shortly before and especially during season, but cheap, bulky, extra heavy and locked-up were attributes that served me well in the past...

I hunt from the ground. Try and find a ridge or a high point where you can watch a ravine or a swamp edge that the deer are using as a travel route. Try to sit in front of a stump/large rock or tree to break up your outline. Good luck with your hunt.

I've tried blinds, stands and ground hunting on public land and unless the spot absolutely calls for a tree stand, I stick to the ground these days as well. A lot less hassle and if you pick a slightly elevated spot over a funnel and set up a nice comfortable camp chair on the downwind side, you're all set.

1. Walk in as far as you can and try to get in and set up well ahead of daylight and, more importantly, well ahead of other hunters. They'll get the deer moving around, preferably to your funnel.

2. Take in as comfortable a seat as you can carry. The longer you can sit comfortable and still, the better your chances.

3. Try to forget about cameras. The extra trips in will "smell up" your spot and possibly lead other hunters to your camera and your spot. (I know it's not "your spot" on public land but the less attention you draw to it before the opener, the more chance it's yours when the day comes).

4. Don't over-scout, find a spot that looks good, make sure you have good shooting lanes, a way to get in and find it in the dark (reflective stickers or buttons) and leave it alone until the hunt comes.

5. Pack a lunch and sit all day if you can. Public land deer get used to the morning and evening shift when hunters are in the bush and move around at mid-day often. Some of my group's best public land deer have been shot after 10:00 am, sometimes closer to noon.

6. Be patient and think positively, it helps a lot. We have lots of access to private land but still use some public spots because they're just to productive to ignore. Good luck!

I try to pick a fairly out of the way spot so other hunters push deer toward me. I remove the lowest section of the ladderstand unless I'm coming back the next morning before dawn. Others like to use your stand and they educate the deer for you. The deer pattern you when others with no scent control and the wrong wind sit in your stand.I used to use a self climber when I was younger and more full of pee and vinegar. That is the best way to hunt any land if you're young and fit.

I have hunt hunted public land in the past and most likely will in the future but would never think about leaving a stand on public land, not so much for theft but I try and live by the leave no footprint behind kind of thing... so if you bring it in, take it out, don't leave it there, it's not only against the law it shows disrespect for others wanting to use the area...That being said, I have always hunted from the ground watching trails or still hunting along a trail(s) has proven effective too....keep the wind in mind and movements to a minimum and you will see game....
Best of luck

Stay on the ground. Still hunt. Other hunters are coming & going so game moves around. Be aware of surroundings & try not to get into confrontations with others. Not worth the hassle. When it's quiet & guys leave stay put.

Lots of time spent on public land. No expert, but these are the things you may try:
You may want not to advertise your spot. Use low profile approach, leave as minimum trace of your location, as you can.
Avoid cutting branches, saplings etc few weeks before hunting season-all the fresh cut marks will glow like a beacon. If you must-smear mud on cut marks. Or better yet-cut in the spring. The cut spots will turn dark by October.
Try to prep your stand locations by May. This way the deer will be somewhat unaware in October .
Do not be overly afraid of your gear being stolen-use what you can afford to be stolen. Chain and padlock your tree stand to the tree. It also helps pulling out your bottom 5 steps-screw them in/out each time you are hunting.
I never did pop up ground blind hunting on public land -to easy to walk away with it. Use ground blind from natural foliage,branches or use tree stand.
Set up your tree stand so it is hard to notice(camo paint ,set it way high up in the tee, smaller stands, minimum cutting etc)all of this will conceal your stand.
Be really early in your stand, the use of reflective tack going in helps immensely in the dark.
Sit tight all day if you can. If you have a good spot-deer will eventually show up.
Do not set up too close to another hunter-it is not nice, and hunting close to the next guy does not really help you either.
Pick your spots based on-farm crops, funnels ,pinch points, travel destinations, doe bedding sites, active scrapes.
Learn for next year from this years hunt.
Scout every spring, and do move your stands accordingly.
If you do shoot a deer-try to take it out without a lot of fanfare-it is not easy ,but others may develop a taste for your spot seeing you dragging out a nice one....
Hunting public land can be downright disheartening, yet it can be rewarding too,if you are steadfast, working hard, and you are somewhat lucky.

Scouting will help you a lot. I've left treestands up for the season with a cable lock securing it. My camera was in a security lock box. I've luckily never had issues with theft or damage but I also avoided "the crowd". It was very rare to see another hunter on cam. Maybe once a season.

As someone else said - find "your spot" by scouting early and the further from the beaten path the better.

The only tip I can give is be mindful that other hunters are using public land as well i.e. upland, small game etc.. I ran into a jerk once in a tree stand... total A-hole. In another situation last year, I had a great conversation with a couple of guys ground hunting during the bow season. I told them were I has heading and when/where I would come back to access my car. They said "Great, push a few deer our way..."

I always laugh at the tree stands located 20 yards from the road or parking lot.... not a lot of effort being put into that!! Plus everyone can see them come November LOL. I've seen a few cams on public land however judging by the steel cage and chains wrapped around them I'd say these guys had a few stolen in the past! I usually stop and make a happy face in the cams just for a laugh...

Have fun and best of luck.
RB

I use either a climber stand or portable tree stands with detachable tree steps. The bolts stay in the tree, and the steps comes off when I leave. I leave the portable tree stands in the tree from about September until the season ends at the end of December. The tree stands have a cable lock on them as a deterrent. I don't use cameras because they will be stolen, and I personally don't see the need for them. I've stayed away from ground blinds because safety is a major consideration when hunting public land. You don't always know where the next guy is set up or where he will be shooting, so being elevated reduces the risk a bit.

All good tips above. I'll add that I wear some orange, usually a hat, when I'm coming & going on public land during archery season. I swap it for camo when I'm at my spot.

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Originally Posted by rf2

I've stayed away from ground blinds because safety is a major consideration when hunting public land. You don't always know where the next guy is set up or where he will be shooting, so being elevated reduces the risk a bit.

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I'm surprised this isn't the main concern of people hunting on public land....I'd never sit on the ground on crown land.