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Need Public Land Advice

Well i have went out again several times to the same spot still have not seen a deer. Saw a few guys walking out as i walked in that had stands up saying they have hunted the place for years and have always had good luck i have yet to see anything. went out to a coworkers stand today where he has already got 3 deer from it, again didnt see anything this morning, until i was driving home coming down my road and almost smoked a nice 8 pointer with my car. Only place im seeing deer is literally on my road running across the street to get to the other side of the woods. any suggestion and or where to go? I live in Bonner Springs KS

How big is the area you're hunting? I hunt public land and i concentrate on areas with the least amount of pressure. I have found a few areas that just dont get hunted a whole lot and have had good luck.

If it like most public land 20-30% of it gets 90% of the pressure. Think about how most people would access and use that land and you will find the overlooked spots.

the one spot i have never seen anyone else out there the other spot ive came across two other hunters

Are you just starting off hunting deer? Have you scouted the area pre season? Are you seeing sign coming in and out? Probably most important, are you factoring the wind with your hunting spot and approach?

These are basic things to consider and we may be able to help further with this knowledge.

It can be tough to figure out a piece of public land if you cant put a camera out or spend more time on stand than most can afford. The areas i hunt i have been hunting for years and its taken lots of time on stand and talking to others to get familiar with the deer activity there. Public land is generally better hunting during the week when everyone else is working. Entrance and exit it pretty important on public land because they have convenient parking areas most of the time and the deer know what it means when a truck pulls in at 530am. Try parking down the road especially on morning hunts.

ya i dont want to leave a camera so i dont know where deer are moving but ive bounced between two spots and there is scat and prints but hard to know where they are coming from

Best thing you can do is try to figure out bedding and food and catch then somewhere between. Sometimes you can walk the area and make an educated guess other times it takes trial and error. Keep in mind the deer on public land may respond to pressure by shifting their movement or moving so sometimes you have to adjust your game plan.

And im also hunting from the ground dont feel comfortable in a stand im afraid of heights and they are just to high for my comfort

Im not afraid of heights but i also dont care for really tall stands as it makes the shot angle much steeper. I tend to keep most of my setups under 15' tall. Requires a kittle more effort hiding the stand but I've had good luck. Hunting in the ground has the benefit of being able to move around from hunt to hunt making it harder for the deer to pattern you. Good luck man!

Ground blinds are nice for concealing movement and you can buy one at a pretty decent price these days. Or build one out of branches. Hunt simple first find a deer trail with tracks in it bring a sandwich and sit there for as long as you can! You never know when hunting that's what makes it so special.

I do have a ground blind but i was told probably better not to use it since i cant leave it for the deer to get use to and putting it up and down could make some noise

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