How Much Public Land is Too Little?

[Wisco]

My philosophy when hunting public land has always find the thickest, nastiest, hardest to get to places and set up there because nobody else wants to and the animals find sanctuary in that. And when I started listening the Randy's podcast, he said he always looks for the units with less public land because access can become tougher and people shy away from that. So I'm trying to apply that thought process to my Insider scouting.

My question for you guys is, how much public land (as a % of the unit) is too little? To say it a different way, what's the sweet spot where it's enough there's still plenty of places to hunt, but small enough that you won't be running into everybody and their mothers. Sorry if this question is getting a little nosy into people's secret strategies but thanks for any advice you'd like to give!

 

[elkduds]

Depends on how many hunters are on the public portion, ease of access, quality of habitat, pressure on private lands adjacent to public lands, elevation, vegetation, season of hunt, other variables. An example: GMU 13, CO. Very little BLM scattered among private. 2 blocks of huntable state trust land. The hunting consists of waiting your turn w other public land hunters, for elk to cross onto the public. The later the season the better the hunting.

 

[Duck-Slayer]

I'm of the opinion the less road's and trails the better, but it's the same philosophy you are using, i'm just finding place's with minimal water so I don't have too compete with horse people and outfitters.....
Matt

 

[Irrelevant]

I would look less at overall % and more at the layout of the public land. Long stringers of public = bueno; square blocks along roads = no bueno

 

[bobbydean]

I hunted Barbary in one section of public land. Saw one group of hunters. Lot of space in one section. Saw many, many hunters on the adjacent land that was private and outfitted. Was outfitted very well; a lot of big rams came off that land. A section in plenty; less may not give the opportunity.

We had only one access point off a county road.

 

[hank4elk]

Some of my favorite local spots are little chunks in the checkerboard. Access can be tough but is doable.
You only have to be there when they show out of nowhere from one of the surrounding ranches.lol

 

[waygoner]

I hunted deer in a new unit this year. We found that most of them had already moved onto private by 3rd season. We spotted ~150 deer on a private ranch next to a major highway. The map showed BLM bordered the ranch on the south with a short section running next to the highway. I ended up shooting a nice 4x4 about a 1/4 mile off the road on this little piece of BLM. I could hear and see the traffic from where I shot. Didn't see another hunter or even any boot tracks.

 

[specneeds]

I got a bull and buck the same day as n a little postage stamp piece of BLM in unit 13 several years ago as a newbie to elk hunting. Never saw another hunter there but the access was sketchy and neighboring ranches unfriendly it would be easier with gps maps but was dodgy using paper maps for public boundaries.

 

[Flatland Crusoe]

I would look less at overall % and more at the layout of the public land. Long stringers of public = bueno; square blocks along roads = no bueno

I'm very much of this school of thought. Big blocks especially with roads are obvious and see lots of pressure. Ideally I want something that necks down really tight and then opens up again. Also the edges of private land produce a lot of game because of the sanctuary effect.