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Old July 20, 2012, 10:04 PM   #3
jmr40
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 15, 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 10,792
I cannot stand to sit on a postage stamp parcel of land in a stand. Most of my hunting is on public land here in Georgia. If I cannot get at least a mile from the road I'm not interested. I prefer to set up a camp on some of the National Forests or larger Wildlife Management areas and still hunt from camp each day. If I find a good spot I sit, if not I keep moving. I have been known to just spend the night in the woods rather than have to walk back to camp and return to the same spot the next day, but I'm not as young as I used to be. Haven't done that in years.

I could kill more game by sitting in a tree. But wouldn't enjoy it nearly as much. My best trophy was a 260 lb bear taken this way. It was 3 miles from the road and I put in 15 miles up and down mountains getting it out that day, and into the next. It was after midnight before I got back to camp.

On some of the smaller areas with lots of hunters to keep the deer moving I do sit more and walk a less. But on the larger public areas with few hunters there is nothing to move the deer and no way to pattern them.

I've never paid anyone to hunt on their land. I do have some friends that own 20 or so acres with tree stands. If it is getting late in our 4+ month long deer season and I haven't taken anything I may break down and sit in a tree and shoot a doe or small buck for the meat. I don't really consider it hunting, more like grocery shopping. I retired 2 years ago and FINALLY was able to be off in the Fall long enough to hunt Colorado. Once again it was unguided on public land. Going back in October and will to try to go about every other year as long as my health and legs hold out.

I guess we are lucky to have lots of good public land to hunt on here. There are even several beaver ponds deep in some of these places where I've done quite well duck hunting. But you have to be willing to walk several miles to get to them.
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