Public land hunting stories

[philsanchez76]

Thx sir! I always enjoy looking at bucks, but knowing they came from our backyard makes it 10x as sweet.

 

[catman529]

Here's all the "shooter" bucks I saw last year on scouting trips and trail cameras. Only one is on private land, the rest were all public. I know of at least one that survived the season, and probably a few more I don't know about yet.

If anyone wants to see one of the deer up closer I can post separate pics


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[philsanchez76]

Here's all the "shooter" bucks I saw last year on scouting trips and trail cameras. Only one is on private land, the rest were all public. I know of at least one that survived the season, and probably a few more I don't know about yet.

If anyone wants to see one of the deer up closer I can post separate pics


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That's what I'm talkin about! Screw you Iowa! Thx Catman.

 

[Carlos]

I thought this post was titled, Public Land Stories. After reading the title again, I saw that its titled Public Land Stories.

I was mistaken, and thought I was opening a topic that included stories, about hunting public land. For example, "Back in 2010, I setup a Jake decoy, along a 4 wheeler trail. I had the whole place to myself, and about 20 mins after daylight I heard a 4 wheeler running...."

 

[philsanchez76]

I thought this post was titled, Public Land Stories. After reading the title again, I saw that its titled Public Land Stories.

I was mistaken, and thought I was opening a topic that included stories, about hunting public land. For example, "Back in 2010, I setup a Jake decoy, along a 4 wheeler trail. I had the whole place to myself, and about 20 mins after daylight I heard a 4 wheeler running...."

Stories are just stories without pics or video evidence.

 

[Ski]

Im still looking for some of the others, but here's a decent start. I know they're a far cry from 150, but we can grow some good deer here.

That split g2 buck is not a far cry from 150. If he's not over it, he's kissing it in the butt. Great deer.

 

[catman529]

Here's all the "shooter" bucks I saw last year on scouting trips and trail cameras. Only one is on private land, the rest were all public. I know of at least one that survived the season, and probably a few more I don't know about yet.

If anyone wants to see one of the deer up closer I can post separate pics


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That's what I'm talkin about! Screw you Iowa! Thx Catman.

it still doesn't hold a candle to Iowa, just goes to show we do have good deer. They are tough to hunt here in the south. Almost all of those deer disappeared into who knows where, it's privet and cedar thickets all over, and property lines are never far away. I was lucky to see one at about 60 yards on day 2 of the season but that was it.


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[Trnr]

I thought this post was titled, Public Land Stories. After reading the title again, I saw that its titled Public Land Stories.

I was mistaken, and thought I was opening a topic that included stories, about hunting public land. For example, "Back in 2010, I setup a Jake decoy, along a 4 wheeler trail. I had the whole place to myself, and about 20 mins after daylight I heard a 4 wheeler running...."

What happens on public land, stays on public land....lol Just Kidding. Carlos, you're right- my apologies, didn't mean to get us off topic there. I can remember a day when I hunted Percy Priest, I was my usual 15-17 ft up overlooking an old logging road. From over my shoulder I heard some rustling/crashing so I readied my bow. Turned out to be a young man with headphones in (normal street clothes, obviously not hunting). Funny part was he had so much cologne on I could smell him in my tree. Needless to say I didn't see much that afternoon.

One other time I heard some rustling headed my way. Again, I readied my bow - this time turned out to be a lost dog. I tried to "shoo" him away but while I was "shooing" him, he came to the base of my tree, curled up, and fell asleep haha. Wasn't thrilled about it that day, but looking back I'm glad it happened.

 

[philsanchez76]

I thought this post was titled, Public Land Stories. After reading the title again, I saw that its titled Public Land Stories.

I was mistaken, and thought I was opening a topic that included stories, about hunting public land. For example, "Back in 2010, I setup a Jake decoy, along a 4 wheeler trail. I had the whole place to myself, and about 20 mins after daylight I heard a 4 wheeler running...."

What happens on public land, stays on public land....lol Just Kidding. Carlos, you're right- my apologies, didn't mean to get us off topic there. I can remember a day when I hunted Percy Priest, I was my usual 15-17 ft up overlooking an old logging road. From over my shoulder I heard some rustling/crashing so I readied my bow. Turned out to be a young man with headphones in (normal street clothes, obviously not hunting). Funny part was he had so much cologne on I could smell him in my tree. Needless to say I didn't see much that afternoon.

One other time I heard some rustling headed my way. Again, I readied my bow - this time turned out to be a lost dog. I tried to "shoo" him away but while I was "shooing" him, he came to the base of my tree, curled up, and fell asleep haha. Wasn't thrilled about it that day, but looking back I'm glad it happened.

HAHA! I hunt priest a lot and I absolutely see more plain clothes folks doing lord knows what in the middle of the woods than other hunters.

 

[EastTNHunter]

Keep in mind that THP often hunts aggressively, targeting bedding areas and other places that locals don't want to go into for worries of ruining their whole season if the aggressive tactic doesn't work out on the first try. The THP guys don't worry too much about that... if they blow out a bedding area then they just move on to the next place. They have multiple tags in multiple states and all of the time in the world to scout and travel around. I like watching them and seeing their tactics, but their overly dramatic antics get on my nerves at times. I also get peeved by the fact that they almost always "back out" after shooting a deer whether it is needed or not, then come back with an entourage to track it and get it out.

I really like watching Catman, who can slip in some humor without going way over the top, and he usually works alone to scout, film, and get his deer out. Usually Catman hunts a place in a way that he can get in and out without blowing future hunts, as well.

 

[oldmanelrod]

It is just so hard to fathom an hour drive having that much of a difference.

Sure has me stumped. Bucks cover enough ground that I'd think within several generations there wouldn't be a significant genetic difference from one region to another.

Alabama has a more colorful rut map than tennesssee due to varying genetics. For whatever reason, one strain of deer doesn't spread too far. Sure a single buck can travel several miles of ground during his life but that doesn't mean they spread like armadillos.


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I agree on Alabama. I work on and hunt on Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, AL. The deer on the Arsenal were introduced from SW AL and per studies done by the USFWS Arsenal biologist have a peak rut of 6 Feb. I live in Elkmont on the TN/Al line, 30 NW, of the Arsenal and the peak rut there is second week in December.

 

[Ladys man]

There out there, just have a lot of things fall into place at the right time.
My public 150 1/2

 

[Grnwing]

I have been very happy with West TN public land, always have a good chance at 120-130" deer every year with opportunity for one bigger. Hunting public teaches you a lot and you can experience a lot of different situations that you may not on lease. The simple fact that a lot of these WMA's are much larger than surrounding private land and can provide some of the area's biggest deer. Looking at deer densities and age demographics, you can really start to see how you are looking for just a few if any bucks over a square mile, that reach the age to express 150" racks. When you really start to breaking down public land compared to private, I think you will find that for a truly big deer with lots of inches you have better odds on public. That is just my opinion that has been formed over the years of hunting public lands. Ultimately it depends on the hunter and what they are looking for in their hunt and what they see to be a trophy and a successful hunt.

 

[tickweed]

I have a low net 150 class from public land in Tn. As Catman stated in a post earlier, true 150's are rare in west Tn. 140's are a heck of a deer here, but we are starting to see more.

 

[catman529]

I have a low net 150 class from public land in Tn. As Catman stated in a post earlier, true 150's are rare in west Tn. 140's are a heck of a deer here, but we are starting to see more.

150s are rare anywhere. They're more common in some areas such as the Midwest, or parts of Tennessee like Williamson and Davidson counties where the age class, soil and genetics are better. The thing is, people talk about big bucks, so you'll probably hear of a lot more 150+ deer around Franklin and Brentwood in the suburbs, but in reality they are still rare and make up a very small percentage of the total buck population.


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