Public hunts help

[McCRIZZLEY]

This will be the first year I will be hunting public lands. This is about my 4th year turkey hunting, so I think I am starting to get some skills, but I no longer have access to some private land that I had been using.

My question is this... Is there any real difference between strategies for hunting private/public? Anything I should know? I have not really picked anywhere out yet, and have no idea where to start. somewhere on the east side.

thanks!!!

[jasnt]

main difference I've noticed is public land birds seem a little more cautious imo. More pressure means little more education.  Plenty of private land over here.... In my neck of the woods its pretty easy to find some ones land to hunt.  They move to the country and see the turkeys in there yards and start feeding them. Month later there begging someone to shoot them.  I talked to one lady that had them chase her in to her house cause she had stopped feeding them. Her porch,driveway, house was covered in turkey poo lol

[kevinlisa06]

The main thing I have noticed about public vs private land is the birds on public land are a bit more wary to come in to you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[McCRIZZLEY]

Yeah, since I am only familiar with the area I used to hunt, I am thinking I may just drive all the way over there and do some porch to porch asking... Thanks for the tips guys. I am getting excited!! Turkey hunting has always been my favorite!

[turkeydancer]

As mentioned, public birds are more wary because they get bumped and overcalled to a lot more often than the private land birds .... other than that they are still harvestable ... start your calling soft, sweet and seldom ... take their temperature, and then let that dictate whether you need to get louder and more aggressive or keep it soft, sweet and seldom.  Especially whenthey are still on the roost, do not overcall ... if they gobble at a couple of sleepy tree yelps about 10 minutes before legal shoot, they have recognized you as a "real" hen and you should not call again ... at most I would give just them a "hat slap" flydown or two at legal shoot time.  After the birds are on the ground, then bring on a little sweet stuff as mentioned ..... let them gobble at least twice to your every call ... use their natural sex drive and curiosity against them !
 

[Mfowl]

One method that has worked well for me on public land is pattern/ambush. Think of it like deer hunting. Watch the path the birds take to/from their roost site and pick a spot on that path. If there's a clearing or a bench on a hillside that you see the birds at near there roost site try to identify that and set up there. I've found birds in these types of areas in the evening on their way to the roost then set up the next morning and had them come back there after fly down to regroup or start their day or whatever. I'll usually call very little if at all when employing this strategy, maybe just some soft yelps after fly down to get their attention. I've shot several birds without calling at all this way. If your already where they are heading your odds increase dramatically. 

[McCRIZZLEY]

One method that has worked well for me on public land is pattern/ambush. Think of it like deer hunting. Watch the path the birds take to/from their roost site and pick a spot on that path. If there's a clearing or a bench on a hillside that you see the birds at near there roost site try to identify that and set up there. I've found birds in these types of areas in the evening on their way to the roost then set up the next morning and had them come back there after fly down to regroup or start their day or whatever. I'll usually call very little if at all when employing this strategy, maybe just some soft yelps after fly down to get their attention. I've shot several birds without calling at all this way. If your already where they are heading your odds increase dramatically. 

yeah, me and some buddies bagged 4 at once this way a couple years ago...

[MerriamMagician]

I experience a lot of excellent  mid-morning, noon, and afternoon hunts on public land. Often times what happens is the Toms lose their hens down in the private fields and they start cruising the  higher elevation timber looking for company. And that higher elevation timber is where most of the public land is, at least in Stevens county.

[McCRIZZLEY]

good thinking! Thanks for the tip!

[turkeydancer]

One method that has worked well for me on public land is pattern/ambush. Think of it like deer hunting. Watch the path the birds take to/from their roost site and pick a spot on that path. If there's a clearing or a bench on a hillside that you see the birds at near there roost site try to identify that and set up there. I've found birds in these types of areas in the evening on their way to the roost then set up the next morning and had them come back there after fly down to regroup or start their day or whatever. I'll usually call very little if at all when employing this strategy, maybe just some soft yelps after fly down to get their attention. I've shot several birds without calling at all this way. If your already where they are heading your odds increase dramatically. 

Two things :   1)  don't siloutte yourself on top of the hill  and 2) if it's windy head lower as the wind will make it harder for them to hear the hens and they don't like the moving brush because it messes with their primary defense (their amazing eyesight)
 

[kevinlisa06]

Majority of all of our hunting is on public land. We normally take a break at lunch time n head to camp but for the most part if it's light out we are in the turkey woods. We have had great success pretty much all day from first light to just before dark. With a lot of miles walked daily.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk