How to Find Deer Land to Hunt
Think about Power
 Editor’s
Note: Some years ago I almost dropped the telephone
receiver when I heard the words, "The landowner
has sold the land, and our hunting lease has been cancelled."
I'd called the secretary of our hunting club to let
him know that I planned to go to our hunting camp three
weeks before deer season started to check several of
my stand sites and get ready for the opening weekend
of bow season. I wanted to scout the areas where I'd
taken bucks before, cut shooting lanes and make sure
that the deer fed on the same nut trees they had in
the past. I enjoy scouting for deer because I consider
it the true essence of the sport of hunting. Scouting
means learning where the deer feed and bed and which
trails they travel on and then predicting where a deer
may appear. When you hunt, you actually climb into your
tree stand and wait on the shot. But this year instead
of scouting for a place to put my tree stand, I had
to scout for new land to hunt.
Power companies in many states have large land holdings
along major reservoirs and lakes that they've helped
to create to generate power. Oftentimes by checking
with the land office of the power company, you'll discover
plenty of public lands or land you can hunt with a permit.
Timber companies, c oal
companies and large industrial companies too may have
large land holdings that you can lease or hunt by purchasing
a permit.
Consider Wildlife Refuges:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has thousands of
acres in over 400-wildlife refuges under federal protection.
To learn the location of wildlife refuges you can hunt
as well as get free maps, which will help you determine
the best places nearest your home consult the website
www.fws.gov/refuges.
Don't Forget the U.S. Forest Service:
The U.S. Forest Service has millions of acres open to
the hunter. To receive maps of lands located in your
state under jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service
and open to the public for hunting ,
visit the website of recreational opportunities on federal
lands at www.fs.fed.us/recreation/
and find direct links to federal lands across the nation
that permit public hunting. There you'll find further
information, including phone numbers.
Check Out State Lands:
Almost every state owns some hunting lands. Although
these lands usually receive plenty of hunting pressure
during the season, they still can provide good hunting
for you when you don't have land to hunt. But before
you hunt public lands, you must understand several principles
for finding deer on public-hunting lands.
* Move as far as you can from public-access areas to
see more game. Most public-land hunters generally will
stay within 1/4- to 1/2-mile of their vehicles or a
road. If you travel one or two miles away from an access
point, you drastically increase your odds for seeing
deer.
* Go into the woods two to three hours before daylight
to reach your hunting area. Public-land hunters will
wait until they
can see into the woods before they go to their hunt
sites.
* Stay on your stand, or continue to hunt until the
last minute of legal shooting time. When hunting deep
in the woods, you may have to travel by night to get
back to your vehicle. You need to know how to use a
compass and a map as well as a hand-held GPS receiver
when you hunt public lands.
* Don't tell anyone where you hunt on public lands.
If you bag a buck and tell someone, then the next time
you return to your hunting site you may find a crowd
of other hunters there.
* Don't leave any signs in the woods to indicate where
you've hunted. Leave your flagging tape, Bright Eyes,
other reflectors and stand markers at home. If a less-skilled
hunter locates your hunt site, he will hunt it for you.
You can learn more about your state's public lands
on your state's website, which will give you addresses
to write for maps and often biologists' names and phone
number to contact. You can reach game and fish divisions
or departments of conservation by going to http://www.nighthawkpublications.com/freetips/freetips18.htm
Tomorrow: Search for Maps
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