You got a one-week pass from the spouse. Vacation days have accrued. Time to go there.
But where is “there?” Whether its Montana pheasants or New England whitetails, a nine-day bucket-list journey or half a weekend, your success on publicly accessible land depends in large part on starting in the right place. Rather than wandering perplexed and wasting time, have a plan to map out your quest.
More public land is present in some states than others, but you’ll likely have lots of options. Public land is just that: the Bureau of Land Management or Forest Service, a state or county agency, or other government entity manages it on our behalf. It is, literally, ours. This includes many wildlife refuges, wildlife production areas and wildlife management areas where we’ve got an open invitation. Don’t neglect Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, Tennessee Valley Authority and similar agencies that control thousands of taxpayers’ acres on and near lakes, dams and rivers. State school lands are another option. Some counties own huntable ground. There are national monuments, state parks and state forests also in the mix.
Walk-in programs go by different names in each state, opening privately
