# First time hunting private land



## bigdamram (Apr 15, 2009)

I've lost 2 of 3 of my hunting properties over the last year. One due to a home sale, the other due to a buddy made a big mistake and found himself under house arrest and probation. Still have permission to hunt there but there's a family feud going on over property lines and who can hunt where. Big mess I don't want to be in the middle of. My last property is a clearing under some powerlines on the back of a five acre lot. I do heating and air for a living and meet alot of people with land, asking for permission to hunt is kinda like asking the hot chick out in high school. I hate asking the question, and only do once I build up a relationship with the customer. All but 1 I've asked, either hunt themselves, have someone hunting already, or don't let anyone hunt, which are all fine and understandable. The one that answered "sure", sold her property this spring and the new owners don't let people hunt. 

I'm fine with hunting what I've got, it is what it is, but it's not hunting to me. I've never hunted public land, since I've always had a place to go. Blind or stand was already set, all I had to do was get myself back there and either a truck or a quad were available to haul the kill out. I've also never hunted public land due to other people, mostly don't want to find that one jerk who thinks the land is his. 

I'm planning on trying it out this Saturday, I have not scouted, but I have been through the woods before and know what to expect at Ceasers Creek. Deer hunting to me is mostly right place right time anyhow. For as accurate as google maps measuring tool is, the area I want to be in is about 1 mile in, I know most will only walk within 20 minutes of parking and I don't want to be in a crowd, I may not even make it that far in. I'm in OK shape, but you won't see me completing any marathons. My brain will constantly tell me about how much it'll suck to drag a deer back.

I'm looking for some advice from people who have hunted public land. My biggest concern is getting the kill out of the woods. I know there are deer carts, and there's a couple reasons I'm not gonna buy one. My wife is due in 2-4 weeks with my daughter coming, having a few health problems along the way, she was forced to stop working and our budget is tighter than bark on a tree, so buying one is not gonna happen. The other is I don't see dragging the cart along the way, finding a way to hide it, or leaving it in the truck, walking all the way back to the truck to get it. I'm down to dragging or carrying. If she's small it's no big deal. But dragging 150lb of dead weight sucks! My plan right now, since I'll be carrying a pack, bow, and a climbing stand, is to basically tie rope to my safety harness at the shoulders, to head or rear legs, and trudge out. Not going to be easy, but if anyone has a tip to help ease the work on that, I'd appreciate it. I know I could quarter it out, but that would mean buying a bigger pack since this one is big enough to hold my cold gear and some water bottles. 

Just looking for some more experienced tips, not places (unless you're offering private land around northern warren county lol ), or how to hunt. Been pretty spoiled with the private land I've had the last 10 years!


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## pintail13 (Jul 1, 2012)

Been down that road brother!! Hunting public ground is tricky at best. You'll have guys that think they own it,shooting in your direction,and guys that will walk right up on you. I had all of these happen to me. You are right in going in farther. Most guys won't go very far from the road for fear of getting lost. After losing several farms to sales and owners passing my wife and I bought our own place. I'm fortunate to not have to worry about a place to hunt anymore. Keep looking for more private property. It's hard to find but doable. Just an FYI I don't believe its legal to quarter a deer in Ohio. Good luck and be safe out there!


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## bigdamram (Apr 15, 2009)

You're right, I should re-read the book with the mindset for public land. I was just thinking for ease of transporting. Owning my own land down in southern Oh is a dream of mine and is right on the edge of attainable. If we didn't have 2 car payments, I'd be coming home from one right now. Plus we just bought a bigger house for the growing family. Wish land around here was as cheap to own as it is down south.


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## UNCLEMIKE (Jul 23, 2014)

Not always how far you go. If there is parking and a trail you will find others hunters. Most public is cut thru with roads so that it is impossible to get a mile in without coming out the other side. I would say avoid parking lots. Find a likely area and pull off the road. Find your own way in. Avoid the easy access. One of my favorite spots is straight up a steep hill right out of the truck. Rarely see others on that top. Down hill drag is the key on public. Do not park on top and go down in deep unless you are prepared to spend hours getting a deer out.


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

You can now quarter your deer in the woods after you call it in. Get yourself a pack frame from the camping section of most sporting goods stores, call your kill in after you tag it, then quarter it up and pack it out on the frame. It's much easier than dragging once you learn how to properly quarter one out in the field. 

There is no easy way though really. Maybe give yourself plenty of time by only hunting mornings on a day with a free schedule (if something like that exists with an 8 month pregnant wife haha) and take it slow getting the deer out. Evening hunts would almost certainly result in a late night hike.


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

And I wish land up there was as cheap as land here too. Too many guys buying little 10 acre spots and thinking they own 100 down here recently. Lol


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## iceberg (Dec 27, 2004)

buy a deer cart or make your own mine has saved many hours and backs getting deer outa the big woods


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## bigdamram (Apr 15, 2009)

Yeah I noticed that while dreaming/shopping, lots of 20-40 acres down around peebles. 
I know that nothing about getting the deer out is going to be fast, downhill would be great help, but wondering if anyone carried a tarp or something along those lines to slide the deer on, hell I don't know, lol. Ceasers is a valley with mostly higher ground around it except on the north end. At that point, there's always trucks there, and the property between the lake and the road boundary is pretty narrow. 

On google maps, I know through work that the distance measuring tool isn't exactly accurate, so b/c it says a mile, doesn't necessarily mean a mile. But I was able to triangulate about a mile from the closest parking areas. A topography map shows it's not a huge difference in elevation from where I plan to park, to the spot I want to hunt, so hopefully I won't have to drag up a mountain. If anything, this has been fun researching the ground and finding maps and what not, plus I enjoy just being in the woods. If my lack of conditioning holds me from going as far as I want, maybe I'll finally convince myself to get into a shape other than round!


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

Cheap plastic roll up sled works good in the woods to drag em out. Drill some holes on the sides for a rope and cinch it down. Slides pretty easily.


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## Pooch (Jun 16, 2014)

Spend the extra minutes if you have to and take gear stand and bow back to your truck. Shed a layer if you must. Grab a water and go back for your deer. Nice slow drag out, doesn't have to be a race. Use your harness that you wear in your stand and attach your drag. And as mentioned above a sled will help out. 

BTW Beaver, didn't realize you can now quarter and pack out on public ground. We always wondered why we couldn't years ago. We had some seriously long hauls.


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

Years ago you couldn't because we had to physically tag the deer in at a check station intact. Now we can tag a deer over the phone, and there are few places left that a cell phone can't get service. Once you call it in, it's yours to do as you wish. Just make sure you have a pen handy to write your permanent tag number down.


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## bigdamram (Apr 15, 2009)

beaver said:


> Years ago you couldn't because we had to physically tag the deer in at a check station intact. Now we can tag a deer over the phone, and there are few places left that a cell phone can't get service. Once you call it in, it's yours to do as you wish. Just make sure you have a pen handy to write your permanent tag number down.


I was kinda thinking the same thing, once it's tagged, it gets butchered anyhow, why couldn't it start in the field? 

On another note, as bad as I want to take this hike, I'm going to have to hold off for a few weeks. My wife's doctor told her she's 2cm dilated and 80% afface as of yesterday morning, so this baby is coming any time in the next couple weeks. Not gonna be able to be too far from home incase my daughter decides it's time.


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## FAB (May 26, 2013)

I've always hunted public land used to own a farm but still went to the Allegheny NF to hunt. Been at it a long time and many deer drug until there was no hair left on one side of the hide. The secrete to dragging a deer miles in a big woods is you only drag it 50 ft at a time. I pick a spot about 40 to 50 feet ahead and that's where I drag the deer to. I stop there for what ever time it takes to catch my breath and then I look ahead another 40 or 50 and do it all over again. Keep doing this and not worrying about how far you have to go and before you know it you will have done what you thought you couldn't when you started on that first 50 ft. drag.

And by the way bobk's suggestion of the plastic slide is one you want to take very seriously. They work. I have a nice deer cart but in the mountains , they are a real PIA simply because they have no brake and you have to constantly hold the weight on the hill. Not so with the slide.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

sleds work great and a cart works even better. ive always hunted public land and i like going deep. the trick you ask for is.... you have to make 2 trips, plain and simple. if you dont take your cart in the day before the hunt (always use a cable and heavy lock to secure it to a tree) after the kill, carry all your gear back to your vehicle and hide it under a blanket if its an SUV or lock it in the trunk. then get the cart and go back and get the deer. i always make 2 trips even when id drag a deer out.


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