Out of state public land hunt.

I feel like I need to just pick a state and go. I think I've got everything I need. A truck, tent, bow, camping equipment, hunting equipment even a kyak if I needed it. Also my current job would allow me to work 6 days on 8 days off if I wanted, which I think I might start doing. What worries me is I would basically be going alone. None of my close friends hunt and all of my hunting buddies are at least 20 years older than me and don't have any interest in bowhunting or traveling out of state to hunt any more. Any one have any experience going out of state and any tips on where to start?

First find new friends...lol
Watch them hunting public guys on you tube.
If I was you I wouldn't hesitate a min on going.
I've done what your talking about a couple times and enjoyed it. I wouldn't just say I'm going to wherever and pack up and go. I'd figure where I wanted to go first then start planning from that. Bonus is if you pick a area and strike out after a couple days if your in the right area they maybe multiple public land areas close by or you just move to a different are the Shawnee natl forest in Illinois is a huge piece of ground for example

Don’t let hunting by yourself discourage you. I hunt by myself 99% time. Out of state hunting is new to me. I went to land between the lakes last year and had a blast. Plenty of camp grounds and more land than you can cover in a season.

Good advice, I hunt by myself most of the time also and learned many years ago how to do it.....I don't worry about who else is going or who else is hunting, if I want to go somewhere alone, I make it happen....

I’ve done it and man it is a blast learning new areas and the enjoyment of going and being successful in a place you have only spent a few days to figure out. Id pick a state to start and then start picking apart the different areas that are available. WMA, State Land, national forest, and some even have county level opportunities. If going by yourself may I make a recommendation for a locator beacon, and a way to get your deer out once you shot it.

I’d rather hunt solo 75% of time when it gets serious

Missouri is a great place to take a look. Easy to get tags and you can avoid the pressure, as there are a ton of opportunities.I would probably avoid Kentucky lately. I will say that land between the lakes looks like it would be a nice spot to try. Start putting in for Kansas. Look outside of the obvious places. Just my 2 cents.

I guess the fear of going alone would be if I got stuck, lost/turned around, needed help getting a deer out or anything like that. I’m now starting to realize that’s kind of irrational and that I need to get over it

^^^ everybody is different - turkey trips I hav done both but go alone more - deer I would prob like to hav a good buddy w me - but I hunt Bama deer alone mostly

It’s reasonable to want back up being somewhere that is unfamiliar. I typically hunt alone but certainly would be a good idea to have regular “check-in” times with someone and give them all the specifics of where you are going. That way if something goes wrong, someone will know where to start looking. I give my wife coordinates and screenshots of where I intend to hunt even down to the tree I’ll climb in some cases. If I’m stalk hunting I’ll give a rough outline of my intended route and check in every 3-4 hours. Gives her peace of mind.

That said, picking a place to go is all about what you want out of the experience. If you want to have big chunks of woods to roam around in, Tennessee and North Carolina have big tracts in the mountains that you can get way away from the crowds. Georgia might be a good consideration too as I believe they have a fair amount of public access. If you want to chase trophy quality then I’d look to the Midwest as mentioned above, but I’d throw in Ohio if you are intent on bow hunting. Once you figure out what you want in the trip then the planning part gets easier.

Getting a deer out is easy, qtr and pack...
As far as getting lost, use a GPS (not a phone app)

A kayak is a waste of space unless you have a way to get an animal out on one, canoe works better... With only 8 days off you'll be limited to travel distance.
Add vacation to the 8 days and you're golden.

There are downsides to going alone. I've spent hours getting my truck unstuck when all I needed was a push. Dragging a deer out is a long and painful process. A sprained ankle can get you killed when alone in the woods, so you need to be careful. You definitely don't want to fall out of a tree.

All that being said, there is no adventure like heading out into the woods alone and coming out with venison. The memories you make will last a lifetime, and it shows you what you're capable of.

Most young people today are sniveling cowards who can't endure the slightest discomfort. If you're waiting on a buddy, you'll probably never go.

Edit: One of the hardest parts of solo hunting is the boredom you face at night. Being alone with your thoughts forces you to confront every mistake you've ever made in your life. You will come out of it a better man though.

I would not choose to hunt alone but if it meant the difference between going or staying home I would go. Whether you stay in a camp ground or a cheap hotel there will always be other hunters around and while they will not share their spot they are generally helpful. Also keep in mind if you go in the first or second week of Nov if you needed help there will probably be 25 Aldeer members within 30 minutes of you. Most smaller hotels close to out of state public hunting have a hunters rate and it is generally around $50 bucks a night. As far as going, I would recommend you start with State Parks or other Federal land. National Forests can be sooo big its overwhelming. I’m not a huge fan of some National forests because outlaws use 4 wheelers. You wont see that in State Parks. Lastly, use online maps to find funnels and follow the path of water, deer follow the same. Add to that trails to food sources and lastly look for thickets. Put all 3 together in a spot far from a road and your odds are good. This advice could apply to Missouri, Illinois or Kentucky. Can’t be more specific

[quote=Ant67]I would not choose to hunt alone but if it meant the difference between going or staying home I would go. Whether you stay in a camp ground or a cheap hotel there will always be other hunters around and while they will not share their spot they are generally helpful. Also keep in mind if you go in the first or second week of Nov if you needed help there will probably be 25 Aldeer members within 30 minutes of you. Most smaller hotels close to out of state public hunting have a hunters rate and it is generally around $50 bucks a night. As far as going, I would recommend you start with State Parks or other Federal land. National Forests can be sooo big its overwhelming. I’m not a huge fan of some National forests because outlaws use 4 wheelers. You wont see that in State Parks. Lastly, use online maps to find funnels and follow the path of water, deer follow the same. Add to that trails to food sources and lastly look for thickets. Put all 3 together in a spot far from a road and your odds are good. This advice could apply to Missouri, Illinois or Kentucky. Can’t be more specific [/quote
Ive killed more deer on State land within a few hundred yards of a road than going deep. Human nature causes the real hunters to go as far as possible. Killed several near our hunting camps as well.

^^ you talking bout deer or 4+ yr old bucks?

^ Never killed a mature buck on public land, but I've seen some close to the road. They bed downwind or in sight of common access points. I snuck in the back way last year and had a biggun get within 10 yards, but he busted me before I ever had a clean shot. It endend up being a 2.5 mile walk to not get busted on the way in, but I would have only had to drag it a few hundred yards if I had got him.

Some bucks go deep to avoid getting patterned, others come in to pattern us.

Talking about bucks lol. I've seen wall hangers killed near the highways, gates, and houses and well as young deer. The human pressure pushes them to places that aren't pressured. That's why a lot of good bucks hang out right next to the ole farmhouses and such.
I'm not saying going deep don't pay off, just that the unexpected places are sometimes the best places. I use to bow hunt behind a movie theater in Acme Michigan and actually saw a MONSTER withing 50yds of the parking lot.

Plenty of big bucks near Jones bluff....

That’s the nice thing about Bama. Could go to other states and hunt there rut. Then come back here and hunt our rut

Also I plan on taking about 15 days in a row In January. I’m planning to hunt at my lease on the weekend and the corp land / WMA during the week

I used to hunt the Michigan rut in 2 parts of the State and then go home to Bama for Christmas and hunt Lamison, Grove Hill and Lower Peach Tree.

I’d definitely try to schedule a hunt around the rut in the Midwest. It’s a whole different ball game and your odds of being successful are way up. I’d also look at season dates for the different weapon types. Bow hunts tend to be less pressure and gun hunts can be wide open and dangerous. If you have a muzzleloader that could be a happy compromise. May could do a time when the two seasons overlap. Like others have mentioned. Spend time looking at the different online maps that states offer and look for the same features you would look for in bama. Food, water, bedding and travel routes.

Yea I am in the same situation but mainly due to my work schedule. I still travel to public lands in Alabama and I’ve started to look into Missouri as it seems the easiest to get licenses for when it comes to the Midwest.

That is the part I could not handle