There is no magic distance on public land. Some deer live within 300 yards of the parking lot because they know everyone walks past them. Others are tucked in deep, where pressure is lower and cover is thicker. The right distance depends on how hunters access the land, how visible the trails are, and where secure bedding exists.
Start by mapping pressure. If most hunters take the main trail and stop at obvious tree lines, consider slipping into the first overlooked pocket instead of hiking past it. If the land gets progressively quieter the farther you walk, then going deeper may help. The key is to find where pressure drops and deer feel safe moving in daylight.
Use scouting evidence to answer the question. Fresh tracks, beds, and droppings are better indicators than distance. Walk just far enough to find daylight sign and a clean setup. On public land, a smart one-mile sit can beat a long three-mile hike that puts you in the wrong neighborhood.
On public land, the details that seem small add up fast. Mark the conditions you saw, how deer reacted, and how other hunters used the area. Those notes let you build a repeatable plan instead of relying on luck. If a spot produced but access was marginal, adjust your route next time. The goal is to learn faster than the pressure changes, and to stack small improvements over the season. That mindset keeps you ahead of the average hunter and in sync with how deer adapt.