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Public land bow hunting

Jake_C

Junior Member
Afternoon,

I just joined the forum yesterday. I'm from Eastern Ohio, near Lisbon. Just curious how many public land only bow hunters we have here?
I just moved back to Ohio last year after 6 years and the farms I used to hunt are now leased up or bought out by fellow hunters. so, I'm now a public land bow hunter (other than the 1 stand I have in my 2 acre patch behind the house.

I ate tag soup last year but learned a lot of valuable lessons, and even started to enjoy the challenge of hunting public. I did get REALLY frustrated several times to the point I packed up and went home, but, I suppose that's to be expected.
This year I've spent more days than I can count scouting, hiking, glassing and adjusting my set up to be more suitable for 1+ mile hikes in. I feel like I've learned more about deer behavior since the end of last season than I had in the few years of hunting before that combined.

My goal this year is to take my first ever buck. I don't expect to kill a world class deer and even if I don't succeed in my goal I think I'll be one step closer to it. I had 4 trail cameras stolen from public land last year decided I wouldn't use any this year. So, i'll have that added challenge as well.

If any of you public land hunters have any stories to tell or tips/tricks to pass along to a novice I'd be happy to hear them.
 

Jason Short

Junior Member
325
32
Wayne County
I only hunt public land as well and kind of enjoy it. Forces me to get out and find new areas rather than hunting the same old farm every time. I'm not very good though so I'm no help lol
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,738
274
North Carolina
Always seemed like highlandtown didn't get a lot archery pressure but it's been years since I've hunted it... Took a decent 10 point back in the 90's during gun season... Now that's when it's busy lol
 

Jake_C

Junior Member
I only hunt public land as well and kind of enjoy it. Forces me to get out and find new areas rather than hunting the same old farm every time. I'm not very good though so I'm no help lol

I'm not much good either lol. Not really looking for too much help just wondering how many others are currently stuck on public. Good luck this season!
 

Jake_C

Junior Member
Always seemed like highlandtown didn't get a lot archery pressure but it's been years since I've hunted it... Took a decent 10 point back in the 90's during gun season... Now that's when it's busy lol

Last year there was only one other truck I would see on a regular basis during early archery. Definitely slow until November, then it gets busy. Gun season I won't even go over there, or brush creek. It's like a war zone.
 

BCamp

Junior Member
66
19
Dayton
I'm not much good either lol. Not really looking for too much help just wondering how many others are currently stuck on public. Good luck this season!

I'm stuck on public as well. Going to try sycamore this year but am worried about over crowding with it being the only public land in Montgomery county but hopefully bow won't be too bad.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,738
274
North Carolina
Last year there was only one other truck I would see on a regular basis during early archery. Definitely slow until November, then it gets busy. Gun season I won't even go over there, or brush creek. It's like a war zone.

I always used other hunters to my advantage... Let their movement move deer my way... Getting up extra early and being in place and hour or more before legal shooting time... You'd be surprised the amount of deer get bumped to you if you play it right...
 

Jake_C

Junior Member
I always used other hunters to my advantage... Let their movement move deer my way... Getting up extra early and being in place and hour or more before legal shooting time... You'd be surprised the amount of deer get bumped to you if you play it right...

Yep. I actually saw this play out squirrel hunting Friday. I got in early and sat on an oak flat between a field and a road, an hour later a dove hunter walked past me on his way to the field, ten minutes later 5 doe/fawns came sneaking by about 30 yards from me. I'll definitely be setting up in that spot a time or two this year.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,738
274
North Carolina
Yep. I actually saw this play out squirrel hunting Friday. I got in early and sat on an oak flat between a field and a road, an hour later a dove hunter walked past me on his way to the field, ten minutes later 5 doe/fawns came sneaking by about 30 yards from me. I'll definitely be setting up in that spot a time or two this year.

Is that the one west of the ranger station?
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
90% of the ground I hunt is public land too. It can be frustrating at times, but it's always a good challenge and I find that I take more enjoyment out of public land kills than private land kills, for both bucks and does.

You definitely need to try to use other hunters movements to your advantage. But the other thing is you have to be willing to hunt hard late in the season when it's brutally cold. After gun season, the typical public land hunters virtually disappear. I find that after gun season is a great time of year to be on public land with a bow. Less pressure, and the deer are drawn to food sources much more reliably.

It's very difficult, almost impossible, to match success rates on public land to success rates on private ground... but if you hunt smart and you're consistent you will have success on public, and it WILL be very gratifying.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,738
274
North Carolina
90% of the ground I hunt is public land too. It can be frustrating at times, but it's always a good challenge and I find that I take more enjoyment out of public land kills than private land kills, for both bucks and does.

You definitely need to try to use other hunters movements to your advantage. But the other thing is you have to be willing to hunt hard late in the season when it's brutally cold. After gun season, the typical public land hunters virtually disappear. I find that after gun season is a great time of year to be on public land with a bow. Less pressure, and the deer are drawn to food sources much more reliably.

It's very difficult, almost impossible, to match success rates on public land to success rates on private ground... but if you hunt smart and you're consistent you will have success on public, and it WILL be very gratifying.

You can take this to the bank....
 

Bigcountry40

Member
4,554
127
Honestly Eastern Ohio public land is arguably the best public hunting land for whitetail in the world. I've killed double digit deer (only 2 bucks neither were jaw dropping ) on state land only been truly hunting hard for about 10 year (my football career ate up most of e teenage year and early 20's, currently 32). By no means am I expert or claim to be the great public hunting master. I tend to try to hunt places that are deep and absolutely ridiculous and ignorant to get too. I also try to hunt places that do not have multiple entrances or exits in multiple directions (meaning hunters can get to the deepest part from north, south ,east or west) I want to hunt where you basically have 1 or 2 exits. Jagermeister and I live in western ohio near state land, biggest issue with it is, swing dicks literally can access the entire property from like 10 different places with less than a 200 yard walk, making it almost impossible to go deep other than a few few spots, eastern Ohio is freaking hilly, curvy and rough, that its easy to get away from people. I also try to hunt places with a water source towards the front and then use the swamp and hardwood flat behind it as a possible place to set up or hunt the staging area close to this . Most of the time, I just hunt hunters, drag deer thousands of yards and throw up in the processes because I am typically hung over or just plain fat. I was sort of all over the place with this post, I hope it helped.
 

Jake_C

Junior Member
literally can access the entire property from like 10 different places with less than a 200 yard walk, making it almost impossible to go deep

This is how the spot I but up against is for the most part. There are a few areas that you can get away and that's where I've been zeroing in on. There's another wildlife area about twenty minutes from me that is the exact opposite. There are a lot of roads through it but it is nearly straight up and down as soon as you leave the road almost all the way through there. Guys kill decent bucks there most years. Most guys won't leave the creek bottom because it's the only flat in the whole area, and its a pretty big WA.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,738
274
North Carolina
This is how the spot I but up against is for the most part. There are a few areas that you can get away and that's where I've been zeroing in on. There's another wildlife area about twenty minutes from me that is the exact opposite. There are a lot of roads through it but it is nearly straight up and down as soon as you leave the road almost all the way through there. Guys kill decent bucks there most years. Most guys won't leave the creek bottom because it's the only flat in the whole area, and its a pretty big WA.

Brush creek.... Tough hunting that area between terrain and other hunters....

You ever look at Zeppernick?
 
Welcome! My experiences with hunting state land (Michigan) is have as many back-up plans as you can. May be buying a Michigan license this year to do just that again, first time in many years. Just don't know how much time I will have to head to our property in Ohio so that may be my back-up plan LOL.
 

Jake_C

Junior Member
Brush creek.... Tough hunting that area between terrain and other hunters....

You ever look at Zeppernick?

Yessir! another place to avoid like the plague during the gun season! I wont even drive through there anymore. I just heard of Zeppernick the other day for the first time. Haven't looked into it yet but plan to. I like to have as many spots as possible. I'm hoping to be back on some decent private next year (gonna go door knocking in the spring) But I'm sure i'll spend some more time on public as well.
 

Jake_C

Junior Member
Welcome! My experiences with hunting state land (Michigan) is have as many back-up plans as you can. May be buying a Michigan license this year to do just that again, first time in many years. Just don't know how much time I will have to head to our property in Ohio so that may be my back-up plan LOL.

yep. I've got probably 30-40 trees marked on gps and several natural ground blind spots. some are from the same entry and some are spread out. I figure I should have a fall back for any wind direction if I pull up and my planned spot is crowded.