"Secret" Pieces of Public Land

[Johnny]

My neighbor clued me in to a sweet piece of public land that no one knows about. There are lots of small, isolated tracts of land, oftentimes mostly inaccessible and surrounded by private parcels. He showed me one gem that he found using the "On X Hunt" app.

This piece of public land is blocked from two sides by private land, one side by a river and one side by a lake. An enterprising person could reach it over the lake by a canoe or over the river by waders. I'm actually thinking about doing an overnight camping trip there. I'll scout it out first, though.

I live in Michigan, but no matter were you live, there are public parcels nobody knows about. The various apps unlock these parcels and show you exactly where the property lines begin and end. They're a great resource for someone who wants a secluded place to hunt, fish, camp or hike.

[Sanders]

My DeLorme state map book shows me not only all the public lands, but they are color-coded as to which agency administers them.

You can also get overlays for some of the better map apps that show who property owners are for the private land. Helps when you want to ask permission to hunt their land.

Me and my hunting buddy used to hunt quail outside Tucson on a strip of BLM land that was between a state park and a wilderness area. The looks we got as we walked through the state park carrying our shotguns were worth it, even if we got skunked, which we never did. Same deal in Southern New Mexico - my cousin and I found a deer honey hole on BLM land next to a state park and a ranch.

[baboon]

Very little exists in Texas

[Ashhoe]

I hunted one of those for years, in North East Michigan.
Completely surrounded by private land except for an (maybe 30 foot wide) easement that was about a mile long.
Every year for a long time as I walked in around 9 or 10 am and when I walked out at 2 or 3 pm these goofballs would ride out to kick me off the "private land".
It was a massive cedar swamp inside 400 acre alfalfa fields and corn fields.
Compass didn't work most of the time and GPS was worthless when it first came out so I made sure I wasn't in there when it was dark.
Everything looked exactly the same inside that place.
Monster bucks (lots of bear and elk), no humans and 100% identical cedars in every direction.
The land owners around it would remove anything I put up, surveyors tape, reflective tacks or anything.
Towards the end of me hunting there the goofballs would ride out just to talk.
They still wouldn't help me drag a deer out though.
I drug a 220 pound no guts, no head, no hide, no hooves (at the processor so maybe 250-260 pounds field dressed?) 1.5 year old buck out about 1.5 miles in nut deep swamp water that was ice when I walked in and the four wheeler guy who drove in to kick me out said "nice buck" and turned around and drove away.
Those tiny spots are gems when you can stand freezing cold for hours on end.
I can't do that so much anymore, although I guess back in the day freezing cold isn't what we have now.
It was 39F here today with 50s in the next few days.
Wow, what a rambling post.
Thanks alcohol.

[Johnny]

I hunted one of those for years, in North East Michigan.
Completely surrounded by private land except for an (maybe 30 foot wide) easement that was about a mile long.
Every year for a long time as I walked in around 9 or 10 am and when I walked out at 2 or 3 pm these goofballs would ride out to kick me off the "private land".
It was a massive cedar swamp inside 400 acre alfalfa fields and corn fields.
Compass didn't work most of the time and GPS was worthless when it first came out so I made sure I wasn't in there when it was dark.
Everything looked exactly the same inside that place.
Monster bucks (lots of bear and elk), no humans and 100% identical cedars in every direction.
The land owners around it would remove anything I put up, surveyors tape, reflective tacks or anything.
Towards the end of me hunting there the goofballs would ride out just to talk.
They still wouldn't help me drag a deer out though.
I drug a 220 pound no guts, no head, no hide, no hooves (at the processor so maybe 250-260 pounds field dressed?) 1.5 year old buck out about 1.5 miles in nut deep swamp water that was ice when I walked in and the four wheeler guy who drove in to kick me out said "nice buck" and turned around and drove away.
Those tiny spots are gems when you can stand freezing cold for hours on end.
I can't do that so much anymore, although I guess back in the day freezing cold isn't what we have now.
It was 39F here today with 50s in the next few days.
Wow, what a rambling post.
Thanks alcohol.

That's been a problem in NW Michigan for some time. Private land owners who border public lands begin to "annex" those properties through the use of fencing and signs. It's not right, but some of them do it. Fortunately, the On-X-Hunt apps and other similar apps are restoring public property to its rightful owners: the public. Nowadays, those previously hidden properties are there for all to see.