Yes..public land for sure..We scouted for three days and hunted the first four days of the season up high, then dropped down a couple thousand feet and hiked a lot and got into them..Both those bucks were shot in the same canyon within hours of each other..Shot the tall one the fifth night, then hiked back in before first light the next morning to find me a buck and pack out the rest of my buddy's meat and I shot the wider buck. We saw a couple in the same class up in the aspens, but couldn't get a shot..Also saw a MONSTER up there..wide, tall, and HUGE backs..same deal though..it was too thick to get a shot.