Taking A Gamble On Opening Day Public Toms A 1/4 Mile In.

[quavers59]

I hunt New York and New Jersey. 30th Spring is coming up. I always walk in a good mile or more. Always- even on Opening days.My Opening Day success rate is not that good in either State over the Decades on Public Ground.  Meanwhile every Opening , I and many here will hear a casade of Shots near the road and up to a 1/4 Mile in. I have sent Novice Spring Hunters to areas where, I have heard multiple Gobblers within a 1/4 mile of a Road or Parking area. One co- worker was very overweight and he got his 1st Tom . He told me -- He liked my Call the Best. He took a nice Tom! In recent years, I have found a Few really good areas- somewhat remote and overlooked in both NY+NJ. I took a Fat Fall NJ TOM in one of these spots last late October of 2018. I can probably go 6--7 straight mornings of 3am wakeups and walking up to 4-6 miles a day on Public Ground before, I feel the first signs of Burnout and must Sleep in.  This Spring, I might take a Opening Day Gamble in both States and set-up a 1/4mile in .  I don't use Decoys much-- but any Spring Hunter coming in behind me hopefully will know someone got to this area first. No guarantee tho as, I have had Spring Hunters walk right past my Decoys in years past. You can only hope that they do a 180 and hunt in the opposite direction. Funny as this sounds- this works in the Gym. I might have 275lbs loaded up on the Flat Bench and as long as, I leave my Towel and Notebook on that Bench- no one will strip my weights off and claim that Bench. Anyway, my style will always be to move-- set-up-- move again and walk alot. I think though that this Spring, I might just set-up for a few hours in one spot that 1/4 mile in before I hit the more remote areas that are 1--2 miles in.

[aclawrence]

I've also been contemplating where to go the first morning. I feel like I have a few "secret" spots and then there are all the spots close to the gates. Should I save my secret spots for later during the week when there's less traffic and try to compete with everyone hitting the easy spots or should i go straight to the more remote spots. I feel like you have a chance at the easy spots for the first few days until they get pressure too much. Stuff to think about.


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[ShootingABN!]

Keep us posted...

[Vinci1964]

My first set up is on the hottest gobbler no matter if he was 1/4 or a full mile in.

I did have another hunter walk in on me last year and ruined it.  That was probably only 1/4 mile in. He probably never knew I was there until I flashed my light at him.

I have never run into any one after i cross the creek of first ravine.

[RutnNStrutn]

I go the distance on public land as a general rule. I've had way too many hunts ruined by idiot "hunters", aka. Wally's. I've also come out on top sometimes, and while rewarding to beat out the other guy for a gobbler, it's still (at least to me) very frustrating and aggravating.
I'd much rather have the woods to myself, even if I go home empty handed, than deal with discourteous, slob hunters that move right in on you and your bird. With the exception of a handful of really talented hunters, you can generally tell the difference between human calling and real hen calling. Yet some guys move right in on you anyway. I can't stand that.

[Happy]

Good luck on hunting next to the gates. I always leave the birds close to the road for the fat boys to fight over. I am pretty certain as soon as one gobbles the jig will be up and I would have company.

[LaLongbeard]

Theres  always at least one Gobbler that roosts 100 yards from a forest service road. I appreciate these Gobblers they keep the mouth breathers occupied for days. Rarely do these Gobblers get killed, they can see the road from there roosts ....and the Ace hunter standing at the truck with the box call lol.
I love hunting states with closed gated roads or even better no roads and some hilly terrain, most times you have the area to yourself especially after the first week if you don't mind walking a mile or so. 
There are too many roads in my home state no matter how much you walk your close to a road, and other people. First Gobbler I killed last year I had to dodge a car driving down the trail I was on not road trail, then had 3 guys calling to the same Gobbler from different directions. This is on a Tuesday lol. I'll take the long walk and peace and quiet over a circus any day

[quavers59]

The reason, I might,just might take a opening day Gamble not too far in is every April while Scouting, I hear over 50 Gobblers and Jakes in a Roughly 1/2 mile radius or so on a very secluded area of open land.  I am sure more then half are Jake's. There is going to be plenty of 2 Year olds this year over there! So-- it is tempting. Some days in April-- I only hear half that or at least 25.  I don't think anyone here would believe that though.

[TauntoHawk]

Just like is the case with deer sometimes it's not always distance. Called a nice 3yr old for a friend  last year opening day in PA just 200yds from the road, the place was crawling with guys on every field, down every gated access road and on all the big oak hardwood ridges. Found this flock of birds that were roosting on a steep hill side behind a thick wall of young cedars and green brier. An old logging deck and some mature maples gave a nice place to strut but it was the ugliest piece of timber down that stretch of road when driving down it.

It was a perfect overlooked spot, the hillside was rolled away enough the it suppressed alot of the roost gobbles being heard from anywhere with foot traffic or parking.

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[idratherb]

Love the line about, " It works at the gym"! Good stuff

[High plains drifter]

I've also been contemplating where to go the first morning. I feel like I have a few "secret" spots and then there are all the spots close to the gates. Should I save my secret spots for later during the week when there's less traffic and try to compete with everyone hitting the easy spots or should i go straight to the more remote spots. I feel like you have a chance at the easy spots for the first few days until they get pressure too much. Stuff to think about.

I have found that walking a lot does not usually work, unless you are in a big forest.You must be very careful to not walk in the open.
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[Brian Fahs]

Hunting public in pa and the mountains of maryland will find more pressure deep than close to the roads.

I hunt know roosts from scouting and previous 30 years experience in the areas I hunt.

Being in there first and tight is my opening day tactic. I pay no attention to distance from roads.

[3bailey3]

on some hard hunted MS public land a few years ago I pulled up to my second spot at about 9 that morning, gated road with a long walk in, about thirty yards from truck one gobbles across the road from gate, I turn around and head toward him but I hear a truck coming down the road, I step off the road some so the truck doesn't see me and the bird gobbles 6 to 8 times at the truck rolling by, as soon as they go by I cross the road and set up and make one call, nothing, wait some and call again with another call and I watch him jump across a small stream three times, the last time he's 30 yards and I kill him, when I stood up I was less than 40 yards away from my truck, my opinion is just hunt the bird where ever he might be.

[deerhunt1988]

I hunt them where I find them. And I have purposefully started seasons off on birds close to gates/roads to try to get them before others do. Part of me likes the competitiveness. After those 'close birds' get boogered up, i'll start going much deeper and hunt the unboogered ones.

[appalachianstruttstopper]

I love hunting states with closed gated roads or even better no roads and some hilly terrain, most times you have the area to yourself especially after the first week if you don't mind walking a mile or so. 

You'd love hunting south west Virginia's national forrests then lol. Miles and miles of public hunting land that you can see from the main road with all the road frontage privately owned. Literally see the signs a hundred feet in and posted signs on every tree on the road with no access. I've always said must be nice to own a 2 acre lot and have 200000 acre public property joining it.