Do any of you hunt deer on WMA areas?

[teumessian_fox]

If so, which season? Archery, BP, gun?

What's your routine? A lot of guys want to stay close to their vehicle. Some places I've hunted (in other states) looked like a parking lot opening day.

I'm in the Tulsa area so I'm thinking about Fort Gibson or such areas.

 

[bigcountryok]

I bow hunt public land on occation. i trvel light and get away from everyone. I once read about public land theat if you didnt crawl wade or use a boat to get there you didnt get far enought away from preasure.

 

[ez bake]

I bow hunt public land on occation. i trvel light and get away from everyone. I once read about public land theat if you didnt crawl wade or use a boat to get there you didnt get far enought away from preasure.

This.

I've got 3 spots on public land that I hunt (only rifle) and all three spots require lots of hiking to get where there aren't any idiots. I enjoy the hiking, but the one time I killed a deer in that area, I had to drag it for a while (which I did not enjoy since those same WMA requirements don't allow the use of my Jeep to help unless it's from the nearest road only which is quite a ways off ). Plus, I damn sure wouldn't just carcass-tag a deer by the road and go get something to pull it out with because there'd be nothing left when I went to retrieve it.

These spots are why I hunt with an AR - its super-light and carries easily out of the way. I also carry a pack with me (snacks, gutting kit, toilet paper, deer-hauling harness, carcass tags, water, stash of extra gloves, a liner for my jacket, knife-sharpener, extra AR mags, gps (to mark new spots I find that are out of the way and I plug them into Google Earth later because the WMA's maps suck), compass, head-light and extra flash light). I carry a lot of stuff, but I stay out for a long time in there because I see deer at all sorts of odd times when the Idiots show up at 7:45 AM, make a bunch of noise, and then leave at 9:30 because they're bored - that makes my 4:30 AM start so I can hike 45 mins and get to my spot a little worthless if I don't wait it out for the late-morning / afternoon deer to come around.

There's plenty of good spots on most WMA land that aren't used, but the seasoned guys that hunt those areas might already be there when you get there - so use caution and scout around ahead of time and look for signs that someone else is hunting that area and avoid it if necessary.

 

[Weatherby]

There's plenty of good spots on most WMA land that aren't used, but the seasoned guys that hunt those areas might already be there when you get there - so use caution and scout around ahead of time and look for signs that someone else is hunting that area and avoid it if necessary.
__________________

This. I set my stands on public land in August. I know it's against the 14 day rule, but I am a rebel.

This is not a good time to scout WMAs, unless you like getting chewed out for walking on someones hunt. Belive me, I have a buddy that likes to jump on peoples case in the woods as much as he likes hunting. Maybe it's time for me to get a new hunting buddy......

 

[teumessian_fox]

This is not a good time to scout WMAs, unless you like getting chewed out for walking on someones hunt. Belive me, I have a buddy that likes to jump on peoples case in the woods as much as he likes hunting. Maybe it's time for me to get a new hunting buddy......

I hadn't thought about that. If one is scouting for opening day of gun season he might be interrupting a bow or BP hunter.

And EZBake brings up a good point re having to drag the deer a long way. Do any of you use/recommend a deer cart?

 

[ez bake]

I hadn't thought about that. If one is scouting for opening day of gun season he might be interrupting a bow or BP hunter.

And EZBake brings up a good point re having to drag the deer a long way. Do any of you use/recommend a deer cart?

Lots of folks I know do, but its never been worth it to me - I'm much more selective about what I shoot in a WMA as a result, but I don't like dragging anything with me (I don't even drag a micro-chair or hang-able half-stand anymore).

I've climbed into a tree if I just needed to, but for the most part, I do my hunting on the ground and move around a lot at specific times to try and find something.

 

[teumessian_fox]

Lots of folks I know do, but its never been worth it to me - I'm much more selective about what I shoot in a WMA as a result, but I don't like dragging anything with me (I don't even drag a micro-chair or hang-able half-stand anymore).

I've climbed into a tree if I just needed to, but for the most part, I do my hunting on the ground and move around a lot at specific times to try and find something.

I'm leaning toward ground hunting myself. The last tree stand I had used a strap to wrap around the tree and used friction to climb. It didn't "bite" the tree.

I got halfway up and hit a section of the tree that was iced over. The ride down was pretty exciting.

You say you're selective. Does that mean you go for smaller targets?

 

[jmiller45]

I hunt WMA every once in a while. I know the spot I'm hunting ahead of time and it is 1mileas a bird flies from the road. The first deer I killed there was a 90lb doe and I carried her out with a friends help because I had the hide tanned. That was miserable and I wil never do that again. I bought a cart from bass pro and love it. The plCe where I hunt I have been going to for years. One morning I was a litte late and climbed into my stand and when the son came up 50 yards in front of me was ORANGE! I couldn't believe it. He said he had been hunting that spot for 20 years and well I had never seen him in the past 7. I know carry a climber so that I can move easily if needed.

 

[ez bake]

You say you're selective. Does that mean you go for smaller targets?

Hahaha I thought about that after I posted it - no I go for trophy targets that make the haul out worth it

I've seen huge does on WMA land but won't take them because I've usually got a guarantee on my private section of land for a big fat doe (got a 96Lb one two years ago right after my FiL got a 98Lb one - lots of fat on them late in the season and they tasted goooooood).

If I have struck out during the first part of the season and am on WMA land, I'd take a doe and haul it out from deep in a WMA - that's not the worst thing that can happen to me I guess

 

[ez bake]

One morning I was a litte late and climbed into my stand and when the son came up 50 yards in front of me was ORANGE! I couldn't believe it. He said he had been hunting that spot for 20 years and well I had never seen him in the past 7. I know carry a climber so that I can move easily if needed.

My problem with that (especially when duck hunting) is I've heard a lot of those stories before - I've been at my spots for several years in a row and then all of a sudden one year (after scouting and bumping into folks who are scouting too), there's a crowd.

If they're there first and its WMA land, I usually try to avoid stepping on toes. I've got buddies with lightweight stands that do the haul-your-own in, but its just too much for me.

This year having lost weight from my stupid sickness and being pretty weak, I doubt I do too much hiking at all.