5 Mistakes Hunters Make On Public Lands

http://blog.havalon.com/hunting-public-land-5-mistakes/

here a couple a thoughts on hunting public land. 1 is scout NOW for your next pre-rut and rut hunting. Topography is clean and easy to see - rubs and scrapes are fresh and in many cases still being used - funnels and pinch points actually have tracks in em that are being used as opposed to early fall when deer use other cover focused more on available food sources. 2 persimmons, apples, oaks are easier to scout now since the canopy is gone. 3 you can get a better sense of hunter traffic now - you will see tree use from climbers - blazes for marking trails - parking pads burnt out. The deer and the hunters after them behave completely differently January through September - my best scouting for hunting planned Oct 15 through Nov 30th is right NOW
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I am just learning this so I am curious.
I think we still have a little bit of the season left. Is it the same where you are?
I would love to get out and do a little lookin around

Wolfhead - yes season is still open here - but guns have been working a month here - most deer have been shot out - nocturnal and even the gun hunters are about done with most camps folding after Thanksgiving weekend - I do only scout public land on Sundays though until Jan 2

That all makes sense
I have a couple of areas I would like to explore
Thanks

I have a tendency to back track. especially if'n I do not spook/jump or come across anything to kill.

So that means that I usually do a circle.

Now, If I am just scouting then my tracks are somewhat spuratic, basically because I set the gps and just go-----if I do come across another hunter's tracks, I know [sometimes] the area fairly well that I know from where they came, it is just a metter of following to know where they are headed....

I would have thought this was pretty common knowledge. However... I guess the rule about going deep does sound good to less seasoned hunters.

I had my feeling on the matter of deer location summed up best for me some years ago when a fellow said "If I cant see roof tops then I don't hunt".

Sure that doesn't apply to all area's of the country but it sure does apply where I have hunted.

I will add to #4.

Many areas with perfect climbing trees get all the hunting pressure. Sure there is sign everywhere but the older deer maybe using it at night. IMO set up in these areas and you will see all the does and immature bucks the area has to offer. Thats ok if you are ok with it. If looking for an older deer and your ground has it...get into the knarly stuff.

The area I hunt has no "deep". The archery areas of the military post are broken up into smallish segments. So rather than distance, getting away from hunters is by going into thick, wet areas. Also one bedding area I will try has ZERO trees for the tree-stand crowd. It was completely burned about five years ago, and has nothing but head-high turkey oaks (too young to produce acorns) and pines. So no food, but plenty of cover. The deer may only pass through at night, because a lot of tracks are in there. But my gut tells me these deer are bedding/hiding in plain sight because the spot looks like it wouldn't hold deer, and there is no place to hang a stand. Hunting from the ground I'll have it to myself.