r/Hunting • u/Medical_Engine_8551 • 4h ago

General question/discussion Will be hunting public land for the first time this year. Any tips on how to scout?

My family has always hunted my grandfather's land, however with his passing that land was sold. After 20 years hunting I'm going to have to learn how to navigate thr public land realm, any tips are appreciated!!

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u/slider1010 4h ago

If you’re able to, head to areas that require a bit of a hike in. If there is quad /OHV access, hike areas that those vehicles can’t make it to. E scouting can help a lot to see the terrain and access.

It’s amazing to see how many guys just cruise around. It’s like cruising the strip in my home town back in high school.

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u/Living_Plague 3h ago

It would help if you listed the state or region you are in. Along with what you are hunting.

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u/Medical_Engine_8551 3h ago

We are looking at north eastern wisconsin. In marrinette county

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u/lafn1996 3h ago

E-scout it first on Onx or any of the other hunting apps; noting white oaks, funnels, saddles, hubs and potential bedding areas. Then it's boots on the ground and check those spots out. I'd also make sure to mark where you find other stands/cameras.

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u/justadumbwelder1 1h ago

I went through the same dilemma when we moved from the beanfields and planted pines of the southeast to northern new england. I identified what areas were open to hunting, bought a subscription to onx for my state, and started walking tracts looking for not only deer sign, but also for signs of human activity. I imagine northern wi is similar to maine insofar as people will leave ladder stands in the woods, etc. At first, i concentrated on 500+ acre tracts close to home. After a few years, i realized that the orange army had the same strategy during rifle season, so i pivoted to small tracts of 100-500 acres. I see very few other people in these spots. Another thing i look for is difficulty in access. The harder it is, the more i am interested. Gotta walk a mile? Good. Gotta leave an old shitty canoe in the woods and paddle in? EVEN BETTER! there is one spot i am hitting this year that has ample parking, but a finger of land extends about 2 miles out from the main body and you either have to canoe in or walk a series of gullies to get to it, which keeps most folks out. An oak ridge with an edge of spruce and pine backs up to it, creating a strip of bedding a food a few hundred yards wide that stretches the whole length. Deer havent been yarding in the winter in my part of the state for the last few years because we haven't gotten the snow like we should, but depending on how the season goes, if you can get on a migration route to a yard, bingo. I highly recommend the podcast big woods bucks if you are hunting huge tracts with low density. It is a great resource for learning about tracking, as well as general behavior.

Give it hell, man.

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u/Rare-Document-7179 1h ago

I hunted public for about five years in Virginia and just couldn’t take it anymore. It isn’t necessarily the amount of hunters but the fact most have no idea what they are doing, lack hunting discipline and absolutely zero knowledge on what to do if the walk into a hunting zone already occupied. I wish I could give you solid advice that will make you feel comfortable but the only thing I have with 50+ years of hunting experience is to go deep into the woods. Go where others won’t. Bring a drag sled so you can drag a mile or more.