How To Hunt Public Land In Hills And Hardwoods

Here are some Public Land big hills and hardwoods deer hunting strategies that have worked for me to successfully hunt and kill nearly 20 bucks in 3 decades in OH and PA.

[@shaneshonda]

I like when you cover public land tactics

[@scottgraham3453]

I started hunting at age 30 without any prior experience. Many many mistakes and few precious successes have slowly been improving for the better. Jeff has without a doubt been the best teacher I've had. Simply following his weather advice was enough to start reliably filling my freezer with venison every year. Maybe one day I will be fortunate enough to find a WTHS video about hunting Montana or Alberta public land (eastern slopes) 🤞🤞 Thank you for all you do!

[@dreadeddevorobertson7035]

Love the public land content! Here in central arkansas there’s a bunch of ridges, valleys, hills and bluffs. Your videos about thermals have helped me a lot with knowing what my scent is doing. Man at the difference that has made!😳nobody around here still hunts. Just dog drives and no one really knows what they’re doing so having someone to learn from to really better my still hunting is awesome! Really love your videos keep it up!

[@dolphingirl12885]

Something special about finding and harvesting a big public land buck.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Amen to that!

[@lukeminey2059]

I love when you do these public land geared videos as I only hunt public and I'm always interested to hear tactics from other hunters especially ones that come to my home state of PA and bag big boys on public land

[@jacksonclouatre]

Video I’ve been waiting for. Thank you.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

You are very welcome Jackson I hope you liked it!

[@stevegermain1222]

Good morning

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Good morning Steve!

[@ajkelley20]

Another great video. Some of the things you say really turn on the light bulb. Thanks

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Thanks a lot that is great to hear!

[@cjtuccio]

Jeff this channel is golden....I am an absolute COMPLETE beginner but am looking forward to public hunting next season. One thing I have to say though is when you mention the Northeast states, you always miss one (mine).... CONNECTICUT!

[@bowman8316]

Great video...Thank you ! Love hunting big woods benches. Learned from pappy bowman, central PA in the 70's

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Pretty cool Davind...live that terrain!

[@bowman8316]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 thanks jeff

[@kurtpearson2793]

I’m planning a new bench stand below my neighbors food plots!👍

[@bowman8316]

@@kurtpearson2793 lol

[@robertmahan7677]

I love the public land content. I've watched a lot of your videos and you talk a lot about high elevation change. In my area I do not have much change on average there might be a couple spots that are 40 or 50 ft higher depending on the area but it's minor changes would you be able to do a video that would be able to cover different types of public lands throughout the US such as more prairie type habitat where it's flat for a few miles with slight changes about 20 ft I know that would significantly help me understand some of your concepts for my area but it may be able to help other beginner hunters like myself be able to relate your concepts to their specific area just a thought if not keep doing what you do I love the content I've learned a lot

[@bowman8316]

Woo hoo

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

You got it 😁

[@bowman8316]

@Number 1 Western Fan thanx... tight window today lol

[@TheWVgoodguy22]

Excellent strategy video there Jeff and Dylan. I want to branch out from hunting around my Dad’s house and the property around us that we have permission on. I plan on trying public land in northern West Virginia and western to central PA. 🏹🦌

[@rayblevins6252]

I hunt hill county in TN and Va but great info for my first Ohio trip this fall.

[@JohnDoe-jk8yy]

I’m so close to a monster deer right now while I’m listening to this video on my back porch late at night I turned the video up little bit and you spooked him off corn bout 40 yards I didn’t even realize the camera went off. So who else can say they can spook deer from thousand miles away while giving sound advise to harvest that same deer salute cause you can say that sir 😅 😂

[@jordanweaver9943]

Thank Jeff more vidoes on this subject!

[@cody5631]

Mistakes I made my first archery season: 1)Putting stand too close to water source 2)Slept overnight in a climber stand without a thermal suit (was cold as hell!) 3)moved/fidgeted too much there was a few times I scared off a buck scratching my nose, checking the time etc 4)hunting public land instead of just buying a hunting lease on private property

[@basicinfo.9315]

You forgot about looking for balloons as they scout hill country. Best way to find buck bedding Thats what I do. Learned that technique from you lol. 😁😁😁😁😁😁

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Haha, so true...you can actually forget about everything else 😊

[@basicinfo.9315]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 Lol...

[@randolphtolbert3825]

Public or Private is easy just don’t wait until opening day to get into the woods. I squirrel hunt until the bow opener here in Michigan. I see plenty of deer sign, trails etc. I also go out after the firearms season after a fresh snow to scout for sign. I filled four tags this year. Three does and a nice six point in December during muzzleloader season. I harvested all of them on public land. The past three years I’ve seen fewer and fewer other hunters on public.

[@jarrodmistic]

I would love to hear your suggested strategy for hunting flat big woods. I'm in Northern MN with thousands of acres of public big woods. I use swamps and any edge habitat to try narrow it down, but would like to get your take on it.

[@russellreiner6248]

jeff love the videos. have you considered posting them to rumble. seems they need some food plot videos there

[@mitchegge4934]

I remember walking to my stand that opening morning of that cold Wisconsin opener. I felt like a marshmallow with all the layers I had on. I sweated like a pig on the walk out and sat in my stand for the first hour before I decided to go in. I think I heard like 3 shots that opener.

[@therusticcollectionebaysto7028]

New sub ! Liked 🙏👏👍

[@naomicreech9870]

I can’t wait to map out the 1,600 acres of public land 1/4 mile down the road. Seems like a lot of wet lands to avoid, rumor has it there’s 10ft sink holes in the bogs

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Oh man...I bet some great hunting tho! Be careful around those bogs...no joke for sure!

[@oldben1800]

where at? sounds familiar

[@naomicreech9870]

@@oldben1800 about 10 miles west of Mille Lacs lake.

[@JimBowSlice]

I fell in a big bog hiking in on the Platte river in NW mi fishing cohos and I caught some tree routs or I would have been gone filled my chest waters with that stinky stuff

[@bowman8316]

@Number 1 Western Fan 🤣👍🏼

[@NorthOf8]

Last 3 rain forecasts during recommended planting didn't happen. Reseeded HD plot screen and WHS blend 4 days ago. I hope today's rain forecast happens in NW Wisconsin.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Hope so too David...good luck!!

[@bowman8316]

🤞🤞🤞🌾

[@quantumtruthseeker210]

Brutal here in WV...absolutely brutal

[@bowman8316]

@@quantumtruthseeker210 same in WNY 😭

[@NorthOf8]

@Brushcrawler yes John Komp will send out a receipt. I've made two purchases and John actually answers my texts when I have questions. All my seed came via UPS and unless he's out of something that i need right away, he's earned my business.

[@linthicum75]

Come to Missouri do a public land bow hunt around Truman lake boat access

[@dylanthrall5657]

Jeff I hope my naighbours do food plots hope their spring plots to so they have doe factories

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Amen to that Dylan...works every time 😁

[@mo-46]

The areas that keep them alive... Next to the roads and parking lots where not many hunt...

[@walking_bear8967]

I've never even seen a big buck on public land in Minnesota, only on private land and I've done most of my hunting on public.

[@kurtpearson2793]

Boy, I’ve seen some dandy’s on Minnesota public-!! Actually lots. Northeastern and southeastern parts are great 👍

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

So many giants and I would be willing to be a lot of money - within 90 minutes of your house!

[@walking_bear8967]

I know they are around but the big boys are very educated. I see people take one or two every year and hear about many more. Southeast Minnesota is great but it gets a ton of pressure.

[@walking_bear8967]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 wouldn't even have to go that far, but as soon as you dial in on one it seems that he'll go nocturnal. I don't know exactly why but it might be because I am not the only person hunting him.

[@kurtpearson2793]

@@walking_bear8967 You got that right, especially during gun season. Plenty of hunters, still, opportunities exist! Bow season is my cure👍

[@menumlor9365]

Will bucks still bed in oxbows during the winter? If so, how come?

[@matthewchamberlain2397]

Off topic but should you plant brassicas and rye at the same time? Looking to plant mid august

[@jeremypresgrave1488]

For states that is ok for supplemental feeding. What will be good to put out to help the bucks and does recover after the rut

[@kurtpearson2793]

First

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

I think he did!!

[@bowman8316]

@Number 1 Western Fan 👍🏼

[@douglaslockard9241]

Southern ohio and west Virginia ohio river hunting.....what's the blend of seed you would recommend for late July early August food plots

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Amen...got to love it!!

[@micon9460]

You hunting Ohio this yr? Can you drive on those roads or the pedestrian only? The forest rd I hunted (a mile as crow flies) has 2 concrete pillars blocking the road.

[@benbearkiller]

Why not bottom funnels that open up into flats or bottoms that have multiple changes in vegetation?

[@matthewmoore7690]

AEP has gotten tough for gun week with all the Amish putting on drives every year.

[@johncirilli6846]

You mention briars a lot, are they easy to identify? Also do you use urea on the WHS blend and how much on both barasica and WHS?

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Hi John! I only use Urea on the brassicas...75#s around 4 weeks after planting, prior to rain.

[@colecarrig7673]

In regards to the outside in hunting strategy. Would you access along a border where the neighbors have clear cut about 20-30 acres of good hardwoods directly on the other side? Or would you consider this too much of a risk considering on a NW wind it would be blowing directly into the clear cut. Great informative video by the way, and goodluck this season!

[@pamelahall3287]

Set up on the edge of the clear cut, don’t walk it IMO

[@tribalkilly8660]

Have you noticed if big bucks prefer to travel beneath ridges or stay on top. Say a 15 ft ridge along a creek

[@whitetailhabitatandhunting]

Thanks Jeff! I have a problem, the farming neighbors are taking out a major treeline that's about 300 yards long and turning it into field. It's the only way the deer come on my property. Do you think they still will after they take all the trees out for 300yards?

[@kurtpearson2793]

😯 ouch.

[@ec9697]

I see you posted this 3 months ago..no one has answered you yet,so I will Tell you from my personal experience from hunting timber that is heavily logged..deer seem To Continue to use the same Paths they always have even if the trees have been removed..or shift to the nearest edge..good luck this season!

[@mikepoulson384]

So would you consider a "bench" an old logging road going across a steep hill side?

[@oldfatnugly]

yep

[@bowman8316]

Yessir... classic bench ! My favorite is an old log road that splits... one heads up and one down. Good luck🦌👍🏼

[@jordanpostma5059]

Jeff, how do you find out where the clear cuts are ?

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Hi Jordan! In most locations the park ranger's office will have a schedule of past and future cuts. Also, with aerial pics you can get to know what fresh cuts look like compared to old. For example the roads in the fresh cuts are much more evident than in old cuts.

[@ML-ks2lj]

I'm curious how drastic thermals are with 30-60 ft hills.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Fairly dependable!

[@ML-ks2lj]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 what do you mean? They will still pull your scent?

[@ncbackwoods6859]

How can I contact you? I have some questions about my property.

[@greglovelace246]

I'd have to disagree with you there. For most good public hunters, could take and dominant private easier than visa versa. When you can manipulate the structure of your land and basically raise them to how you want, it's a complete difference in public and its easier on private if you have your land set up, it just is, no Brainer on that. I'm sure most knowledgeable hunters will agree.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

There are some drastic differences between the two...this coming from myself with over 30 bucks killed on public land in 3 states with a gun and bow over the past 37 years, and also helping 1500 landowners set up their land in 29 states over 19 seasons. *Private land takes a huge amount more of work...public land more boot time. *On small, private parcel of a few hundred acres or less you can not make hunting mistakes! In fact the more work you put into the land the more your mistakes are magnified. *On private land your hunt can be ruined by a weekend of hunting for up to 3 to 4 weeks andi can't move to a new spot. *When you mess up on public land you just go to plan B...or C, D, E, F, etc...which could be miles away or counties away or states away. *So, so much less stress hunting public land.I don't have to worry about stand rotations, burning out a spot or heck even target bucks...I just go hunt and shoot the buck that comes by I feel happy with. *Public Land you can hunt for a week, burnout the spot and move on...not on private land, in any way. A great public land hunter has a giant set of complexities they have to deal with on private land, they never had to deal with. Food plots, over hunting key features, matching key features, small acreages, and the fact 1 mistake can ruin a season for a specific target buck. You can just move and go find a buck after you spook him...because you are in the neighbors. If you were a successful small parcel hunter you would never say that private land is easier. Frankly that's 100% of the time, jealousy talking 👍 I hunt public land when I want to relax and not worry about managing my hunt so much 😉

[@HuntinHound]

Funny you say misleading blood, last year when I shot my deer he ran about 60 yds through brush and I couldnt find him for like 4 hours because of random blood so crazy

[@micahdunleavy9227]

Lol public land is so much more difficult then managed land period..