More public land rookies this year?

[black42]

Hunting on public land is a cost issue with me. I have 4 kids and they all want to hunt, I simply cant afford to pay for a lease for all of us let alone myself. I have landowner friends that will let me hunt when they dont have hunters at their place ( they have a day/week lease place).
The AHP is a great steal at $48. My youngest son has the next years worth of hunting planned for me.

[westtexducks]

The only reason I am going on public land this year is because you do not have to ask for permission and you do not have to worry about what size deer you can or cannot shoot. If he suits my fancy I can shoot him. Also public land is closer to me than going all the way back home to hunt so that is another factor.

[lesson 101]

I'm a public hunting rookie last weekend my first time but only because my sister and brother-n-law aren't on a lease and I can't have guest so I went with them. It was fun and we got to hunt together. A little scary not knowing where other people are though. We just found a place where noone was around and went opposite ways.

[Limbwalker]

The only reason I am going on public land this year is because you do not have to ask for permission and you do not have to worry about what size deer you can or cannot shoot. If he suits my fancy I can shoot him. Also public land is closer to me than going all the way back home to hunt so that is another factor.

All great reasons. I also enjoy being able to come and go on MY schedule, shoot what I feel like shooting (so long as it's legal, of course) and having the chance to hunt a much larger area than I could ever afford to lease.

On the other hand, a lease is a kind of freedom for those who can afford it. It lets them know who will (and more importantly who WON'T) be on there, and if they are hunting a particular animal, the chances are better they'll have an opportunity at it. Those who prefer to, can also set up a big camp complete with the kitchen sink, and enjoy "deer camp". I think that's the main reason some people hunt, actually.

Some feel hemmed-in by a lease, and other find it very relaxing.

Nice that those of us in SE Texas have a choice!

[bigmike223]

For me its money. Just to go hog hunting is expensive. I don't understand if hogs are such a problem why is it not cheaper.

[Razorback01]

I do think there are a lot more bowhunters coming along. It will open more areas to hunting than have been open before. On public land, you may have some issues with some pain-in-the ars, but at least you won't be out a couple grand by "landowners or so-called landowners". I'm not anti-feeder, but it also means something else when you have it scouted out and your in the perfect place. I still hunt over feed, hand-corn, forbs, acorns, etc, just doesn't cost me another grand to feed it all year. COE permit-free, camping $16 per night, experiance- priceless.

[Ghusa]

I have been a public land hunter for many years and down herein
South Texas . It is getting harder and harder to hunt the public
Land .becouse there starting to put so many rules down here. It
Is hard to deer hunt . The only public land you can hunt deer on is
The dry river beds and in most county's down here you
Can only use a shot gunn with buck shot no archery or rifles
Allowed now y'all want dove the is public dove hunting every were
And you can get your limit to fast the game warden is always
Cath people over the limit just look for dimmit county zavala county
Frio county for birds

[black42]

For me its money. Just to go hog hunting is expensive. I don't understand if hogs are such a problem why is it not cheaper.

I agree with you.

[TallTexan]

I actually see more deer on public land

[Ghusa]

Shot gun only

I have been a public land hunter for many years and down herein
South Texas . It is getting harder and harder to hunt the public
Land .becouse there starting to put so many rules down here. It
Is hard to deer hunt . The only public land you can hunt deer on is
The dry river beds and in most county's down here you
Can only use a shot gunn with buck shot no archery or rifles
Allowed now y'all want dove the is public dove hunting every were
And you can get your limit to fast the game warden is always
Cath people over the limit just look for dimmit county zavala county
Frio county for birds

[codyw2006]

I for the first time am hunting public land this year. Money is the reason. you cant find leases like you could even 3 years ago. i hunt my place where i live and another small 50 acre place not far from me along with public land. i had come across a few 2-3 hundred acre spots for $1800 a cow. thats ridiculous. i refuse to spend that kind of money on a place that small with 8 hunters. its almost because a get rich quick scheme for land owners. i may in the end spend more money than that because of the fuel ect traveling all over to these type 2 places but its worth it to me to be able to hunt alot of places.

[cowboyway]

Not trying to be a jerk, but the wife and I make really good money, so I could afford a lease, but I'm just too cheap to do it. Dropping hundreds or thousands of dollars is ridiculous (to me, not putting anyone else down). Plus I'm more of a day hunter. I like to get out there in the morning, but be back at the house in the afternoon. If I got a lease, I'd feel more compelled to spend more time out there because I was paying for it. I go to public land for a few hours, get my fix, then come home.

Plus, and call this corny, but if and when (I haven't yet this is my second year deer hunting) I actually get a deer, I don't care what size it is, doe or buck, I'm going to be so **** proud of myself I will be grinning ear to ear because I earned it. Public hunting isn't easy, and to me, that makes it more worthwhile.

[flashof1979]

I have a couple friends with leases and feeders going year round. Some more friends that have feeders at their homes 40yards from the back door. They basically watch the same deer year round. That just does not fill like hunting to me.
It fills more like a reward when I harvest off of public land. That is my biggest motivation for getting out of bed, driving to the land, walking thru dark in the over grown woods, and dragging my harvest a mile back to the truck.
I kind of like not knowing when an animal will approach and from what direction. Keeps me motivated to sit all day. Not planning my hunts around a feeder on a timer.
Now let me go on an exotic hunt and that is a different story, LOL.

[roguecraft101]

As one of the more active first time public hunters I'll chip in my 2 cents. =P

Most of my lease hunting has been done out in west texas... In a lot of west texas leases it's very possible to fill your tags in a weekend if your not picky. This year we started looking too late in the year to find a decent lease so I decided to hunt most of my time in the shnf. (it's also much closer than other options)

After finding this website and spending some time in the sam I have really grown a type of hunger to domiinate this forest. It's very hard hunting. I have found some spots that look to be PERFECT by the text book just to sit there and see deer walking around what seems to be randomly. Taking a deer out of the forest period is an accomplishment. Taking multiple deer or a big buck is **** near impossible.

I relate SHNF hunting to fishing in the ocean. You really have NO IDEA whats really down there. If you put int he time and learn the patterns you might snag a buck that you and some friends can talk about for years to come.

I also really like the people I have met through this website that hunt SHNF. They seem to be a more humble crowd than usual. Willing to help each other out and honestly happy for each others kills. It gives that feeling of a good deer lease when you and your buddies are sitting around the camp fire at night grilling a steak on an open mesquite fire and sipping some crown or having a beer.

After this season I have decided that even when I get on a good west texas lease next year I am still going to do the majority of my hunting out of the sam. They are completly different animals! One provides amazing scenery and the ability to shape food plots and protien feed your deer and manage them into a really good herd. The other offers that challenge of out smarting the deer climbing big timber trees 30' in the air and having more land to look at than you can ever hunt.

[Texar]

I live in Texarkana, AR and hunt on both sides of the state line. Within 30 minutes of my house there is no less than 100,000 acres of public land to hunt!!! Everything from Arkansas conservation land, COE land(55,000 acres at Wright-Patman) and even a National Wildlife Refuge(Pond Creek).
Even if I paid for an out of state license every year it would still be cheaper than most leases, but I have a Texas Lifetime and the AR license is $25. I also have family outside of Huntsville and SHNF gets time too. Theres no doubt in my mind that the AR rules have helped the deer in East TX tremendously! So it's a no brainer with me on where I go to fill the freezer!!!