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Public land hunting near private land boundary - Advice or opinions needed

Bama_Xander

Bama_Xander

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2019
Messages
1,226
Location
North Alabama
I have a spot that is water access only that is on a narrow strip of public land. It looks like it would set up perfect topographical for funneling deer movement. It is about 135 yds wide (see drawing below).

126AD3DC-3B6F-4479-92CE-3F32D40C3443.jpeg

I am trying to figure out what I should do to hunt it, so feel free to share your opinions or advice. Options I see:

1. Don’t hunt it, it’s too narrow.
2.Only gun hunt it and place a high shoulder shot to immediately drop the deer on public.
3. Bow hunt it and only take 20yd and under shots that offer chip shots and hopefully short blood trails.
4. Not care at all and hunt it like any other situation hoping to get permission to track onto private land

I could also reach out beforehand to the private owners and try to secure tracking privileges. If you have done that before, please let me know how that went.

Feel free to let me know what you think or add any options to the above.
 
1. What mapping software are you using? OnX doesn’t look near that good for me.

2. I’d go scout it first, it may not even be worth hunting. It might get hunted to death by one of the private land owners or just not have the deer you’d expect.

3. What are the neighbors places like? If they have the bedding then yea, a track job on the private seems pretty likely and you might want to ask permission before hand. If it’s open fields on both sides a deer likely wouldn’t head that way even when hit.

4. Here’s my thoughts on asking tracking permission in advance. If you have a wounded animal and blood trail headed into the private land I feel most people are going to be understanding and let you track. If you ask someone in advance they may say no because they don’t want you to feel like you have an open invite to trample through their land anytime you like, or to discourage you from hunting nearby public land if they themselves are hunters.
 
Every lake cove in reasonably hilly terrain sets up just like that. Gun hunt it and shoot to drop the deer in its tracks. Avoid the hassle of tracking and permission and pissing people off by just not bow hunting it.
 
Id say follow the rules and hunt however you want. Be respectful of people around you but as long as you aren't breaking any laws there shouldn't be any issues. If you run into any problems or negative encounters with the property owners then I would move on unless you really like the area. Good luck!
 
Hunter260 said:
1. What mapping software are you using? OnX doesn’t look near that good for me.

2. I’d go scout it first, it may not even be worth hunting. It might get hunted to death by one of the private land owners or just not have the deer you’d expect.

3. What are the neighbors places like? If they have the bedding then yea, a track job on the private seems pretty likely and you might want to ask permission before hand. If it’s open fields on both sides a deer likely wouldn’t head that way even when hit.

4. Here’s my thoughts on asking tracking permission in advance. If you have a wounded animal and blood trail headed into the private land I feel most people are going to be understanding and let you track. If you ask someone in advance they may say no because they don’t want you to feel like you have an open invite to trample through their land anytime you like, or to discourage you from hunting nearby public land if they themselves are hunters.
Click to expand...

1. :tearsofjoy: Just wait till you see the satellite version, leaf off imagery is available.

2. That’s the plan. Because of limited time and distance from home, probably an in season scout with other options available on the WMA if it doesn’t have good sign.

3. Hardwoods to the right (West), segmented fields and hardwood draws on the left (East). It looks like it has hunting happening on the East/North. There is a decent amount more WMA property to the SE on the peninsula too.

4. That’s a good point. It would probably be more likely to get permission with an active blood trail than just the possibility.
 
I've found that if you're looking for permission, my pre-season approach is to say:

"I intend to hunt public land near your property. If I happen to have a wounded deer travel onto your property, what would you like me to do? Should I contact you to make sure my tracking won't interfere with anything you may be doing on your property, or would you prefer that I leave the deer."

The response is always to gain tracking access, and more than once I've been given the right to access public property an easier way or even given permission to hunt the private land.

Good luck!
 
Update - there was not a speck of deer sign there, so it didn’t matter. I walked all over this peninsula and this sliver that looked like it would funnel deer moment and couldn’t find a single track or any evidence that a deer has ever walked through there.
 
Bama_Xander said:
Update - there was not a speck of deer sign there, so it didn’t matter. I walked all over this peninsula and this sliver that looked like it would funnel deer moment and couldn’t find a single track or any evidence that a deer has ever walked through there.
Click to expand...

I've heard deer make the deepest tracks in a pile of corn. So I've heard.
 
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