I got a question?

[redrivergar]

Turkeys don't know whether they live on public or private land. They don't even pay rent. We are blessed here in the CHAMPION state with lots of public land. Come on and get some.


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[Cove]

See if this makes since. . . .

Is a public land turkey harder to kill than a private land turkey? No
Is it harder to kill a public land turkey than a private land turkey? Yes

Think hard.

[Gut_Pile]

See if this makes since. . . .

Is a public land turkey harder to kill than a private land turkey? No
Is it harder to kill a public land turkey than a private land turkey? Yes

Think hard.

I agree and disagree. If I have sole permission on a piece of private ground then yes I agree. But if I'm in a club with a few true turkey killers and a few more wanna be's that hunt all the time then I believe it can be tougher than public land. A lot of times on public land you have the opportunity to approach a bird from several different areas. A lot of times on private ground you have to deal with property lines and limited access to work a bird as well

[guesswho]

See if this makes since. . . .

Is a public land turkey harder to kill than a private land turkey? No
Is it harder to kill a public land turkey than a private land turkey? Yes

Think hard.

I've thought as hard as I'm capable, and it makes no sense to me at all.  I agree it takes the same amount of truama to kill either one, so I agree the answer to the first question is No.   What don't make sense to me is question number two.  I'd say the answer to it is also No.   

[CASH]

I used to think there was a huge advantage with hunting private land, but after what y'all dealt with this season my mind has changed.  Y'all had the gas company, loggers, and the farmer out there just about everyday tromping around your place.  It may not be hunting pressure but it definitely affected the turkeys and y'all still killed them consistently.

Add on top of that the weather and the way the breeding season was this year.  It wasn't any different than public land.  Y'all learned, adapted, and killed.

Having said all that though, I would still come hunt your place over a WMA any day.

[Cove]

See if this makes since. . . .

Is a public land turkey harder to kill than a private land turkey? No
Is it harder to kill a public land turkey than a private land turkey? Yes

Think hard.

I agree and disagree. If I have sole permission on a piece of private ground then yes I agree. But if I'm in a club with a few true turkey killers and a few more wanna be's that hunt all the time then I believe it can be tougher than public land. A lot of times on public land you have the opportunity to approach a bird from several different areas. A lot of times on private ground you have to deal with property lines and limited access to work a bird as well

With public land it's the unknown. You dont know who else is hunting your birds. You dont know the other hunters schedule, when they take vacation or have any clue when to expect them that you often do with clubs. You also never know if another hunter has killed a bird that you have become familiar with and often the word gets out on a club so you know to move your target. But I do see your point when considering a club with several active turkey hunters, especially if they're killers.

[Cove]

See if this makes since. . . .

Is a public land turkey harder to kill than a private land turkey? No
Is it harder to kill a public land turkey than a private land turkey? Yes

Think hard.

I've thought as hard as I'm capable, and it makes no sense to me at all.  I agree it takes the same amount of truama to kill either one, so I agree the answer to the first question is No.   What don't make sense to me is question number two.  I'd say the answer to it is also No.   

Question 1: No, because a turkey is a turkey is a turkey. They dont know if they're on private or public. They will do their spring time thing, some of them have spring time 'things' that get them to the gun barrel more readily than others, I think of it more like an attitude. Its unique for each bird and why it may have been influenced by something, its more just a chance thing IMO.

Question 2: Yes, because it's the non turkey factors you have thrown into the equation when hunting public land that must be dealt with. The interference from other hunters issue being the most obvious. To kill a public land bird you must beat the others, then the bird. The bird itself is no different.

[Old Gobbler]

There is nothing easy about hunting a turkey anywhere

Public hunters have the nuisance of dealing with some real idiots , I would say the turkeys even is the most insanely pressured areas are not the problem , its the people -

If your referring to Lease hunting as private property , that too can pose some serious issues like dealing with other lease holders that like to crowd you or feel entitled to act like they own the place even though they don't - plus lets not forget about the money , leases are not cheap

Private land that is owned straight out , is where the action is , who cares if there is numerous or less than numerous turkeys at least you don't have to deal with the hassle of other people , unless they have feeders circling your property  - best situation is a large tract like this adjacent to more tracts with little on no hunting pressure - A hunter in this situation should wake up every morning feeling blessed by the good Lord if you are in this situation , because you are one of the very few

[Shotgun]

Old gobbler you make a good point.  Leased land and totaly private land are 2 seperate scenarios.  Its one thing to hunt a 1000 acres by yourself and decide how you should hunt it.  Its another thing to be part of a lease where 10 other people are hunting that 1000 acres and everyone has different ideas on how you should hunt it.

I am in 2 different leases and both are heavily hunted.

[Hooksfan]

There is nothing easy about hunting a turkey anywhere

Public hunters have the nuisance of dealing with some real idiots , I would say the turkeys even is the most insanely pressured areas are not the problem , its the people -

If your referring to Lease hunting as private property , that too can pose some serious issues like dealing with other lease holders that like to crowd you or feel entitled to act like they own the place even though they don't - plus lets not forget about the money , leases are not cheap

Private land that is owned straight out , is where the action is , who cares if there is numerous or less than numerous turkeys at least you don't have to deal with the hassle of other people , unless they have feeders circling your property  - best situation is a large tract like this adjacent to more tracts with little on no hunting pressure - A hunter in this situation should wake up every morning feeling blessed by the good Lord if you are in this situation , because you are one of the very few

I would also add that not all public land is equal either.  There is a far cry of difference between the pressure a public land turkey receives in my home state of Louisiana and the pressure they receive in some of the western states.  Unless you have hunted both, then you don't have an adequate frame of reference.
But to answer the question, I would take 1,000 acres of private over 100,000 acres of public depending upon what other factors are at play.

[M Sharpe]

If you are fortunate enough to hunt public land 47 days straight, you will kill turkeys there as well. One of the main keys is being able to pattern the birds on a daily basis.

[sugarray]

I also want to say what is the difference between pressure from other hunters or coyotes?

What is the difference between land owners and hunters?

What is the difference between another hunter and a trespasser?

Any and all can ruin a hunt on private just as much as public.  I hunted all private land this year except one day.  Each piece allowed anyone to hunt, didn't really even have to ask, but none of the owners was going to call the law for a trespasser.

Still say turkey hunting is turkey hunting.

[Hognutz]

Have you ever considered hunting public land on the first morning of the first day of season? I would bet not, if you had 1000 acres of your own to hunt. This subject is about as arbitrary as it gets, but in my humble opinion, anybody that is forced to hunt public land only, would trade places with you in a heartbeat. I would be the first in line..

[stinkpickle]

If you had 1000 acres of private land to turkey hunt and you hunted it every single day of your turkey season and consistantly killed turkeys would it still be considered easy or would it be kinda the same as hunting 100,000 acres of public land and killing turkeys every day? Just curious what you guys think?

I don't know, but I'd probably take that 1000 acres of private land (especially if I had exclusive access to it) over 100,000 acres of public land any day.  The ultimate goal for me is to get close to turkeys, and the fewer obstacles that get in the way, the better.  Would it be considered "easier"?  Probably...but I wouldn't give two sh#ts what everybody else thought.   

[guesswho]

Question 2: Yes, because it's the non turkey factors you have thrown into the equation when hunting public land that must be dealt with. The interference from other hunters issue being the most obvious. To kill a public land bird you must beat the others, then the bird. The bird itself is no different.

You mean like the land owner on his tractor for a week straight, or the neighbors dog's running wild, neighbors kid's riding fourwheelers all over the property, or other lease holders hunting the same bird your hunting ect.  For every obstacle you have to deal with on public land you have one to deal with on private leased.  Unless you have exclusive use of the private property.  

Some Public land hunts are like a private lease.  Some of your special op hunts in Florida are on primo land, loaded with birds and with very limited access.  Some of those places receive less hunting pressure than a lot of private lands.   Maybe I'm getting private and leased private land mixed up.    

I hunt both so I know what it's like on both sides of the fence and understand the challenges each has to offer .  I kill about 60% of the birds I kill on private/leased and 40% on public access land.  Again in my opinion success depends more on the hunter than what kind of property they hunt.