NC Game lands - how to hunt?

slingshot

Button Buck
New to the forum. I'm 52 and grew up hunting in Cumberland county and out near Blount's Creek, NC on private land. Sounds spoiled, but believe me, it was far from actually being spoiled. Never had formal training.

I have four sons, two of whom love to fish and are beginning to ask about hunting. I did the responsible thing and took them to a Hunter Safety course, I even learned a few things. So, I took them out to Jordan Game Lands this past Saturday to look for the occasional squirrel. (Too cold/late in the season for the squirrel I think) I didn't see any other hunters (nor squirrel) until later that day.

So this coming deer season, how do you hunt the public game lands? I can only imagine areas like Lake Jordan are filled with hunters. You can scout the land ahead of time, but there's no guarantee you'll be able to put a stand up where you've been scouting. Chances are if you find that perfect hill and that perfect tree, 50 other hunters have already seen it too, or have hunted there for 30 years.

Go early and go deep in the woods?
Stay all day to prevent scaring off any deer for a fellow hunter?
Seems like if you did find that one perfect shot, you'd scare deer within a 200 yard radius.

I've searched. So how do you hunt in public lands and have a positive experience for budding hunters? Small game seems pretty easy, but how about deer?
 

Clark

Ten Pointer
Games lands can be tough. You often need to go earlier and farther than anyone else is willing to go. If you walk more than a mile in, you can often get past most other guys. Go early to get there first. Wear lots of orange and always have a headlamp when the light is dim. At Jordan, a boat may help you get away from the crowd a little.
With kids, it needs to be more about their experience and less about the hunting. Get there late, limit the hike. Maybe go only in the afternoon. Make sure they are warm and safe. Bring snacks/food. Kids like action, and deer hunting takes a lot of patience. Maybe download a movie on the phone. Consider a ground blind. Leave when they get too bored, even if it is only an hour in. Be courteous, but reality is we will interfere with other hunters so staying all day or not shooting may be impractical. Let them shoot at that squirrel if they want to.
 

np307

Ten Pointer
Never hunted Jordan, so my experience isnt necessarily consistent there. However, I haven't found the game lands to be so crowded that I cant hunt them. I do a few things to better my experience.

1) I hunt bow and black powder seasons. There's a noticeable change in hunter numbers once rifle starts.

2) I hunt during the week instead of weekends. This is difficult to do with a normal work schedule, but I can make it work so I take full advantage of that.

3) I hunt mobile. I haven't hunted from a stand on public land in 2 years and have had no problems killing deer these last 2 years. Mobility allows me to go back further than I could otherwise, though I'm not always going a long ways back.

4) I hunt in a spot for a reason. I don't sit and hope. If I sit somewhere, I've got a set of reasons to expect possible deer movement.

5) I hunt overlooked or neglected spots. This might mean overlooked spots by the road or it may mean going back where others wont.

6) I continually add to my knowledge of deer spots. My ability to find deer gets better and better each year because my number of spots where deer hang out goes up. This means that the scouting I do is entirely focused on one or two new spots for the upcoming year.

Hopefully those help you out. I started hunting public land because I had nowhere else to hunt. Now it's my favorite way to hunt because of the challenge and reward of killing and packing out deer where so many people think it cant be done.
 

slingshot

Button Buck
NP307. You don't hunt from a stand? You just cop a squat under a tree and wait?

Thanks guys. The boys and I'll be doing a lot of walking this summer. You've all given me more confidence in checking out these game lands in the fall. Looking forward to it.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: jug

josh

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I hunt less and less from a tree stand every year, I too like the mobility, the safety and just all around less of a hassle by hunting from the ground.

Public land can be tough or very rewarding, it’s hard to predict the pressure, I’d scout and have several spots in mind, don’t get discouraged with seeing other people

Good luck
 

np307

Ten Pointer
NP307. You don't hunt from a stand? You just cop a squat under a tree and wait?

Thanks guys. The boys and I'll be doing a lot of walking this summer. You've all given me more confidence in checking out these game lands in the fall. Looking forward to it.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
Correct. Now I'll admit there are some good spots I cant hunt because of how the layout works. You also can't use a center fire rifle from the ground in some counties, so you have to be mindful of that too. I just mention it to show that you dont have to tote a stand into the woods. I pick spots where the terrain is to my advantage. During bow season I do bring a piece of burlap or camo netting to set up a quick blind so that my draw is more concealed. Otherwise, I just sit down like I'm turkey hunting.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Small game seems pretty easy, but how about deer?

why ya gotta be sneaky!!

tenor.gif
 
Last edited:

nchawkeye

Old Mossy Horns
Perhaps the most important scouting is driving around during the week and seeing which game lands have the least amount of pressure during the week..

I don't carry a climber in either, I carry in a low beach chair and stash it in the woods for later hunts...I also carry a racket pulley so I can pull a deer up a tree and debone and pack out...As far as going deeper, sometimes you find good sign nearer the road, let the others go past you, those deer are used to avoiding people walking around on their land... :)

I've hunted the Uwharries since 1983, weekdays are best, especially in December...Most hunters have had enough by then...
 

Ceehawk37

Ten Pointer
GIS websites are your friend for finding out of the way/overlooked spots. A lot of these game lands are not one big contiguous tract so finding isolated pieces can pay off. My largest NC buck came from a piece of game land that was about 300 yards long and 800 yards wide. Just so happened my primary spot got taken and I walked in blind as a back up plan. Just because the public ground is skinny doesn’t mean there aren’t deer there.

Also since you are just getting into hunting public ground, best advice I ever got was from an older guy back in AL. He said it takes at least 2 seasons to really figure out any tract of land and find productive spots. Go in with the attitude that your first season is going to be a learning experience. Be persistent and patient and most importantly have fun!
 

ABBD

Ten Pointer
Contributor
Agree with most of what @np307 said... great advice there. Also, if you don’t have it already.... Get (onX hunt). It’s the most valuable modern day tool I can think of. Especially for public land hunters. Good luck.
 

Homebrewale

Old Mossy Horns
You've received a lot of good advice so far. If you have not done it yet, download the KMZ file for game land boundaries for Google Earth. You'll find it on WRC's website.
https://www.ncwildlife.org/Hunting/Where-To-Hunt-Shoot/Public-Places

I agree with the person who said look for some of the smaller tracts. It seems hunters think they need to hunt the large tracts so the smaller ones are left alone.

If you are willing to sacrifice the morning on the first day of rifle, drive all the main roads around the game lands and see where many of the hunters are parking. That will give a good idea where the hunting pressure is and where you would likely encounter other hunters. I've done this in the past. I'll go back on a Saturday morning several weeks into the season and repeat the process. You will find that quite a few hunters hunt the opener and then hunt infrequently after that.
 
Last edited:

slingshot

Button Buck
Thank you so much for making my first question here a great experience.

I've gotten good with Gaia and creating a map with several layers (hunting overlay with Topo and Satellite). My son downloaded OnX and I'll have to give it a look since I've heard a lot about it. I've been to the NC Wildlife site, but never noticed the KMZ file. I like to have a main goto and a back up since they rarely agree.

I've researched the harvest reports, but that's only by Game Land and doesn't say where. I didn't think about driving around and looking at the hunting pressure.

There's a whole host of issues I will be addressing with the boys. The new hunters are 13 and 15. My goal isn't necessarily my limit or a big buck for the wall, but to pass hunting on and the time with them. Plus, if you do get a squirrel or a buck, it doesn't just magically appear in the freezer. I can't wait to teach them how to clean and eat.
 

buckman4c

Spike
slingshot,
Good for you and the boys!! Always like hearing about youngsters or even adults getting in to hunting.

Keep them involved, let them make decisions, teach, learn and most of all have fun!!

I've public land hunted for deer most of my life and although challenging its exceptionally rewarding for me. It doesn't matter if its in a place I know well or one I've never stepped foot. Public land hunting builds character in a hunter. Of course I'm partial to that opinion.

Previous posts are full of good approaches to public land deer hunting. Find what works for you, the kids and enjoy.

And, don't be afraid to ask questions. (like you did here)
Specifically, of the land manager, local game warden and area biologist can be extremely helpful and don't discount talking to other hunters on the property. Sometimes you run into guys like me, if approached the right way, who are willing to tell of at least (1) one of their productive areas. I'm especially partial to helping out any new hunter or parent with kids like yourself. Good public land hunters have multiple good areas to hunt and other places they keep to themselves. Use what you learn from any of these sources as a starting point and learn more on your own. That's the reward in public land hunting. Learning and finding your own success.
 

timekiller13

Old Mossy Horns
It's not as difficult as it sounds. Deer are deer. They do deer things. They need food, water, shelter/security all year and sex for a short period of the year. Find out where they are bedding. Deer will not bed in area that is heavily pressured. If you find a spot that is nice and open and looks good and has deer sign, so have probably 50 other people. The deer may be using that area, but probably at night. If you find a spot that's thick, nasty, has limited visibility and hard to access with deer sign, chances are thats a good spot. Most hunters want easy access and want to be able to see a long ways. Most of my spots I hunt on game lands, I can't see more than 50 yds, save for a few big open hard woods areas that are DEEP in the woods.

Hunt during the week if at all possible. My schedule allows me to hunt a lot during the middle of the week. Woods are usually devoid of hunters. Don't discount quick afternoon hunts, or midday hunts. Also, don't be afraid to walk in deep, but don't just think that by walking 1 mile in, that magically gets you away from other people and covered in deer. Some of the best spots may be only a couple hundred yards from the truck. And sometimes, they may be 2 miles in. Just depends on the area. Hunt where the deer are, not where you want them to be.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
but don't just think that by walking 1 mile in, that magically gets you away from other people and covered in deer. Some of the best spots may be only a couple hundred yards from the truck.


exactly,,,,that advice to "go deep" has been around for 40+ years,,,,ain't a book, article, or website that don't push it,,,,so then you have 50-11 people "in deep" and all the deer around the parking lot,,,

find the deer,,,then hunt them,,,wherever they are
 

Mack in N.C.

Old Mossy Horns
exactly,,,,that advice to "go deep" has been around for 40+ years,,,,ain't a book, article, or website that don't push it,,,,so then you have 50-11 people "in deep" and all the deer around the parking lot,,,

find the deer,,,then hunt them,,,wherever they are
This...one spot I hunt at Jordan the deer will be right almost on the road. these deer get overlooked.
 
Top