[raisins]

I get your point, but there are assumptions about others built into your narrative.

For instance, I have access to 300 acres of private, 15 minutes away from house, with only 1 or 2 other hunters ever tops. But only a little over half is forest, the rest is a central field that the family uses for hay that they sell. So, really, I have 150 acres of woods with a field that might be of some benefit to the rest of the property's deer hunting (but I'd take 300 acres of just mixed woods without the large, mowed central field).

It has some disadvantages.

1. How many really hunt-able spots do you have on 300 acres? I eventually get a bit bored because there isn't somewhere new to go.

2. If you apply some pressure and blow certain areas (maybe your best area on that piece) out, then you're stuck. It isn't hard for 1 or a few people to hunt a few hundred acres wrong and hurt their chances later on in the season.

I wrote here before that I see hunters as somewhere on the spectrum of results vs process driven.

A fully results driven hunter thinks it is only logical to kill a deer over a pile of apples with a crossbow IF that gives them the best chance of a nice buck that year. A full process driven hunter might think carrying a longbow and exploring 1,000s of acres of national forest is much more fun and doesn't care if they only end up taking a doe that year.


So, I have my spots on that private land for peak movement (early November here) times....but early season I'll be driving national forest roads and exploring (with my compound) and seeing new stuff.

 

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I never thought of it as being cool, more like convenient and less expensive. Honestly, I've never had a problem finding game to hunt on public land when I travel out of state for deer and especially turkeys. Would rather scout than drive around knocking on doors, plus most of the time finding the landowner to contact is nearly impossible, I don't use any of the apps that list that information.

also, the world has changed....to the point where driving away from my home to knock on a stranger's door and ask them for a favor....is seen as odd behavior, at least where i'm from....partly because a lot of people hunt here so all private property already has family hunting it....also, there is very little commercial agriculture here, so you do not find farmers wanting you to save them from the deer

there are folks trying to lease 40 acres online that don't look like decent spots from aerial photos...and asking a lot of money for the privilege

i'd expect i'd have to knock on 100 doors to find one private property worth hunting where they would allow it.....it's simply too little juice for the squeeze

most private property hunters here either lease the land, own the land, or fall into it through family and friends they already know....i've not met a single person that knocked on a stranger's door and had something good come of it

 

[raisins]

Blaze orange army

i never hunt smaller pieces of public during gun season....it is dangerous...i will hunt the national forest during gun season where you might see one other hunter in the woods if you hunt all day

 

[raisins]

Granted, knocking on doors by strangers ended many years ago. And yes they don't want strangers in camo knocking on doors or being on their property.
That said they don't mind at times when a friend asks to hunt. Find the property to be hunted. find out who owns the property, and find a friend who can introduce you as a friend. That makes a huge difference. In the past 10 years, I've had to find new properties because of developments being built. I have been able to acquire new hunting properties by having a friend of the owner introduce me and then over meeting that person a couple of times, asking for permission. WFM

I'm betting the people that find it easy to find private land to hunt already live in a rural area. I live in a small town of 25,000 with a sidewalk in front. I know people that live outside of town through work and friends, but it isn't like I am known in a rural area and can ask the neighbors I've known for years. You made me think of this by mentioning having folks introduce you.

Imagine the extreme and a bowhunter had to move to NYC for a job after college. How is he going to reasonably find private land owners?

A few years back, I posted an ad on Craigslist saying I was looking not for a lease but a pay to hunt situation where I would only bowhunt, would follow all your rules, and give you meat and whatever yearly fee we decide upon (I also mentioned my years of experience and a few personal details to let them know I was probably okay). I got zero inquires. I'm not sure how to improve upon that except find a better advertising platform.

 

[raisins]

I think I understand where the OP was headed with this... if you are involved in social media, Youtube, podcasts etc then you will definitely see guys throw around the "Public Land" badge like they are a rare breed. There will always be some mention or hashtag of public land, the stupid T shirts so on and so forth. The overuse and/or over emphasis of it can get nauseating

yeah, this part is dumb....people today will use anything to try to gain social media cred

 

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I moved here 21 years ago. I knew absolutely nobody. Met an older woman who owned a small restaurant. Made friends told her what I needed and she introduced me to three people that day. You might consider putting down the computer and learn different social skills eyeball to eyeball. Some people today just don't seem to get it. Sad.

well...that was pretty presumptious, but maybe i'm reading you wrong

just because i tried craigslist doesn't mean i'm asocial or don't look for opportunities in person

i just don't want to go to people's houses unannounced or ask everyone i barely know if i can hunt their land

i'll note that you secured 64 acres as your biggest piece....while i secured over 300 acres of private

 

[raisins]

Well I guess you did read me wrong. Nowhere did I say go to someone's house unannounced and knock on a door. And to the size of properties that I've got to hunt. With gas prices the way they are I wanted something that was good but close. The furthest property I'm hunting today on a regular basis is 7 mi as a crow flies. That means I can generally be in any of my tree stands and probably less than 20 minutes and hunt the last hour to hour and a half per day which is all I need.
Congratulations on the 300 acres you just acquired. Please tell us how you did it. This way you can help everybody.

a guy i know from work inherited his dad's farm and he and his 3 siblings share it

i was a good co-worker and he actually brought it up and volunteered the property after he knew i bowhunted

so that's my main strategy, let people know i bowhunt in casual conversation and then be a decent guy and let things happen

 

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I live in Texas. In my opinion, for me, it is cheaper to hunt public land whether it is in state or out of state, than to lease good hunting land in Texas. Hunting in Texas has become a rich mans game.

Sent from my SM-S901U1 using Tapatalk

Here's what folks do in WV.

Like 10 guys lease 1,000 acres so that it will be affordable.

They then put up like 10 corn feeders and cameras. Each guy then gets a spot or they rotate their spots, hunting over corn.

They shoot nice bucks, but at the end of the day, you're an unpaid corn pile security guard.

I get offered to join these, but pass it up.