New guy trying to figure out a chunk of public

Post topo’s and Aerial photos for free advice. Food plotting, land manipulation, water holes, ect.
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Carl Tuesday
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New guy trying to figure out a chunk of public

Unread postby Carl Tuesday » Thu Sep 17, 2020 6:34 am

I've got a "new to me" chunk of public land that I've learned is relatively close to home, which makes getting out and hunting much easier. The bad news is it is near everybody elses' home too since I'm in an urban area. That said, you at least get to reserve a "section" of the property and those 10, 30, 40 acres are just you (or your group of 2-3) for the day, so at least you've got a little room.

That said, I've picked an area of the place to really try and get to know - I zeroed in on an area that supposedly less people go to since the parcels are bigger and not all field edges, etc. You aren't allowed on the land until hunting season, so I'm "hunting my way in" and trying to learn on the fly. As someone who only started deer hunting last year, it's been a bit challenging here in early archery season, since I'm not seeing anywhere near the number of deer as I did last year and I'm struggling with my confidence to know if I'm even "looking in the right places".

So with that in mind, I'm hoping I can pick the mind of the collective beast and see where you guys would be looking at, when, and why on something like this.

There are a lot of rules on this property to keep in mind that might affect what I can do:
1) I don't have the sections on here, but it's cut up into different zones that you reserve in advance - once you have a zone its yours that day but you can't go to a different one. Bright side is that it is just yours and don't have to worry about anyone in immediate vicinity.
2) No access until 1:30pm or so, so afternoons only.
3) Woods only for hunting, and you are required to park in a certain spot for each zone & can't walk along roads to cut in at a different spot.

Here are the maps, with some of my notes from when I've been in there. The white lines are some (fairly light) deer trails I've found thru the southern portions, but no big tracks, and kind of "on again/off again". I think that its so relatively flat, and jumps from somewhat open leafy floor woods to thicker cover woods in a hopscotch manner (except near the wet/creeky spots) that there just isn't much concentrating movement.
Sat/Topo version
PL help flat_Page_1.jpg


Topo version
PL help flat_Page_2.jpg


View looking at the "wet/creek" area from the outside (although there isn't really a creek that flows through, just a wide flatter area with thick grass/brush and bordered by thicker/brushier stuff on the outside edges before it transitions to woods):
Woods to thicker transition.jpg


This is what the "open" areas look like and is pretty typical of most of the woods:
woods.jpg


I welcome any thoughts or advice on where to concentrate effort and what you're looking for - thus far I've been trying to scout/hunt my way in on the edges of the really thick stuff (so the creek/topo change in the north zone I checked out, and the south edge of the creek transition in the south zone I've been in) and see if I find obvious sign, kick up deer, etc; and not much luck other than some scattered prints.
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Harvester
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Re: New guy trying to figure out a chunk of public

Unread postby Harvester » Thu Sep 17, 2020 8:09 am

I been doing a bunch of aerial scouting here lately and what I been doing is putting pins on all parking and easy access and pretty much eliminating these areas with special care to NOT forget about overlooked areas that humans would avoid normally. after I have sort of eliminated a good chuck of the property I have areas of potential, Ill start putting pins on areas I feel are potential bedding areas based off wind and topo. From here I would look for the most bullet proof place for a mature buck to survive. Don't think about the best place for you to hunt. Think of the best place that you can't hunt that animal.


Just my 2 cents ...

Good luck!
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
― Winston S. Churchill
Zephyrus
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Re: New guy trying to figure out a chunk of public

Unread postby Zephyrus » Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:40 am

BusterHighman wrote:Don't think about the best place for you to hunt. Think of the best place that you can't hunt that animal.


Good advise!


(Best of luck living up to your name :lol: )
I welcome constructive criticism to any of my comments, because Knowledge is Power!


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