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How many really hunt on Public Land????

Noodles3435

Noodles3435

Member
I always seem to overlook public land. My excuse is always telling myself that everyone and their dog is probably hunting there. Then i always here of some monster getting taking of public land. So for future referance, how many of you hunt public land and do you have any good harvest stories???? Is it always packed with everyone and their dog???????? I would greatly appreciate your opinion so i don't have to wonder anymore.
 
I usually end up hunting on public land in Polk and Warren counties. It's pretty good early on in the bow season, not to many people and you can typically set up where you want. But once the rut gets close there starts to be quite a few people out. I have hunted 2nd shotgun a few times. It sucks to be honest. I don't drive hunt and a lot of the public that I hunt gets pushed a few times. There are plently of other people out on their own during the shotguns as well. I always had problems running into people, I would be trying to do a spot and stalk and come around a coner or go up a hill and on the other side there would be a guy sitting or visa versa. If there was snow I would typically run across other people's footprints. But, all that being said I have typically been successful taking a deer on public land, I've even seen a couple that would be in the 140's or 150's, but I don't except to ever take one like that on public. It all depends on where you hunt too I guess.
 
thanks for your reply. i have a couple buddies that hunt on public land and they always see big ones. i think they hunt by springbrook during shotgun season or on springbrook, not really sure but they said there are other hunters, but if they get there early, they get a good spot, but if they miss, chances are that other hunters are gonna get the buck. Also my uncle usually hunts private land, but once in awhile he hunts public and he has seen big deer also. so i am still split between giving public land a chance or just sticking to my loess hills private land. also do you think that public land shotgun hunting is dangerous??????????
anyone else have something to add??????????????
 
I split hunts between public and private. My local public areas have definetly seen an increase of use in the last 5 years. A couple spots I wonder if there's to many guys hunting to remain with effective bowhunting. The guys I've spoken with all complain about how tough it is to secure a private spot now. The public areas I use in NE Iowa also are getting more use in the last 5 years. Last Fall we ran into more non residents in NE Iowa than residents.
We always hear hunter numbers are on the decline, but seems to me access is declining faster than hunters.
I enjoy hunting the public areas, somewhat because I've known them for so many years and can usually manage to find some game. Overall though, for older bucks I've had much better luck on my private spots. No big suprise there.
 
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Noodles3435 said:
i have a couple buddies that hunt on public land and they always see big ones. i think they hunt by springbrook during shotgun season

also do you think that public land shotgun hunting is dangerous??????????
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When the drives start during shotguns season, the deer are moving everywhere, public and private. That is not an anti-deer drive statement as I've used pressure on neighboring properties to my advantage for years.

Yes, I think public land shotgun hunting is more dangerous than private land and was one of the biggest reasons I quit hunting public. Slugs breaking branches over my head was the last straw. Private land is only safer if the group you are with hunts safely and there are no trespassers.
 
JNRBRONC said:
When the drives start during shotguns season, the deer are moving everywhere, public and private. That is not an anti-deer drive statement as I've used pressure on neighboring properties to my advantage for years.

Yes, I think public land shotgun hunting is more dangerous than private land and was one of the biggest reasons I quit hunting public. Slugs breaking branches over my head was the last straw. Private land is only safer if the group you are with hunts safely and there are no trespassers.
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Down here in SE Iowa it borders on insanity during shotgun season! I wouldn't go near public land during that time in my area.

In archery season it's certainly not dangerous but still pretty "busy" especially on weekends.

Could be very different in other areas of the state...;)
 
A good time to hunt public land is very early in the archery season, but once you start seeing other hunters it's usually time to find another spot. Most of the places I go are worthless once early muzzle-loader starts. If you're crazy enough, the BEST time to hunt public land is when the weather gets almost unbearable. Won't see any footprints when the wind chill is -40. Deer are still there, just need to find a place with food and shelter. Seems like sometimes they're so worried about staying warm they move all day in a small area so they don't freeze to death. This makes the spot and stalk method very effective.
 
It's all I have hunted the past 6-7 years. I have never shot a buck on public ground, but its not because I couldn't have. I have hunted most tracts in SE, Central, & NE iowa at one time or another. It's all the same, walk your butt off and you won't have a problem. Last year I passed up a 150 11 pt, a 150s 8pt that I would of shot but he had a 8-9 inch broken brow, so probably upper 140s. I accidentally let a mid 160s walk by when the wind was howling 30mph and the rain was blasting me. That was a bad deal. He snuck right in. Then the biggest one I seen was a 180 that I simply set up wrong. I knew where I needed to be but I got there about noon and there was already a stand hung in the funnel, and I didn't want to upset another hunter by sitting 10 yds away. so I moved down the ridge an extra 75 yards. BIG MISTAKE!!

I have only shotgun hunted public a few times but all I ever had was doe tags. The two guys we took shot a 140 and 150s. Another year I had a 160s and 150s walk by at 20 yds when I had a doe tag in pocket.

My motto is walk as far as you can to the point where you don't want to walk anymore, then walk twice as far :) I find it rewarding to hunt public and pass on deer that most would shoot. Someday I will shoot a big one and it will be bittersweet to me :)
 
I dont hunt public land because i have 3 good farms to hunt,but i do shed hunt some public and find some pretty nice sheds.
 
I hunt public land in MN ever year during the muzzleloader season as it is the only place we can take our buddies out to do some deer drives without pissing off land owners. We typically have some success, but at least 1/2 the spots are deerless. If you walk far enough you can find deer, but then you also have to drag them out through a foot or two of snow and up and down valleys. Slug season on public land is about worthless, you would have to get lucky.
I have hunted public land in Iowa and have seen quite a few nice bucks, but also have encountered many hunters. I usually try to hike as far as possible, but you then run into guys who come off private ground, this wastes lots of time and can be frustrating, but at least the big bucks are present in Iowa.
 
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SW Iowa doesn’t have many acres for “public hunting”. As others have said if you hunt early you stand a chance of harvesting a deer.

I mostly hunt private property. But let me say this; I consider most of the private property that I have the privilege of hunting to be public hunting.

Unless you lease, own, or have relatives that own property in SW Iowa, you will be sharing your hunting spots with other hunters. This is especially true during the rut.

As for the Shotgun Seasons, I recommend staying out of the woods!



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Ron Wyllie
Southwest Iowa IBA Area Representative
rwyllie@iowawhitetail.com
 
I take my wife early muzzy & do all our turkey hunting on public. When I used to shotgun deer it was on public. And I shed hunt on public. OH, can't forget shroom hunting on public :)
 
I have shotgun hunted public for over 25 years and our group has taken many very nice bucks. My biggest came from public this year, a 150 inch 11 pt. My nephew took a monster last year in a bow only zone, early season that place is very quiet and the during the rut we see a only a handful of people. I practice what Liv preached above. Walk far, then walk much further. Kinda sucks at times going that deep with a climber on my back, but man have I seen some dandys the last 2 years in this bow only zone!
 
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