Black Kettle is not one large section of land, there are full sections that are public land and there are partial sections so you really have to watch and know where you are at so you don't cross the wrong fence. some of the private fence lines were not clearly marked except for the side that was on the road. you also can not drive any kind of vehicle onto the properties so you would have to have either a deer cart or be prepared to drag your deer out of the woods. i had to drag mine out from the half section line about 30 yards past the fence on the other side of the half line, half a mile, and i was worn out to say the least. i did not have a cart, so four of us took turns dragging. 160 pounds feels like 560 pounds after you drag it very long. they sale maps at the convenience stores around the area that tell you exactly what sections of land are public and private, a map would be an absolute necessity if you were gonna hunt there. we did not camp but there is public camp grounds there. if you want to hunt during rifle there and you want a hotel you have to get a reservation a few months in advance the way i understand it. the group i was with got reservations for this year after the last day they were there last year. you could definitely bow hunt from the ground in several locations and there are plenty of little ridges and draws to look over that you could bow hunt from too. i was in roger mills county, we stayed at a hotel in Cheyenne, just north of Elk City. there are areas that you can see for miles and miles and there are places you can not see more than 50 yards. if you did some preseason scouting i would say that you could definitely be successful hunting with a bow. some of the terrain is pretty easy to walk, other parts are very very very difficult to get through, but those are the places with the most deer. also if you can find a piece of public land to hunt in the morning and evening that borders a wheat field, and there are plenty of those places up there, then you can catch the deer coming to and leaving from feeding areas. that is where we stayed for the most part. the only thing that i did not like about that place is there were hunters EVERYWHERE, i walked by at least 15 people in the woods by accident. and i got walked up on myself a few times. i am not used to that because i hunt private 99.99999% of the time and have for the last 6-7 years. opening morning we were driving down a road and looked off to the valley of woods that was below us and i counted 15 different flash lights walking through the woods in a section that may have been 60 acres of trees. so if you dont mind a lot of people around with high powered rifles, it is a great place to hunt. i probably wont go back just because i am not comfortable in that environment.
well there are plenty of turkeys around there. we heard them every mornin and evening. we never did see any though.We camp there quite a bit for turkey seasons!
Great 8 point! I love it when a plan come togather!
Great 8 point! I love it when a plan come togather!
thanks, like i said i really couldnt tell that he was as big as he is until i got him home. i knew he was a nice buck and all, but i was just unsure how big he really was with nothing to compare him to. you should have seen me after i shot him. you would have thought it was my first buck. i gave a huge "wooooo" when i saw him fall. i was pumped, still am.
1bag5, thanks for your lengthy response. I know what you mean about hunting amongst the orange army!. That is why I was considering an early bow hunt. I will definetly try to pre-scout if we decide to go and get a convenience store map. Good advice. Would probably camp out early in the season. Will they let you camp at that lake in the background of your gutting spot?
