Question

[870FaceLift]

As others have said, it just depends on where you go.  In Ohio, I will not hunt public land.  It doesn't matter how far in you go, you're going to bump into hunters.  If you hear a bird gobble more than once, prepare to see other hunters.  Your best bet is to out scout everyone else and know where they are going after flydown.  Otherwise, you are depending on gobbling birds that everyone else is hearing. 

I've gone out of state in KY, TN and NE for 7-10 days and never seen another hunter in the woods.  I hunted public land in WV and ran into hunters twice, but they were a great group of guys.  We briefly chatted, wished each other well, and went in opposite directions.

[MISSISSIPPI Double beard]

I hunt both private and public land. Around 50/50 either way.I sometimes have to put up with poachers on private land. On public land I have to put up with other hunters. The biggest thing on public land is showing respect for me. If someone beats me to a spot I go somewhere else.

[wvmntnhick]

Well, the answer is simple for me. No reason to at the moment. I've got access to some good private ground and if that fails, I'll go to the club. It's about like public land at times. If public is all I had, I'd be there but since there are better options, I'll stick with the private at the moment. Now, if you want to take me to your public honey hole next spring, I'll be right there. Assuming I can get the time to go.

[GobbleNut]

As long as I have a reasonable chance of finding some gobbling turkeys, I actually prefer to hunt public land rather than private.  In most cases, public areas are going to be larger in size, which generally will allow for those like me who like to search for a vocal, and hopefully cooperative, gobbler a bit more room to explore and seek those birds out.  I also like the challenge of hunting gobblers that anybody else can hunt, as well,...again, as long as there are reasonable numbers of turkeys available to hunt. 

Having said that, there is definitely a "tipping point" to my attitude about public land hunting.  If there is so much pressure on a place that I lose the feeling that there is a "reasonable expectation" of finding a few gobbling toms, I will search for another place to hunt.  To me, turkey hunting has always been about calling to turkeys and having them respond.  Once I get to the point that I don't feel that is going to happen, it is time to move on. 

There are too many places where turkeys are willing to act like turkeys and carry on a conversation with you to waste time on those places where they get hunted so hard that they won't. 

[Happy]

Well, the answer is simple for me. No reason to at the moment. I've got access to some good private ground and if that fails, I'll go to the club. It's about like public land at times. If public is all I had, I'd be there but since there are better options, I'll stick with the private at the moment. Now, if you want to take me to your public honey hole next spring, I'll be right there. Assuming I can get the time to go.

You know your always welcome. Only rule is your not allowed to cuss me for the exercise that will ensue. 

[HawkeyeGobbler]

Here in Iowa it seems to depend more on population distribution. I live near (+/- 15 min) a large WMA and you could not pay me enough to turkey hunt there or shotgun hunt deer anymore. It's either a death wish or guaranteed confrontation.

20 minutes further away, is a small, county area, which I choose instead to frequent. I have shared the parking lot a grand total of 2 times in 3 years. I hunted opening day pheasant there 2 years ago and there was one other guy. This year I had it to myself.

DIfference is, the WMA is between two of our biggest cities in a huge metro area. Iowa has a handful of "metros", CR/IC, W'loo/CF, Des Moines, Sioux City, maybe Council Bluffs, and Quad Cities. Get away from these and public really isn't bad.

Get too close to them and get ready for mushroom hunters, people making love (seriously), dog walkers, birdwatchers, amateur photographers, and perhaps worse d-bag hunters that have no respect for safety and personal space.

I myself have hunted public and private and don't see to big a difference in the intelligence/behavior/whatever or birds. But the safety factor makes me think twice about public. Throw decoys into the equation and it gets dangerous REAL fast.

[silvestris]

I do 90% of my hunting on public ground by necessity and find it more difficult because of the people effect on turkeys.  On un pressured private ground one is able to find turkeys with which to establish.a close personal relationship and I miss that.  On public ground, if you miss a day you may find yourself hunting a ghost when you go back.

[Bowguy]

Think you hit nail on head

[KentuckyHeadhunter]

I do 90% of my hunting on public ground by necessity and find it more difficult because of the people effect on turkeys.  On un pressured private ground one is able to find turkeys with which to establish.a close personal relationship and I miss that.  On public ground, if you miss a day you may find yourself hunting a ghost when you go back.

This is so true and another great point.  Good post. 

[wvmntnhick]

Well, the answer is simple for me. No reason to at the moment. I've got access to some good private ground and if that fails, I'll go to the club. It's about like public land at times. If public is all I had, I'd be there but since there are better options, I'll stick with the private at the moment. Now, if you want to take me to your public honey hole next spring, I'll be right there. Assuming I can get the time to go.

You know your always welcome. Only rule is your not allowed to cuss me for the exercise that will ensue. 

I'll never cuss you. Might cry like a little girl but even then I try to make sure you're not watching.

[Kylongspur88]

I've killed some great wma birds. And as its been said it really depends on the spot. Most places around me get hit hard the first week, but after that pressure decreases. In the late season I've literally had thousands of acres to myself.

[singlestrand]

Killed my first public land bird this spring!  I will no longer sit in a pop-up blind all day on private ground wishing that something would pass through.  Id rather walk over acres of public ground with birds gobbling and some hope in my heart than I would have a short walk to a pop-up just to read a book and sweat all day.  If there are birds to work on the private ground then that's where Ill be.  If there aren't, then Ill be headed to some public ground.

[1iagobblergetter]

I feel safer hunting private ground even though people can and have trespassed where I hunt even though the majority of it has been in our family for many years or I have sole permission  for the season I hunt on neighboring  ground . I feel less likely for people  to mess up my hunt or some moron to shoot me or my boy.

[RutnNStrutn]

About 1/2 of the gobblers I've killed were taken on public land in Florida. It took me a few years to find which WMA's were worth hunting. Now I stick to a select few and have excellent success when I get drawn, which is getting harder and harder to do every year.
If given the opportunity, I'd rather hunt private though. I absolutely hate having hunters walk in on me while hunting, whether it was intentional or not. I also travel a lot in my quest to kill a turkey in all of the lower 48 states before I die. I'd prefer when I go to those lengths and that expense to have improved odds, and not get walked on by Wally's (what my friends and I call bad hunters who walk in and ruin other guys' hunts).
But I'm not afraid to hunt either public or private as long as I have gobblers to chase.

[mtns2hunt]

I have the option to hunt private and public land and hunt both. I enjoy hunting thousands of acres of National Forest where I can walk for hours even if the land is no longer being managed well. Still there are Turkeys to be found and hunted. I also find that hunting public land is harder, more demanding, time consuming and at times frustrating. I find that other hunters are not a problem as very few travel far from the roads.

When I tire out, get discouraged or simply need a break I head to a real honey hole of a farm I lease. I have been privileged to hunt this farm for decades. I know every inch of this ground but it is not a give me because the surrounding area gets hunted hard so the turkeys are pressured a bit. The grounds are not as steep as the mountains so I can hunt while resting up. (Yes I do hunt from a blind some) as well as ease around calling. I normally kill my bird in three to four days. Then its back to the mountains and the tranquility only the hills can bring. There is a reason I log on as Mtns2hunt I just love the hills and Mtn's whether it's Virginia, Wyoming, Montana or lately Northern New Mexico.