White-tailed Deer Bowhunting is both a challenge and a passionate sport for me. A challenge comes when you want to hunt white-tailed deer and can't find a place to hunt. Every hunter has found themselves in this situation at one time or another, for whatever reason. The good news is that there are places to hunt locally, if you have the patience and knowledge. The areas I want to talk about are state-owned game areas. These public hunting areas can be overpopulated, overhunted, and can actually produce some pretty intelligent white-tailed deer. Bowhunting on public lands can be frustrating or rewarding if a few simple tactics are followed. If you plan to hunt on public lands, the first rule to follow is to think outside the box. Most hunters will not choose a hunting location more than half a mile from their vehicle (Blake, Bucks in the Public Domain, 2009). If you're willing to hike the extra ½ mile, you'll likely have the woods all to yourself. On the other hand, deer movements could be less in this area, because there are also fewer hunters. We will address this fact in the following sections of this document. You will need to fully explore your chosen area, looking for water and food sources near signs of deer presence (or activity). Deer signs may consist of deer droppings, trails, rubs and scrapes. Early season rubs (inactive rubs) primarily come from deer shedding their velvet and are always good signs for deer. Active rubbing and scraping will be seen in late October and early November, when bucks are on the move during the early pre-rut phase. Old rubs and scrapes from the previous year are good indicators. In most game areas across the state, there are food plots planted either by local farmers or wildlife biologists. These areas...... middle of paper ...... hunting for leisure or sport, there are many possible places where one can hunt. Private land isn't the only place big money can be found. If you're up for a good challenge, why not try public hunting grounds - you might be surprised at your results. Works Cited Blake, J. (2009, July). Dollars in the public domain. Buckmasters Whitetail Magazine, p. 56-59. Blake, J. (September 2009). Hunting whitetails under pressure. Buckmasters Whitetail Magazine, p. 70-75. Club, N.A. (2009). White tail wisdom. Minnetonka: North American Hunting Club. DNR, M. (nd). Forest foods eat deer. Retrieved August 11, 2010 from Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12148-61306--,00.htmlHumphrey, B. (2008, July). Perfumes and scents-ibility. Buckmasters Whitetail Magazine, p.. 12-18.