Best public land hunting experience?

[blackbeard]

Let's hear them, best public land deer hunting experience, out of state or Ohio doesn't matter.

For me it would definitely be back in 2002 or so when I went to a public fishing area in Northern Georgia that also allowed deer hunting, bow only. I saw lots of deer, the people were nice, the campground was nice, and it was a great experience. I was inexperienced and should have killed a nice buck and several does but I'd love to go back someday, and will whenever my boys get old enough.

[mrbb]

well this is a hard one for me, as I grew up hunting public lands, hunted nothing but them for over 15 yrs or more, and over the past 25+ yrs still hunt them, and in a lot of states too
so I will just list one that comes to mind
one archery hunt yrs back here in PA, my home state, I had 17 different bucks walk past me in the first couple hrs of daylight, followed by a couple bears recall a mother and 3 cubs, maybe 50 lb cubs so small, and just played all the while they were in sight!, and then I had a few coyotes show up, even decided to shoot one and missed a shot at the base of my tree, took hair off its back, all day long I had deer and just critters walking past my stand almost non stop the whole day
Didn't kill a thing, but to me that was just a great day in the woods and was on public lands too!, early 90's
that one I still remember pretty clear, as days like that don't happn often, no matter public or private I think!

one other day I recall real well, on public lands, was up in Canada on a deer hunt in Alberta, and had a huge cougar come into view, seen him from over a 1,000 yards off, and got to watch him walk towards me, came to about 60 yrds or so, took about an hr, watched him climb a tree, and then lay in the snow for a while, trying to catch some sun shine!, just cool
I have always been impressed with big cats, just think there cool creatures, how they can move and blend in, and the fact they have kick ass if need be
didn't kill a deer that day either, but didn't care, seeing that cougar made the whole trip a worth while adventure to me
so there's 2 from me look forward to read these as well

[Big_Holla]

A little like mrbb, my dad pretty much raised me bowhunting on state land in Michigan. Over the years we had plenty of encounters and great hunts, most of which resulted in 0 deer LOL. Probably one of the best would be my first antlered buck. I remember getting home from school and was surprised to find my dad home from work already. He was fiddling around with stuff for the house when I asked him if we could take a walk out in the state park down the road from the house. It was opening day of bow season in Michigan that day and just the thought of tramping around in the woods was exciting. I tried to find an area some friends had shown me the winter before but it all looked different this time. As we headed deeper and deeper on the 2 track we finally decided we needed to look for a place to sit til dark. We wandered off the trail a bit and I immediately found a good rub and a couple scrapes. Excited at the new sign like that I told my dad I was going to sit there for the evening, so I sat up against a good sized tree just so I could keep looking at that fresh rub and my dad walked off a short distance further. Sure enough after a while I look back behind me and here comes the buck! The shot was decent and we tracked him down, boy what memories we had that day!! Still remember all the effort it took to get that buck back home too!! Over the years that spot/general area has produced many good buck sightings and many, many opportunities for both my dad and I. Only the last several years has there been guys moving in on it and taking over.

[hortontoter]

One of my favorite public land hunts happened at Egypt Valley in Belmont county. A few years back, I can't recall the year, I decided to try spring turkey hunting. After doing some research I decided Egypt Valley would be my destination. After buying a slate call and practicing at home I decided to drive to Belmont county for a little pre season scouting. I left early and arrived just at daylight. I hopped out of my car and stood in the road and tried a few series of yelps. They sounded more like a cat fight I hear in my backyard. To my surprise I had three gobblers gobble within a couple hundred yards. I scurried into the woods and tried to coax one in, no luck. I moved to another spot about a mile away and walked out to a small peninsula of woods overlooking a deep valley. I leaned up against a stump and tried a few calls. No gobbles to be heard here. I sat a few minutes and tried practicing some purrs and clucks. To my surprise out of nowhere two big gobblers appeared within 25 yards of me. They had come in silently. I sat there and watched them staring at me, but they weren't to alarmed. They slowly walked downhill and out of sight. I thought, I got this all figured out.

Fast forward a few weeks. After quite a few drives to Belmont county and many deflated attempts including missed shots that a blind man couldn't miss I had a change of heart. Now, this turkey hunting idea had turned into a personal challenge. I had seen a number of good birds in the first three weeks of the season, but not one of them came to mt calling. As a matter of fact many had high tailed it the other way when I attempted to call them. I decided calling was doing me more harm than good. So I left the call in my pack for the rest of the season.

With just a few days left in the season I headed down to Egypt Valley hoping to get a chance at a gobbler. I had spent most of my time during the season in one small area that had a great strutting zone that I could watch from a makeshift blind under a bush. I had missed three gobblers already that season from this blind. All had been at very close range and why I missed those birds still bothers me to this day.

As I settled in that morning the woods was just starting to come alive. You all know the feeling, you look to the sky and thank God that you are able to soak in all that is around you. Shortly after first light I hear a very loud gobble from a ridge top about 200 yards due south of my position. A minute or so later I hear another gobble fairly close directly behind me. Then all is quiet, the sun comes up and starts to burn off the light early morning fog. I catch movement just to my right and a hen strolls right in front of me. She is no more than 7-8 yards from me going north to south. She never sees me and crosses the strut zone and goes out of sight. About nine o'clock I hear a gobble at about a two o'clock position and maybe 100 yards or so away. I anticipate this bird to come into the far end of the strut zone about 80 yards from me. Sure enough a few minutes later he shows himself about 70 yards away working right to left across the strut zone. As he nears the left side of the strut zone he hesitates just before entering the brush. I think, what do you have to lose. I reach in my pack and get the slate call and striker. I make a short three yelp series. Immediately the gobbler looks my direction. He looks interested and I start to have that feeling that he may just come my way. I want to call again, but the memory of birds running the other direction when I called previously is stuck in my mind. I have my Remington 1100 12 gauge rested on a stump pointed right towards the gobbler. I'm already getting the rush that make hunting so desireable to me.

The bird turns and slowly starts heading my way. I ask myself, how close does he need to be? I've missed three birds under twenty yards, am I letting them get to close. I knew that a large rotting log in the strut zone was approximately 30 yards fro my position. I told my self, if and when he passes that log I will take the shot. He came to me on a string, but in what seemed like slow motion. I was totally immersed in the moment, I noticed that my hand was shaking and it felt like my heart was beating so loudly that the gobbler had to hear it. He arrived at the log and I came off safe and took careful aim. He came around the end of the log and stopped offering what appeared to be the perfect shot. I pulled the trigger and felt the familiar recoil as the load of Federal #5's headed his way. To my astonishment he went down where he stood. I made my way to him on rubbery legs and when I got to him I admired all his beauty as the sun glistened off his feathers. Finally after three and one half weeks of disappointments I had taken my first gobbler.

This hunt happened 8-10 years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I've enjoyed thousands of days hunting and fishing in my lifetime, but this is my favorite hunt that I enjoyed on public property.

Next time the state raises our license/tag fees, think of all the enjoyment you get for the money you spend. I find my license and tags to be my best investment every year.

[Big_Holla]

Excellent story Hortontoter!!!!

[Lord ToneKing]

I hunted most of Egypt Valley before it was even state land. I was a diehard grouse hunter since I was a kid. I had spots in Belmont, Guernsey, Coshocton and Harrison counties that I would hunt on a rotation more or less

Before Egypt Valley was smothered in that nasty freakin scrub brush it had pockets of woods that we would grouse hunt, jump shoot ducks from the ponds and drive deer during gun season. Back in those days you could pretty much just pull off the road and go hunting. I remember seeing a turkey track in the snow one year and me, my dad and brother were like "whoa!...that's a turkey track!!", like it was a big deal. Little did we know the grouse would soon disappear and the turkeys would take over...along with the nsty scrub brush you have to practically crawl thru! lol

I miss those old days. What I would do to get into some grouse again :(

[blackbeard]

Great story Horton, thanks for sharing. Many of us probably have rookie turkey seasons we could all laugh about, but yours ended well too!

[Bushman]

Great stories. Ive just recently started hunting Egypt valley and can attest to the difficulty of the experience. Its just plain tough, but not in a good WNF kind of way. Ive heard stories about how it was 30+ years ago and can only imagine how its mustve been.

[Lord ToneKing]

Great stories. Ive just recently started hunting Egypt valley and can attest to the difficulty of the experience. Its just plain tough, but not in a good WNF kind of way. Ive heard stories about how it was 30+ years ago and can only imagine how its mustve been.Big open fields with pockets of woods...it was awesome. Plus you could drive in some of the areas. Heck, if you shot a deer deep in that jungle now it takes a group of guys about all day to drag that sucker out! lol

[hortontoter]

Yes, it it sad that the grouse are gone. I hunted most of my grouse in Carroll, Columbiana, Jefferson and Harrison county.

Dragging a deer out of those bottoms at EVWA would be an all day affair for sure.

[Z7Mcclain92]

My best Public land experience is just finding a great Primary Scrape area only 130 yards from a road, 2010 there was 5 scrapes, 2011 4 scrapes, 2012 5 scrapes all within a 20 yard diameter and the buck activity is phenominal during the rut many of different bucks use this scrape area. Took my widest buck to date here 20.5" wide, only a 6 point but it was a big mature buck. That morning right before daylight I had a Owl land about 10 yards from me in a tree and just stare at me for about 5 minutes, then about 20 minutes later I had a Red fox run right under me and I took a shot at hime and missed at about 15 yards, and aout 15 minutes later I had my 20.5" buck come right into the scrapes got to watch him scrape and rub his forehead on the branch for about 5 minutes then he came into my mock scrape 15 yards away and he was quartering towards me I hit Him right above the shoulder and the arrow angled back into the lungs. i watched Hime run across the swamp he came from, and at first I was worried about the shot so I sat in the stand for about an hour and a half then followed the blood trail and he was down right in the tree line on the edge of the swamp just outta sight from my stand. He ran about 250 yards, there was no exit wound but A LOT of internal bleeding shot with a rgae 2 blade. 10136

[hortontoter]

Good job. I'm surprised the bucks used the scrape in daylight, especially a mature one. 90% or more of my trail camera pictures that are taken at scrapes are taken under darkness.

[Z7Mcclain92]

Yes Im still kinda shocked about this spot, when I first found this spot I set up a stand went out that evening and was able to put a doe down within an hour and a half sitting in the stand, the doe came in about 2 hours before darkness. I also hunted the same stand the next morning and put another yearling down 30 minutes after daylight. Just a great spot most hunters probably over look and dont try because its to close to the road. But its a great spot there is a thick crp field and apple trees. The nieghboring property has a crop field across the street. I have seen deer here well after daylight and before dark, and the deer trails are like cow paths.

[hortontoter]

Best keep that spot under your hat. Tell the wrong people and they will wear it out or at least tell all their buddies about it.

[blackbeard]

Good story and nice buck Z7.