Public Puzzle Pieces

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Rate Your 2017 Public Hunting

A: Best Year Ever
11
25%
B: A Really Good Year
13
30%
C: Average- Similar to other years
12
27%
D: Below Average
5
11%
E: Smoked- Very Bad
3
7%
 
Total votes: 44
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Hawthorne
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Re: Public Puzzle Pieces

Unread postby Hawthorne » Mon Jan 29, 2018 7:15 am

Killed my best public buck this year with a bow on southern mi public. A 100” 8 pointer. Being out of the combat zone is key. There are areas the deer just won’t go out there even with excellent habitat and food. Must be the crazy pressure.


mipubbucks24
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Re: Public Puzzle Pieces

Unread postby mipubbucks24 » Mon Jan 29, 2018 7:26 am

Best year ever on public even though I did not shoot anything, passed lots of small bucks, and a few does. Some of it was because of spring scouting, most was from in season scouting. I had one of my best hunts on a hot primary scrape I found on the way to check out another spot. In the past I would have continued onto the other spot, but I kept hearing Dan in my head saying “hunt fresh sign when it is hot”. So I sat there and saw 3 bucks that night 1 was a 2.5 and the other was bigger just came in at last light and stayed out of range.

Anyways I feel like I really have put a lot of pieces together but still have more to go. Hardest part for me so far is just locating bucks worth hunting.
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Killtree
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Re: Public Puzzle Pieces

Unread postby Killtree » Mon Jan 29, 2018 7:41 am

I killed a good buck this year that I am extremely happy with.
I know why I killed him where I killed him, and that is what is most important to me.
I have changed so much about the way I hunt over the last few years.
Scouting/ hunting is the same thing.
Sitting in a tree is what you do to find out if you have done a good job scouting/ hunting.
:violence-bowandarrow:
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Edcyclopedia
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Re: Public Puzzle Pieces

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Mon Jan 29, 2018 8:17 am

Singing Bridge wrote:
Edcyclopedia wrote:Good Bear.
Good Upland Bird.
Horrible Deer.


Ed, what are you using for upland... 12, 20 or 28? I'm thinking of getting a new upland gun and leaning toward a 20 gauge.


I have a couple of twelves, more shot in that diameter. ..

Really almost anything, 20 is plenty, as well as lighter to carry.
Expect the Unexpected when you least Expect it...
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Boogieman1
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Re: Public Puzzle Pieces

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Mon Jan 29, 2018 8:40 am

Overall deer movement (bed to food) was better than average this year. Rut movement was slow and sporadic compared to years past. If u were not in the woods the first day of a front it was pretty slim Pickens for mature activity around here.

As anything these were just my observations I'm sure they are moving somewhere everyday of the season, I just was not able to line up on it.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
-John Wayne-
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PK_
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Re: Public Puzzle Pieces

Unread postby PK_ » Mon Jan 29, 2018 8:53 am

About average.

Learned quite a bit. Things are looking up for next fall.
No Shortcuts. No Excuses. No Regrets.
Everybody's selling dreams. I'm too cheap to buy one.
Rich M wrote:Typically, hunting FL has been like getting a root canal
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Jonny
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Re: Public Puzzle Pieces

Unread postby Jonny » Mon Jan 29, 2018 9:16 am

Singing Bridge wrote:
Jonny wrote:Very good for gun season. Should have a spot that is good odds for years to come.

Bow season was rough and below average. Learned a lot but still tons of room for improvement


Looking forward to your upcoming adventures. 8-)


Thanks Bridge! Not sure what will happen in the next year or two, but I’m having fun trying to learn new things and just pushing myself more and more without burning myself out.
You have a monkey Mr. Munson?
fishlips
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Re: Public Puzzle Pieces

Unread postby fishlips » Mon Jan 29, 2018 9:22 am

I shot my best buck opening night but didn't get out much after that, so i said a very good season.

Part of the reason I didn't deer hunt as much was I headed to Colorado for an elk hunt. Great hunt but got my chance at a legal bull and didn't take the safety off and he trotted off. Close but no cigar. If I had a few elk under my belt I probably would have taken it better.

My rut sits were busts but the rut is still a mystery to me. Fun that I got lucky after 3 years of frustration but lots more work ahead.
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Tim H
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Re: Public Puzzle Pieces

Unread postby Tim H » Mon Jan 29, 2018 9:40 am

This season for my hunting partner and I was very good. We considered it a success even though we didn't kill a buck where we were hunting on public. However we did see several different bucks and were very close in putting ourselves in position to be successful. The knowledge that we gained was tremendous and we both have grown as hunters. This upcoming season I feel will be even better. We are both very optimistic and very much looking forward to it!
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stash59
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Re: Public Puzzle Pieces

Unread postby stash59 » Mon Jan 29, 2018 10:42 am

Marked below average. I probably shouldn't complain. Took a doe on my 3rd sit, but it was 1 1/2 months from my 1st & 2nd sits. On opening weekend. Just frustrated with the lack of being able to get much time with boots on the ground scouting and setting up kill spots. Then not hunting for so much of the bow season. I did get out the majority of days during Nov. Just not many deer seen. And really could have used a couple more deer in the freezer. :handgestures-fingerscrossed: that things progress better this year.
Happiness is a large gutpile!!!!!!!


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