What Lands Are Tougher To Hunt/ Public,Private, Or Gun Club Lands?

[blackbeltbill]

    From my prospective without a doubt- Gun Club Lands are the Toughest to Hunt. For both Pheasants + Wild Turkeys-- you have your work cut out for you!

  So-- What Lands Do You Find Is The Toughest To Hunt + Why?

  I posted this Thread up on the NJ Sister Site as well and the old NY Site. You may want to read through the replys .

  More from me later on this. Out to Mow the Lawn.

 

[G-man]

Gun clubs  hunter densities,  then private as you limited  by boundaries.  State land  if your willing to work a d get off the beaten trail can yield great success.  Thousands of acres to roam contiguous some even but  into other statelands at a point.   The state land closest to me  is  over 7k acres  in  3 parcels.  

[Swamp_bucks]

I agree with g man.  Deer numbers will play a big part in this but stateland by far I think can be easier if you want to work for it.  Not to mention pressure is next to none except for opening weekend of gun and even then it’s not horrible. 

[Mike103]

I hunt all three. I have found private to be more fruitful, club property frustrating and public land hit or miss. 

[Robhuntandfish]

How can gun club lands be harder to hunt for Pheasants than public or private?  Most of the pheasant hunting these days is on Gun Club land cause that's where they are stocked, at least around here.  I've seen a pheasant on our property a time or two but it wandered over from the spot they stock them at,  and it just stayed by the owner's house eating below the birdfeeder most of the time lol.   And let me say I am not a pheasant hunter so I have no clue but it would seem like gun clubs are about the only place to hunt them.  

As far as deer go just depends on location. There are big differences in deer populations across the state.  Public hunting might have a lot more deer in Southern and Western NY than private in parts of the Dacks.   To me, I don't pick the easiest place, I pick what I like to do.  Bill you do the same choosing to hunt downstate for turkeys on public land.  Lots of easier choices out there including upstate public options or knocking on doors for permissions.   I could certainly find an easier place to hunt than where I am- the other property I used to deer hunt was much easier.  Tons of AG that the farmers all took care of and I had no real sweat equity there other than maintaining stands and there were lots of deer.  But I really enjoy our spot more and the chess match there and all the work that goes with it.  Just like Buckmaster likes to track in the Dacks - there are a lot of easier options but its what he likes to do.  Which is much easier on State land cause private you are limited by boundaries so much.   

None of it should be labeled easy though, it's all a good challenge (well maybe other than high fence or a game farm etc) but all of it is to be enjoyed as you like and the challenge you want to give yourself.  If it was easy I wouldn't do it.  I think most people hunt where they do for tradition, access, limited options, ability, time, preference etc over ease for the most part.  

Edited September 21, 2023 by Robhuntandfish

[ShootEm]

Never hunted gun club land, but I imagine deer sightings would be really scarce unless maybe you can get in there for bow season.

 

Private and public I think are a toss-up because they each present such different challenges. Coming from only hunting private to now hunting private and public as of 2 years ago, I can say my two biggest challenges I've run into are 1) dodging the pressure, but that's mainly on opening weekend as @Swamp_bucks said and 2) picking the areas that are worth looking at and hunting. The piece I'm on is about 4,000 acres which is absolutely massive and overwhelming when coming from the private piece I hunt that's less than 100 acres, probably closer to 50. As challenging as it is, that's a big part of the fun, figuring things out and keying in on areas. I certainly will never complain of having too much land available to roam around and hunt!

[Mike103]

I’m sorry are we talking about bird hunting??

I answered about deer hunting.

Birds, club property best, public stocked land second and I have not seen a pheasant on private land in years. 
 

Best bird hunting is at a preserve. LOL!!

[ShootEm]

5 minutes ago, Mike103 said:

I’m sorry are we talking about bird hunting??

I answered about deer hunting.

Birds, club property best, public stocked land second and I have not seen a pheasant on private land in years. 
 

Best bird hunting is at a preserve. LOL!!

Same here, my mind naturally just goes to deer lol

[Swamp_bucks]

2 hours ago, ShootEm said:

Same here, my mind naturally just goes to deer lol

Right there with you.  
 

If it’s pheasant hunting it’s gun clubs all day since most do keep the number up by stocking them. For turkey I would say private and public are pretty close to the better hunting. I know some private you can’t find a turkey on and some stateland are loaded and vice versa. 

[blackbeltbill]

5 hours ago, Swamp_bucks said:

I agree with g man.  Deer numbers will play a big part in this but stateland by far I think can be easier if you want to work for it.  Not to mention pressure is next to none except for opening weekend of gun and even then it’s not horrible. 

  Come on down to Orange County where Half of New Jersey Hunters- Hunt. 

   Just being 50 miles from NYC and other urban areas makes it more challenging. 

   If,I get 2 Spring Gobblers on State Lands in Orange County- it is quite the accomplishment.  Especially  from around 2018 on.  

   I embrace the Crowded Challenge  though. I wouldn't  have it any other way- even if most times ,I leave empty handed.

[blackbeltbill]

3 hours ago, Mike103 said:

I’m sorry are we talking about bird hunting??

I answered about deer hunting.

Birds, club property best, public stocked land second and I have not seen a pheasant on private land in years. 
 

Best bird hunting is at a preserve. LOL!!

I agree with Pheasants  on a Preserve being easy.

  Gobblers are another matter. Since everyone using the Hunting preserve are paying alot extra besides the hefty Yearly does- many seek to control certain areas  where they have had the best luck.

  Gobblers on Gun Club Lands are Tougher  then State Lands in my opinion. 

 

 

[blackbeltbill]

3 hours ago, Mike103 said:

I hunt all three. I have found private to be more fruitful, club property frustrating and public land hit or miss. 

  I agree with your last 2 points. Frustrating  Hunts on Gun Club Lands can be common. - I have been in 4 Gun Clubs. I have only hunted True Private Land just 3 times- so,I can't speak on that

 

[blackbeltbill]

5 hours ago, G-man said:

Gun clubs  hunter densities,  then private as you limited  by boundaries.  State land  if your willing to work a d get off the beaten trail can yield great success.  Thousands of acres to roam contiguous some even but  into other statelands at a point.   The state land closest to me  is  over 7k acres  in  3 parcels.  

   Greg,I would think very large chunks  of Private Land- say 1,000 Acres plus would have less Spooked Game from Joggers, Hikers, Mountain  Bikers, and mega Hunters ambling about.

   I am pretty sure if Four Seasons put out a challenge of taking your 2 Gobblers on his 1,000 Controlled Acres in 3 days with May 1st being the first day,I believe, I might be one of the many here who could achieve that .

 On State Land,I walk in as far as possible and keep my old butt in shape for that.

 All good replys here.

 

[blackbeltbill]

4 hours ago, Robhuntandfish said:

How can gun club lands be harder to hunt for Pheasants than public or private?  Most of the pheasant hunting these days is on Gun Club land cause that's where they are stocked, at least around here.  I've seen a pheasant on our property a time or two but it wandered over from the spot they stock them at,  and it just stayed by the owner's house eating below the birdfeeder most of the time lol.   And let me say I am not a pheasant hunter so I have no clue but it would seem like gun clubs are about the only place to hunt them.  

As far as deer go just depends on location. There are big differences in deer populations across the state.  Public hunting might have a lot more deer in Southern and Western NY than private in parts of the Dacks.   To me, I don't pick the easiest place, I pick what I like to do.  Bill you do the same choosing to hunt downstate for turkeys on public land.  Lots of easier choices out there including upstate public options or knocking on doors for permissions.   I could certainly find an easier place to hunt than where I am- the other property I used to deer hunt was much easier.  Tons of AG that the farmers all took care of and I had no real sweat equity there other than maintaining stands and there were lots of deer.  But I really enjoy our spot more and the chess match there and all the work that goes with it.  Just like Buckmaster likes to track in the Dacks - there are a lot of easier options but its what he likes to do.  Which is much easier on State land cause private you are limited by boundaries so much.   

None of it should be labeled easy though, it's all a good challenge (well maybe other than high fence or a game farm etc) but all of it is to be enjoyed as you like and the challenge you want to give yourself.  If it was easy I wouldn't do it.  I think most people hunt where they do for tradition, access, limited options, ability, time, preference etc over ease for the most part.  

 No knocking on doors for me Thank You.

  It would stand to reason that very small parcels of Private would be much Tougher to hunt rather then someone who owns 1,000+ Acres.

 Good replys here.

 

[G-man]

1 hour ago, blackbeltbill said:

   Greg,I would think very large chunks  of Private Land- say 1,000 Acres plus would have less Spooked Game from Joggers, Hikers, Mountain  Bikers, and mega Hunters ambling about.

   I am pretty sure if Four Seasons put out a challenge of taking your 2 Gobblers on his 1,000 Controlled Acres in 3 days with May 1st being the first day,I believe, I might be one of the many here who could achieve that .

 On State Land,I walk in as far as possible and keep my old butt in shape for that.

 All good replys here.

 

No one i know could afford to own that much, open farm land  maybe.  But state land here has  no one  on it 99% of the year..  no bike , no trails to hike, just roads that cut thru..  your multiple use areas are completely different than state land  here  .. just drove thru 4k acres  not another car anywhere.