Have you found you Public Land Shangri La? Are you looking for it?

[BuckSmasher]

Have you found your overlooked section of public ground with lots of bulls and bucks? Are you looking for it? How did you find it?

Kinda been looking for that 'special spot' all my life. Don't know if I ever will find it. In my head I imagine as a secret drainage everyone else overlooks and big bulls and bucks hang out in there.

I did have a special hog spot in the Sam Houston National Forest when I lived in Texas. Even had it to myself for a few years. It was/is a special place. It did eventually get found out :-(. Maybe it has been forgotten again by now and when my son is old enough to shoot a centerfire I can take him back to where daddy used to stack the pigs and he can get one to.

 

[chancey]

I have one for bucks, it’s very weather dependent though. Most folks will not make it to the area and the ones that do don’t generally get down in the small drainage that consistently holds deer. As for hogs shangri la is a ranch I can go turn a well placed shot into sausage whenever my freezer starts getting low.

 

[Will_m]

better be careful it’s not so secret that the bulls and bucks don’t even know about it.

 

[Fatcamp]

Yes. I just have to go there outside of hunting season.

 

[RME]

Not a hunting spot but 34 years ago I found a dream camp spot off the beaten path (~14 mile hike from the closest road). It was one of those places that looked like the hand of God cut the perfect camp spot out of solid rock over-looking a beautiful crystal clear waterfall. I'm sure other people knew about it but I never saw any evidence of other people being there and every time I camped there I tried not leave any evidence either. In 2000 I moved away and haven't been back. I've thought about going back some time when I'm back visiting family but I also kinda like to remember the pristine place I knew knowing it's probably not that way anymore.

Hunting wise I have many places I really like but I've never found the dream spot on public land so I guess you could say I'm still looking.

 

[signing off]

Still looking. Felt like I was getting close in Illinois and then moved back to Missouri. Here, public land goes for days like I hear people say about out west.
Tonight I am reviewing pictures from a new area and so far I see deer, turkey, bobcat and coyotes. Even caught a hawk in mid flight.
Age might get me before the holy grail spot but worth trying.

 

[RME]

Here, public land goes for days like I hear people say about out west.

Not here, the further you get from one access the closer you get to another

 

[Ross]

I had one for 3 decades. Took years and crazy climbing in a short distance chasing bugles to learn. Took 10 bulls, mostly 6 pts in a relatively small area. Learned the elevation and travel routes over decades. Wolves then invaded and poof no more elk haven.

 

[signing off]

Not here, the further you get from one access the closer you get to another

I understand that situation. A tip that helps sometimes is backtrack from the first parking lot. People don't think they missed anything or didn't see anything and need to get "deeper". Leaving the beginning less pressured.

 

[ODB]

Had an amazing turkey spot that got leased when the father died and son took over... it was incredible. I was the only non-family member to hunt it

 

[Lawnboi]

Real easy. Don’t go to the hotel when it gets nasty. Couple days after everyone runs to town because they are wet and cold are the best days to be out. No matter how many people were there a few days ago.

A lot of my best days in the field have this in common.

 

[P Carter]

Found one, then it burned to a crisp!

 

[Steve300xcw]

Had one for deer. It turned into a clear cut and now the subaru fags play frisbee golf across that area

 

[Chris in TN]

Lots of public places are awfully cool if you go a week before season.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Theres is normally something open to hunt year round

 

[westslopelaker]

I have an insane spot that is loaded to the gills with elk. The most time we've ever hunted it is two days before we kill. It's also maximum gnarly to get in and out of so it's make sense why the elk are there. It takes 3 days to pack a bull out with two guys, lol. Half an elk the first day, the second half day two, and the rack on day three. This spot has very little pressure because how hard it is to get in and out of. There are other guys that do it but not many. I love it!

 

[BuckSmasher]

Found one, then it burned to a crisp!

Funny you say that. Our best candidate for a ‘spot’ burned probably 10 years ago or so.