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Yeah….I’m gonna say it

I have access to several hundred acres of private land and I also have an 80 acre lease.

I’m not sure I hunted the private land at all last year and might hunt it a few times late season this year. I only hunt my lease the first few weeks of bear season.

I have nothing against the guys killing them with a rifle at 200 yards on private land the one weekend per year they hunt or the guy that kills 5 deer per season over a pile of corn. Yes, it’s funny when they ask how you cover 10 miles/day for 5 days and don’t kill anything on public…. But going in to public land, figuring it out, and having shot opportunities (whether or not you take them) is so much more fun.

I love going in to thousands of acres of public and having a deer 20 yards from my tree before the day is over. There’s just something about grinding it out that’s fun. Seems like I learn something new every trip out.

I still congratulate the private land and bait pile guys just the same.


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As a primary private land hunter. I am jealous of the public guys. I don't hunt over feeders and bait piles. Last year I made it into public a few times and didn't see a deer. Except on the walk out in the head light. The guys grinding it out on Public have a much higher drive and burning if you ask me. But like anything, it's what you make of it. Go enjoy it and forget about what those guys are doing. Tell your self how much they spent on food plots, or feeders, and fancy weapons to shoot em at 20yrds they could have bought a cow.
 
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
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Public land is all I have to hunt so I fully understand the rant. I have a co-worker who can hunt on his land and all he can do is rub it in my face that he has tagged out already. Meanwhile, I'm still on the hunt for my first of the season.
 
I don't know, I kind of seek out some of the most difficult public hunting around me even though I could certainly do private. I guess it's my way of making it a challenge. I have good friends who do the food plot deer husbandry game, and I can see what they get out all the work (and $$$$) they put in too, but it's just not my game, not now. I like room to roam virtually endless mountain public land and the uncertaintly of low deer densities. The appeal to me of growing and nurturing a deer I "have history with" is virtually zero. I want to conquer that mountain monarch that I scarcely knew existed, slay the ghost.

Egos though are one of the reasons I don't like many other hunters. You guys aside of course! It's weird, it's like paradoxically a defining personality trait of mine and something I try to mostly avoid discussing with other people in real life. My wife will be like, hey meet my friend's husband, you guys hunt, you will get along great! I'm like, holy F, my 3 friends are enough, can't wait to hear about his bow brand fetish and broadhead worshipping and what his thoughts on clover mixes and scent control are. Sounds like a real gem. Whack em and stack em! Haha.
 
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Yea I totally get the rant, the word “cellular camera” isn’t my favorite but I get over it. Like many others have said I wouldn’t sweat the teasing. I personally have zero interest in baiting, cellular cameras, leasing and all of that. My biggest reasoning? Hunting should cost you your life savings. I refuse to spend tons of money on it (besides gear hehe).

Here’s a good example of my point. A piece of land near me sold for 500,000$ and it was 100 acres. Say the guy who bought it is 25 years old, hunts it till he’s 75 he’s paid 10,000$ a year to hunt that piece of land. That’s not including taxes, interest, improvements to the land. For the matter anything else to hunt with including a bow or treestand to hunt out of. That’s not for me. Also that’s only 100 acres. I cover thousands of acres on public. I’d rather have the cash and have a few guys bump into me hunting. (Side note yes I know buying land is an investment but that’s not the point)
 
Tjraley2 said:
Wait, it’ll run you $1500 (or $7500 if there are 5 guys on it) to lease 15 acres of hunting land in Florida?
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I don't go outta my way to look but the adds I see for leases around me 1000 bucks is pretty normal I think....the cheapest 1 I've ever seen was 850....I've heard 100 dollars an acre is a "good deal"
 
Maybe unvaccinated peeps are considered half people now....?...anyway that is a bunch of money...I'll stick to the public that just costs the gas to drive there....most wma I hunt are minimum 9k acres with some 200k+ and they come with a nice brochure also
 
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
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you can bait on private land here in wv and hunt over it

almost everyone in my area that kills a really big buck does so over bait

it is the difference between doing things to have the deer come to you versus you learning about the deer and going to the deer

figuring out the deer is a lot more fun for me

i don't get into it but people will act like i must be disappointed that i didn't kill a big buck this year in comparison to someone else that hunted over bait

nothing necessarily against it, but just keep in mind that it is a different game that is being played

a coworker's husband is made of money and has a huge trophy room filled with trophies from guided hunts and safaris (taken with a rifle), i don't think it would be fun at all to fly somewhere and have someone else lead you right to an animal and then you shoot it
 
Tim0712 said:
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
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i chuckled at a guy on a forum somewhere that said he felt like he was just a 'corn pile security guard'
 
You can bait on public land in Ontario. Last year i saw 4 bait piles in the first 20 acres of a 100 acre parcel of public. My dad can’t walk too well anymore and wanted to hunt over a bait pile. He wanted it in a location picked for easy access for him. It was put 40 yards from their(deer) secondary highway. The deer have yet to touch it! Corn with apples and even buck jam. I suspect they are wise to the bait piles. It’s becoming very popular around here to bait and the deer know it! I can’t stand to bait personally but do understand my dads position.
 
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