Anybody bowhunt public land exclusively?

bowonly

New Member
I'm one of those guys. I guess it's because that's all I know. Grew up hunting public land because that's all my dad could afford to do. But now that I am in a position that I could afford to get on a lease or go on an outfitted hunt I still prefer the challenge public land provides in locating and killing deer to fill the freezer and every once in a great while cross paths with a buck that is wall worthy. If you are one of these bowhunters like me, why do you do it?

One thing I find fun is seeing the other hunters faces when I show up in the parking area with a nice buck I've killed with my bow.....during firearms season. My two best Louisiana bucks were killed on the firearms opener of my favorite WMA. If you would, share one of your successes on public land.
 
I'm one of those guys. I guess it's because that's all I know. Grew up hunting public land because that's all my dad could afford to do. But now that I am in a position that I could afford to get on a lease or go on an outfitted hunt I still prefer the challenge public land provides in locating and killing deer to fill the freezer and every once in a great while cross paths with a buck that is wall worthy. If you are one of these bowhunters like me, why do you do it?

One thing I find fun is seeing the other hunters faces when I show up in the parking area with a nice buck I've killed with my bow.....during firearms season. My two best Louisiana bucks were killed on the firearms opener of my favorite WMA. If you would, share one of your successes on public land.

I will play...

Spavinaw GMA 1995.

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McAlester AAP 1996.

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Wagoner GMA 2018.

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Neatest Hunt I ever had was from a big cedar tree in Cherokee GMA. I went in and hung a hang on on a Friday evening in a big Cedar after work on a Friday and got in it with my Black Widow recurve. I was sitting there when 2 coyotes came up the trail and I smoked the first one and it ran a few yards and died within sight of my tree. I kept sitting and a nice buck came by and I snuck an arrow through him but it was so late I opted to back out because the hit was a bit back. The next morning I went back and was trailing the buck when I saw a giant buck up ahead of me and since I had another buck tag I decided to try the shot from the ground. I was 43 yards and the arrow felt good on release but the distance got me and I just shaved his chest. When I walked over to find my arrow I found that the giant buck was standing over my dead buck. I tagged it and gutted it out because it was really cold and grabbed an antler to start the drag and an antler came off in my hand. I grabbed the other one and it came off too. It was early December. On the way out I met another hunter who was loading a large deer I mistook for a doe at first but it was a large bodied buck that had shed off. Really early for that in our area...

As far as public land exclusively...no...but I know how to and it’s not a deal breaker to do it. As with all hunting it’s just being at the right place at the right time and being able to pull the shot off when the opportunity comes...

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I'm one of those guys. I guess it's because that's all I know. Grew up hunting public land because that's all my dad could afford to do. But now that I am in a position that I could afford to get on a lease or go on an outfitted hunt I still prefer the challenge public land provides in locating and killing deer to fill the freezer and every once in a great while cross paths with a buck that is wall worthy. If you are one of these bowhunters like me, why do you do it?

One thing I find fun is seeing the other hunters faces when I show up in the parking area with a nice buck I've killed with my bow.....during firearms season. My two best Louisiana bucks were killed on the firearms opener of my favorite WMA. If you would, share one of your successes on public land.
Dragging a nice deer out to the parking lot? Been there, done that many times. That's probably how most of us deer hunters got started. In fact, 40 years ago there was almost nothing like limited access land in Pa, it was all open too hunting. The switch to privately used hunting land took 40 years but it's almost standard now, and while I would still enjoy public, the reason that I prefer private is because I can control the quality of my fellow hunters and the quality of the deer, plus enjoy managing the habitat improvements as much as the hunting. And on a cold day when it's snowing I can get into my hunting blind and hunt without being miserable out on state game lands. But I admit that I still envy a part of what you are experiencing on a WMA. Enjoy your style of hunting and keep sharing, I enjoy reading about others doing what I used to do.
 
I set a goal of killing my first deer on public this year. Took the opener off, weatherman calling for 90 degrees. I’m no sissy and not a couch potato, so I went in with a stand and sticks on my back and set up in a tiny little hackberry. Saw very little until about 15 minutes before light, big doe came charging through at 10 yards. I put one through her and was proud as hell. 3 hours of dragging and a bucket of sweat later, I had achieved my goal

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2 weeks or so later, I was dragging another doe out. I had saved my private farm for the rut while still enjoying October and filling the freezer. Which then paid off as I shot my best buck ever on 11/10.

I’m not a public only, but I’ve hunted public more than private for the first time. I’ll never be a public only, I like owning land too much, but I’m a better hunter because I’ve challenged myself doing the free thing. I recommend everyone give it a try, just don’t expect much!


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I set a goal of killing my first deer on public this year. Took the opener off, weatherman calling for 90 degrees. I’m no sissy and not a couch potato, so I went in with a stand and sticks on my back and set up in a tiny little hackberry. Saw very little until about 15 minutes before light, big doe came charging through at 10 yards. I put one through her and was proud as hell. 3 hours of dragging and a bucket of sweat later, I had achieved my goal

b35743aa95b53849b1f1bcc0c75fee0b.jpg


67d4dbc00f4ed0d7335b6acf56520c7f.jpg



2 weeks or so later, I was dragging another doe out. I had saved my private farm for the rut while still enjoying October and filling the freezer. Which then paid off as I shot my best buck ever on 11/10.

I’m not a public only, but I’ve hunted public more than private for the first time. I’ll never be a public only, I like owning land too much, but I’m a better hunter because I’ve challenged myself doing the free thing. I recommend everyone give it a try, just don’t expect much!


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Congratulations on a banner year. Nov 10? A lot of great deer hunting stories start with "it was a chilly cloudy day in early November"
 
I used to! Like MM, when I was a young guy nearly all timber company land was open to hunting. Squirrel hunted, duck hunted, and deer hunted on public, either timber company or national forest. Slowly the free stuff got leased and “clubbed up”, which put twice the pressure on the national forest. I drew the line after running into too many guys while trying to hunt. I still squirrel hunted and duck hunted some, when I could dodge the deer hunters, but I started leasing land to hunt deer. I haven’t hunted public since the eighties now and don’t miss it.
 
Great bucks Okie! And enjoyed the story.

The first buck above was killed opening day of firearms season 1998. My hunting partner at the time(ex wife) was uncomfortable with being left in her stand while it was still dark so I had to wait until the glow of daylight was visible on the horizon before I left for my stand location. I arrived at my spot about the time the sun was peeking thru the trees. I was extremely frustrated so once I settled in I closed my eyes in frustration for a nap. I was mainly hunting that weekend to try to get her on a deer. The spot I was set up in was a narrow strip of palmettos bordering a bayou offering deer a great escape route from the orange army invasion. Something, I don't know what, caused me to open my eyes after about a 30 minute rest. When I did, I saw 4 does standing within 20yds of the tree I was in. Something moved to my right and when I looked that way I saw a really nice buck walking toward the does with his nose to the ground. I was able to get my bow in position, draw and get off a shot that sent an arrow right through the buck's chest at a whopping 7 yds. At the shot I noticed an even bigger buck that had been behind me the whole time. The track job was short to my best buck at that time.
 
Great bucks Okie! And enjoyed the story.

The first buck above was killed opening day of firearms season 1998. My hunting partner at the time(ex wife) was uncomfortable with being left in her stand while it was still dark so I had to wait until the glow of daylight was visible on the horizon before I left for my stand location. I arrived at my spot about the time the sun was peeking thru the trees. I was extremely frustrated so once I settled in I closed my eyes in frustration for a nap. I was mainly hunting that weekend to try to get her on a deer. The spot I was set up in was a narrow strip of palmettos bordering a bayou offering deer a great escape route from the orange army invasion. Something, I don't know what, caused me to open my eyes after about a 30 minute rest. When I did, I saw 4 does standing within 20yds of the tree I was in. Something moved to my right and when I looked that way I saw a really nice buck walking toward the does with his nose to the ground. I was able to get my bow in position, draw and get off a shot that sent an arrow right through the buck's chest at a whopping 7 yds. At the shot I noticed an even bigger buck that had been behind me the whole time. The track job was short to my best buck at that time.

Nothing better than a deer story that begins with, “and when I opened my eyes..........” :D
 
A little late getting back to this but I came home empty handed on my last hunt of the season. Weather was terrible...warm and rainy almost the entire trip. I did have some opportunities but was unable to capitalize on them. Did not see a single buck the entire trip even though there were several on my cameras during daylight. Time to start planning for next season.
 
I’ve been out scouting my local public 3-4 times, I’ve seen a ton of deer (18 on Tuesday including a shooter buck), and I’ve added ~4 spots that I’d like to sit next year. Trying to put in one day of scouting public for every day of habitat work. Still amazed at how much hunter sign I find, even “way back there”.


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I only hunt public land... growing up that's all I knew. My dad and I started out bow hunting on Northern Wisconsin public land. I've been hunting only public ever since (bout 22 years). I've had some notable successes in the past 5 years in SE Wisconsin. The 130" 10 pointer that I have as my profile pic, a 120" 8 pointer and a 110" 7 pointer (1 point busted off). After shooting my 2 biggest bucks in consecutive years hunting doe bedding in October I became addicted. Which is what lead me to the hunting beast! :)
 
Bowonly>

Why I do it:

I am a bit north of you -- darn near the Canadian border. I did it because we never had our own land growing up and there was a bounty of public hunting land where I am at. There is little competition in the woods during archery season in my location. Firearm season is much more competitive on public land, but for the guy that is willing to do his scouting and walk a bit further back than average hunter you can do just fine. Besides, I enjoy the challenge of some competition as I think it makes me a better hunter.

I have my own land now with 11 food plots on it. I spend most of my time caring for and hunting my own property, but I still love to get out on public lands just because they offer a truly wild (no food plot) type of hunting and some competition. For those reasons I haven't given up public land hunting. It offers me a different kind of hunting that I very much enjoy.
 
We don't have much public in Kansas so i haven't hunted it but I read about you dragging for hours.Why don't you pack it out after quartering it?We have done here even if just muddy. We pack elk so packing a deer on flat ground is a breeze
 
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