How To Scout Public Land For Deer 

I was just eye balling bald mountain area on the maps for some mid January hunting

Ask and you shall receive! Thanks Jeff for adding some of the exact tips I’ve been looking for to get an edge!

Great video and discussion. State land , swamp meets hardwood I've made a living on for a long time where people didn't want to walk to. It was just a longer drag. But that's the fun and the price. Great vid, better discussion.

Just recently came across your video series. I'm quite impressed with your methodical and detail oriented approach. Please keep it up.....I'm learning alot. Thanks

Pontiac lake rec/ bald mountain, Holly Rec, my neck of the woods! Love the videos, thanks for sharing your experience.

Ive never hunted anything but public land. I currently hunt a 3500 ac area and in 5 yrs of hunting this tract, Ive never seen another hunter in the woods. It has a main road (forest service rd) that runs the west edge, one road that is gated that enters the area, the rest is inaccessible by vehicle (old logging rds) so its all on foot. Ive only seen guys on the main road at the west edge, road hunters either on quads or in their trucks. No one ever gets off the beaten path here much less braves the woods. I love it, have it all to myself every year. In Fact, Ive never had a trail cam ever come up missing and some (4) are within a hundred yards of that main road, all just hangin with bungy cords, tree stands never touched. Not sure why the guys around here never venture in to the woods, maybe scared of the lions and bears, dont really know but I guess thats good for me as I am old school and love it.

Man you got that right!!! It’s out there, just gotta find it!!!

This answered a lot of questions I had. I know of a place on public land that meets most of the requirements I will be be checking it out in the next few weeks

Took my biggest buck on public land in Michigan. Big block of standing pines.

The best information that you stated was two things that I use #1 find the hard to reach locations Ex.small slice of high ground located in a Marsh and hunt the deer runs leading into that.#2 hunt the Hunter, know where they park, location of stands, are they baiting, what time are they getting into the woods, what time are they leaving, are they also bow hunting the area. All of that and more, can be figured out with just a quick 10 min conversation with them either before or after the hunt...I do it all the time.I have never had another Hunter not give me the information I'm looking for, if you know how to "hunt the Hunter" than get into your location before they get to theirs, use them to push feeding deer into the thick stuff that is hard to get to AKA your location. Feeding deer meaning deer that are feeding on their bait piles that are spooked as they walk into their stand, or deer could also be feeding on natural food that's available to them, I use a large group of guys every year to sent bump some thick cover of the Manisstee River bottom these guys walk the ridge every Thanksgiving and set up on top of it looking down into the River bottom, mean while I'm down wind 400 yards hunting the exit. Hard to get into my location due to I have to use my canoe and set a tree stand up all before they slam the door of the pick up truck and start walking the 200 yards to the river. One day I know this will pay off big.I have seen some of the nicest bucks of my hunting life with there help. Great topic as always.

This is exactly what I've been looking for! There's a ton of state land and forest land around me. I live in west Michigan and it's pretty heavily hunted. Those are pretty simple ways to break the areas down. I've learned a lot from your videos and look forward to watching more. Thanks for doing it!

Great tips, thanks Jeff. I hunt the Western Michigan area and want to start experimenting more with state land.

Great video!

Thank you for sharing this information. I prefer good public lands hunting.

Hey brother finally got a chance to watch your video.

Jeff. After watching many of your videos, especially this one, I took a lot of time looking on Google Earth at our wildlife management area not more than 20 minutes from where I live. I haven't hunted there since I was in high school 30 years ago, which even back then was overrun with hunters, especially during gun season. I was fortunate enough to have private mountain acreage to hunt in West Virginia the last few decades...still trying to figure that area out, which is rugged mountains with steep ravines...but would like to try public land close to home. I found an area that's 3/4 mile from the main road in one direction, and over 3 miles from the next road over in the other direction. About a mile down the mountainside is private land, mostly farm land. This area I can see on Google Earth is a natural bowl surrounded by ridges to the north, east and west, and slowly runs downhill to the private land. I can see a stream that meanders down through the bowl which is mostly meadow looking. Hard to tell by looking at the map, It looks roughly 100 yards or so wide and maybe 200 yards long. There are hollows on the west and east side flowing down into this area. It's definitely a terrain change, edge change and vegetation change. It seems to fit everything you stated in this video, just wondering your thoughts. I would like to check it out once the season is over this winter. I think I can get a better handle on the lay of the land with leaves off the trees. What are your thoughts on hunting a bowl area like this and the winds that are sure to be moving in all directions given the terrain features. Thanks for all of the videos and awesome information!

You want elevation changes with hardwood stands on hill and big pines on top and marsh/swampy at base with good sized creek ... you would love our area.. state doesn't do anything to it but cut one end of the several meadows and the main path in and out.. wilderness.. just wish I could figure it out...

What about Pennsylvania game commission roads they are like mowed down trails but not vehicles allowed on them but they can help get you deep in the game lands pretty quiet what are your thoughts on them ?

Hey Jeff what do you use for your aerial photos to scout an area? Google maps, and OnX maps have ok images but if its a summer time picture I cant really tell what the trees are to rule out monocultures of hard woods and such.

I live in adddison vt would love to hear someone give some tips to hunt on public land here there is little avalible

Could y’all make some videos on hunting down south? Your such a wealth of knowledge but slot of it doesn’t pertain to me and where I hunt in one aspect or another. I live and hunt in east Texas where the post oak savanna and piney woods regions meet. It’s warm here, sometimes in the 60s 70s in November December. Early season can be in 80s and 90s. They move a little different and there’s so mich pressure that a lot of times they are nocturnal and the only way to find them I. The day is to get on to the thickets and bump them out and try to get on them that way. If you’ve hunted here there’s ALOT of your fans and subscribers that are from here and many of us would really enjoy it. Thanks

I wanna get out next year and try rifle hunting for the first time. I doubt I'm going to see anything or even shoot anything but it would be fun just to get out and give it a shot. And who knows maybe ill get lucky and bag my first deer 😊

Awesome video! I'll be exploring public land for the first time next year due to having to hunt closer to home with a new baby. I've been looking at a bunch of maps and I wonder if you have an opinion on agriculture fields vs. natural food sources. Would you rather be way back in the property with natural food, or near ag fields closer to the roads? hunting on private all my life we always focused on ag fields, but now on public it seems like bucks normally hang back away from the pressure like you talk about.

Yes, yes, yes! When your hunting public land just do what the public won’t do... walk, like a deer, my rationale is exactly what Jeff said. 30 mins one way and you will be in paradise.

Have you ever hunted island lake in Livingston county??

Jeff.....any advice on hunting public land without being able to scout prior?

What boots are you wearing in this video?

Yeah we leave sign to where our stands are and somebody will hunt out of it. I went to one of mine yesterday and I’ve not been to it since bow season opened and there’s muddy prints goin up the ladder. Somebody has been in my stand.

Jeff, I love this idea and your videos. I hunt public land in East Central WI and have struggled to find deer the last couple years. I've been trying to do what you're outlining thru satellite maps but would love to consult on areas with you or someone from your team. Is that something you do?

Where In PA do you hunt I Live Near Pittsburgh.

Another great video with much information that I can actually apply to my style of hunting. All of my current stands are next to some type of funnel. Either natural or man made, funnels will get you close to the action.

There is a channel call Whitetail Properties their logo is VERY close to yours man you should say something

From what I’ve seen, your typical hunter does not want to put physical effort into making a kill. The deeper and more isolated the area, the better. They would rather walk 100 yards or less into a tree stand than figure out where the deer are hiding. Why is it our ancestors could kill everyday and didn’t need a deer stand? The place I found is easy to walk through, but it’s a bowl shape and it’s not an easy task to hunt. But I’ve come across a buck and I didn’t spook him. He was trying to smell but couldn’t because I was behind him downwind. Try stalking and take your time.

What part of Pa. Do you hunt I live in northwest Pa. And hunt alot of the Allegheny National Forrest

If your on public land, where’s your blaze orange?

I’m disabled and the park system here won’t let four wheelers drive the old roads. I can’t walk far anymore. They should let the people that’s disabled take four wheelers and ride back in the hard to reach places but they don’t. So I don’t get to hunt where I want to.

That is NOT planted pine