Part 1 – Mapping Public Land Whitetails | Finding Public Land to Hunt

Part 1 – Mapping Public Land Whitetails | Finding Public Land to Hunt

Part 1 of our 6 part mapping series. Starting with the big picture of finding public land to hunt whitetails.
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50 Comments

  1. @swampassproductions4032 on June 19, 2025 at 11:33 am

    This series is one of the most important series of videos on YouTube for Public Land success! Don’t sleep on it people!!

  2. @219garry on June 19, 2025 at 11:33 am

    where I hunt you can’t even really get a cell phone signal

  3. @stevenordborg3558 on June 19, 2025 at 11:35 am

    I love your mapping software and your videos. I hunt in Central Mass and finding a spot to myself is tough, even with dwindling hunter numbers. I’ve been scanning my Onx maps trying to find some new areas to hunt as everything I’ve grown up with has dried up, turned into neighborhoods, or been posted. Is there anywhere I can ask for help e-scouting an area near my home?

  4. @h2rock962 on June 19, 2025 at 11:36 am

    I am super excited about this series! I have hunted public land in Indiana for just a couple years, and these really technical videos are very helpful in learning to break down a property.

  5. @sebastiansaxon on June 19, 2025 at 11:36 am

    Im a 26 yr old combat vet, and I was raised in an urban environment. Ive recently decided that learning how to hunt is likely going to be the best way to deal with ptsd. Videos like this are a godsend to folks like me who are trying to start from nothing and no knowledge. Thank you very much for making a video series like this.

  6. @jaredgandy7193 on June 19, 2025 at 11:37 am

    I’ve been hunting a certain deer all season in an Alabama WMA and We’re in the rut and I’ve found an amazing scrape line and ALOT of very nice rubs (ones on a tree the diameter of a 5 gallon bucket) I thought I was the only one who knew about this spot (I’m not now I found a game camera yesterday)it’s killing me trying to find the buck bedding spot… i need help I’ve got the exact stuff I’ve found on ONX however I’m scared I’m gonna spook this buck I’m hunting and I’m trying to figure out where to hang a stand… can u please help me

  7. @matthewsims359 on June 19, 2025 at 11:37 am

    Great info. Cant wait to watch this complete series. Yall have proved time and time again that your tactics work. Stay safe everybody

  8. @HiLuxInc on June 19, 2025 at 11:38 am

    This is the kind of series introduction we need! Very useful information

  9. @J155P on June 19, 2025 at 11:38 am

    While using OnX on your cell phone, how do you combat cell coverage and dying batteries in cold weather? Thanks. Great vid!

  10. @jamesbowles1863 on June 19, 2025 at 11:39 am

    6 years late but I’m trying to learn all that I can from you guys and whitetail habitat solutions! Y’all are great! Not to mention I’m buying my first saddle setup for the ‘25 Michigan bow season!

  11. @matthewalleman9258 on June 19, 2025 at 11:39 am

    Thank you very much for your series! I have appreciated watching the videos alot. I have not hunted since I have gotten out the military about 3 years ago. I got lucky enough that someone has given me a bow and fell in love with the technicality and art of shooting it. The only problem I have is selecting the right public to hunt down here in Pierre Part, Louisiana and was wondering if y’all would be able to help?

  12. @Pokemonballers87 on June 19, 2025 at 11:41 am

    When hunting public land do you look for ridges to hunt and higher ground what if you are hunting somewhere that’s is mostly woods but 90% flat ground then what do you do look for bedding and set up on It or dropping foot prints what makes you say this is where I’m going to hunt if you were going in blind didn’t glass anything or see anything on cameras or with your own eyes what is the this is it moment for you

  13. @travisjohnson2042 on June 19, 2025 at 11:41 am

    First off OnX is fantastic. Secondly make sure not to get so stuck on public land. At least here in Wisconsin there is MFL land that is private and will show up as private, but in reality anyone is free to go hunt it whenever they want without the need of permission. The Wisconsin has a great website to look up MFL properties. I am sure many states have similar programs opening up land to hunters.

  14. @ralphzg on June 19, 2025 at 11:42 am

    Does the coupon code apply when purchasing the chip and app? THP isn’t working for me.

  15. @terrybradshaw8154 on June 19, 2025 at 11:44 am

    Hello,Me and my wife are learning to hunt public land Due to loosing are hunting spot to the property owners son in law and these videos are very helpful. We would like to really thank you for such great videos but we are really not that well with electronics or apps if you guys could do a video on how to use the on x app a little more detailed would be greatly appreciated thanks so much

  16. @STRThermal on June 19, 2025 at 11:45 am

    Thanks guys for another great video. I need a series like this to help me improve my game.

  17. @Cowboy_Outdoorz on June 19, 2025 at 11:47 am

    I can’t use the promo code

  18. @enriquecorona9056 on June 19, 2025 at 11:49 am

    Plot twist everyone watching this now go to over look areas so now it’s packed with people lol

  19. @huntervangadventures on June 19, 2025 at 11:51 am

    Will a buck exit its bed in the afternoon with the wind behind his back or walking into the wind? This buck lives in a big cattail marsh, right on the edge. A lot of human pressure with walking but never hunted. This spot over looked in many ways because it’s all cattails and little to no trees to climb. Thanks

  20. @jeremybaker4554 on June 19, 2025 at 11:51 am

    Can you guys come help me find some bucks on Georgia public land?

  21. @rambino1666 on June 19, 2025 at 11:51 am

    Tips for scouting swamp land in south Louisiana?

  22. @jeremiahzimmerman2320 on June 19, 2025 at 11:53 am

    Thanks a lot guys for the mapping whitetail playlist. It’s been super helpful and I just scouted some public land in PA( my home state) and kicked up some deer where normally when that happens I back out. But I kept pushing deeper and got eyes on a nice 10 point. So hopefully I can get an arrow in him this year. Thanks again

  23. @ktmhiflyer on June 19, 2025 at 11:53 am

    Appreciate the insight Aaron. Always very beneficial information from you and the guys. When you guys hunt new areas like this do you try to set up the first couple days as observation sits or do you dive right in to an area? I was curious as to how you guys would approach it trying not to push to far into the deer.

    Thanks,
    Bryan

  24. @christianlintzen1568 on June 19, 2025 at 11:53 am

    Does it cost to hunt Public land?

  25. @kovi17 on June 19, 2025 at 11:56 am

    Thanks for making this video series. I got interested in hunting, but it’s difficult because nobody helps new hunters these days because it gives away their “secrets”. I’m not ever asking them about their locations they hunt, rather how to find a suitable location to hunt. This helps a great deal. Maybe for the first time ever I’ll see an animal I’m trying to hunt this season!

  26. @thefroghunter3607 on June 19, 2025 at 11:56 am

    Love the show! first thing I said to myself after I got done watching the series looks like I’m going to Iowa.lol I don’t think amateur hunters realize how much time you put in to see all those beautiful bucks! Shout out from Wisconsin we like to grow them big here as well and have great public resources and cheap out-of-state licenses.

  27. @zaynemikita6897 on June 19, 2025 at 11:58 am

    Love your guys content but, at what point does it become hey come to this area to hunt. You guys know if anyone hears you are hunting an area that tons of people will be there next week. Does that make the hunting experience worse or better? As a iowa hunter it sucks when you see more hunters than animals.

  28. @nathansmith8607 on June 19, 2025 at 12:00 pm

    How do you determine that a piece of property is public and you can hunt it?

  29. @thomasriddle8017 on June 19, 2025 at 12:00 pm

    How did you know the first area was hardwood. How could you tell that by the topo?

  30. @billbee235 on June 19, 2025 at 12:05 pm

    Just wanted to throw this out on Video #1, this works… I watched all 5 videos and went to public land in NW Illinois with a buddy to scout. The points of interest that I marked on ON-X were right on the money, I found 2-3 families. The kicker is my buddy went to our suspected buck bedding area and caught a possible 10+ pointer cruising. Funny part is everyone complains about this area. We were nearly 2 miles from parking and caught tons of action just walking around looking for beds. Awesome video, I probably owe THP some money at this point 🙂

  31. @blakedecker3373 on June 19, 2025 at 12:08 pm

    Can you do a video of picking stand locations for different times of deer season. Like early season, all parts of the rut and late season

  32. @Matt814_outside on June 19, 2025 at 12:10 pm

    Iam a elite member of onx im going to follow closely you.guys are the shit when u come back to pa come up to the 1b area its way harder does are a dime a dozen. I have not seen many bucks but I’d love to see how yall.brake.down.here

  33. @zkobi10 on June 19, 2025 at 12:12 pm

    Hey my grandma lives on that lake. Sun Valley Lake. Grew up fishing that.

  34. @michaelbabb1127 on June 19, 2025 at 12:14 pm

    Is there anyway you could break down a piece of public in the south at some point? I’m in South Carolina for instance and the public land around me (Sumter National Forest) looks way different than some of the western WMA. Would you approach your scouting different?

  35. @zaynemikita6897 on June 19, 2025 at 12:14 pm

    As an Iowa hunter. There isn’t any public that doesn’t get hunted. If it went 2 or 3 years with no pressure you guys would be pulling 190in deer plus out of there. Sorry it ain’t true. You’re just bringing tons of other people to Iowa to because their states like Ohio and Michigan have been wrecked already. Frustrating

  36. @Hankxiong on June 19, 2025 at 12:16 pm

    Awesome! Thanks for the very informative tips! Subbed!

  37. @Clancyhunts on June 19, 2025 at 12:17 pm

    Hope to see lots of deer scouting & hunting videos coming up. The turkey series this spring was awesome.

  38. @danyoung8707 on June 19, 2025 at 12:17 pm

    I always enjoy you public hunts. You guys do the work and have great results.

  39. @nate_stanton on June 19, 2025 at 12:19 pm

    OnX is a great app!! I’ve been really happy with it so far!!

  40. @michaelkirk4313 on June 19, 2025 at 12:23 pm

    I’m a new hunter. I’m having trouble finding deer

  41. @colemalterer6115 on June 19, 2025 at 12:24 pm

    How do I tell where I can hunt? I plan on hunting the Horicon marsh in Wisconsin and part is public hunting some is “wildlife sanctuary” and some is “habitat restoration”.

  42. @TGHFIL on June 19, 2025 at 12:24 pm

    Will I’m going to be comment #117. So I better make it a good one. You guys have made my understanding of where and wean on whitetail spot on. Also reading and understanding topo maps. My girlfriend calls it map hunting and keeping it mobel. Thanks guys!!!!!!

  43. @MrSouthEcko on June 19, 2025 at 12:24 pm

    Oh man can’t believe i didn’t find this channel earlier!

  44. @fullautogunsandgear5141 on June 19, 2025 at 12:25 pm

    Plz come to North Carolina

  45. @coltencrittenden3039 on June 19, 2025 at 12:25 pm

    too close to home fellas! next time use NW Iowa as an example! 😀

  46. @midmocreekmaster7179 on June 19, 2025 at 12:26 pm

    Like always great info, definitely hit up mid mo, tons of public land, which yas know, but it’s all over around here! Everyone puts down Missouri, huge deer here though! Need extras hit me up I’d love an opportunity…

  47. @Cowboy_Outdoorz on June 19, 2025 at 12:26 pm

    How can you tell what trees are what on a map.

  48. @stanskolfield6073 on June 19, 2025 at 12:27 pm

    Thank for developing and producing this video series. I have been searching for a mapping software like OnX and this tutorial series was perfect. I am headed out for a remote moose hunt in Maine and this software is exactly what I need to help pre-scout prior to heading north. Thank you!

  49. @taylorharbin3948 on June 19, 2025 at 12:28 pm

    I’ve started squirrel hunting in a local WMA that is about 11,000 acres. According to state reports only about 50 deer were harvested last year. Do you think this means the hunting pressure is low or something else?

    I’ve seen pretty heavy sign in creek beds and hope to do more scouting soon.

  50. @IanSmith2002 on June 19, 2025 at 12:31 pm

    I hunt primarily in Ohio big timber hill country, often it is difficult to find public land that has a mixture of different terrain features. Yes there are creek bottoms within the timber but not a lot of CRP, grasslands, etc. Would you still circle a piece like this despite being uniform terrain?

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