Ohio public land?

[pokeanhope]

Not looking for anyone’s honey holes, but has anyone hunted Tranquility, brush creek , or Shawnee forests in southern Ohio? Doing my research for trying a trip next season and any help I could get would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! 

[Jeff D. Holchin]

Your best bet, since the 2022 license year starts on 3/1 I think, is to go to those areas to turkey hunt and do your scouting then.  Plenty of online info about all of those areas.  The pressure during turkey season will give you a little idea of what to expect during the fall deer season.

[the rifleman]

Hunted Shawnee just once.  Pretty rugged country.  I'd hate to drag a deer out of that area.

[Nathan Killen]

Ive spent some time on Shawnee. Rugged and low deer population, but the potential is there. You definitely earn them there.

[pokeanhope]

Thanks for the info ! Yeah scouting in turkey is my plan. We will see what happens.

[huskyarcher]

I've hunted Ohio public for several years now, you absolutely cannot go wrong in Southern Ohio. Ive hunted all the way accross the southern half of the state and found if you put in the time scouting there are good bucks to be found on nearly every piece of public. It just takes time, effort, and a good attitude. We've got several hunts from Ohio public over the years on the channel, and the buck in my profile pic is from Ohio public. Good luck!

[Mark R]

Great vid & story, I can tell from your reaction that it was special, I think they all are, brings back good memories for myself, and makes me look forward to my next hunt. Southern Il. is quite similar although it's a 4 to5 hour drive I'm hoping I can spend some time in the Shawnee National Forest next season. Thanks for sharing.

[George Vernon]

Brandon,
As others have noted, Shawnee is challenging, at best.  Probably better for turkey than deer.  It's full of narrow ridges and valleys, so lots of up and down climbing.  Good news is you won't be overrun by a lot of other hunters.

One other observation about Ohio public hunting lands south of I-70.  You will find a number of them, like Zaleski State Forest, that have few deer compared to 20 years ago.  Several factors from my perspective.  Private land is being taken up with hunting leases. In turn, the pressure on public hunting land is much higher. Zaleski has seen some extensive logging that has disrupted what used to be pristine forest and fringe areas.  What started out as small plots, 40-50 acres appears to have grown to more than 100.  Clear cut areas have not been maintained, etc. 

Net, be sure to check out possible areas 2-3 times in different seasons before making a decision.