Thomas Farrell

I'm going to give you a few tips based on how it goes down in New Jersey. Use a climber treestand, you don't want anyone stealing your treestand or knowing the area where you're hunting. Also, don't mark trails with cat eyes, ribbons or slashes in trees. If you have a smartphone, just save the GPS coordinates and you'll find your tree easily.

Zack Doyle

Topographical maps and satellite images are a must. Spend a ton of time studying these, and make decision based on your findings. You should be able to find some good spots to start scouting using those, and go from there. As mentioned, use a climber. You'll also want to try to find remote areas, or areas that may be overlooked. Sometimes very small pieces of public land surrounded by private land can be incredible.

Mike Richardson

Zack nailed it. Topop maps are key. It will take you a few years to get it locked down and determine the other hunters movements. Hunt escape routs and thick cover if the hunter density is high. I had 13 guys around me on the first day of rifle in PA within a 1/2 mile radius. It is tough and can get very annoying but a large public land buck is more of a trophy than one killed on a lease with zero pressure.

seth baker

Be willing to go where other people wont go or dont want to. the farther you walk into a hunting area away from roads most time is better.

Mark Zamora

Thanks for tips guys keep em coming :)

Zack Doyle

Most of the time hiking further in is better. However, it is the small areas close to the road, behind buildings, houses, vacant lots, etc that often get overlooked. I have a very close friend who killed a 180" buck less than 100 yards off a main highway in Southern Ohio on public ground. Nobody would think to hunt there, and that deer knew it. He was also feeding on grass and clover growing in the yard of a vacant church every night. It's little overlooked spots like that that can produce giants. Public ground in suburban settings can pay off bigtime.

kraig cullison

make an all natural ground blind if you prefer to still hunt, if you like to hunt out of a treestand, than use a tree climber at the edge of a field or an open erea near a brush patch

Mark Zamora

thanks for the tips guys i plan on trying from treestand what type of height you guys recommend?

douglas bobbitt

best thing i can tell u is us the outher hunters to drive deer to you .i get in early and stay late use the outher hunter as your drivers a public land buck is so sweet good luck

Tim Maxim

I would say these are all good tips, Sometimes what works for me is staying close to the road. alot of times hunters are drawn to the top of the mountain. so I let them do the walking and I stay within 100 yards of the parking lot and when the deer double back or circle around the other guys I'm there waiting. I have seen more deer double back and walk right through all the parked cars and bed right next to the road. If I do go in deep I'll find the thickest nastiest patch of briers I can and set up my tree stand so I can see down into it, ya know that nobody is going to walk through it and if they do it's pretty entertaining to watch anyway.Do yourself a favor and be careful around thick stuff like that cause some people on public land don't think about who or what is the other side of what their shooting into if a deer pops out of the thickets.