Public Lands Success???

U

UtahTightwad

Guest
I'm relatively new to this site. I've mainly just been reading everyone else's posts and learned a lot. I've been trying to take my hunting experiences to the "next level" from just being the average hunter. Maybe it's just me but I'm starting to feel that unless a guy is willing to drop down a substantial amount of cash for a landowner tag or getting one from one of the conservation groups(SFW), he is basically doomed to fighting all the crowds on public lands and having a pretty poor experience.
What advice would you all have for someone who currently doesn't, and probably won't anytime in the near future, have the money to lay down on one of these tags??? I've been putting in for the draws but you know how that goes. I'll be 70 years old before I draw a decent tag.(I'm 35 now).
I'm getting to the point that going out and shooting a forked horn every year just isn't all that enjoyable. I still love to get out and enjoy the out of doors though.
What advice do you guys have for hunting either public lands or what have you found works for getting onto some decent private lands that don't cost a fortune. I'm going to take a wild guess and guess that some of your ideas are going to include a lot of scouting. Anyway's, let me hear some idea's. I'm sure I'm not the only one who faces this predicament.
 
Well, unfortunatly I live in Utah with you and unless you draw one of the limited entry tags or find a CWMU that is good and try and draw for that, you are pretty much screwed, you can hunt some of the public ones but you need to be lucky enough to find a decent buck if you hunt rifle that is, find a buck before the archers and the 300 yard shootin smoke poles push every buck mature enough back into the stuff so thick you cant even see 20 feet in front of your face.

either that or move somewhere where there is more deer, like back east or up north above the border where you can take like 3 deer, seems like that if they give out that many tags there are alot more game running around then hunters, unlike here where there are more hunters then the actual deer herd.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jul-16-05 AT 08:03PM (MST)[p]If your willing to strap a pack on and go where most others won't, there is still great opportunities around for descent mule deer (150-160 class) in the general areas. I look for areas that are far enough from the trailhead to discourage most foot hunters, and steep enough to deter the people hunting off of horses. And if your lucky/persistant you could pull a 180+ buck out. Idaho still has plenty of tags, and if you put in your time/work you'd have a better than average chance at a descent 4 point buck. You may not be able to match the some of the high dollar/private scores, but in the end you'll have the satisfaction of doing it yourself (you probably won't think of this on the way out). Best of luck to you this season.
 
See I don't understand why folks say fighting the crowds on public land! Every state has wilderness areas to where all you have to do is get off the horse trail a few hundred yards and you may not see no one til your back on the interstate!
Just find a spot that has the feel of deer on it or you know that has bucks in it and go there every year even if its after the opener!
My best back up or fall back on area when I do not draw an good tag and it never fills(tag will always be over counter)is area thats gets hit kinda hard and alot of pressure but it only on opening weekend...... I may not see anyone up on that basin til the last weekend and it a 5 week season!
That area will be an Buck magnet til the food is gone, but I see nice bucks every time I go up til the last weekend(which has always sucks because all food is gone because of the season).
Bucks move in here after the opener because it offer every thing they need! water,food,cover,multiple escape routes
I been hunting same spot for year as an back up and its never let me down- find a spot where the access is a little rough on opening weekend on an over the counter area and listen for gunfire that will tell ya were the bucks are then hunt it hard and learn it!
Rackmaster
 
I agree with RACK and the others, having lived most of my life here in UT and hunitng it in one form or another over those yrs there are areas where the beer toting, haven't shot my rifle in 5yrs, typical general tag hunter is honestly just too lazy to hunt. The advice given so far is right on and I ditto it, the big ones will take work and probably a lot of hiking. You just have to do your homework and find an area that works for you and look for some high, off the beaten path, terrain where 99% of general tag hunters won't go. To state it simply: big bucks can be had, it just will take a lot of homework and planning. Money is another issue. You can't plan a week in the back country without spending money on supplies but it also can be done without being too expensive. In my case, not being made of $$ either, I have just slowly added to my supplies each year so I have a decent set up now.
No easy answer but I wish you good luck!

CPSANDMAN
"The Buck stops here...I hope!"
 
I've learned to hunt smarter and longer than the average guy. Get out of bed earlier and get across that canyon or take that 3 mile hike in the dark before anyone is even out of their bed. Use the late comers to your advantage. Pay attention to what the animals do when the hunters take field. Get your self into position and be patient. Ive been fortunate to go on guided hunts, buy land owner tags and have been drawn for some incredible hunts over the years. Just because your in a good area does not mean success will find you. You have to still do your part. One year when I was hunting the famous Kaibab forest in Arizona I over heard some guys at the lodge diner saying that they haven't seen a buck all week long. It was the last day of the season and I had passed on many bucks waiting for the "right one". What were these guys doing??? If your not seeing deer move to another spot. Learn to use a GPS and get confident using it to get you deeper into your hunting area and out again. Learn to pack your back pack so it won't break your back but will supply you all day long with your needs. Stay out all day long and take a nap out in the field rather than going back to camp mid day. Buy the best binoculars you can afford and use a tripod. Learn to take longer shots your confident at at making. Take up bow hunting and get a jump on the rifle hunters. My best mule deer has been with the bow on public land with an over the counter tag. My best coues deer was taken on public land but I had to draw the tag. And as usuall.. scout, scout, and then scout some more. I know this is hard for some but will always increase your odds of finding more/bigger deer. You can consistanly take nice deer if you learn to hunt smarter and longer. Set yourself some goals and disiplin (sp) yourself to pass on the smaller deer. Hope this helps some!!!
 
You only need to be where other won't go!
that can as simple as 100yrds off the road and up higher than road hunter just plain and easy!
Another point I will so if you save and buy great glass(swar,ziess,leica)YOU WILL DOUBLE YOUR ODDS OF SEEING BUCKS AND BULLS!
Glass improves your chances of seeing game early,late and farther,clear!
JACK
 
I live in over crouded Washington State. I can however escape the crowds in the many Wilderness areas that we and most other states have. Last year I hunted elk for 2 weeks in the back country, not only did I not see another person, I didn't see a foot print. I was fortunate enough last year to kill a high scoring P & Y Muley on a DIY hunt on public land. I had to pack him a few miles in some pretty tough ground but that even made it better.


Ya can't get the big ones if ya don't pass on the small ones!!!
 
great advice from everyone,I hunt public land most of the time and I've been (in my opinion) very successful, I'll be the first to admit that I don't kill B@Cers, but I've never been inclined to wait for the perfect trophy. The main thing that I have going for me is determination and perserverence, I usually hunt alone and I just won't give up, if it's not working for me and theres a lot of sign then I figure its probably my fault so I do some soul searching to figure what I'm doing wrong, no sign, then I move to another area. As far as packing in I think to much emphasis is placed on eating,I can get along nicely for up to 5 day's on top ramen and tea and cofee + a few granola bars for each day.They take nothing to prepare and are extremely light. The key to hunting public land is to let the other hunters work for you, get into those deep dark places before the others are in the woods and also don't forget the closer places that most guys in a rush to get into the woods tend to overlook. I've busted great deer and elk within view of my truck in places that didn't look very huntable, I snuck up on 3 buck's in a depression on the side of a steep hill only about 60 yds from the dirt road watching loads of traffic go by. As someone else said great binos or scope will make the difference between success or not, so hunt hard and hunt smart.
 
There's been some great advice given. Buy the best optics you can afford and put them to work. There will be a handful of great bucks shot on Utah's public general units every year, BUT if you really want to get serious about killing mature deer on publicland general hunts-GET OUT OF UTAH.
 
This is not a knock, but I absolutely, positively cannot fathom how deer hunters in any western state cannot find themselves deer and solitude on public land. In this information age, there exists enough data on this site alone to figure out where to go, when, and what to bring. Do the research. Age is no excuse. My 65-year old dad hunted beside me all last year, and we saw nobody outside our party in deer and elk season.

I won't spell out the answer to crowds in detail, but here's more than a few hints, for the person who lives several hours away from the hunting grounds and cannot scout it thoroughly all summer (because we're too busy fishing, and no offense to those who can/do - I envy you!). I take it for granted that you can find your way out of a wet paper bag, and won't lose yourself.

1. A lightweight LED headlamp is your friend.
2. A quality backpack is your friend, internal or external frame. Both can work, and work well. Both will permanently smell of deer if you're successful.
3. You should not be using a "fanny pack" or "day pack". Hunt with your packframe. Don't waste elevation retrieving equipment to pack your deer.
4. You should know your way around terraserver, topozone, and/or other topo programs.
5. A light rifle with a compact scope is your friend. The short 22"-24" barrel and light weight of a 270 or 30-06 (or other non-magnum chambering) is your friend. Scopes with magnification greater than 6x are unnecessary. Variable scopes are unnecessary. QUALITY scopes are mandatory.
6. Good binoculars are mandatory.
7. Don't get hung up on gear requirements. You need with you, at all times: windbreaker, rain/snow garment, warm hat, quality boots, and layered clothing of polypropylene, fleece, and wool.
8. Don't show up fat!
9. Elevation is your friend.
10. Steep terrain is your friend.
11. 4-wheelers are USELESS, if you are trying to avoid people and be legal.
12. You don't need a saw, hatchet, block/tackle, winch, sawzall, bandsaw, chainsaw, or dynamite to bone a deer in the field. You only need a small tarp (or large, heavy garbage bag - lighter in weight), a good knife, and a couple of large pillowcases.
13. Anywhere that you can expect to get a deer back to your truck intact, you will see people, and lots of them.

-Jerry
 
Ditto on everything VEK has to say.

It's great advice that will especially serve you well in one of Utah's neighboring states.

I'm not much younger than you (30) 5 years ago I started to make hunting mule deer one of the top priorities in my life. Since then I've hunted several states each year. In my opinion if you're not hunting mulies in other states you're missing out on a whole other world.

I'm not talking anything huge say 180+, but your odds of consitently harvesting an average 160 class muley in Utah every year on a general public hunt are slim to none. Too the few of you out there that can do it, my hat's off to you.

Did someone say something about fishing? Even the fishing is better elswhere.

Somewhere in Wyoming.....week before last.
2005001.jpg
 
I use to go into a new area during archery season if I was hunting rifle season just to see where the hunting pressure moved the deer too,so on opening day(rifle season) I would be sitting in those high saddles waiting on those other hunters to move deer to me,alot of hunters hunt up toward the top, You know what just about every year people in my party would kill a few bucks doing just that trying to escape over into another valley over a low spot in the ridge toward the top of the mountain.
 
DON'T FORGET THAT FORMULA THING A MEGGIE YOU SHOVED DOWN FOLKS THOATS OVER ON THE ELK SIDE!
I just don't understand it and never heard of it before!
I feel you live and you learn!
And you have to want it then earn it and that comes from within(heart).!
All the gear in the world won't help "AT ALL" if its the garage!
RM
 
Very nice post Jerry and some very good tips. I even learned something new (don't tell the wife).

Mark
 
Who is Meggie?

Who crammed what? You never heard of it because I extracted it from my cornhole 10 minutes before I wrote it. It was just a guideline, a trip planning tool, very much subject to further thought and modification.

Maybe this will sum it up. Spend some time to get the fat off, your lungs happy, your glutes/hams/quads/calves strong, and your feet tough. Go hunt where you can adequately test your stamina. Don't be afraid to try new places , and don't be afraid to sweat.

-Jerry
 
I'm with VEK, great advice...all of it. I've learned the hard way over the years and have come up with a similar list. Unfortunately, I live about 1100 miles from my favorite hunting grounds in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming. I hunt public lands every year in California (D14 & D17). California public land hunting sucks!!!

I work 11 months out of the year to make the "trip to Mecca". I love hunting Wyoming. At first it was a love / hate relationship due to finding good access and land owners that didn't charge an arm and a leg and half your a$$. I've learned to hunt the SAME GENERAL AREA ( approx. 20 square miles ) Learn the general patterns of deer, bedding areas, travel routes and water supplies. Each year I learn a new leason and have greater experiences hunting, hiking and camping solo during the hunt.

I like to hike in with a pack frame, set a spike camp and get away from the road hunters. I've eaten tag soup many times, including last season. I'm not going to kill myself dragging a forky out of a hell hole! Filling your tag is great, but the whole experience is what keeps me coming back every year.

Longrifle
 
This is really good stuff. You guys make me proud, and I am a public lands hunter with over 30 public lands bucks over the years. My advice would be to get in great shape, as almost every buck I ever took was by heading in further than other hunters would feel comfortable in going, hunting up as they(other hunters)are hunting down, hunting down if other hunters are up, hunting transition zones in cover, hunting in the hell holes 3-4 miles back in, seeing where bucks like to be (they tend to be in the same places year in and year out), hunting all day (this means you leave camp in the dark and come back at dusk, and use your intuition when it says do something different. Also, persistence is much of success in hunting. Many of my best bucks have been at the very end of the season, when you put together all the 'reads' you have made over 3-9 days afield. Also, having confidence is important. I always figure I am going to get a buck. Also, country is either 'bucky' or it isn't. Get to know the difference. Hunt with your 3 power, have missed more than a couple major league bucks having my 9 power on. Yes... leave the ATV on the trailer (guess you know how I feel about them). Learn from your mistakes. My best memories are the bucks that got away.
 
Ok so I am new to hunting out of my great state of Ca. So far I have not yet had a positive hunt, sorry but running myself ragged dawn to dusk (that is what I did) for days on end isn't my cup of tea. Unless I have at least the pleasure of seeing my quarry most every day.

Is there really no public land general season tag that you can draw which will allow one to see and pass on several bucks before taking a decent representitive of the species? Or am I doomed to spend all of my money feeding my addiction?
 
"running myself ragged dawn to dusk"

I think your hitting on what a lot of us hunters who aren't lazy, but still don't see big bucks, run into. I think what the guys are saying is that while hunting hard is absolutely mandatory, hunting smart is also as important. I run my butt off dawn to dusk and find it effective for putting elk steaks in the freezer (though it would take a diff. approach if I want a trophy bull). Hunting mule deer is not the same as hunting elk. If I want a nice buck, I know I will have to hunt differently. These guys are giving a wealth of knowledge. Hunting hell holes and high basins are good, but if we just bust through them, we are only going to push the deer (which we will likely never see) elsewhere. Some of us just need to committ to what we want. I've always put meat ahead of horns. Now that my son will be hunting as well, it may be time to commit to pass on the small stuff and hold out.
 
The last 3 or 4 years my Dad and I have been skunked on deer hunting. We've NOT been lazy by any means. We've hiked up some NASTY stuff, and haven't even seen some legal bucks. Just some does here and there. My best advice that I can give you is to read some books on muley hunting. Here's two that I've found helpful; "Mule Deer Hunting Today's Trophies" by Jim Van Norman and Tom Carpenter.
Also; "Mule deer Quest" by Walt Prothero.

The first book is great for helping you learn what to look for, and how to spot muleys, the second is really great on hunting methods. However, it's mostly still hunting and tracking methods in that book. Not very usefull for the sagebrush flats, but great in other areas.
I'm still scrounging up the $$$ to read Kirt Darner's book, but would prefer to find one at the library, but they don't carry it.

After reading those two books, I can really see how we never saw deer the past 3 or 4 years. We hunted harder NOT smarter, which was a mistake. But basically get out and read and research all you can.
In "Mule Deer Hunting Today's Trophies" there's a chapter that has a picture on each page. They challenge you to find the deer in the pictures. Kind of like a "where's Waldo" book. First time I was browsing the pictures, and found maybe 60% of the deer, but some were just impossible to find. I then went and read the chapter on what to look for. Then went back to the pictures and found all the deer I had missed within seconds of looking at the picture. Features just jump out on you once you get some images trained in your mind. Don't know if this makes sense, but it's really amazing once you read it. Also gives you a perspective on how well deer can hide.

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
 
"running myself ragged dawn to dusk"

If you don't have the physical and mental ability to do this day in and day out then I'm sorry, killing trophy bucks on a regular basis on public land probably ain't gonna happen for ya. Fact is, trophy mule deer are not easy. They are damn hard to find and even harder to kill. I live and hunt in some spectacular muley country. I am fortunate to be able to hunt public land muleys for over 3 months straight every year. I can hunt my a$$ off for weeks and weeks without even seeing a deer let alone a buck that qualifies as "Monster" status. Most years I am physically and mentally drained at the end of the season.
 
Yea BC I hunted Williams Lake area of B.C. last year. It bout drove me nust in a week. I just want to go to a place where if I work hard and smart I will be rewarded with a mature deer. Note I didn't say trophy, I feel to hunt trophy deer I would expect to have that hunt take place on a limited entry or private land hunt .

Not general season public land IMHO.
 
Most of the monsters being killed are associated with landowner tags of some type. Just look at the monster archery bucks killed in Southern Nevada the last two years!
 
LAST EDITED ON Aug-24-05 AT 03:41PM (MST)[p]prism,
holly buckets that one nice trout,
was going to call it a carp, but i held back.
the littlier ones eat better,
hope you dumped her back.
thanks for the picture it brings back long lost memories of fishing yellowstone.
 
LAST EDITED ON Aug-24-05 AT 04:14PM (MST)[p]Canyoncrosser,
Who did ya hunt with out of Willy's Puddle? Lots of great deer have come out of that country. But, like most of the province, it is really weather dependant. If ya don't get the snow, or you have $hitty chunchy snow, it can be a real a$$buster for sure. And to think that is flat ground compared to the country I normally hunt. Nothing like having your lungs feel like they are going to burst while hunting the Steep and Deep. :)
You'll see guys on MM who do kill big bucks every year on public land all across the west. It is possible, you just need to kick it up a notch and hunt smarter and harder than the next guy. I believe Scouting is the #1 key. Be it pouring over maps, researching areas on the internet, and then hitting the ground preseason sitting behind the glass, it puts ya that one step higher at taking a decent buck.
 
I hunted with that damn Rod Bohn guy. We did have the crunchy snow issue all week. Rained the second morning then stayed below freezing all week. I would love to hunt B.C. again. Maybe above the Frazier but my lodge's seccess ratio was terrible the entire season.

I will always follow my gut from now on and if it is inexpensive it is probably chitty.
 
Boys and girls, there are big bucks on nearly every public land hunt in several of the western states. To kill one, or more of them each year requires sacrifice. It makes me laugh when guys say they can't afford to hunt out of state. Who can't save up $300-$500 to buy a tag? Give up the soda pop and put the money in a jar, then go hunt. Apply for every state you can afford, but don't apply for the premium units. They will take you so long to draw that you'll never learn the area in your lifetime. Apply for areas with decent odds that produce good bucks. Scout hard, and hunt hard, and when you find a good area don't forget about it. Bucks live in the same places year after year. If you see a nice buck in a place this year, but don't kill him, chances are he'll be in the exact same place next year, and even bigger. You don't have to reinvent the wheel each year. Keep track of deer you find from year to year.
I have found that every one leaves town and goes to the mountains to hunt, and I stay here at home and hunt some toads in the low country all by myself. Sure I don't get to compete for a campsite, and try to see any exotic places, but to me a 190'' deer looks just as good in the low country as he does in a high basin.
Pick a weapon and season that allows you to hunt more visible game. Archery hunts are great because they are early or late and the game, including some big bucks are fairly easy to find.
Pass the dinks! Would you plow up your garden right after you planted it? Quit killing the small bucks. Let them grow up then we can all hunt bigger deer. How many times have you seen guys whacking a two point while a big one is escaping? I've seen it several times.
The point I'm trying to make is that big deer really exist, and they can be killed consistently. It's like everything else in life, you have to learn how to do it. Once you figure it out, you will kill big deer as long as there are big deer left, and you are willing to put forth the neccessary effort to find them.
One last tidbit for you to think about. Don't waste your time hunting an area unless you know there is a big deer in there. The successful big buck slayers almost never hunt blindly across the mountains. They know where a buck is, or where one was last year and they hunt the core area until they either find him, or find out he's not there.
Happy two point hunting!
 
I agree with deerbedead, there are plenty of big deer to be had on public land in Utah, and all the western states for that matter. I have personally glassed up one buck that would likely gross 200 inches and plenty more that would score between 160-190. Yes, all on public land this year.
My advice is to scout scout scout. I always hunt a buck I have saw prior to the season. I started scouting an area years ago when we'd go to stay at a friends cabin. I have always saw good bucks in this area, however, for some odd reason I never hunted it till this year. I have learned that there are some exceptional bucks in this area, but the deer density is a little low and the cover is thick. For this reason, it doesn't really get hunted hard. These are the kind of areas I suggest you seek out.
I also believe guys that complain about never seeing any trophy bucks are hunting opening weekend of the rifle exclusively.These deer have been chased and shot at for two months and the last thing they are going to do is walk out into a clearing opening day and let some guy, that looks like a 350 pound skylined pumpkin, blow his antlers off. If you want to see and kill big bucks learn how to shoot a bow and a musket. I also echo the comment made by deerbedead. If you dont see big bucks in an area prior to the season, look at some new areas until you find good bucks.Try hunting another state. I know states where you can draw a tag every year and be hunting 180 and bigger bucks. And finally, learn how to hunt mule deer. I know I learn something new every year. Listen to guys that consistently kill good bucks every year. They know what there doing. Secretly, I hope guys continue to think there are no big bucks on public land. More for me to kill.

Mike
 
Ok cabinfever, deerbedead and others,

I lost my favorite spot a couple of years ago to a Ski Resort Tram and I have been searching ever since for another good "spot." No luck so far...

My question is where do I get advice on a new "spot"...I respect a man's secret "spot" and hate to even ask "where" when I talk to a guy with a big buck story.

I love to backpack hunt...but, I have struck out the last four years in my search for a new alpine hotspot. So, I am frustrated...tired of backpacking up to "new to me" spots and not finding the bucks.

I'm not hard to please...I'm tickled pink to hunt 140-160 class bucks. Does it just come down to 'spending more time glassing/scouting'...And if there is truly public bucks out there as deerbedead says...how do I find them without asking the dreaded question where did you see him or where did you hunt?

I've been temped to call an outfitter and just pay the price?but, I am one of those guys who really wants to just find a place on my own?yet, on the other hand I am going on year five of ?just trying a new spot? that is not working out.

I need some advice on how to find a good hunting spot.

Frustrated?

Sharpshinned.
 
Sharpshinned, I am by no means a successful mule deer hunter, but I'm getting there. I've done a lot of research a lot of reading and a lot of video buying. What I've learned is beginning to pay off. When I hunt a new area (which seems to be every year) the first thing I do is buy topo maps. Then I look for the wildest, steepest remote place I can find with water nearby. Keep in mind that I'm trying to get away from all of the hiking trails and roads. Then I plan on spending my nights on top of the mountain in a small tent. My biggest problem is carrying enough water up the mountain for more than one night. This year I plan on using my horses to carry jugs of water up close to the areas I plan to hunt and camp in weeks before I actually go to hunt. I will stash the water and mark it on the GPS. Now I can stay up high more than one night and I won't be scaring the game while trying to get up a mountain.
You need good optics. I just got mine last year and I now see lots of deer. Before I saw very few.
The deer are easier for me to find during archery and muzzleloader season. This year I've drawn my first muzzleloader tag. I've never hunted anything but rifle season before this. The point is that I'm trying to hunt deer when they are easier to find as stated above. Not to mention that its easier to draw a tag.
Take time to scout. Go into your area during late summer and sit down and glass the mountain sides at daylight and dusk. Eventually you will find bucks. This is where it pays to find unpressured bucks in remote areas. If this area gets hit hard during hunting season then the deer won't be there for long. If they are in a remote place that people don't want to hike to then you have a chance of finding bucks there when your season comes around.
I know that all of this sounds like a lot of work and effort but thats what its all about. Hunting is about being a deer detective. I definitely have seen lots more deer these last two years then I ever have by using these methods.
Goodluck to everybody this year. fatrooster.
 
Good advice fatrooster.

There can't be enough said about good glass, and good glassing skills.

I just hate it when I have to turn the truck off to keep the window mount from shaking:)
 
Ha ha, good one Prism. I'm still trying to figure out how I'm gonna get my easy chair up into the mountains! fatrooster.
 
kilowat,

Wasn't that guy on Buckmasters last night? :)

I swear I've seen that chair on some whitetail show once or twice before.
 
Sharpshinned
Sign up for B&C trophy search. You can learn an awful lot about where big bucks are being killed. Keep your ears open as well. You wont get much info from this web site, but hang out at the gun counters or archery shop during the seasons and you'd be amazed how many guys will come in bragging about this big buck they missed in such and such canyon. I have located some good areas this way. I have recently started hunting another state and this year I did some extensive research on what area would give me the best crack at an exceptional buck. I spoke with ranchers, biologists, taxidermists, and locals who have frequented the area. I found that if you build a relationship that is real, you will eventually get information that is real. I have also met and become friends with guys here at MM who have shared info with me on a off-line basis. Once you have narrowed your search to an area, look over some topos and than head out scouting. Don't be decieved by the theory that you have to hike back in several miles to see big bucks. The biggest bucks I have seen have been less than a 1/2 mile from a rd or atv trail. Infact when I am looking at new areas I generally drive around prior to the season and than once I have located some bucks, I will venture out from there. Hope this helps

Good Luck
Mike
 
Sharpshinned, I know you probably don't believe there are big bucks on public land, but I'm here to tell you that there are!
I am a full time taxidermist, and have witnessed many, many big public land bucks both dead and alive over the past 25 years. Believing they are out there will help you overcome your mental block.
I have several customers that show up year after year with big bucks, and they are not wealthy, and do not hunt private land for every buck. They have figured out how to find, and kill big bucks, and once you do that, you will kill big bucks almost every year.
One piece of advice to you is that I don't know a single honest to goodness trophy buck hunter that hunts the same spot every year. They hunt where the biggest deer is that they find scouting. A man with a monster buck collection once told me.... "Big deer are where you find them" That is so true.
Get out there and scout your butt off and you will see what I mean. Who cares if your honeyhole is a ski lift. Go find a big buck somewhere else. We do it, and we do it every year in several states. We also pass up a lot of good bucks too, and I have a stack of unused tags to prove it.
Have fun!
Deerbedead
 
I haven't read everybodies messages, but I did read a few. I noticed that the quite a few people basically said that if we want to harvest a "trophy buck", we need to find and pack into a wilderness area. I agree that you would have good odds at harvesting a great deer, but I also disagree. I live in Idaho City (32 miles from the biggest city in Idaho, boise). I also hunt the unit i live in, unit 39. Unit 39 happens to be the biggest and most heavily hunted unit in Idaho. In unit 39, there an early bow season and early rifle season. The early rifle season is a 199 limited draw. After that, everybody and their dog comes up here and hunts does and cows with traditional muzzleloader equipment, from my experience, about %50 of those people I talked two hit and injured at least one cow or doe before harvesting. Around here, we call it wounding season. After all that, general deer season starts. Literally thousands of people flock up here and hunt. Now here is where my point is made. Both my dad and I have been far more successful than any other people we know. We travel approx 20 min from Idaho City to 4 of our 5 great hunting spots. Anybody can drive to our hunting spots, but they are overlooked by the normal hunter. I am only 17 years old and have harvested a buck every year I was legal, and have harvested a bull elk the past two years. In the past 5 years, my dad began passing up bucks until he seen a big one. Well. In those five years he has harvested a 24 inch 4x4, a 20 inch 5x5, a 28 inch 5x5, and last year a 24 inch 5x5. Last year I harvested my first "big buck, which was a 21 inch 5x5. I also have shot an 18 3x3 (not a trophy unless it is a 4x4 or better in my book. During those five years, my dad also seen at least 5 other big bucks. My point being is, you don't have to have a magical spot, just apply yourself and don't overlook a place, do a lot of adventuring in the woods and you will find a good spot, and make sure your there before sun up! (If anybody disagree's with me, feel free to reply, I have pictures to prove our harvest's though) Good luck Hunting.
 
I dont disagree but lets see them for kicks and giggles. That's what it is all about. Taking a peek at the deer pics.
 
I moved to Colorado 4 years ago and have hunted 3 seasons. I have only hunted public land and have managed to kill a 5x5 elk, a nice 4x4 muley and a bear this year that will likely make B&C.

I killed the elk second morning, deer first afternoon and bear first morning of the hunt. I hunt by myself and pack small spike camps in a few miles. I saw 1 hunter during my elk hunt, killed my mule deer 200 yards from an outfitters camp, and saw not a single person on my bear hunt. I setup quitely and don't make fires. I have literally glassed deer from my tent!

I spend quite a bit of time studying maps and aerial photos, and hike all over the place during the summer. I do not hunt anywhere near ATV trails or roads. I use pack trails alot to get back into the areas I want to hunt, but try to hunt the "middles". Most guys on horseback have a tendency to go WAY back. I hunt the zones between the lazy road hunters, and the horseback guys or find short pack trails that horse guys tend to pass. I arranged with a pcaker to get my elk out ahead of time. That way I hunt hard and don't worry about the pack out. I was less than 3 miles from my front door when I shot my elk. It was pretty obvious that these elk had seen no pressure whatsoever. It was steep and intimidating country, but worth it to have the place to myself. I am living out my childhood dreams without paying an outfitter, or spending a fortune.

I also do NOT worry about pack out until the animal is down. If you worry all the time about how you are going to get the animal out, you will NOT go where you need to be. I am hunting OTC bulls every year until I have enough points to go for a trophy unit, but until then I am having fun and hunting my butt off. Personally, I could care less what my animals score as long as they are mature and I work hard for them and have fun doing it. That is what hunting is supposed to be about!

I am not sure where you are located, but find the nearest Wilderness area and start scouting. The animals are there, and you don't need a second mortgage to have fun and be successful. Screw the scores! Enjoy.
 
WOW...hats off to all the great info being shared on this post!!

That is what MM is all about for me...THANKS and please keep it rollin!

two weeks and a wakeup til Colorado
Mark
 
Everyone has posted some great advice. My biggest problem with not consistently shooting big bucks is lack of time and not keeping that drive or enthusiasm. Then you also got the guilt for being away from the fam 2 days into the hunt. Hopefully this season I can overcome some of these impediments.
 
I'm new to this forum but next week I'll be going to Southern Utah for the muzzleloader hunt on public land and I'll give a report when I get back. Last month we made a trip down there and saw a 170 class 26" buck and the local warden said there are some very big bucks in our area and some lion hunters have seen a couple huge ones also. We'll give it our best shot, no pun intended.
 
T minus two days and counting for the Utah ML. I have been all consumed with a nice little group of bucks just off the highway. Those suckers can hide under one little scrap of sagebrush. It is almost commical how many people were passing them by when I found them archery hunting.
 
Umm.. this think will only let me upload pictures 100kb or smaller, I can't figure out how to make them smaller.
 

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