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Yeah….I’m gonna say it

J

jcassell207

Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2021
Messages
84
Tonight, spoke with a “friend” who hunts private land. He’s killed his 5th deer of the season….while I’m still looking for #1.

Moral of the story. Any googin can go throw 100# of corn and shoot a deer. It takes time and patience, research and trial and error on public land.

i don’t understand why people who hunt private and dump 100’s of pounds of corn think they are the best thing since sliced bread . I can’t find a private piece under $1500 a person around me and even that is a small acreage (10-15 acres and 5+ on it)
Anyway, sorry for the rant….my fellow public land guys get it. One day it will come together
 
Wirrex said:
I killed a buck on both this year. It’s all about quality land. If you don’t have it travel.
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Same 5 deer in the freezer, 3 public 2 private…. Figuring out the public & how to capitalize is 1/2 the fun, plus your not stressing about property lines & neighbors. It’s all perspective.
 
It’s about quality of land and how it’s hunted. I’ve hunted a lot of private that’s garbage. I currently hunt some really high quality public. I could drop 100# of corn in thick cover on private and never see a deer. However, I’ve hunted 7 times this year on public and had deer in bow range on each sit, including 2 mature bucks.

Where are you hunting? The prices you mention are Pike county IL or Iowa, or Buffalo county WI prices. Should have some decent public within a short distance.
 
I only hunt public land in Wisconsin. No cake walk but better than what other states have for sure. I don’t shoot a lot of deer.

This weekend was the rifle opener. Never fails every year, the guys who hunt huge farms and only gun hunt this weekend shoot giants. Then I have to answer questions from friends that don’t hunt as to why I hunt a lot more than them and never shoot anything.

Annoying as it can get but they just don’t get it. Every deer I shoot is a trophy to me.
 
Can't be too good of a friend if he hasn't offered to help you out by inviting you to hunt the private with him. :tonguewink:

This may or may not make you feel better but it's a reality most of us live with and you will have to accept...

The quality and quantity of deer is directly related to the land in the area, hunting pressure, resources etc.. I've hunted the hill behind my house in NY for the last 10 years and have taken my fair share of deer but nothing ever came close to what we all dream about taking as far as monster racks. In all my years of hunting the hillside hard only once did I have an encounter with a trophy buck, a huge 10 pointer that I never knew existed.

Now here's the point I'm trying to make...

I recently met my new neighbor who's property butts up against mine and the state land behind us. We got to talking and hit it off great. Well the property next to his is about 175 acres and is mainly used for hunting by the family who owns it. They come up every so often for archery season and then again during Thanksgiving week for firearms season. My new best friend neighbor proceeds to tell me that the grandson of the property owner next to his shot a 165" stud of a buck the second week of archery season last year and then showed me the picture. My jaw dropped. I never knew that buck was around and he most likely never went off that private because it is virtually never disturbed. Then he produced a picture of a really nice tall tined 8pt buck the kid arrowed this year. It was heartbreaking seeing them because I always knew that property held deer but never truly realized the quality of deer could be so different just a few hundred yards away from where I have put so much time and effort. I know when they're up using the property because their driveway gate is open and I can count on one hand the number of times it was open during the archery season so to me hunting that property is like shooting fish in a barrel and the reality is I will never be able to hunt there.

I took Nutterbuster's words of wisdom this year and drove to where the deer are. Hunted the next state over in PA and had deer encounters on EVERY sit. I took a nice buck this year on my first sit.

Hunting public is not easy as there are a lot of variables not under our control but I can say it is very rewarding when I take a deer from an unfamiliar area that I scouted and took the time to find and understand how the deer use it. Don't get discouraged by some else's accomplishment's, just focus on improving your abilities and always stay positive. Hunting is a never ending learning experience.

Best of luck to you!
 
It’s not legal to bait in my home state of NY, and honestly, it doesn’t sound appealing even if it was. It can be painful at times… but I enjoy the chase and beating them at “their own game” as I like to say sometimes. Hang in there!! It feels great once it all comes together.
 
jcassell207 said:
Maryland
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Don’t know what part of the state your in but your more than welcome to come to my spot this Saturday for the gun opener it’s about 15k acres & I own it the same as you….. for real though there’s some great public land opportunities here !! Don’t worry about a little ribbing from people that don’t have the same goals or circumstances. I have access to a couple private spots that take a lot of my time throughout the year to maintain my (not exclusive access) they aren’t really any better than public spots a little closer but that’s about it. I can’t tell you what it feels like to walk way out on public land & come back completely spent with a heavy pack, it’s rewarding!!!!! Those deer really feel “earned” just accept the challenge & figure it out. Offer stands you’re welcome to come with me sometime!
 
jcassell207 said:
Our public land is pretty hard hit. I’m just throwing salt cause it’s been a horrible year for me so far. Eventually it will come together.

hust annoyed at the guys that “hunt” over corn and then make fun of us public guys
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Shooting deer over corn isn’t hunting it’s just waiting. Finding the deer, patterning the deer and successfully intersecting and killing the deer is hunting. I’d rather shoot one a year the right way on the last day in the last hour than shoot a pile over corn and call myself cool because I own camo and have venison
 
Weldabeast said:
I'm jelly of the guys who have private access....but 1 things for sure....private land hunters don't have as many crazy stories to tell as public land hunters do
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We also don’t have to deal with left winged tree hugging hippies who can’t stay home and wear blaze orange head to toe so they won’t catch an arrow on the walking trail 157 yards away
 
I’ve killed deer on public and private. Over corn piles, food plots, feed trees, on trails, on scrapes you name it. I get that not everyone’s situation is the same. I just don’t care how anyone else shoots a deer.
 
jcassell207 said:
Tonight, spoke with a “friend” who hunts private land. He’s killed his 5th deer of the season….while I’m still looking for #1.

Moral of the story. Any googin can go throw 100# of corn and shoot a deer. It takes time and patience, research and trial and error on public land.

i don’t understand why people who hunt private and dump 100’s of pounds of corn think they are the best thing since sliced bread . I can’t find a private piece under $1500 a person around me and even that is a small acreage (10-15 acres and 5+ on it)
Anyway, sorry for the rant….my fellow public land guys get it. One day it will come together
Click to expand...
I feel you man but it’s the way of it. The parcel I hunt is a ranch that the deer use as a travel corridor. Every year I see deer and they’re always out of bow range. Then gun season starts and I’ll hear gun shots from the neighbors property and a few days later I’ll find at least four bucks dumped on the side of the road, capped and straps cut out the back and that’s it. One year I cut one open and yup, belly full of corn.
 
Bigterp said:
Don’t know what part of the state your in but your more than welcome to come to my spot this Saturday for the gun opener it’s about 15k acres & I own it the same as you….. for real though there’s some great public land opportunities here !! Don’t worry about a little ribbing from people that don’t have the same goals or circumstances. I have access to a couple private spots that take a lot of my time throughout the year to maintain my (not exclusive access) they aren’t really any better than public spots a little closer but that’s about it. I can’t tell you what it feels like to walk way out on public land & come back completely spent with a heavy pack, it’s rewarding!!!!! Those deer really feel “earned” just accept the challenge & figure it out. Offer stands you’re welcome to come with me sometime!
Click to expand...
Appreciate that. Where are you?

It’s just frustrating from these “hunters” who talk about their corn piles and etc….. I’m just frustrated, taking out my a$$
 
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