Public Land Only

[BAMA BOW MERKER]

2 years ago I had a lease in Kentucky and in Tennessee. Last year I had a lease in Tennessee. This year.... Nothing. Can't find anything inside the budget, or close enough to consider. The last few seasons i have been able to take a few nice bucks on public ground, including my largest ever. Gonna have to go back to where I cut my teeth. Looking forward to the challenge. Maybe that PI draw will finally come through :)

How many of you guys hunt public ground?

 

[easy45]

I have a little, I mean very little with no luck, I absolutely lucked out on finding a lease this year, didn't think I had a shot

 

[mathews338]

I do a lot but i also have lots of private. I have killed lots of good bucks off of public land and at times wonder why I even pay for leases. I guess I just like to have lots of options.

 

[stik]

we hunt a lot on public land

 

[BAMA BOW MERKER]

I do a lot but i also have lots of private. I have killed lots of good bucks off of public land and at times wonder why I even pay for leases. I guess I just like to have lots of options.

That's exactly what I was thinking last year. Now knowing it's my only option has me a little worried, but I guess I'll find out soon enough. I'm up for the challenge.

 

[Tennessee Lead]

I have hunted public land the biggest part of my life.

 

[WRbowhunter]

I have hunted public land for the last 12 years. I could afford to get on a lease if I wanted to but at the moment I am having a blast where I'm hunting so way pay? I don't think the grass is always greener. But if things changed at the WMA then I would look into maybe joining Ames.

 

[timberjack86]

I got a lease this year, but I useally hunt public land.

 

[ghosthunter]

I cut my teeth on public ground and at times id rather hunt public cause the piece I hunt usually has less hunting pressure than my leases.

 

[landman]

Your less than 2 hours from lots of Great Hunting in several states

 

[DirtyBear0311]

I only hunt public. Cant afford to get on a lease.

 

[cdtac1]

I'm always hunting public land. I try to hunt WMAs that don't get as much pressure through out the year.

 

[Arrowslanger]

I hunt public and private, same success on both. The effort factor to hunt successfully on public is tenfold though. Those places that your average person won't hike far enough, get on a boat, etc. Public land does have great hunting in places, getting there is the problem.

 

[EastTNHunter]

I mainly hunt public land, although I have a very small parcel of private land that I hunt. If I had to pay to use land then I would have to give up hunting... It simply is not in the budget

 

[Bone Collector]

I hunt public land and do so successfully for deer, but no so much mature bucks. I hunt it less now than I used to as I have some private ground to hunt now.

 

[BAMA BOW MERKER]

Your less than 2 hours from lots of Great Hunting in several states

I hunted KY for 3 seasons and loved it. I haven't done my homework, but if this season is a flop I'll be looking at MO hard next year. I should be ok, I killed 2 of my bucks on public last year, I just like having other options.

 

[TN RDG RNR]

I run a 800 acre lease 5 minutes from my house but hunt 90% of the time on public land on the other side of the state. :crazy:

A lot of great public hunting in the state. Good luck.

 

[catman529]

mostly but not entirely public land here. I enjoy it even if i dont see a big ole buck

 

[TN Whitetail Freak]

All public for me......and it seems everytime i move into a new spot I see a good buck or two ....so a good bit of advice....constantly scout maps and look for new spots.....right now I have 15 spots over 7 public lands in. 5 counties

 

[UTGrad]

Although I'm on a lease I still hunt public on occasion.

 

[Winchester]

I hunt public about 50% of the time these days.

 

[JeepKuntry]

With public land, I've had decent luck through the first week of muzzleloader. After that it's been horrible. The economy got the couple that use to let me hunt so it's looking like public land will be my only option. With the exception of a doe on my in-laws land.

 

[cozy23]

Hunted only public land last year and about 50/50 the year before. I saw deer just about every time I hunted last year which was more than some of the private land spots I have hunted. It is harder to kill on public but I feel it means more when you do kill.

 

[Vermin93]

I love the challenge of hunting whitetail and turkey on public land. In my experience, hunting success on public land is extremely gratifying and provides a special sense of accomplishment.

That being said, I also have a lease.

 

[ImThere]

Only public

 

[Grnwing]

Public land for me, I could never afford to lease enough land to hunt all the diverse habitats that I get to enjoy on public land.

 

[BAMA BOW MERKER]

I've hunted public quite a bit, and looks like all that homework from the past will be put to use this season. Working on trying to get a small track to lease. Maybe it will come through. If not, I'll be in a tree somewhere :)

 

[1shot1kill]

I hunt a lease almost the whole season, hardly hunt government land even though I see a lot better quality deer on the government. I ask myself every year why I pay to lease. Come to the conclusion because the private land is easier access. We live 70 miles from our lease and people trespass and hunt it to death when we are not there through the week. The government area I hunt rarely sees a soul, its a long hard walk to get to it, therefore I see better quality I guess because they can get some age.

 

[BuckDropper]

I exclusively hunt public land. Can't afford a lease. The land I hunt is not overcrowded, I guess because of the 9 point rule and thickets, but there's some nice deer out there.

 

[deadeye 77]

what is the 9 point rule?