How to deal with Public Land success

[JHannah92]

I've hunted public my whole life and still do. I also am in a club with a good group of guys. The lease price keeps going up but I justify it because of my 7 year old son. He's hunting with me a lot more and trying for his first deer. It's difficult on my private spots but it would be more so on public. If you've got kids that hunt, or plan to, it's real tough on public land.

 

[JHannah92]

Also I love the whole club experience. Camping, hanging stands, planting food plots, I'm out there all year doing something. If you get in a club with good folks it's a great experience.

 

[flip24]

I personally started off hunting public land 29yrs ago and have killed quite a few doe’s and a few decent bucks but there’s nothing like having 365 day access to do pretty much as you please. You can camp,explore the woods and hunt and only have to worry about the others in the lease. IMO I wouldn’t have to explain why I wanted to get in a lease unless y’all go to get your hair,nails and feet done together. The thing I’m really curious about is the catch part. How exactly did you catch two deer on public land?

Kinda of like making a Touchdown in a baseball game, I guess....lol

 

[basshappy]

How to justify spending money? Consider picking up extra job to raise funds specifically to pay for a lease? Speak with your spouse and ask her if an extra income gig would be the acceptable route to pay for a lease. That way the bottom line is not affected. Maybe that is a viable solution.

We see deer on public land as much as we do on private land. Private land affords the opportunity for management (feed, stands, etc.) that public land does not. As well as limiting the number of allowed hunters on that private land. Pay to play so to speak. But public land also affords the opportunity for meat in the freezer, perhaps with slightly more grunt work.

Grunt work being scouting, studying, and hoofing it by foot. The private land gives opportunity to set feeders and plots next to stands and short walks or easy drives. The public land gives opportunity to learn the land, the animals, and really improve your skills as a hunter.

Perhaps another way to secure buy in from your spouse for private paid hunting is to tell her how many more hours you will be gone studying and scouting in preparation for public land hunting versus a club lease. If she doesn't want you gone 'X' times more for public maybe she'll accept the private cost.

 

[flip24]

I've hunted public my whole life and still do. I also am in a club with a good group of guys. The lease price keeps going up but I justify it because of my 7 year old son. He's hunting with me a lot more and trying for his first deer. It's difficult on my private spots but it would be more so on public. If you've got kids that hunt, or plan to, it's real tough on public land.

Those days are long gone ... I'm 48 kids are gone ... We were fortunate to have 255K acres of public to hunt not far from us (army base) ... such a large area you could always get away from folk ... I used to carry my son with me all the time, sure miss those days! There were little to no limitations on where you could drive a truck and that sure has kept things easy on an old guys the last 10 years ... these WMAs with all of the foot traffic only trails are wearing on my last good knee... lol

 

[earlthegoat2]

Some folks say this question is irrelevant but when you are looking for advice on how to justify it, it needs to be asked.

Why do you want to join a club as opposed to public land hunting?

Name all the reasons.

Some folks may judge you on the answers but who cares what they think.

I wanted a certain something that only owning my own property would bring me so that is the route I took. A club can bring the same solutions over public.

 

[Dutch]

I grew hunting public land only, did the club thing for about 18 years and after the last club I was in was sold out from under us at the last minute I said never again.

So I bought my own land to hunt and continue to hunt public land at times. In the process of buying more land to add to what I have.

I would rather own then pay a lease. If owning is not a option then public land can be productive if you put the time and effort into it.

I have killed 6 deer the last 2 seasons, 3 came off public land.

 

[Waddams]

Coming back to the private club side - the one I'm in has a good bunch of guys. I like being in camp with them. Good people around makes the club membership cost added value. Mine in particular - 1200 acres, 20 members. Usually only 4-5 people out hunting at any one point in time. Some have only shown up once or twice all season. I think there's only 7 or 8 of us that are out there regularly. So dense membership but real world hunting pressure isn't that bad.

If it was 20 guys plus extra wives and kids in the woods constantly, then especially if there was member drama and conflict added on, I'd not be renewing.

I have a long term dream to own my own land, put a getaway tiny house style cabin on it, and be able to hunt it. Preferably located some place close to more public land that's open for hunting more often than not. Add a decent little town and lake nearby and I'd likely never come back to my regular house in Lawrenceville!

 

[WOODIE13]

Save on gas and more "us" time

 

[Browning Slayer]

The day my wife tells me I can't join a hunting club is the day she can pack her bags and that'll be more money to spend on hunting.

 

[Mexican Squealer]

I would never be able to relax gun (deer) hunting on public land…turkey hunting is a different story

 

[WOODIE13]

The day my wife tells me I can't join a hunting club is the day she can pack her bags and that'll be more money to spend on hunting.

Not when they take half

 

[Andy12]

Don’t ask, just do it. She will get over it or under it one of the two.

 

[across the river]

I’m sure there is something that the two of you have spent money on that was entirely for her that you wouldn’t have had you been a single man. A new car, as bigger house, an expensive pocketbook, clothes, shoes, etc….. In her mind she doesn’t see why you need to spend money on a club when you can kill deer on public because she doesn’t hunt, just like you don’t see why see needs a new car, or a bigger house, or a Louis Vuitton pocketbook when the ones she had prior in all cases “worked fine”. Same deal. She gets stuff she wants, you get stuff you want. That is part of the compromise of marriage. Just because the stuff you want isn’t the same as what she wants doesn’t mean you should not get the opportunity to get things you want as well. If the money was needed to feed the kids or something, I get it. But her not “understanding” why you would want to spend money on something isn’t an excuse when you don’t “understand” why she buys 99% of the junk she spends money on either.

 

[Jim Boyd]

Tough question.

You are always gonna get the lease haters. I can almost tell you who they are gonna be.

Public is fine if it meets your needs. You can decide.

Crowded and cheap leases are fine if they meet your needs.

Higher cost leases are fine if they meet your needs. You can decide.



Very little most folks can do to help you with this one. IMHO.

 

[flip24]

I’m sure there is something that the two of you have spent money on that was entirely for her that you wouldn’t have had you been a single man. A new car, as bigger house, an expensive pocketbook, clothes, shoes, etc….. In her mind she doesn’t see why you need to spend money on a club when you can kill deer on public because she doesn’t hunt, just like you don’t see why see needs a new car, or a bigger house, or a Louis Vuitton pocketbook when the ones she had prior in all cases “worked fine”. Same deal. She gets stuff she wants, you get stuff you want. That is part of the compromise of marriage. Just because the stuff you want isn’t the same as what she wants doesn’t mean you should not get the opportunity to get things you want as well. If the money was needed to feed the kids or something, I get it. But her not “understanding” why you would want to spend money on something isn’t an excuse when you don’t “understand” why she buys 99% of the junk she spends money on either.

We are frugal folks and she is a Tshirt and jeans kinda gal, Thank God ... The only thing we have bought that has been compromised on is a new cab tractor that I wanted because it's to hot to run a bush hog in August... Our cars are old, I keep them running. I still hunt with an old Ruger I bought 25+ years ago... lol ... she is a good ole Gal

 

[WOODIE13]

We are frugal folks and she is a Tshirt and jeans kinda gal, Thank God ... The only thing we have bought that has been compromised on is a new cab tractor that I wanted because it's to hot to run a bush hog in August... Our cars are old, I keep them running. I still hunt with an old Ruger I bought 25+ years ago... lol ... she is a good ole Gal

Get her into hunting

 

[tr21]

Get her into hunting

this is your best option !

 

[gma1320]

I'm gonna give you some very sound advice. Don't do anything that the two of you are not genuinely agreeing on. Some of the advice you are getting here will cause a lot of animosity and resentment in your marriage. I know from experience. I had the same mentality of some others at one time. I am going to do whatni am going to do. Its my time and money and i deserve it. That is not the way a marriage works.I managed not to end up divorced, but it has taken a while to he forgiven of my selfish behavior.

 

[Browning Slayer]

Not when they take half

Beats having to wear the panties in the relationship..