My new tactic for the 2011 deer season.

[teddy12b]

I think I'd be more inclined to go hunting on public land if I felt more comfortable with the process. I'm not confident that I'd be doing everything correctly and I'm going to have to call one of those offices before I go out there with a rifle and hope for the best.

 

[jbell_64]

Not in the places I've hunted but each area may be different. I don't know how they could, though, since they allow tree stands to be put up starting Sept 1st & they allow you to keep them up continously until the first week in January.

On the National Forest property stands can be put up 14 days before the season starts and have to be down within 14 days of the season ending.

 

[71silverbullet]

Take up rabbit hunting and start kicking bushes

 

[abraham743]

lots of public land in southern IN with deer like this

2009 archery

 

[rao]

I moved to indianapolis in 2004 from South Bend. Before moving, I had some incredible private land to hunt and after moving down here, I had to go back to public land. I have been hunting the Hoosier National Forest since then and I have yet to be skunked down there. I have seen HUGE bucks but only during the peak of the rutt. Anyway, you can get topo maps for all 133,000 acres (and six counties) on-line that will help you immensely. its a drive for me on the north side of Indy but if its a passion...you do what whatever it takes to get in the woods. During first bow season, I have very seldom seen any other hunters. However, shotgun season is pure chaos down there. I usually only hunt first bow season, muzzle loader and second season. After gun season, the deer are harder to find but once you do...you don't generally bump into other hunters, particularly during second bow season.

 

[shibumiseeker]

The sea of orange hats on opening weekend on the HNF usually only lasts a few hundred yards in. After that you can pretty much have the woods to yourself. Walk half a mile in and you can have the woods to yourself and even have a better chance to see a deer since they'll be avoiding the sea of orange hats.

Go during the week, there's a tenth of the number of folks out and about.

 

[shibumiseeker]

lots of public land in southern IN with deer like this

2009 archery

Lived here all my life and I've never seen a skeleton deer roaming around!

 

[abraham743]

Lived here all my life and I've never seen a skeleton deer roaming around!

they are easy to spot but hell to get down. They usually don't show themselves until after Halloween