You could be among the many who saw reports that hunter numbers recorded by the US Fish & Wildlife Service in 2016, with two million fewer hunters than those in 2011. However, the figures could be different now that hunting is becoming more popular.
A shortage of quality hunting land is frequently identified as one of the reasons for this decline.
While it is true that access to good private hunting land has become more difficult, there remain at least fifty million acres of state-owned land offered to the public for deer hunting across the United States.
This does not include the millions of acres of federal land held in national forests, recreation areas, and wildlife refuges.
On the other hand, many hunters are apprehensive about hunting on public land because they believe it would be congested or that it will not provide a quality hunting experience.
As a hunter on public lands, I find many of these ideas are based on perception and not on reality. Many opponents of public land hunting base their arguments on hearsay, while others may have had a negative experience with public land hunting and dismissed it as a waste of time. (Learn How to Get Into Hunting)
However, many hunters enjoy hunting public land because of the numerous chances and challenges it affords.
However, there are several dos and don’ts that all public-land hunters should know to keep hunting safely.
In our guide, you can learn how to hunt public land to have a good experience rather than a poor experience.
What is The Hunting Public?
Every year, the mates go from state to state hunting public land for whitetail deer and turkeys and want to demonstrate how simple it is to have a fun time hunting.
The Hunting Public are regular guys who enjoy hunting and want to share their enthusiasm with others.
They grew up hunting small game, turkeys, and whitetails on public land and tiny properties.
Whether it’s gathering around a campfire after a good hunt or reminiscing with their pals about prior adventures. They show that many hunters may have fun when deer hunting on public land and make great memories with their friends and family.
The Hunting Public’s main goal is to build a community of hunters that can connect and learn from one another. Our podcasts and video journals provide a platform for us to teach, learn, and communicate with other hunters. They cover a wide range of topics, from advanced whitetail strategies to unusual hunting scenarios. We create relatable content and appeal to all hunters through our hunts on public land and modest privately held estates.
Life’s most important lessons are those learned via experience. Lessons learned on the trail will stick with you much longer than those learned from a magazine, book, or film because they will direct your steps when your mind wanders.
The Hunting Public is a popular YouTube video series offering two distinct playlists: Public Land and Private Land hunting.
Aaron Warbritton and Zach Ferenbaugh, co-owners, have a humble attitude to hunting, especially on public lands. The Hunting Public crew (Aaron, Greg, Zach, Jake, and Brody) capture the challenges they face during their seasons, making their video journal both informative and the videos are amusing.
The Hunting Public deviates from the traditional tutorial approach of being informational on paper by relying heavily on the unscripted reality of making mistakes and learning from those mistakes. It can be a unique way of learning how to get out on the ground, hunting public land from a vastly different point of view. (Read Turkey Hunting Basics)
Who Owns the Hunting Public?
True, Alaska and western states have the most federal public lands in the US, with Alaska alone having 224 million acres of federal land. However, to the east of the Mississippi River, you’ll find around 40% of state and municipal government lands are located.
If you want to locate good public land for hunting, you’ll need to know the kinds of public lands existing and who owns them.
Once you head out onto these vast land resources, you won’t be alone, as, in 2016, there were 101.6 million Americans taking part in wildlife-related activities, such as hunting, fishing, and wildlife-watching. The majority of these were mostly hunters.
Hunting on public land isn’t a solitary venture, a team sport, and to succeed, you’ll need every advantage you can find.
To help plan and learn how to hunt state land during the hunting season, there are a few things to know.
Share Public Lands
This crucial point cannot be overstated as you go hunting on public land. Keep in mind you could run across other hunters and other outdoor recreationists in certain regions.
Hunting on public lands needs to be done assuming others are present, even if you can’t spot anyone or see any sign of trucks or vehicles parked nearby.
It is vital to respect other hunters using the same public lands, don’t crowd them and create any hunting pressure, and they should reciprocate.
However, if you do see a sign of other hunters, it doesn’t mean you have to abandon your planned hunt. If you’re familiar with the area, you could predict where the hunters will go and use the information to your advantage.
Because so many people are hunting in the same area, don’t be frightened to go ahead and hunt it. Consider how game movement is influenced by pressure and how other hunters force the game in your direction.
Indeed, the presence of other hunters on popular public lands may be beneficial, particularly as the hunting season progresses. If you can’t acquire access to the area you desire, try a different approach, even if you must ask a private landowner.
It is critical for hunters to understand that not all public land is available for hunting. Each public land has its own set of rules and regulations, and various public lands have varied rules and regulations. Ensure you know everything there is to hunt about the state or area where you want to go hunting. (Read Are Crossbows Legal In California)
Know the Boundaries of Public Owned Lands
To hunt on public lands, you must first understand your position. You’ll want to make sure your hunt stays inside those boundaries throughout the hunt, in addition to evaluating potential hunting sites ahead of time with some e-scouting.
With the Government Lands Layer switched on in the Hunt App, you will be able to hunt legally without fear of trespassing.
Hunters on public land have discovered that hunting public areas that border private lands can boost their odds of success. Animals frequently move to private lands for a period because of increased pressure from more hunters. You should try catching them before they cross over or when they come off private land.
Search for the smaller often ignored portions of public land: many people believe they aren’t worth their time; therefore, they go unnoticed.
Once you’ve found a potential piece of land, use the onX Hunt application’s access layer to see if there’s any access that others may not be aware of.
Scout for Food, Water, and Cover
You can take advantage of the fact that animals have the same basic needs as hunters to have a successful hunt.
Animals need food, water, and shelter. You’ll have a better chance of filling your tag if you can find those places on public land. On public land, you won’t find much in the way of food. Deer and elk are often attracted to specific food sources, such as planted fields, and then search for safe bedding locations in the evening. You’ll stand a better chance of finding what you’re looking for if you find the shortest route between those two places.
On public land, there is a lot more water. Deer and whitetails drink water constantly when it is accessible. Large bucks require three to five quarts of water per day and will drink multiple times throughout the day to meet this requirement.
Set up your camp and wait to see if you can locate a decent water source. Just ensure you remember that deer, elk, and other animals don’t require a vast water source; even a small puddle will suffice. Besides this, where there is water, you can find good habitat and cover.
Using aerial and hybrid maps to look over locations could help you figure out where food, water, and cover are and how to get to them.
Hike Further
When it comes down to it, you’ll have to get up earlier, go much further, persist overnight than other public land hunters. Discovering how far a hunter will travel on foot to hunt has a lot of research. When it comes to deer hunters, it appears that if you can travel beyond a mile from the nearest road, trailhead, or path, you’ll be able to leave most of the competition behind. Elk stay at least a mile away from roads and road hunters.
You can also discover that hiking an extra five miles won’t suffice. Paddling could be the solution to traveling further and gaining access to a secluded hunting spot. Many hunters use water such as canoes, kayaks, and motorboats to find isolated areas in public land.
Watch for CWD in the Deer Community
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a genuine issue. CWD is fatal in the deer community and public land deer.
There is no cure, no vaccine, and deer can be healthy while carrying CWD.
One way hunters can help prevent the spread of CWD is to not remove high-risk parts such as the eyes, brain, spleen, lymph nodes, or spinal column) of any deer or elk, they harvest. Hunting apps can show hunting areas animals are known to be infected.
Where Can I Find Public Hunting Land Near Me?
Here you can find the best public land hunting; public land can vary based on region and state.
Focus on wildlife management and the health of public land deer, and you should find lots of public land hunting opportunities that are overlooked and can lead to a long walk for your successful whitetails hunting trip in your area.
- Alabama: Black Warrior Wildlife Management Area and William B. Bankhead National Forest. Barbour WMA is a great area for adult bucks.
- Arizona: More than 70% is public land, including state forests and properties managed by the Arizona State Land Department
- Arkansas: Mike Freeze Wattensaw WMA or Freddie Black Choctaw Island WMA Deer Research Area.
- Connecticut: Bowhunting-only state property
- Delaware: State wildlife areas, including property in coastal marshes or upland forest areas. Some areas are bowhunting only and have antler restrictions.
- Florida: Ocala and Three Lakes Wildlife management areas don’t require quota permits. Camp Blanding WMA has first-come, first-served daily quota permits. Twin Rivers and Guana River WMA offer multiple types of quota hunts. Blackwater WMA has quota and non-quota hunts. Joe Budd offers archery and muzzleloader quota hunts for mature bucks.
- Georgia: The Hilliard Plantation Tract of the Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA is a new area moving toward premier public land hunting experiences.
- Idaho: Comprised mostly of public lands at over 60% federally managed public land.
- Illinois: Dixon Springs State Park, Redwing Slough Lake, Anderson Lake State Fish, Wildlife Area, Banner Marsh State Fish, Wildlife Area, Sand Ridge State Forest, and Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area.
- Indiana: Yellowwood State Forest and the Hoosier National Forest. Pigeon River Fish and Wildlife Area has a large deer harvest on a state fish and wildlife area.
- Kentucky: Big Rivers in Crittenden and Union counties in the Green River Region consistently stands out as a quota-only draw.
- Louisiana: There are ample public opportunities on state and federal lands.
- Maine: Northern Maine, such as the North Maine Woods region, offers lots of public hunting.
- Maryland: State forests and wildlife management areas in the west of the state offer hunting for whitetails.
- Massachusetts: The Wachusett Reservoir and Sudbury Reservoir lands were just opened to deer hunting.
- Michigan: Wexford, Missaukee, Gladwin, and Ogemaw counties.
- Minnesota: Thief Lake Wildlife Management Area has more than 40K acres of hunting ground in the remote northwest.
- Missouri: Land managed by the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Missouri Department of Conservation manages many public lands in the state; some allow method-specific hunts.
- Montana: Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks works with willing landowners to provide hunting access.
- Nebraska: Open Fields and Waters program, which could be overlooked for deer hunting.
- Nevada: 10 & Toiyabe Range Area & Ruby Mountain Wilderness Area
- New Hampshire: The state has plenty of public access.
- New Jersey: Deer management zones including 5 through 19, 36, 49, 50, and 51 have the highest populations of deer.
- New Mexico: Jemez Mountains are great spots to hunt mule deer. Wildfires have improved forage conditions.
- New York: Adirondack Mountains in upper New York and the Catskill Mountains in SE New York have thousands of square miles of wild hunting.
- North Carolina: Large game lands have secluded areas accessible by foot or boat are the best spots.
- North Dakota: Property in the state’s Public Land Open To Sportsmen program.
- Ohio: Tranquility State Wildlife Area covers 4,500 acres and with varied habitats, including.
- Oklahoma: The Kaw and Three Rivers and the Black Kettle National Grasslands.
- Oregon: All the state offers a vast amount of public land.
- Pennsylvania: Potter County has Susquehannock State Forest.
- Rhode Island: Arcadia, Big River, and George Washington management areas.
- South Carolina: Webb, Hamilton Ridge, and Palachucola are generally open during the late-September-to-early-October archery-only season.
- South Dakota: State walk-in program.
- Tennessee: Cheatham produces quota and non-quota hunts. Hiwassee and Yuchi wildlife refuges have deer herds to control.
- Texas: National forest land in the east of the state. Kerr, Matador, Chaparral, Elephant Mountain, Mason Mountain, and Gus Engeling offer popular hunts for hunters seeking quality bucks.
- Utah: The Central Mountains Manti Unit.
- Vermont: Birdseye Wildlife Management Area.
- Virginia: Most Department of Game and Inland Fisheries WMAs offer good deer hunting opportunities.
- Washington: Check the state’s interactive and searchable Hunt Regulation Web map.
- West Virginia: The Tomblin Wildlife Management Area.
- Wisconsin: Public lands in every county, including state wildlife and fisheries, national, state, and county forests.
- Wyoming: Look for remote public areas, of which there are many.
