Public Land Hunting: 3 tips for success

     It is an unfortunate fact that in the modern era hunting has become an expensive endeavor for the common man to take part in. Most people cannot afford to purchase large tracts of land suitable for hunting or even lease it for that matter. And of course, assuming one is able to pull together the funds for purchase or lease, the additional expense of upkeep makes a private piece of land a distant dream for the average man. Enter public lands. Public lands often get a bad reputation for being over hunted, over crowded, and somewhat barren in the realm of animal population.  These complaints are grounded in some partial truths but there are tactics to mitigate the hurdles and make public land hunting successful. If a man is willing to put in the work, public lands offer a world of adventure and good hunting that would otherwise be out of reach for many.

 

Scouting

Scouting is one of those words that stirs up a romantic sense of adventure for the outdoor lover. And rightly so, as the desire to see new land has kept men on the move for all of human history . That being said, it is also a lot of work. Scouting should begin at home reviewing road maps, topographic maps, and trail maps.  The first goal should be to locate areas that are more remote in nature and aren't dissected by roads and trails. This serves two purposes. Animals gravitate toward areas with less vehicular traffic and most hunters seek out areas of easy access. For the man looking for an advantage, find areas that you have to work to get to.  The longer the hike, the tougher the terrain, the more likely the areas are to have low hunting pressure. Once these areas are located, start searching for game signs. Consider water and food source locations, natural terrain highways such as saddles that animals travel through. Make sure to mark all points of interest on a map or GPS and take pictures with location stamps to recall later. Lastly, make note of ambush sights, tree stand locations, or good areas to set up a blind. The amount of preparation and planning placed into scouting will directly impact the success of a public land hunt.

Talk to the locals

   Most public land is surrounded by small rural communities. There are  a lot of people within these communities that have spent most of their lives in these areas. Don't discount the value of making conversation with the locals when stopping for that morning cup of coffee or breaking for dinner at the family owned steak house.  The friendly group of retirees that gather for breakfast every morning and chew the fat can be a wealth of information when it comes to local hunting hot spots.  As an example, a hunting partner of mine recently struck up a conversation with an older gentlemen one morning over a cup of coffee.  Following a short conversation, the older man pulled a pen from his pocket and begin circling areas of major game activity all over my friend's national forest map. These areas will all have to be scouted of course, but if new to an area, talking to the locals can grant a big head start. 

Hunt

     This may seem rather obvious but public land hunting will require time.  True hunting is not an instant gratification experience.  The likelihood of walking to a predetermined location, setting up for a short time, and taking game on a first hunt is very low on public land.  Once the initial leg work is complete, prepare to spend some quality time in the woods.  Many states track statistics of man hours hunting compared to game taken on public land. Successful hunts will require a substantial amount of time invested in not only the preparation but the hunt itself. Don't view this as a negative but rather as challenge and a pleasure. The experience of hunting is far more than taking game alone. It is the adventure of being in a wild place, the testing of ones skills, and the memories made with friends.

    Public lands keep great hunting within reach for the common man.  Thousands of acres are available and free to use for those that are willing to accept the challenge. The work required is hard but extremely gratifying.

"Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty..."

Theodore Roosevelt