Who said public land was bad?

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SoonerMedic

SoonerMedic

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Just thought I would share what I had the pleasure of watching browse around last night with his buddy. Sorry the photo isn't very clear, but I'm just excited that I got to see him! The picture doesn't do the height and shape justice.

This was taken last night on my way out of public state park land after fishing.
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I don’t think anyone ever says public land can’t be productive - that public land is bad - but rather the problem is public land is good, and is also public. So it’s the volume and often quality of the other hunters which is bad, not the capacity of the land.
 
All depends on WHERE. I used to live in NV, one of the states with the highest % of public land in the lower 48. If you wanted to get away from folks, there were areas where friends and I never saw another person for over a week. I remember taking a break on top of a mountain outside of Austin, NV where I could easily see 100 miles in any direction; there was 1 farm house a few miles away, and the naval bombing ranges about 50; that was it. Deer in those ares get very little human exposure but the hunting is tough as the constant elevation change gives them the distinct advantage.
 
Varminterror said:
I don’t think anyone ever says public land can’t be productive - that public land is bad - but rather the problem is public land is good, and is also public. So it’s the volume and often quality of the other hunters which is bad, not the capacity of the land.
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Lol I used "bad" just as a catchall. But, I was just very impressed at the good genetics, health and mass this guy had. I don't think the public land down here is AS heavily hunted as some other places. Now, dove hunters are plentiful around these parts for sure!
 
Guess I can't bad mouth public land hunting areas...... as I took the best whitetail of my life (so far... I'm not done yet) on a big piece of state land. Public land usually does see more hunters although topography must be factored in also. I got that whitetail on a big, steep hillside that most hunters avoid even though it's public.
 
Varminterror said:
I don’t think anyone ever says public land can’t be productive - that public land is bad - but rather the problem is public land is good, and is also public. So it’s the volume and often quality of the other hunters which is bad, not the capacity of the land.
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This x 100.
 
In Texas, public land is a good way to get shot. I prefer my own land.
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Public land in TX is almost non existent. I'd imagine what little there is can get crowded.

I prefer public land hunting. But the fact is that it is hard hunting. I almost never see another hunter here in GA, but enjoy the ability to hunt a big piece of real estate. There are places here in GA where I can walk through the woods for 30 miles and never wander off public land onto private property. I've gotten so used to being able to putting a pack on my back and literally getting lost in the woods that being confined to a small parcel of land is no longer satisfying. Anymore a 500 acre parcel of land feels like hunting on a postage stamp.
 
Try taking that photo after hunting season opens. :(

I hunt public land all the time. It definitely is pounded here in Florida. I killed a nice 7 pt. 2 yrs. ago with my muzzleloader but most bucks I see are spikes or forks.
Also, you said it was in a park. Parks are off-limits to hunting here. Therefore, there are nice deer in parks here too.
 
Patocazador said:
Try taking that photo after hunting season opens. :(

I hunt public land all the time. It definitely is pounded here in Florida. I killed a nice 7 pt. 2 yrs. ago with my muzzleloader but most bucks I see are spikes or forks.
Also, you said it was in a park. Parks are off-limits to hunting here. Therefore, there are nice deer in parks here too.
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It's a state park with hunting land on the south side of the park. He was only a couple miles from the hunting area and less than a mile from private property.
 
jmr40 said:
Public land in TX is almost non existent. I'd imagine what little there is can get crowded.

I prefer public land hunting. But the fact is that it is hard hunting. I almost never see another hunter here in GA, but enjoy the ability to hunt a big piece of real estate. There are places here in GA where I can walk through the woods for 30 miles and never wander off public land onto private property. I've gotten so used to being able to putting a pack on my back and literally getting lost in the woods that being confined to a small parcel of land is no longer satisfying. Anymore a 500 acre parcel of land feels like hunting on a postage stamp.
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There are large tracts of land in the Texas WMA public hunt program open to hunting in east Texas as well as the five national forests. There are places you can hunt and not see anyone, but east Texas has the lowest populations, 1 buck limits and no doe in many counties. I wouldn't bother, have never bothered with the national forests. I hunted some of the WMAs back in the 80s, never shot anything, only ever saw does.

Now days, I prefer my small parcels of land. I have problems health wise and simply can't walk all day or even stand up all day like I could when I was a kid in my 40s. The last 10 years I've kinda been going down hill in that regard. The docs are still checking me out. I have a blood disease, though, called "thrombocythemia" and the stuff I take to keep the platelet counts down, I feel affects my erythrocyte count. I'm a bit anemic. I take iron pills, but it's really gotten me down. I have my box blind and I kinda prefer shooting pigs to deer anyway. We have lots of both, but the pigs need killin' worse. :D I'm kinda getting burned out on deer hunting. I've always been more of a waterfowler, but I can't do THAT much anymore, stomping through mud in waders is WORK! I'm going to maybe try again this coming season, use my canoe, well cut down on the walking. And, I have a dog for the birds I shoot. :D

Hey, don't laugh, some day YOU'LL get old. LOL!
 
MCgunner said:
There are large tracts of land in the Texas WMA public hunt program open to hunting in east Texas as well as the five national forests. There are places you can hunt and not see anyone, but east Texas has the lowest populations, 1 buck limits and no doe in many counties. I wouldn't bother, have never bothered with the national forests. I hunted some of the WMAs back in the 80s, never shot anything, only ever saw does.

Now days, I prefer my small parcels of land. I have problems health wise and simply can't walk all day or even stand up all day like I could when I was a kid in my 40s. The last 10 years I've kinda been going down hill in that regard. The docs are still checking me out. I have a blood disease, though, called "thrombocythemia" and the stuff I take to keep the platelet counts down, I feel affects my erythrocyte count. I'm a bit anemic. I take iron pills, but it's really gotten me down. I have my box blind and I kinda prefer shooting pigs to deer anyway. We have lots of both, but the pigs need killin' worse. :D I'm kinda getting burned out on deer hunting. I've always been more of a waterfowler, but I can't do THAT much anymore, stomping through mud in waders is WORK! I'm going to maybe try again this coming season, use my canoe, well cut down on the walking. And, I have a dog for the birds I shoot. :D

Hey, don't laugh, some day YOU'LL get old. LOL!
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My wife talks about Hagerman a lot which is right by the red river. Its archery only and they say lots of very large bucks live there.
 
I had a good one found. He was on public ground. Not a trophy, but a very solid 130s buck. I told a coworker where to find him once I got news of rapid family growth. There was a stringer of smallmouth in the boat when the buck stepped out for a drink of water. A TC Encore 50 cal did the trick.
 
WestKentucky said:
I had a good one found. He was on public ground. Not a trophy, but a very solid 130s buck. I told a coworker where to find him once I got news of rapid family growth. There was a stringer of smallmouth in the boat when the buck stepped out for a drink of water. A TC Encore 50 cal did the trick.
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Who goes fishing during deer season?? LOL!
 
Wow, that's a nice deer, public land or not! Hope you get a better shot of that rack!
 
My very first flintlock deer was taken on public land here in the East. A young buck, and folks were surprised that a) I got a deer with my flintlock and b) that I got it on the public hunting area of a state park. It's the only deer I've ever gotten off public land.

The problem out my way is that the areas tend to be so small, AND so over hunted that in a few days the deer are all pushed out of the public area and onto private land.
In fact one of my favorite tactics is to go to a nice farm that is adjacent to the public land, on opening day, and wait for the deer to be driven by those hunters on the public area, towards me. I'm alone on that private land, and it's nice and quiet, and the shooting in the distance from the public land sounds a lot like Beirut on a Friday night. :confused:

LD
 
I don’t think the land is bad I just don’t like to hangout with everyone that lives on the planet.
 
jmorris said:
I don’t think the land is bad I just don’t like to hangout with everyone that lives on the planet.
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Unfortunately I have to live with you too lol. Would be nice to have this big ball of dirt and water to myself....well me and my wife anyway lol
 
That’s just it though, if you don’t like something about someone or their behavior and you have your own hunk of dirt, you just quit inviting them to play on it.

If you are a nice guy and act right, others will also invite you to play on their land as well.
 
Public land may be great hunting in certain parts of the country. Western section. Population not as dense.
East coast ..........no so much.
To your statement...........it all depends where you are.
 
I did love hunting in the Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico. It's an all day drive to get out there, but it's BIG, FULL of mulies, and all spot and stalk. But, I'm not in shape for that rough country anymore. It was an awesome hunting experience, though, back when I was in good shape and not anemic. :D Yes, if I lived out west and COULD, I'd hunt public for sure. Texas ain't the place, though, for reasons others have posted.
 
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