I am not sure how to start this thread except to plainly speak my mind. I have been contemplating a hunting camp in my life. I know in my area a number of people have camps in northern Maine. Although it is beautiful the chances of getting a deer are quite slim. So that is ruled out.

I discovered this website which has a map of deer densities.

http://www.i-maps.com/Qdma/frame/default...010100&MF=11000

How accurate do you believe this mapping system is? I have thought of using this as a way to determine a good location for a camp.

Also,how far would you have a hunting camp from your home? I have contemplated a camp in Pennsylvania but I have heard the deer herd has been decimated with recent management changes. New York is nice but the abominable Sullivan Act rears it's ugly head. So unfortunately that state is out of the question. Where I live I can make it to the Pocono area and even the North Carolina border region in about 12 hours if traffic is just right.

What are your thoughts? Thanks

I peeped the map. In Ga, the county I hunt is listed as having greater than 45 deer per sq mi. I would say maybe the estimate is a fuzz high, but not terribly high. It is an interesting map though. If its accurate to any degree, I never really realized how blessed and fortunate I am to hunt where I do. I was quite surprised at the sparse population across most of the country. I know I wasn't much help for you bigbore, but I do wish you luck with finding a successful hunting camp.

The thing I noticed is that some counties are shone to have over 45 deer per sq mi and the county next to it has less than 15 per sq mi. this is in SE Texas. The longest drive I've ever had to camp was 3 hours. My current lease is about an hour away

I am not sure what to make of the map. I am questioning its accuracy. I know from another forum one gentleman states it is incorrect for his area in Vermont.

I'll tell you why I am looking. Monday was the opening day of our turkey season. I had put a gobbler to bed Sunday night with the hopes of having a chance to take the bird on the Monday morning opener.

Well, to make a long story short, as I made some soft calls and got some responses that morning I heard a shot ring out. Then I heard branches breaking, wings flapping and an audible but dull thud of a bird hitting the ground from a tall tree. Someone sneaked in and shot the bird off the roost. The birds roost on some posted land but can be called off of it to where I am allowed to hunt. Someone knew the owner who goes to work early and they sneaked in and shot the bird off the roost and on posted land.

So I am sick of it. It basically I want a place of my own where I may have better control and a greater chance of taking game. The past few years, hunting wise, have been horrible. As an example, I hunted the Rhode Island muzzle loading season which opens on the first Saturday in November. As a rule it is during the rut.I hunted quite a bit in spite of being sick but the cherry on the sundae was when I was in a nice stand on some newly opened public land. Abutting this land are some homes and one of the home owners decided to rattle off fifty or so rounds of what I suspect were 9mm from an auto loading pistol into the swamp behind my stand. I heard a bullet crack a tree about forty yards from me. That really depressed me. My day was more or less ruined. I vow to never hunt RI again.

So I am looking for a place to hunt where I have a decent chance to be successful as well as minimize the chance of being bothered. I don't have too many pleasures in life and this one is diminishing due to extraneous circumstances, unless I do something to change it.

Hearing this type of stuff makes me realize how thankful and how fortunate I am with our property in south Colorado. We deal with trespassers, and deal with them to the full extent of the law. But otherwise, it is our slice of heaven that we visit quite often during the summer, and during the hunting seasons.

I made the vow several years ago never to hunt public land again. This was after the sun came up on a bowl outside of Craig Colorado on opening day of deer season. The opposite hillside looked like a pumpkin patch from all the hunters wearing orange vests. I backed out immediately, and have never hit public land again. Well, except to hunt small game. Hardly anyone hunts small game around here.

As for the map, I found it interesting. It may be true for white tail, but I couldn't tell ya for sure. I know our mule deer population is strong, but it doesn't show that on the map. It is for white tail only. Which I find odd... I have heard of ranchers around NE Colorado that will shoot a white tail and leave it lay cause they consider them vermin. They say they are worthless to eat, and destroy crops.

BigBore,
I feel your pain. Unfortunatly you're gonna' find idiots and slobs in the woods no matter where ya' go.
As far as Pennsylvania's deer herd being decimated, I couldn't agree less. I've made Pa my home for the last 20+ years and only remember getting skunked once. Yes I live in the Southeast part of the state where the density is high but I don't see critters every time I go. I have to put in my time and do my homework.
I'm guessing those that cry the loudest about no deer in Pa are the guys the go out on opening day and if they don't kill something their done for the season and blame the Game Commission.
Just my 2cents.

Jeff

Jeff, just out of curiosity, are you hunting public land in PA?

I hunt both public and private. Admittedly mostly private. Shot my first spring gobbler on state game land on a Monday years ago. Had the whole place to myself. Although I regularly see deer on public land (usually when I'm there doing something else) I don't believe I ever shot one there.

Jeff

Thanks for the response. I hunt both as well. I just killed my first deer on public land...I have shot 24 on private. Big difference because those density considerations don't take into account the density of hunters on Pa public lands.

I have a friend who flew a chopper over the game lands on opening day and he said that it looked like a pumpkin patch.

Personally speaking I will not be getting all my doe tags this year as I do feel that there is a decrease in the heard.

i would want the camp an easy drive after Fridays work and be in camp in the evening and be able to leave sunday afternoon and speed the evening at home with the family before going back to work again. then im spoiled i can wolk out the back door and in 10 yards be in wood thats 5-6 miles to the next rd.

I am with bluecow. Got a place 3 hours away.

I've got over 1/2 million acres in the Cascades I hunt but REI and their friends in tree hugger community are trying to close it off. Of course it's public land but that just makes it that much worse.

I had a simple camp in Moscow Maine that my brothers, friends and I did well from. I did sell it this year (5 acres of mountain property) so I would concentrate hunting efforts on my other mountain property (40 acres) in the western mountains. We've taken some nice deer and bear off the property and surrounding thousands of acres. I prefer property within two hours of home for accessibility, economy and sensibility. The latter meaning Maine doesn't allow Sunday hunting and I'd find it hard to justify driving three to six hours for one day of hunting. Most areas harbor "pockets" of deer, just takes time to find them. My two cents for what it's worth. By the way, I hear you Bigbore...nothing is more discouraging than orange at every turn. I hunt the big woods, lucky to even hear a gunshot let alone see another hunter! I love the Maine woods for this reason