How Many Here Have Never Taken A Private Land Spring Gobbler?

[quavers59]

That would be me. Only 3 times on Private Lands with my 30th Spring Season coming up. There have been plenty of Birds taken-- but one day, I would like to add just 1 Private Land Spring Gobbler-- to the bag.

[LaLongbeard]

Not me. I have hunted with friends on there lease and done the calling but I hunt public land only. Not that public land is better or that I think it's more challenging I just don't like to be boxed in having to hunt a small area.
In Louisiana the normal routine is hunt there 2500 acre deer lease with about 10 other people. By the third day of the season they have stomped all over the lease and ran any turkeys that were there somewhere else.
Next step hit the nearest public land stumbling in blind having never been there before drive up and down every road or trail squawking on a crow call.
By then I'm on to another state having killed my two Gobbler limit.

[sasquatch1]

Killed I think 3 on private, 2 in la and one in al that I can remember, almost all mine have been public. I don't Hunt Louisiana public land though.


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[Happy]

I have killed 2 on what I would consider private. The rest have come from either public or the leases I hunt. The leases have a lot of members as well as more roads and accessibility so it's actually worse than public.

[30_06]

Yup, never killed a bird on private land.

Esse quam videri

[aclawrence]

I got my first taste of turkey hunting on private land.  I was blessed to have some private land to deer hunt on that my dad leased for us to hunt together.  I killed my first several turkeys around that area.  Eventually we moved and didn't have a lease anymore.  I had always heard horror stories about public land and I just kind of gave up on turkey hunting.  What a freaking mistake that was.  About three years ago I got back into turkey hunting and have been hunting WMA's.  I have heard lots of birds and for the most part it has been pretty hassle free.  In hunting private lands defense the hunting i did was pretty much the same style as the public land hunting I do now.  I just didn't have to worry as much about other people interfering.  Just cause someone is hunting private land doesn't mean their crawling through a field holding up a turkey fan.  If you're fortunate enough to get some good private access and have good public land to hunt I think that would be the ultimate set up.  Last year I killed my first two public land turkeys and I can't wait for April to get here.  Good luck everyone!

[2eagles]

All of my turkeys have been taken on Iowa public game management area.

[AndyH]

Most of the gobblers I have killed have come off private ground. I personally don't find it any different than killing one on public. Some days it's like taking candy from a baby and other days they will make you look like a fool. I tend to hunt private more because it's close to the house.

[Dtrkyman]

I kill em where they are, many birds on public over the years but I have killed more on private.

To me it's all about the turkey population on the ground your hunting, public with lots of birds is just as good as much of the private and you have more room to roam!

Traveling out of state I've had some good late season hunts when locals are tagged out or just done for the year.


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[WV Flopper]

 I have taken a semi full of them on Private ground. The ground is large, "to me" 62,000 acres, but there is plenty of pressure. Some places hold turkeys, some don't. Typically, where there are birds there are people.

I have also hunted Public property and taken my share of turkeys there. The difference between the two I hunt is available to move more freely. The private ground has better road access which spread the hunters out more evenly. The hunter on the private ground typically show more respect to their fellow hunters, "In my area."

The Public ground 10 miles from my house is 10 miles from Virginia, 60 miles from Maryland and about the same to Pennsylvania. The first two weeks can be rough. Last year we had a change of schedule due to weather. We broke turkey camp on the private and returned home. Second morning of season I found myself on the public, I rode until I had a mile of road behind me where the last vehicle was parked. Half an hour after daylight I was standing on a mature gobblers neck.

  Public ground can be good and it can be a pain, but so can Private. The best gobbler I have taken came from Public ground. I do seem to hunt Public ground slower and with less noise. Enjoy what you have.

[deerpoo22]

Always been fortunate enough to hunt private land. My hats off to anyone who hunts public every year. It would drive me insane to work a bird only for another guy to cut me off

[Bowguy]

I don't see anything special bout private land, least not around here. Very little is exclusive. Many state spots are actually better.
Key is don't go for the low hanging fruit. It seems easy. Someone else may too or a lot of someone else's.
Years ago I hunted some federal land along a river. Everyone who was trout fishing or Shad fishing passed fields w birds displaying. Everyone messed w these birds. I'd bet, by opening morning ,each bird heard so much calling  from guys trying to impress those in the car w their prowess making birds gobble, that they were tougher.
Me I went up some ridges and killed a bird.
If you use distancing techniques like walking further, climbing higher, crossing a reservoir or river I bet the impression is way dif.
Now I should add distance isn't always how far. Guys think about something? If a road is 20 miles long and we can use trucks on it is one spot harder to reach than another???
We need to think the same w say mt bikes. If everyone has equal access to these and many use em is one spot really better than another?
In these cases use some leg or water powered options other aren't using.

[1iagobblergetter]

I've been fortunate enough to not have to deal with public land hunting. I would probably worry more about another so called hunter shooting me than the turkey hunt itself. Most generally our public hunting areas when I drive by look like they get pounded pretty hard.

[derek]

Took me a long time before I had the opportunity to hunt private.  That year I did not draw for a public permit in Delaware.. first week while I was listening to turkey stories from my buddies who were already at it and I was sitting it out, got a call from a friend with private who heard of my situation.. said I could go with him if I returned the favor in MD when it came in.. I was more than happy to get out and we doubled up that morning.  Since I've hunted private through door knocking and my Grandmother's properties in WV and PA and have had a great success ratio on them.. but public is and always will be my gig.  Just like having the space to roam and options to relocate.  Private around here tends to be driven by the ol' mighty dollar.. don't see myself ever paying for a lease with all of the public options available. 

[crow]

Now that I'm getting older I don't hunt private as much,

I can't run as fast as I used to and it's getting harder to make back across the property line after shooting before people show up.