PUBLIC LAND STRATEGY
"Those who work the hardest get the most" -- an old adage, and one that usually proves true when it comes to bagging big bucks at Alabama's public-hunting areas. You hear tales of beginner's luck: A hunter simply walks on the area for the first time and, 10 minutes later, downs a wallhanger. But then, you hear those stories repeated endlessly because such occurrences are actually ridiculously rare. There's no substitute for planning and scouting on public-land hunts.

Let's take a look at a few ideas on preparing for your next hunt. They may not get you the buck of a lifetime, but they should at least put you in a position to make the feat more feasible.

First of all, get a detailed map of the area well in advance. In fact, consider combining several maps and a photo. If available, an aerial photo of the vicinity used in conjunction with a topo map and a state WMA map would be ideal. Use these to identify terrain features that could be sanctuaries for wily older bucks.

Next, talk with the area manager to pinpoint places in the tract that most hunters avoided. After all, the state's paying him or her to know about the area, and you're paying his or her salary through taxes and buying hunting licenses -- so you might as well take advantage of what he or she's paid by you to know. Ask the manager to give you an idea as to the reasons for other hunters giving it a wide berth. If the answer amounts to "It's too long a walk," or "The cover's too dense," you may have found a goldmine.

Time to get in there and scout the area. A GPS receiver is exceptionally useful for this, since you can mark waypoints -- and find them again in the early-morning dark! In the process, mark several trees -- as many as 10 -- in which you can hang a stand. This gives you more options with regard to weather and wind conditions.

Another advantage of recording GPS waypoints as opposed to leaving a tape trail or other physical markers is that only you know them: You're not establishing a trail for less-industrious hunters to profit from.

Finally, develop a couple of plans for getting in to and out of there based both on the information you've acquired about the area and terrain and on various wind directions, thus enabling you to salvage your hunt should last-minute wind shifts threaten to mess things up.

As I said, none of this can ensure that you'll fill that space over the mantel with a public-land buck. But on the other hand, simply blundering into the area on opening day -- no preparation done, no clue as to what you're doing -- certainly won't get the job done!