Need help with public land

Post topo’s and Aerial photos for free advice. Food plotting, land manipulation, water holes, ect.
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BigDaniel
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Need help with public land

Unread postby BigDaniel » Mon Oct 05, 2020 11:15 pm

I have been hunting for 15 or so years and had very little success ive only gotten 3 deer and only one was on public land in NC which is what i hunt mostly i would like to know what im doing wrong or not doing in these areas. The shaded areas are where i can hunt everything else is private property
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oldrank
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Re: Need help with public land

Unread postby oldrank » Tue Oct 06, 2020 12:15 am

My first thoughts are this....

If you have been hunting for 15 years and only killed 3 deer there is something going on other than not hunting the right area on a map.

Why do you feel you have not had success?

Here are some questions, don't take these the wrong way. These are things I see on public land that would keep someone from succeeding.

Are you paying attention to wind and thermal?

Are you mobile or hunting one set stand?

Are you scared to venture into the unknown?

Are you hunting till dark or leaving early?

Do you have stealth or are you a bull in a China shop while in the woods?

Do you scout?

Can you shoot with pin point accuracy?

If you can check off those basic things then it's time to look at your sets, access routes and so on. Most of that stuff is covered in Dan's videos or in the forum here somewhere.

My advice would be to find a few areas where you have good sign. Get on a trail coming out of bedding or on a transition line and rotate those spots. Get a spot for every situation. That mean every wind direction, high pressure days when other hunters are out, low pressure days, spots close to the road and spots far from everything. When you have eliminated all of the human error stuff, eliminated others messing up your hunt, eliminated getting winded and so on....the odds then turn in your favor. Its not luck but just basic time spent understanding your situation and adjusting to it. Good luck.

On your map I would find bedding. I would find the lowest pressure areas and overlooked funnels and travel routes to food.
BigDaniel
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Re: Need help with public land

Unread postby BigDaniel » Tue Oct 06, 2020 8:23 am

To also clarify i have been kind of learning on my own but thank you for the info i will take all that into consideration but i do have one question you said hunt the wind and thermal what do you mean by thermal?
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oldrank
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Re: Need help with public land

Unread postby oldrank » Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:16 am

BigDaniel wrote:To also clarify i have been kind of learning on my own but thank you for the info i will take all that into consideration but i do have one question you said hunt the wind and thermal what do you mean by thermal?


Basically it is air movement caused by temperature changes. Warm air rises and cold air sinks. Deer use them to their advantage. The basic rule of thumb is morning thermals rise after sun up. Evening thermals drop. That is why most on this forum us milkweed. It will ride your air currents.
BigDaniel
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Re: Need help with public land

Unread postby BigDaniel » Tue Oct 06, 2020 11:44 am

Ok how would i use the thermals to my advantage ? Like when it warms up on the side of a mountain i need the deer to be below me so the warm air rising will carry my scent away from them?
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oldrank
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Re: Need help with public land

Unread postby oldrank » Tue Oct 06, 2020 12:50 pm

BigDaniel wrote:Ok how would i use the thermals to my advantage ? Like when it warms up on the side of a mountain i need the deer to be below me so the warm air rising will carry my scent away from them?


I don't hunt mountains so I will not offer any advice for that. I hunt rolling hills and swamps. My deer usually bed low. I position myself where my thermals will not pull to where I suspect the deer are bedded. This takes time to figure out. Finding certain perfect kill setups might take 2 or 3 seasons.

As a mobile hunter I am packing my stand in and out every hunt. So you have to understand that I may only hunt a certain spot once a year or sometimes I may not hunt a spot for 2 or 3 years. However I have alot of potential spots. It may number into the hundreds if I add em up. Thats because I change as seasons, pressure, food and terrain changes.

When I do hunt a spot I make mental notes... if my thermals are not to my liking the next hunt I will shift slightly and pick a new tree. Once I get that perfect sit that spot is basically bullet proof for a specific wind and thermal drop.
BigDaniel
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Re: Need help with public land

Unread postby BigDaniel » Tue Oct 06, 2020 1:01 pm

Gotcha thanks for the help


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