Best advice for new public land hunter?

[Yornei Bor]

What’s the most important thing to get right?
 

Stand location regarding bedding/feeding areas? Proximity to truck for the drag ? Playing the wind? Finding areas that aren’t hunted often?

Or do I just need to put in the time and wait for an opportunity? 

[BHC]

Scout alot in the off-season,  

Public land: get in early, earlier than others, and get in deep, stay all day, especially during the rut and gun season

[mike033089]

Boots on the ground. With more time im slowly getting out and poking around public pieces for a gun spot. Forget the drag distance. I’ve seen deer in the parking lots and a mile in. Any excuse to scout do it. Kids and wife want to hike I suggest a local wma haha. 

[3Blade]

Scout  after it snows and look for tracks . You will see where they are coming and going. 

[Farmingdales Finest]

Honestly yes to all of it.

I hunt travel routes between bedding and food. I don't use bait or cameras because regarding bait I don't like the hassle of carrying it in and in the Monmouth County Parks I am not allowed to use a camera according to park rules. On other properties I have used camera's primarily to get an inventory before the season and pull them after it starts. I have hunted over bait. IMO they are far more spooky. Since I hunt almost exclusively the  parks and typically take 3-6 deer a year while usually passing up a dozen or more I don't feel handicapped. 

I have multiple stand sights that will allow me to cover each travel route based upon the wind for that day.  If my area doesn't produce like I expected I will do in season scouting and use my climber to narrow down new spots.  

I would be more than happy to answer any of your questions.

[Rusty]

Put in the time to find spots with less people.  There are a lot of good spots out there, find the ones that aren't over crowded.   

https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/hunting/public-deer-hunting-land-in-new-jersey/

 

 

[jumpthestring]

What zones are you hunting ?

[Hunter115522]

Don't be discouraged hearing guys bitch about public land. I've been hunting pieces of public in Sussex and Warren County for 25 years and can count on 1 hand how many times I've seen other hunters. Do your homework and you'll find some great spots. 

[BOWHIO]

Lock your stand and camera !!!Scout after a snow storm and see where the deer are going and coming also back track a BIG track if you think its a buck also see where he came from

[electricstart]

It is important to know the piece you are hunting, especially where other hunters are putting their stands. I have scouted an area and set up only to find another guy setting up 75 yards from me. Try to find private pieces by getting permission use your cameras, it will save you time. 

[Gman]

If I'm going in blind to a new public land piece I always check google earth or some other map, like huntstand.  I look to where the public land gets close to or boarders a development or a small group of homes,  seems more often than not that is where the highest concentration of deer will be. 

I've had some great success doing this in "big woods" like Newark Watershed. There's not much for them to eat in the mountain after the eggcorns are gone or covered.  The deer also know they are safe in and around the neighborhoods. 

Like others here have said, best thing is to scout, a lot! I hunt zone 2 and 3 and there are pockets of deer on the public land but I would estimate 80-90% of the public land is all bears and yotes and very few deer.  You need to find that 10-20% that holds deer.

I'll add don't overlook the tiny patches of public land, sometimes they are key.

Edited January 9 by Gman
more info

[Greybeard]

Scout as soon as your season is over.  Go in deep if you're young and strong.  Get away from other hunters.  Worry about the drag out when you're older. 

[Yornei Bor]

3 hours ago, jumpthestring said:

What zones are you hunting ?

Zone 3 for now

[Rusty]

8 minutes ago, Yornei Bor said:

Zone 3 for now

There’s lots of lightly hunted big woods in zone 3.   Wawayanda,  Watershed,  Hamburg Mt,  and more.   

[Bucksnbows]

7 minutes ago, Yornei Bor said:

Zone 3 for now

I grew up hunting Z3. Lots of big woods, lower deer numbers, but some big mountain bucks if you believe NJ actually has “mountains”. Those lands will see lots of drives during gun seasons and will be fairly quiet during the long archery seasons.  Newark Watershed, Norvin Green SF and other lands are vast for this state and you should be able to archery hunt it without seeing other hunters in most places. Lots of bears as well if you want to target one for this next season in the fall.