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How to narrow down public land as a newbie

I moved to a new state 2 years ago and had to start fresh there. I did receive a tip from a coworker on an less pressured public land spot. I also primarily bow hunt and this was a bow hunting only public spot. I did a lot of google map and topo map research to try to find spots that may be pinch points or other terrain features that stood out. I decided to limit my scouting to this one area and expand to different public spots as time allowed. Then I did what someone else advised and walk, walk, walk walk. I started in May used vacation days, holidays, and every weekend possible and hung cameras on promising looking spots. I didn't quit walking and scouting until season started only staying away from places that I found promising as season neared so as not to push anything out of the area. Hunting is hard work. The more you are out there the easier it gets to know what to look for but nothing will replace boots on the ground or time in the tree. After 2 years on this one public spot I hope to expand to a new public spot this year starting now.
 
This maybe a regional thing but I've learned to not count on ''good looking'' areas. Every good area I've ever had has been thrashed by hurricane. I don't look for bedding areas because the terrain here the deer bed everywhere. I look for pinch points that force anything coming through there into a concentrated area. Then concentrate on finding fresh sign in that area. If I don't find anything exciting I'll move on. I plan on long walks at the beginning of the day.... I'll look at the map and try to figure out how to most effectively pinball between pinch points, or other points of interest based off the aerial photos, while staying on the down wind side of those destinations. When I do setup it is on the freshest thing I either can't walk away from or the best looking stuff I'd seen that day....if I haven't found anything by 3 I'll start working my way back to that best spot from the day....I don't consider harvesting an animal the ultimate goal for the day....I just want to take in woods, see something new, and if I am within eyesight of an animal I call that a good day, and if I'm within bow range of an animal I call that a great day.... If I can out wit 1 and harvest something its just icing. Starting new is hard and starting new on public is much harder. Don't set your goals to high or you will be disappointed. It's supposed to be fun. If you see something or are close enough to hear something your doing better than 3/4 the guys out there
 
This maybe a regional thing but I've learned to not count on ''good looking'' areas. Every good area I've ever had has been thrashed by hurricane. I don't look for bedding areas because the terrain here the deer bed everywhere. I look for pinch points that force anything coming through there into a concentrated area. Then concentrate on finding fresh sign in that area. If I don't find anything exciting I'll move on. I plan on long walks at the beginning of the day.... I'll look at the map and try to figure out how to most effectively pinball between pinch points, or other points of interest based off the aerial photos, while staying on the down wind side of those destinations. When I do setup it is on the freshest thing I either can't walk away from or the best looking stuff I'd seen that day....if I haven't found anything by 3 I'll start working my way back to that best spot from the day....I don't consider harvesting an animal the ultimate goal for the day....I just want to take in woods, see something new, and if I am within eyesight of an animal I call that a good day, and if I'm within bow range of an animal I call that a great day.... If I can out wit 1 and harvest something its just icing. Starting new is hard and starting new on public is much harder. Don't set your goals to high or you will be disappointed. It's supposed to be fun. If you see something or are close enough to hear something your doing better than 3/4 the guys out there

First goal is fun I like that


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Not sure how much SC rolls over. But Michigan early October -
To middle November the woods and land are 2 different scenes. So make note if your scouting now. Things might be a little different early fall. An area you can see 200yrds clearly now, maybe only have a 40yrd viability early season. Means deer are harder to see with higher growth and will change there travel according as leaves fall and plants die off. If you find good cover for deer now. To press it to hard untill later in the season. Hunt there when pressure picks up. Gives you a chance to get them when you know they will be there. If there is lots of vegatation still, they don't have to take cover in the super thick stuff.
 
To add on to this I would take small sections at a time, don't try to scout 40K acres on a map because it will be overwhelming. Try to find a 1 sq mile area and scout that out a few days, I like to try to find two of the three things the deer need usually water and food. If you don't find anything nice in that 1 mile area then move to another area. When I first started I would look at lots of smaller areas all over a wma like a pinch point here and a ridge line over here etc and it would be overwhelming and exhausting. It would make me setup where I wanted the deer to be and not where the deer were at. Now I find some type of diversity usually at least 3 things coming together like a creek, small pines, and large hardwoods and I will scout it and that will be the center of my box if there is any type of sign rubs, scrapes, trails, beds, bumped deer, etc. Then i'll shift the box around based on sign, hang cameras, and learn all I can about that area throughout the year I do this on a wma in NE FL, NW FL, W NC, and S/N MO. This has helped a lot and I have been able to fill the tags and not be so overwhelmed as I have been in the past.
 
If I were starting new and had an opportunity to be advised of a good read that helped me even after years of hunting.......pick up a copy of the book Mapping Trophy Whitetails. It was by far the best book on finding and understanding travel corridors and terrain features that deer use I've found. It doesn't replace boots on the ground as stated above but it helps one recognize why the sign is there and helps understand how to look at why the deer "funnel" through this spot. Funnels are what you will find out puts animals near YOU. As stated earlier.....have fun!
 
You made some very good points . From my research Dan Infalt and jon eberhardt are the best bowhunters at this point in time. I would put them on my mount Rushmore along with fred bear for different reasons.
Watching Dan Infalt and jon eberheardt DVDs and thier books I think provides the best foundation as far as hunting pressured whitetails. Dan Infalt hunting IQ is off the charts love watching his videos very invat
 
You made some very good points . From my research Dan Infalt and jon eberhardt are the best bowhunters at this point in time. I would put them on my mount Rushmore along with fred bear for different reasons.
Watching Dan Infalt and jon eberheardt DVDs and thier books I think provides the best foundation as far as hunting pressured whitetails. Dan Infalt hunting IQ is off the charts love watching his videos very You made some very good points . From my research Dan Infalt and jon eberhardt are the best bowhunters at this point in time. I would put them on my mount Rushmore along with fred bear for different reasons.
Watching Dan Infalt and jon eberheardt DVDs and thier books I think provides the best foundation as far as hunting pressured whitetails. Dan Infalt hunting IQ is off the charts love watching his videos very
innovative. They have different styles jon eberheardt focuses more on the rut and dan Infalt focuses mostly on bedding areas
 
Honestly, as a beginner, you should be looking for how deer use their habitat! Look for edge, cover, and specific terrain features in your area that influence deer movement.
Boots on the ground bests cyber scouting for you right now. That said right now is 100% your best opportunity to effectively scout. Big woods or broken tracts, it doesn't matter, deer are deer no matter where they live. Start by looking for edge transitions from thick overgrown parts that but up against open forest. Then you can start to narrow things down!
 
This very good video DYI sports men i watch this all the very smart he's a engineer talks the topics your talking about in this video
 
This very good video DYI sports men i watch this all the very smart he's a engineer talks the topics your talking about in this video

 
I love watching his videos like said watch dan Infalt and jon eberheart DVDS and books you go wrong and hunt public thier not fakes like see on the outdoors channels on cable they are the real deal
 
"Big woods or broken tracts, it doesn't matter, deer are deer no matter where they live. Start by looking for edge transitions from thick overgrown parts that but up against open forest. Then you can start to narrow things down!" There is some truth to your statement but is false if your hunting public land and thier is alot of hunting pressure in that area guess what deer are probably not going area until night time.

If hunting like private land for example Iowa
That has no Hunting pressure you be right. Hunting pressure is always factor no matter how good the habitat.
 
Pressure effects deer everywhere, even if it's small of course. One thing I'd like add to my earlier post is ....deer are edge creatures everywhere! It's just how they're made up. Start with edges as much as possible then look for connections to food and thick areas along some kind of edge. Terrain can dictate these connections. Pressure can cause deer to stay in thick areas more but.......finding edges there will be subtle and looking for these will be a learning experience. It took me a few seasons to realize how to find these......and well I'm still learning! LOL!
 
I agree with 100% of what you said is true thats a fact. The only disagreement i have when people say that it always a good HUNTing spot that's not always true i watching a video of dan Infalt and he said hunters now hunting his favorite hunting spots. Hunters are becoming more educated now more than ever before. All saying is when add hunting pressure on public hunting land nothing 100%
 
Dan Infalt adapting to hunting pressure great video his hunting he talks about how hunters are driving him off his favorite hunting spots worth watching
 
Dan's been around long enough to learn and experience more than most people because of the amount of time spent hunting and the high pressure area he hunts. Yes......Dan is the man. The only thing I can say is that Wisconsin is way different than Tennessee. But we can apply his knowledge to hunting my state or any state in some ways. I don't have the time to dedicate the time he does to hunting and scouting. I so enjoy his videos!
 
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