Today, most large parcels of private farm ground are leased to the highest bidder, usually for thousands of dollars, or the land is developed into a shopping mall. Many hunters watch in horror as they farm they hunted as a child is transformed into a subdivision. Many hunters are asking the question, "Where will I hunt now?"

Almost every deer hunter I know frowns on public land hunting, but with each passing hunting season, many blue collar Americans are left with no other choice. As we slip into the sea of orange vests on opening day, many of us ask ourselves, "Are we deer hunting or trying to look like a giant pumpkin?" But, with few options left we locate a big tree, sit down, and wait for some hopeless fork horn to stumble by, trying to escape with his life. This scenario takes place across America. If you are reading this story and it sounds familiar, don't give up hope. You can tag a giant on public land or on small parcels of private land that are often overlooked by most hunters.

Craig Johnson, an avid bowhunter from Michigan knows a few things about finding overlooked big bucks. He and his dad, Tom often travel out of state chasing whitetails. Over the years, they have taken more than a dozen whopper whitetails without breaking their bank account. "Most hunters believe that in order to harvest a big whitetail, they have to spend a lot of money hunting with an outfitter. We consistently bag trophy class bucks without spending a thousand dollars on a hunt. Most outfitters charge three or four times that amount," Craig explained.

When trying to locate new hunting areas, the Johnson boys download maps off the internet and research them for days, looking for places that may hold large bucks. "In Kansas, finding big bucks isn't very difficult because much of the land is farm ground. You just look for low land or rows of trees off the beaten path where most hunters are unwilling to go. Let's face it: most hunters are lazy; we use that to our advantage," Johnson explained.

"Sometimes we find large bucks on parcels of property less than 50 acres. I am always looking for that little piece of ground other hunters don't think about. Sometimes it is a chunk of ground along a highway; other times it's a parcel behind a subdivision. If hunters have lots of time to do homework and are willing to utilize topo maps, they can find big bucks if the bucks live in the area you are hunting," Johnson noted. That statement may sound obvious, but Johnson says many hunters waste their time hunting in states that don't hold big bucks which is why they don't go home with a big buck.

"There is no point in hunting in areas that don't typically hold large deer. We always go with the odds. We hunt states that are known to hold big bucks," Johnson stated. Kansas and Iowa are their favorites, but they also enjoy Nebraska and Indiana. "With the cost of gas on the rise, we try to hunt in states close to home. In a few hours, we can be in Indiana in prime hunting real estate," Johnson explained.

"During the last several years, scouting cameras have helped us find large bucks. If we find a runway we think is being used, we hang a camera. After a few days if the camera doesn't have any photos on it, we stay away from that area. We have found bucks in places hunters would never dream bucks would live because it was a small parcel or a chunk of ground near a town. The truth is that big bucks will live anywhere hunters will leave them alone. We use cameras to locate the big bucks in the places hunters wouldn't dream of finding a Pope & Young Buck," Johnson said.

So as you begin scouting for next years' hunt, remember that you can be successful. You simply need a camper or tent, a little time on your hands, and an area that holds big bucks. Although finding an area that holds big bucks is harder than ever before, if you are willing to take a road trip, spend some time putting miles under your boots and look in areas that others don't, you might experience success like the Johnsons. The requirements include lots of time, lots of commitment, and a little money.