My best upland hunt was on a waterfowl production area, discovered while making a bathroom stop. In that detour is a lesson: A vast treasure-trove of publicly accessible real estate is available to us, and often the best bits are neglected nooks and crannies, unsung corners, and tiny patches administered by agencies other than the “Big Two,” U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.
We may be self-reliant, independent-thinking hunters but we’re also human, prone to taking the path of least resistance, even when searching for places to hunt. On a map, big bureaucracies’ gigantic holdings are easy to find—bright, shiny and eye-catching. But keeping an open mind, being a bit of a detective, asking a few questions of locals, and driving around may pay off in more birds and fewer hunters.
Hunting Anonymous Real Estate Holdings Lesser-known hunting areas have the potential of producing great bird numbers. (Photo courtesy of Dean Pearson) Here’s an example: we were poking around outside a mid-sized South Dakota town when my dog really, really needed a pit stop (okay, so did I). An ocean of grass had a fenced-off square of parking and a little blue sign. We piled out, and as he lifted his leg, I read the sign: Waterfowl Production Area. I didn’t see a drop of water, and could use a leg stretch, so we opened the gate and struck out for a high spot in the distance. A couple hundred yards in, the wirehair piled into a point, as surprised as I was. We started there first thing the next morning, finding sharpies along the edge (adjacent to corn), on several high spots (classic sharptail habitat). And we never saw another hunter.
Ugly sister, crazy uncle in the attic, red-headed stepchild—the family-secret euphemisms have real estate analogs that uplanders should become intimately familiar with. Smaller parcels, below-the-radar government agencies, non-government organizations—there are dozens of landholders who often allow hunting on the parcels they control. They may not advertise that fact, may not even know what they have, let alone that it’s open to hunting. So, it’s up to us to dig deep, do our homework, and sometimes educate the gatekeepers.
Why go to the trouble? Wily Sutton was once asked why he robbed banks. His answer was “that’s where the money is.” Because they’re often neglected by hunters, these anonymous real estate holdings are much the same—but full of birds, not hundred-dollar bills. The peak of the season, a long weekend, and great weather all mean your go-to spots are probably someone else’s as well. But if you’re clued in to lesser-known public land managers and their hidden sweet spots, yours might be the only truck in the parking area.
Hunting Opportunities on Lesser-Known Government Land There are many hunting opportunities outside of the well know public land options. (Photo courtesy of Scott Linden) I was about to cross a big river in pheasant country, the highway atop a massive dam that impounded water for miles upstream. A roadside park beckoned for a potty stop (see a pattern here?). Once out, my dog and I walked the length of the parking area and were soon in sharptail country. So were the sharptails. My dog sprinted from knoll to bush, pointing ones and twos of my favorite bird, once boosting a small covey. A boat ramp was the only reason for the parking area, and once beyond it, we may as well have been in any of the birdy spots everyone else was going to (including me). I pulled out the map and marked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land for further investigation.
Did you know many western states with railroads own land held in trust for the benefit of schools? Most is untouched by civilization and open to hunting if you know how to find it. On topo maps it’s often blue in color, as is most other state-owned land not controlled by a resource agency. Online mapping apps won’t show the colors as readily, but zoom in and you’ll find it.
It’s worth the effort. On one map, nestled in one corner of an ocean’s worth of brown, BLM-administered land, I found a square mile of blue. I had to double back (twice) to find the hidden access road, then spin and slid up the muddy slope and topped out in classic chukar country. But on the edge, across the two-track, was a wheat field, and around the fence on the far side was that piece of blue ground. My old wirehair coursed the sage-covered scabland until he locked up and a ringneck towered into a gray sky.
There is nothing inherently wrong with the big public-access players, including state-managed “walk-in” programs. They are a rich resource, a shining example of public-private partnership. But they can be as crowded as the post office on Tax Day. So even on those coveted parcels, doing a deeper dive can yield gems most hunters won’t bother digging for. Sometimes, it’s as simple as exploring the far side of a big parcel, parking where others won’t. Other times it’s walking farther in, or, zooming in as far as possible on your mapping app to find the postage-stamp-sized patches. I’ve seen activity out of the corner of my eye on several hell-bent drives, turned around, and found newly minted walk-in spots not on any map yet.
Other times, it’s just plain serendipity. I was touring an on-base military museum when the retired general showing me around asked what I did for a living. After the who-knows-whom discussion, he invited me to explore the far side of the base, where hunting was allowed. Pristine, surreal and primeval—swales and canyons seldom explored by anyone except the occasional squad of lost recruits! Many military installations welcome hunters, once they pass the security check, so start early and have your paperwork in order.
Reservations and Refuges Make sure to follow all laws when hunting public land. (Photo courtesy of Dean Pearson) A favorite podcast guest of mine guides hunters on a Native American reservation. His patch is exclusive, but there are many tribes that welcome hunters. It might cost you another license, but much of the ground holds nary a footprint. This guy’s allotment abuts a big river with hydro projects and dams run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. That same waving grass and rolling hills harboring sharptails on his ground runs down to the banks of that river and its reservoirs, and much of it is yours for the walking. Energy agencies from BPA to TVA also open their acreage, some- times, as does the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
And remember, in many cases “refuge” doesn’t mean “go away hunters.” Some times of year, or in some parts of the refuge, hunters are welcome. Many enjoy stellar reputations as waterfowling spots, but also hold rich upland habitat. One of my favorite valley quail hunts is on a waterfowl refuge just two hours from home. Winding from gnarled orchard trees to abandoned homestead, the anticipation of a flush among the history lessons is exhilarating. That one’s a state refuge, but the feds control plenty of them too. Your duck stamp dollars bought them, so pull on your boots and lace ‘em tight. Just don’t forget your non-toxic ammo.
And while they get top billing in sharptail country, national grasslands often have more than just grass and sharpies. Creek bottoms harbor ringnecks in some, and prairie chickens cluck in the draws. I’ve chased scaled quail and been chased by badgers. Pond edges hold myriad species, including the biggest whitetail buck I’ve ever been startled by.
I’ve hunted distant corners of national monuments and state parks. Sure, most are oriented toward hikers and bird watchers, but some welcome hunters. Just don’t tell anyone.
In many parts of the country, and especially in ruffed grouse range, state or county forests are prime territory. While you’re there, check out pulp and timber company holdings, or energy company rights-of-way, where restoring bobwhite habitat is becoming more of a priority. Coal-country denizens love 'em or hate 'em, but mining companies are starting to rehab ground, and some of it is becoming prime ruffed grouse habitat.
Near a country crossroads, a friend showed me a county forest managed for snowmobilers. Manicured paths made for easy strolling while the dogs did the heavy brush busting. We heard, saw, flushed, and shot ruffed grouse, found wolf scat, and I learned that a beeper collar makes a great recall tool. As we were angling back toward the trucks my young dog pointed his—and my—first woodcock. Yeah, I missed.
Researching Public Land Hunting Areas Land open to hunting is abundant if you do a little digging. (Photo courtesy of Scott Linden) Before you head for the hinterlands you might want to start your search in a more civilized place. Chambers of commerce and visitors’ bureaus are a wealth of information. Besides maps and discount coupons, many have a vest-pocket list of landowners who welcome hunters, some for a fee and some for free.
If you’re a member of conservation groups (and if you’re not, join today), you already have a line on the projects local chapters are doing. But you don’t have to be a member—it just helps in the karma department. I had a fantastic day on a piece of Pheasants Forever-restored prairie in Montana a couple seasons ago, where there was even a band of standing corn to push through. We coursed river bottoms and CRP, pushing ringnecks into a cerulean sky and out of my shot string. Volunteer “boots on the ground” pay off in better habitat and sometimes, access. It’s up to you to shoot straight.
But it doesn’t start on the first day of the season. Advance work minimizes disappointment and saves time and precious fuel. Get out your maps, research wildfires in the area, ask about late harvests and grazing, get updates on last-minute landowner signups, make sure roads are open. Find the best (or only) parking and access points, get the paperwork you need to display on your dashboard (being towed away will put a kibosh on a bag limit of bobwhites).
Sometimes, your best information source is a game warden or conservation officer who can assure you that access and hunting are permitted on any given parcel. By the way, any time a C.O. saunters up to check your license, there’s a good chance he or she will want to talk hunting and may offer other helpful suggestions.
You’ll log hours of windshield time, wear out some boot leather, spend too much time on hold, and periodically fall into an Internet black hole. You’ll do doctorate-level research, and your eyes will bleed from squinting at maps. You might have to go toe-to-toe with a petty bureaucrat, just to realize your online mapping app is out of date. But you’ll find ground that may not show a bootprint and habitat that’s been ignored by passing traffic. You’ll pause, marveling at the lack of attention some places get (shhhh!)—the quiet, solitude, and sometimes, birds.
Once you’ve compiled your list of unsung locations, load the dog and the shotgun and point your truck to destinations unexplored. You’ll enjoy a rich, textured hunting experience few others are willing to work for. Drink plenty of coffee so you have built-in excuses to stop frequently.
