When venturing into the idea of this blog/site I knew I wouldn’t be able to merely share my knowledge and make all who visit better hunters, because I’ll be honest I learn and am learning all I know from others. So with that in mind I sought out Rick DeStefanis, author of the great book The Philosophy of Big Buck Hunting, which you can and should purchase (click here). I wanted Rick to share on a topic I’m still fairly young to, hunting public ground. I’ve been blessed to have at least a tiny chunk of private ground to hunt since I was young, however with the way the economy is going and how much land and lease rates are these days the common hunter is slowly being forced to hunt free public ground more and more.
So here is Rick’s Public Land 101:
Hunting public land, or heavily pressured timber-lease land can be a challenge for anyone, regardless of one’s level of experience. That is where I do most of my hunting, and the deer there often tend to be smarter than average and much more wary. There are, however, some things a hunter can do to put the odds in his favor. First of all, make sure you have all your basics down. That’s the simple things like scent control and wind awareness. You already face a daunting challenge when you set foot on public land, so make sure you are prepared. After that, persistence and a willingness to go where others don’t are the keys to success.
As with any area you may hunt, scouting is paramount. However, what you are looking for in addition to deer sign is evidence of use by other hunters: ATV trails, deer stands or evidence of climbing stands used on trees, cut brush and of course, boot prints. If you are finding a lot of this type of sign, keep moving. One of the primary strategies I use on public land is to go deeper or further than the average hunter before I begin scouting in earnest.
Look for those difficult to reach areas, old clear-cuts, buck-brush thickets and swamps. This is where the older and smarter deer go when they feel the pressure. What are you looking for? Two things primarily: good natural forage (acorns, honey suckle, etc.) and natural funnels. If one takes precedence over the other, I’d choose the funnel. This is one of the key strategies to hunting public land. You move in on foot early; well before daylight, and ahead of other hunters. Keep noise and lights to a minimum. The wind plays a key role in this strategy in as much as it needs to be at your back if you are going straight in from an access point that everyone else uses.
Once you arrive at your stand location, the plan is to hunt facing back toward the direction from which most hunters will be entering the land. This puts you facing the wind and in position to see deer moving away from the onslaught of hunters arriving at first light. The wind direction doesn’t have to be perfect, but you must put yourself on the down-wind side of the trail or funnel you choose. I have often had to only wait for first light to see deer that have moved deeper into the woods to avoid hunters.
The third part of this strategy is to keep the faith, and stay put. You will occasionally see other hunters moving through the woods, and hear shots everywhere around you. It can be somewhat disheartening when you feel everyone is getting shots but you. The fact is that most of these shots are being taken at running deer, and multiple shots from one weapon normally don’t equal a kill. Just sit tight. The deer don’t always move in a mass exodus for the deeper cover. They will sidestep hunters, circle and wait for the most opportune time to move. I have often had hunters walk by, and moments later see a crafty old buck circling their back trail.
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This takes me to the last part of this strategy. Don’t get off the stand at 10:00 a.m. Most hunters, including stand hunters get antsy and begin moving more by late morning. Many are working their way back to their vehicles for lunch. One of my old hunting mentors taught me this many years ago. Sit tight and you will see as many deer from 10:00 to 12:00 as you do at first light. It’s true. I killed eight or nine of my first bucks during this time. And the ones that aren’t jumped or pushed to you, often feel the pressure lighten and begin browsing as they move to deeper cover.
Public land can be just as productive as those expensive leases if you use your primary weapon to its fullest. That is your mind. Keep thinking and you will find other ways to put venison in your freezer.
-Rick Destefanis
1 comment:
keep it coming!
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