Area 12 LBL

[Simpleman.2]

Well I signed our group up for LBL this morning and I accidentally slipped up and put us in for the wrong unit. I typically go with area 13 or 15 but for some reason I wasn't thinking and put 12 as my priority. I don't guess there's anything I can do now lol. My second option I listed was 15 and third was 13. Maybe we'll get lucky and get one of those. Has anyone on here had any success in area 12? I've never hunted it. If I do end up getting drawn I'll probably go do some scouting during bow season.


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[beefydeer]

I've hunted 12...many years ago. Killed a nice buck by one of the old cemeteries in the woods.

 

[scn]

I think 12 was designated as muzzleloader only on at least one of the hunts. If that isn't your weapoof choice, you may want to call LBL and see if they can/will change it for you.

 

[TLRanger]

Call Gregory Barnes @ 270 924-2089 - 8A 4:30P cst

He may be able to help you.

 

[infoman jr.]

The first morning I ever hunted at LBL was in 12, and I was late to my stand. As I was hanging on the side of my tree shortly after daylight holding my treestand, a really nice 10 point chased a doe by me and stopped at 15 yards.

 

[Simpleman.2]

Call Gregory Barnes @ 270 924-2089 - 8A 4:30P cst

He may be able to help you.

Thank you! I may give him a call. Still haven't decided if I want to just leave it or change it.


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[Simpleman.2]

The first morning I ever hunted at LBL was in 12, and I was late to my stand. As I was hanging on the side of my tree shortly after daylight holding my treestand, a really nice 10 point chased a doe by me and stopped at 15 yards.

That's good to know. I know there's good deer in every unit I was just curious if anyone on here had any success of seeing/shooting deer out of 12. Looks like that you may actually be able to get away from hunters in this unit.


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[TheLBLman]

I know there's good deer in every unit I was just curious if anyone on here had any success of seeing/shooting deer out of 12.

I've said this to so many people, that I've tired of saying anything,
as seems everyone thinks the grass must be greener on the other side of some fence,
but there really is little overall difference between any of the hunt compartments at LBL.

ALL of the units are bordered by a large lake on one side or another, basically just a case of east side vs. west side.
ALL of the units contain very similar terrain, mostly ridge & hollow hardwoods.
Basically just all of them are more similar than different.

The BEST unit is whichever one you've spent the most time in.

Looks like that you may actually be able to get away from hunters in this unit.

Again, very little difference in 12 vs. any the others.
But, note the network of roads in 12 vs. some of the others.
Generally speaking, Area 12 has less distance (or acreage) between roads,
not that this necessarily makes much difference.

But is "noteworthy" to compare the internal network of roads in Area 12, say vs. Area 15.

Ironically, often at LBL the best way to "get away" from other hunters has become to hunt CLOSE to a road, at a location that is not close to a field, easy parking, or a trailhead. You would be surprised how often multiple hunters come in from multiple directions (parked on different roads), and end up clustered very close to each other in lots of "remote" places, some of them carefully plotted on a map due to their relatively remote locations.

There are relatively few places at LBL over a mile from anywhere you might park, without that spot getting closer to another road than from the one you parked on. Actually, you could say more like 3/4 of a mile. If you find a more "remote" spot (via distance) you then run greater risk of other hunters having the same idea.

There really is just no way to guarantee you'll not be sharing the woods with some other hunters, although most hunters are reasonably courteous and you'll typically have ample elbow room. The exception to that prior sentence is when you hunt fields at LBL. Fields tend to draw the least experienced hunters, who also tend to have the least understanding or experience of "common courtesy" for public land hunters.

 

[TheLBLman]

I typically go with area 13 or 15 but for some reason I wasn't thinking and put 12 as my priority.

Assuming you've done ANY hunting/scouting of 13 & 15,
then those two become your best areas to hunt.

You said "put in" for, so not clear if you've ever hunted or just been putting in.
If you've only been putting in, 12 is then every bit as good as 13 & 15, since you're starting from scratch regardless.

One thing I've noticed (one area over another) is some seem to prefer 15 simply because it's the largest single area, therefore when drawn, you might have the most options as to where you hunt, and you might statistically have a slight chance of being drawn for your 1st choice more consistently.

And although all the areas are more similar than different, some areas do have significant border with either "no" or "less" hunted parcels. However, those areas can in turn therefore get more heavily hunted, since some will want to hunt the edge of a safety zone, then those safety zones may be available for archery only hunting as well, i.e. then drawing more of the serious bowhunters.
On public land, to some degree, it will always be a crap shoot, some days will be better than others.

 

[Simpleman.2]

I know there's good deer in every unit I was just curious if anyone on here had any success of seeing/shooting deer out of 12.

I've said this to so many people, that I've tired of saying anything,
as seems everyone thinks the grass must be greener on the other side of some fence,
but there really is little overall difference between any of the hunt compartments at LBL.

ALL of the units are bordered by a large lake on one side or another, basically just a case of east side vs. west side.
ALL of the units contain very similar terrain, mostly ridge & hollow hardwoods.
Basically just all of them are more similar than different.

The BEST unit is whichever one you've spent the most time in.

Looks like that you may actually be able to get away from hunters in this unit.

Again, very little difference in 12 vs. any the others.
But, note the network of roads in 12 vs. some of the others.
Generally speaking, Area 12 has less distance (or acreage) between roads,
not that this necessarily makes much difference.

But is "noteworthy" to compare the internal network of roads in Area 12, say vs. Area 15.

Ironically, often at LBL the best way to "get away" from other hunters has become to hunt CLOSE to a road, at a location that is not close to a field, easy parking, or a trailhead. You would be surprised how often multiple hunters come in from multiple directions (parked on different roads), and end up clustered very close to each other in lots of "remote" places, some of them carefully plotted on a map due to their relatively remote locations.

There are relatively few places at LBL over a mile from anywhere you might park, without that spot getting closer to another road than from the one you parked on. Actually, you could say more like 3/4 of a mile. If you find a more "remote" spot (via distance) you then run greater risk of other hunters having the same idea.

There really is just no way to guarantee you'll not be sharing the woods with some other hunters, although most hunters are reasonably courteous and you'll typically have ample elbow room. The exception to that prior sentence is when you hunt fields at LBL. Fields tend to draw the least experienced hunters, who also tend to have the least understanding or experience of "common courtesy" for public land hunters.

I've hunted LBL several times and I know for the most part every unit looks the same. I just never have heard much about unit 12, and I was curious if there was any reason as to why. I've scouted some of it a couple years ago on a bow hunt but that was it.


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[Simpleman.2]

I typically go with area 13 or 15 but for some reason I wasn't thinking and put 12 as my priority.

Assuming you've done ANY hunting/scouting of 13 & 15,
then those two become your best areas to hunt.

You said "put in" for, so not clear if you've ever hunted or just been putting in.
If you've only been putting in, 12 is then every bit as good as 13 & 15, since you're starting from scratch regardless.

One thing I've noticed (one area over another) is some seem to prefer 15 simply because it's the largest single area, therefore when drawn, you might have the most options as to where you hunt, and you might statistically have a slight chance of being drawn for your 1st choice more consistently.

And although all the areas are more similar than different, some areas do have significant border with either "no" or "less" hunted parcels. However, those areas can in turn therefore get more heavily hunted, since some will want to hunt the edge of a safety zone, then those safety zones may be available for archery only hunting as well, i.e. then drawing more of the serious bowhunters.
On public land, to some degree, it will always be a crap shoot, some days will be better than others.

Thanks for all the info LBLman I really appreciate the response. Yes, I've hunted both 13 and 15 before and prefer those two due to knowing them best. However, since I slipped up and listed my preference choices wrong I was looking to see if anyone had any personal experiences hunting 12 in case I was to get drawn for it. I've never heard much chatter about it. Wasn't it at one time muzzleloader only?


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[Bone Collector]

Ironically, often at LBL the best way to "get away" from other hunters has become to hunt CLOSE to a road, at a location that is not close to a field, easy parking, or a trailhead. You would be surprised how often multiple hunters come in from multiple directions (parked on different roads), and end up clustered very close to each other in lots of "remote" places, some of them carefully plotted on a map due to their relatively remote locations.

I agree. I try to find a place that is further in, but what i have seen the 2 times i have hunted it is there are logging road that you can't always find on a map and people come in from directions you don't account for. The first time I hunted there, I walked way back found a logging road and walked in on it and then dropped off a ridge. I hung my stand, and went back to camp. Next morning I walk in pass two hunters I have no idea where they came from, get to the logging road, and I see a head lamp coming towards me, then it goes black. I go to my stand and about 9:30 am I hear a BOOM right down the ridge from me in the direction I thought the deer would come from (fields were down that way). About 2-3 minutes later, doe trots with her tongue hanging out. I'm pretty sure the person that came in, came in from the lake and when they saw me, went past where I was hunting and set up on the field side of the ravine, doing what I was doing, which was hoping the field hunters would run the deer back into the woods....