Firstly, it’s no secret that I am biased towards public land hunting, it’s my chosen sport and passion. I am also open to a difference of opinion as things may have changed considering it has been almost a decade since I’ve hunted private land. In a nutshell below is the difference:
Private land:
- Land owned by a private entity whereby a hunter needs to obtain permission form the land holder to hunt legally.
- Land can range from open paddocks and cleared hills to thick forests and rugged mountains. There is just as much if not more variety of terrain in private land as there is public.
Owners can advertise their properties and charge a fee per day to hunt and/or a trophy fee per animal.
- Permission is also often granted if you are a friend of the owner or they are open to people accessing their land for hunting purposes of helping them control pests.
Private property simply receives far less hunting pressure than public land. Animals are less skittish, less fearful of humans and more likely to walk out in the open to access the often abundant feed in cleared land.
- Trophy quality is typically higher and trophy animals more abundant depending if the land holder is actively managing their herd.
I like the idea of private land, they are often more physically accessible than public land and hold easier prey than public. If an easier hunting opportunity is required then private land is the way to go. You may also be lucky enough to get access to a shed, hut, shack or house while hunting the block.
I’ll give my personal reasons as to why I don’t teach hunting on private land and prefer public for myself and my students:
- I’m a purist of the sport, I love a fair chase where the animal has all the environmental advantages vs my rifle. I’m a firm believer that if you are not challenged then you will never become the best you can be.
- I don’t like the idea of paying to shoot an animal that is so abundantly available for free if you can sharpen your skills.
- I love the wild, I don’t need or want a comfy bed, I want to be in amongst the very animals I’m pursuing.
- I crave adventure; a new creek, a new rock for glassing, newly discovered feed areas, a feral fruit tree I can come back and pillage, a new species I had no idea was in the area. The love of progress.
- I simply want to be the best I can be, for that everything has to be a test, of fitness, mental fortitude, focus and the submission to logic and instinct.
- There are opportunities to challenge yourself physically, going places where other hunters don’t in order to pursue animals that those others simply can’t or won’t reach.
Note: this is generalised, there are so many remote private opportunities out there that provide the hunting experiences of a lifetime. The issue is that permission is either hard fought for those that don’t live nearby and often expensive.
Public land:
- In NSW restricted to state forests(land allocated for timber production)
- In NSW restricted to state forests(land allocated for timber production)
- In Victoria state forests, national parks and other wilderness areas are open for hunting.
- Terrain ranges from accessible forests with extensive road networks(mostly seen in timber production areas) to rugged remote mountains and forests.
- A fit and proper person holding the relative licences can hunt these areas
- Wild country often with only small and isolated clearings.
- Provides for an environment where only the experienced and patient succeed… or the lucky of us.
- It’s beautiful, wild and free. You can find fish, your own secret productive spots and learn to survive in the wild as you pursue your prey.
How I put it to most people is; public land is essentially the competitive sport side of hunting, you compete with locals, other hunters and poachers in difficult environments. You’ll test your metal against animals that have the clear advantage and know to avoid you. It’s a challenge, but you can start small.
About the author:
Luke is an avid public land hunter and backpacker who enjoys travelling off the beaten track as much as he does hunting the Australian back country
