Public
Land
Ample Opportunities
for Trophy Deer
By Pat Kalmerton
All article photos courtesy of Pat Kalmerton and Wolf Pack Adventures
42 Badger Sportsman NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014
T
The phrase, “There is nowhere to hunt,” is
nonsense – yet it rings out all over the United
States from hunters of all ages and genders.
Investing time to research and discover
public areas to pursue hunting adventures
yields pleasant surprises! There are acres of
opportunities that lie behind open gates...
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A FARFROMWORKIN’ EXPERIENCE
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 Badger Sportsman 43
Take Wisconsin for example:
Did you know that according to Back Country Chronicles
(backcountrychronicles.com) there are 34,661,000 acres of
land in Wisconsin? Of that, the United States Forest Service
has 1,521,000 acres and the state of Wisconsin has 3,646,000
acres. So, in Wisconsin alone you can choose your spot on
5,167,000 acres without having to ask anyone for permission
to hunt their land! That is nearly 15% of the total land mass
of Wisconsin, leaving 3.1 acres to every person who lives in
Wisconsin to hunt freely on public land…but you are in luck,
not everyone in Wisconsin hunts.
Actually, Wisconsin had 5,743,000 residents in a 2013
survey, and in 2013 only 633,602 resident and non-resident
deer licenses were sold to those hoping to harvest a deer
during the Wisconsin deer hunting seasons. Those numbers
are astonishing! Given that some of those licenses are nonresident, we know that less than 11% of Wisconsinites are
deer hunters. If every person who purchased a license in 2013
were to hunt public land, each person would have their own
44 Badger Sportsman NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014
8.15-acre hunting parcel. However, we know that every hunter
is not hunting public land.
The bottom line: There is plenty
of room for anyone who would
like to hunt and is not fortunate
enough to have private land.
Of course, this goes beyond deer hunting. There are ample
opportunities throughout the seasons to pursue the quarry of
your choice: birds, bear, small game, or anything that interests
you. For now, let’s talk about deer.
Here are a few tips to get you started and to be successful:
First, spend some time online and search public lands in
Wisconsin. Do your diligent research on where you would
like to hunt. There are a lot of useful websites out there, and
you will likely find some public land nearby that you will want
badgersportsman.com
to explore. After finding an area of interest, go to the local
courthouse and purchase an up-to-date plat book showing
the boundaries of the properties. This is VERY important
so you do not find yourself trespassing. It is unethical and
against the law.
After you find the property you like and have a plat book
in hand, you are far from done. Spend some time on Google
Earth – look at aerial photos and print out maps of the
property. This will give you a better idea of how the land lies
and where the property boundaries are in relation to real-life
obstacles. It could be a trail in the woods, or a creek, or any
landmark that helps you navigate to accessible areas that you
are allowed to be on.
Once finding all the boundaries and access points the real
work begins. Drive all around the property and go down
every road to find all the access points and how to begin
your patterns of scouting. This is important because if you
find a spot you would like to hunt and you have the wrong
wind, you may want to have a different path into your spot
so you don’t chase up the deer you are pursuing.
Always carry a map on you with the boundaries clearly
marked and have a compass and handheld GPS. This will
serve two purposes: to mark your trails and spots and to help
if you get turned around while scouting. Even if you think
you know where you are, always have it on you because the
woods are unforgiving. I always have my Tenzing pack with
survival gear just in case I do get lost. Pack light but have
your essentials while scouting and always have a light and
whistle for instances when cell coverage is not available in
tree cover.
While scouting be aware of the food sources. Where are
the oak trees that will provide the deer with acorns? Are
there apple trees on the property? What do the bordering
properties have planted? Are there bean fields and corn fields
in the area? These are all very important things to take into
consideration while scouting, as well as knowing where the
water source and bedding areas are.
You want to be on a trail that is commonly used
connecting the important areas you scouted. If you find a
trail that connects all of these together, walk that trail and
search for scrapes, rubs, and heavily traveled areas. When I
find a trail I like and think the deer are moving on, I lock on
a Wild Game Innovations camera and find out exactly what
is on that trail and when. You may find that you will need
to be deeper or closer to the bedding areas than you’d prefer
in order to intersect the deer travel during legal shooting
times. Are those deer using these trails both morning and
afternoon or do they have different travel paths for different
times of the day? All worth noting!
A FARFROMWORKIN’ EXPERIENCE
Look for ribbons or other signs tied to trees communicating
that other hunters are putting in the scouting work too.
Overnight camping isn’t permitted on public land. Set up
a temporary stand to get in on the action.
Be on the lookout for other hunter’s blinds.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 Badger Sportsman 45
Now that I found the trail I like, and the area I want to
hunt to harvest my trophy, I begin doing a search of the area.
Are there signs of other hunters that have been in the area
scouting as well? Are there ribbons hanging on branches? Are
there tacks in trees? Are there make shift ground blinds made
out of dead sticks and logs or shooting paths cut through the
branches? Pay attention to tree trunks for scratching from
hunters using climbing tree stands within 20-30 yards from
the heaviest worn trails. After all of your scouting efforts, you
do not want to walk in to your spot only to find that another
hunter has beat you there. If this does happen, have a plan B
in place so you are far enough away and hunting different deer.
Be an ethical hunter and respect the other person who has put
in the same amount of work as you have.
Setting stands overnight is not allowed on public land, so I
use my Ameristep climbing stands or popup blinds to hunt off
the ground. If there are raised areas providing a lookout point
I hunt this location with my Barnett crossbow while sitting in
my Tenzing TZTP14 turkey pack. This pack also works great
for hunting in locations where there is not a lot of good cover
or good trees for me to shimmy up in my climber.
Plan your hunt and hunt your
plan! On any hunt (especially
public land that many people
are not familiar with) leave a
map of a few different locations that you plan on hunting
– and then hunt that area.
Do not, for any reason, change your mind and go somewhere
else. There are a lot of things that can happen accidently, so
it’s important that people know where you are. I always leave
a planned out map and how to get there with someone just in
case they don’t hear from me within an hour after dark. This
could be beneficial in two ways – If I did hurt myself by
slipping or falling on something they know where I am; If
I was lucky enough to harvest my trophy, well now I have
dragging help!
Good luck hunting and be safe!
Captain Pat Kalmerton grew up in Sheboygan County,
Wisconsin, learning to hunt and fish under the instruction of father Roy Kalmerton, a lifelong outdoorsman. He
co-owns and operates Wolf Pack Adventures (WolfPackAdventures.com) offering guide service on Lake Michigan, its tributaries and inland waters. Pat has appeared
on numerous nationally-syndicated fishing and hunting
television shows and has his knowledge featured in many
outdoor magazines.ric Engbr
Tips for Successful Public Land Hunting
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Research the options
Purchase an up-to-date plat book
Spend time with aerial photos and maps
Find all boundaries and access points
Carry a map and GPS while scouting and
hunting
Scout, looking for food and water sources
and bedding areas
Look for connecting trails
Look for signs of other hunters
Plan your hunt, and hunt your plan!
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