The public areas near my home I've never heard much about poaching I'm sure it happens but I don't hear of it hardly at all and the DNR LEO's are few but pretty active and aggressive. I've seen them in action more than a few times on public land and they are very professional but will not hesitate to slam your N**S in a door jam if you've got it coming. Also the people who live around the public land I know will call the DNR on you without hesitation if they even think your trespassing or are up to no good.
In my state there are very strict very kind of stupid anti-baiting laws. I can grow a 100 acre field of sugar beats, clover, soybeans or any plant that is solely and only for attracting deer to feed so I can shoot them, but bait piles, mineral or salt licks, or any food scent or attractant like Deercocane, or home brew like a combination of Jello, sugar, salt, molasses, peanut butter etc, essentially any transportable substances a deer can or might eat is absolutely illegal to be in your hunting area within 10 days of opening day including any affected soil no less. As I said considering I can plant unlimited food plots legally to attract and kill deer but can not bring in the same exact food to attract deer is IMHO kind of stupid.
All of the public land near my home is surrounded by and borders on by private farm land, and homes.
This past turkey youth season was walking out of the woods with my boys and a big ole tom with us and at the parking spot the DNR officer was very happy to see us and quite excitedly congratulated my son and wanted to hear his story of how he got his tom.
My boys and I couldn't help but notice a truck as we walked by it illegally parked over 50 yards past the no vehicles past this point sign and also it was still legal turkey hunting hours and only turkey hunters are allowed on this area during legal hunting times and there are signs located at every parking spot on the entire property as well as on every road that state this.
As we were standing talking with the DNR officer we all saw a group of four people three men and one woman walking up to the illegally parked truck.
The officer said excuse me and went up to the group and asked what they were doing in the woods and were they aware they had driven on a road they weren't supposed to? They replied they were mushroom hunting and as far as they were concerned they felt driving on the road was no big deal.
The officer explained to them they could not have possibly driven past and not seen both signs about no unauthorized vehicles and only turkey hunters until after 1pm and to this the guy replied he didn't think it was fair turkey hunters got special treatment over mushroom hunters and wasn't going to loose half a day of mushroom hunting to what he said was stupid "expiative" rules.
Yep out came the officers pen and citation book.