How many hunt it. I do my self its all I have too hunt.
I have a few small tracts to hunt that are private. Been on public all but 2 hunts this year. There are birds on one of the places, I have seen tracks. But no room to move so it is sit and wait and pray. Not much fun. As the season is winding down and I still have one to kill, I may give him a little more attention.
Public land is all I have to hunt.
Florida public land and private land typically runs 50/50 or 40/60 for me. Gotta stay humble lol!
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Public only for me. We get a couple come on to our property in North Central Mn once in awhile but I leave them be.
Love public land: hunt, fish and cut wood. Great place to roam as I have come across old homesteads, stills and a graveyard that was very old, out of the way and probably lost.
I only hunt public. Leases are too small for the kind of hunting I like to do.
I got asked to a lease once that was 5000 acres of good turkey hunting land and very affordable. Not many turkey hunters, just a few. Most all dog hunted deer. I had just joined another lease that was loaded with birds and all swamp hunting (my favorite) and money was tight back then. They have never asked me again. I know about everyone in it. Shame that the timing was bad as someone has to die near about to open a spot. I went to church with the man that passed.
I hunt public quite a bit.
I do off and on.
All kinds of public with all kinds of birds here. Have access to a few thousand acres of private too. :funnyturkey:
Public land is often easier. If you don't have exclusive rights to a giant piece of property you're sharing birds.
Public land is much bigger and if you use distancing techniques you'd be way ahead. Nothing is harder about public birds unless you hunt w everyone else. Don't do it. Make space
90% public and 10% private. I will add my best all around gobbler(21.5 lbs. 11" beard, 1 3/8" spurs) was taken on public land.
I have hunted (the same) small private pieces, but I'm considering a public land hunt in a national forest for the first time. It's intimidating to take the plunge. I've done for deer hunting and shot a few does, but haven't tried it for turkeys. I'm not a great turkey hunter and I'd imagine I would look even worse hunting heavily pressured birds.
Quote from: G squared 23 on April 15, 2020, 07:44:07 PM
I have hunted (the same) small private pieces, but I'm considering a public land hunt in a national forest for the first time. It's intimidating to take the plunge. I've done for deer hunting and shot a few does, but haven't tried it for turkeys. I'm not a great turkey hunter and I'd imagine I would look even worse hunting heavily pressured birds.
Nah. They are still turkeys. Just find one that has not been called at constantly and is willing to play and you will be golden. A lot of the heroes on here give the public land bird mythical status and intelligence. It just makes them feel better.
Quote from: g8rvet on April 15, 2020, 08:12:04 PM
Quote from: G squared 23 on April 15, 2020, 07:44:07 PM
I have hunted (the same) small private pieces, but I'm considering a public land hunt in a national forest for the first time. It's intimidating to take the plunge. I've done for deer hunting and shot a few does, but haven't tried it for turkeys. I'm not a great turkey hunter and I'd imagine I would look even worse hunting heavily pressured birds.
Nah. They are still turkeys. Just find one that has not been called at constantly and is willing to play and you will be golden. A lot of the heroes on here give the public land bird mythical status and intelligence. It just makes them feel better.
Yup. Nothing mythical about them. I hunt public only. They might be a little quieter and a little more Leary but they still do what turkeys do. Bigger tracts of public are easier than smaller ones. Better chance to get away from the crowds. As pressure increases on smaller tracts you'll find a good number of the birds will beeline to private less Pressured or unpressured land after flydown. Some will hang around but don't give up their locations so readily. It may not sound like it but they are there and can be killed.
i got an email this morning saying wisconsin public land was still open to hunt, but no scouting so i went out tonight and pulled 2 of my public land trail cams(first i've ever put out). i'm getting the 3rd tomorrow night
both were out about 2 weeks and i had 2 or 3 deer and 2 or 3 toms on each. one of the toms was even strutting on april 5th. pretty excited to see the pics. i know in the future i could improve where i put them and where i aim them
i even got a pic of a really cute girl hiking in muck boots and what looked like a white claw lol i'm such a creep. i shot a nubbin buck about 200 yards from this cam this winter
also lots of pics of me putting them up and a coon and a huge coyote. hoping i i eventually get a bobcat or cougar on one. i drove up on a bobcat while going out to run my lab this winter
Quote from: g8rvet on April 15, 2020, 08:12:04 PM
Quote from: G squared 23 on April 15, 2020, 07:44:07 PM
I have hunted (the same) small private pieces, but I'm considering a public land hunt in a national forest for the first time. It's intimidating to take the plunge. I've done for deer hunting and shot a few does, but haven't tried it for turkeys. I'm not a great turkey hunter and I'd imagine I would look even worse hunting heavily pressured birds.
Nah. They are still turkeys. Just find one that has not been called at constantly and is willing to play and you will be golden. A lot of the heroes on here give the public land bird mythical status and intelligence. It just makes them feel better.
.
Is there a map online somewhere that shows you where all the national forests are located throughout the country. I solely hunt private but that's because I don't have any public around me that's not draw hunt type. I'd like to hunt more public for the space to roam but as someone mentioned it can seem a little intimidating to take the initial plung.
Many states and counties have a gis system that show public land
Quote from: Paulmyr on April 17, 2020, 10:49:54 AM
Many states and counties have a gis system that show public land
Yep, but be sure to change the "base map" to USA topo, because sometimes the property boundaries are different. It can work in your favor, where you actually have a little more land to hunt on than you think of you only look at the shaded satellite photo.
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Hero.
No one said a heavily pressured bird is not harder to kill. In fact, the opposite was said. I have hunted public land with access to lightly pressured birds and I have hunted private birds that were heavily pressured. But any of them can still be killed when you find them on the right day. He insinuated that all public birds are heavily pressured and we were saying that was not always the case.
I'll accept your knowledge of heads up a##es. Not my area of expertise.
PS: I just went back and looked at all replies to see what was said to encourage the one poster that was worried he could not kill a public bird:
"Nothing is harder about public birds unless you hunt with everyone else."
"Just find one that has not been called at constantly"
"Better chance to get away from the crowds"
You are an idiot. I specifically said to find one that has not been called at constantly. I know you think you are Mr Wonderful turkey killer and all. All hail. Welcome to the ignore list DA
Quote from: g8rvet on April 20, 2020, 08:35:55 PM
But any of them can still be killed when you find them on the right day.
:agreed:. They're just turkeys doing what turkeys do.
I hunt 100% public ground, which gets hit hard for weeks on end. Challenge of public is having a strong plan B, plan C, plan D, etc.
Public land is and always will be more difficult to hunt than private. I love the mountains but they are extemely hard to hunt. Game can be scarce and you may have limited oppertunites so better make them count. Make sure you know how to call when hunting turkeys and have scouted a lot preseason. Hiking away from trail heads or roads is time consuming and will wear one down quickly over time. Weather is often unpredictable and combined with difficult terain can take its toll. Being in good shape will make a hunt easier, climbing, lifting weight and cutting wood are some of the prepartations I use to get conditioned. I also shoot year around both shotguns and rifles. Nothing is more depressing than to miss a shot after days of hunting public land.
I am talking about the East not some DIY hunt out West. I have hunted Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico and Canada and they can be difficult. In the East I hunt the Jefferson and George Washington NF about 1.6 million acres. I don't know about all the "heros" on here but hunting can be down right miserable at times. However, success can be sweet.
I seldom find pressured birds on public land I hunt because I hike in very early and through the use of maps, GPS and scouting key in on areas that seldom if ever see a hunter. I do hunt presured birds on private land because of all the neaibors.
Sorry about the long post but what I frequently read on here so often varies from my experience of public land hunting. Its very hard but completly doable. I just never hear about the sweat, blood, blisters, sore muscles, bottles of tylenol, bad weather, days of seeing no game that I have experienced. Maybe I am doing something wrong like setting my goals or standards too high but when success occurs it is sweet and I can just smile at all the folks riding the roads that never really understand what hunting public is all about. I do understand that obligations such as family or work can limit ones time to prepare or even hunt public land but with the current Corona Virus making its impact now is the perfect time to hit public land. This means even if you just pick a trail and start walking. No telling what is around the next bend. So RiverRoost I highly suggest you give it a try.
100% public. I have a buddy who offers to let me hunt his property for deer. But just because it's private doesn't mean it's good property... I respectfully decline and head to public. I prefer the options of different pieces of land. Freedom to roam. And the challenge public land presents... makes you feel like you really earned it.
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100% public here in Louisiana. Only private I do is my lease in west Texas. it is VERY tough here in LA because theres no such thing as a bird that hasn't been fooled with. Most have been called at before the season even opens. The land I hunt on has many a roads through it so the idea of walking deep is not an option... the farther you get from one road, the closer you get to another. As soon as day breaks the sound of gravel popping turns up. People driving roads and calling from their vehicles. It's frustrating and plays on your mind, but 99% of them never get out of their vehicles unless they hear a gobble. Then they drive off. Just last week I was set up on a bird that gobbled 3 times in the tree. After he got quiet I had a hen come in and was pecking around at 15 yards, a truck slowly drove by(I'm about 150 yards off the road) stopped, crow called twice, then after a few seconds, blew an airhorn out his window. The hen just kind of froze for a bit, then he drove off and she went back to pecking around. The gobbler fired back up about an hour later, by that time the traffic had died down. We don't have gated trails, and I've had people drive around my truck, and up to my set up before. If I'm walking down a trail I usually try to block it, but they sometimes still find a way around. It just blows my mind that someone can drive around a vehicle parked on a dead end trail when it's obvious someone is hunting there. Even had a nasty note left on the truck last week.. "next time you block the trail I'll move it myself" lol and the tire tracks were around the truck, he got around anyways so what's the big deal? Lol. I honestly believe that some people would rather screw everyone's hunt up than see someone else kill a bird, and it's a very sad mentality. Very frustrating but I shake it off and keep at it. And sooner or later I get my reward. I've killed private land turkeys...and it's just as much fun watching it happen. But I feel more rewarded when I get my public land birds.
Quote from: Tomfoolery on April 25, 2020, 10:31:58 AM
100% public here in Louisiana. Only private I do is my lease in west Texas. it is VERY tough here in LA because theres no such thing as a bird that hasn't been fooled with. Most have been called at before the season even opens. The land I hunt on has many a roads through it so the idea of walking deep is not an option... the farther you get from one road, the closer you get to another. As soon as day breaks the sound of gravel popping turns up. People driving roads and calling from their vehicles. It's frustrating and plays on your mind, but 99% of them never get out of their vehicles unless they hear a gobble. Then they drive off...
Sounds like you have to stick to your plan from scouting and wait out the guys who waited to do their scouting when season started.
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Quote from: AppalachianHollers on April 25, 2020, 11:07:25 AM
Quote from: Tomfoolery on April 25, 2020, 10:31:58 AM
100% public here in Louisiana. Only private I do is my lease in west Texas. it is VERY tough here in LA because theres no such thing as a bird that hasn't been fooled with. Most have been called at before the season even opens. The land I hunt on has many a roads through it so the idea of walking deep is not an option... the farther you get from one road, the closer you get to another. As soon as day breaks the sound of gravel popping turns up. People driving roads and calling from their vehicles. It's frustrating and plays on your mind, but 99% of them never get out of their vehicles unless they hear a gobble. Then they drive off...
Sounds like you have to stick to your plan from scouting and wait out the guys who waited to do their scouting when season started.
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Pretty much!
Quote from: Tomfoolery on April 25, 2020, 10:31:58 AM
. The land I hunt on has many a roads through it so the idea of walking deep is not an option... the farther you get from one road, the closer you get to another.
That is very true in my area too. It is why I tend to hunt along a river because at least there is a boundary that direction that keeps folks from driving in on ya. They can always come by boat, but there are less folks that do that.
Public land is all I hunt. Makes it tough sometimes especially with the added pressure from other hunters
I don't think it is necissarily getting far away from roads as it is using terrain features and private property lines to get away from pressure. In most public places there are areas that are tough to get to. Most people aren't going to climb up that 300 ft ridge to get to the top that is protected by private on the back side. You gotta really want it to go up there. Same for dropping into the valley because you have to climb back out. If you get into these spots it's highly unlikely some Skippy will be walking up to you at 6:30am asking you how it's going. Those are the areas that I look for. As a matter of fact my legs are aching right now from carrying a big old public land Tom this mourning out of an area just like this.
I hunt both private and public but the vast majority is public. I actually prefer public because normally I have a lot of room to roam and that's my preferred method to turkey hunt. The private spots I have access to are mostly small, less than 100 acres. They can either be dynamite or quiet as a church mouse. The problem with the small properties is if it ain't happening at daylight it ain't going to happen. On bigger public land I can normally cover enough ground to find one gobbling. Even if I don't find one gobbling I get to see a bunch of new and beautiful ground. I have actually had more negative experiences with other people on the private places I've hunted.
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I hunt mostly public also. I have a couple of spots that I have been invited to hunt on private land but they're small areas. I prefer to hunt on public because when the Enduro crowd comes it's easier to move a couple of miles away than it is on private.
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A lot of folks tend to categorize turkey hunting difficulty using "public" or "private" as their baselines. Simply put, that is flawed reasoning. Personally, my baselines are the amount of hunting pressure an area receives, whether public or private, and also the turkey densities in the area I am hunting.
All other things being equal, the factor that most directly affects turkey hunting success (or failure) is the amount of hunting pressure put on any given area whether it be public or private.
That "all other things being equal" factor is the wild card. Private land hunters have some level of control over things like guys calling to turkeys pre-season, or worse yet, calling at turkeys they see from the road out the window of their vehicle,...or setting up their campsite under the roost tree,...or any number of other "you just made 'em harder to kill" antics.
Hunt public land from time to time.
I have a love/hate relationship with public land hunting. In some states, I love to hunt public land because I can walk all day and rarely run into another hunter. In others, I despise it tremendously because there are people everywhere and the turkeys are tight lipped.
This year, getting away from others has been even a bigger challenge than normal.
Quote from: GobbleNut on April 27, 2020, 11:30:54 AM
A lot of folks tend to categorize turkey hunting difficulty using "public" or "private" as their baselines. Simply put, that is flawed reasoning. Personally, my baselines are the amount of hunting pressure an area receives, whether public or private, and also the turkey densities in the area I am hunting.
All other things being equal, the factor that most directly affects turkey hunting success (or failure) is the amount of hunting pressure put on any given area whether it be public or private.
That "all other things being equal" factor is the wild card. Private land hunters have some level of control over things like guys calling to turkeys pre-season, or worse yet, calling at turkeys they see from the road out the window of their vehicle,...or setting up their campsite under the roost tree,...or any number of other "you just made 'em harder to kill" antics.
Great point. I was in one lease that was mostly deer hunters and had the run of a 2000 acre club that was mostly river swamp and only 4-5 other hunters and they were only there on weekends. That was an awesome place. Was in another lease that was full of turkey hunters and you had to pick a stand location and could only hunt a limited distance from that stand without moving your pin to the new location. So you pick a stand, the bird gobbles closer to the other stand, you had to leave and hang a pin near that one. That lease sucked. They all deer hunted the turkeys. We crossed over a creek one time and called the bird in and killed him. You would have thought we kicked their dogs because we did not "check in" to the other spot (no one was there, it was mid week).
Quote from: g8rvet on April 27, 2020, 01:19:32 PM
That lease sucked. They all deer hunted the turkeys. We crossed over a creek one time and called the bird in and killed him. You would have thought we kicked their dogs because we did not "check in" to the other spot (no one was there, it was mid week).
Provided this kind of idiotic arrangement isn't in place, it seems you can get access to good private land by joining a hunting club as a "spring turkey-only" member for relatively cheap.
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90% of my turkey hunting as well as Deer hunting is on public land these days.
Was blessed beyond measure to have had excellent private turkey land beginning my fifth turkey season and for the next 11 seasons. Now I have a mix of both public and private. Have done extremely well on both and in the last 25 turkey seasons have failed only twice to take a turkey for myself and both times had ample opportunity just messed up. Three seasons ago missed not one Tom but two within one hour of each other due to my rear fiber optic iron sight having come loose and moved.
Was first season I can recall since doing it having NOT patterned my gun prior to season and paid the price. Shot it later that same day and my pattern was impacting 16" high and 6" right. Rear sight was actually damaged some how and I couldn't get it back to zero. I then installed a Leupold VariX-II 2-7x33mm shotgun scope and it works fantastic.
I thoroughly enjoy hunting the public land in my state and fully 1/2 my Toms of the last 15 years came off public land and are now looking to try states public land that border my home state as my sons LOVE turkey hunting and would like to extend thier season and our time hunting together.
Quote from: mtns2hunt on April 23, 2020, 10:36:32 PM
Public land is and always will be more difficult to hunt than private. I love the mountains but they are extemely hard to hunt. Game can be scarce and you may have limited oppertunites so better make them count. Make sure you know how to call when hunting turkeys and have scouted a lot preseason. Hiking away from trail heads or roads is time consuming and will wear one down quickly over time. Weather is often unpredictable and combined with difficult terain can take its toll. Being in good shape will make a hunt easier, climbing, lifting weight and cutting wood are some of the prepartations I use to get conditioned. I also shoot year around both shotguns and rifles. Nothing is more depressing than to miss a shot after days of hunting public land.
I am talking about the East not some DIY hunt out West. I have hunted Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico and Canada and they can be difficult. In the East I hunt the Jefferson and George Washington NF about 1.6 million acres. I don't know about all the "heros" on here but hunting can be down right miserable at times. However, success can be sweet.
I seldom find pressured birds on public land I hunt because I hike in very early and through the use of maps, GPS and scouting key in on areas that seldom if ever see a hunter. I do hunt presured birds on private land because of all the neaibors.
Sorry about the long post but what I frequently read on here so often varies from my experience of public land hunting. Its very hard but completly doable. I just never hear about the sweat, blood, blisters, sore muscles, bottles of tylenol, bad weather, days of seeing no game that I have experienced. Maybe I am doing something wrong like setting my goals or standards too high but when success occurs it is sweet and I can just smile at all the folks riding the roads that never really understand what hunting public is all about. I do understand that obligations such as family or work can limit ones time to prepare or even hunt public land but with the current Corona Virus making its impact now is the perfect time to hit public land. This means even if you just pick a trail and start walking. No telling what is around the next bend. So RiverRoost I highly suggest you give it a try.
I hunt the same NF and pretty much agree with everything you've put in this post.
At this point in my life, while I'm still healthy, I wouldn't have it any other way.