Question for the Ohio folks

[darb]

Vtmtnman,
try checking the posts on Ohiosportsman.com forum in the bowhunting section.  Lot of good info there, and quite a few green mtn boys are coming to the buckeye state these days. Ive got three good friends from Franklin Co that have been coming for five years now. Some public areas are starting to get as crowded in Nov as they used to during gun season.

I think Halloween through Thanksgiving covers it.  True rut activity has so many variables- location, weather - hot days seems to equal more chasing during night and late evening/ early morning.  But I have still seen a few of them out running in the 70's.

In 2005, 2006, and 2007 I arrowed a mature buck on Nov 8 of each of those years.  That was my "lucky" day. Last years rut activity was appeared to be very splotchy. Some guys were not seeing hardly any activity at all. I began seeing a lot of chasing at the end of October and killed a buck that had been chasing and bred a doe right in front of me in Champaign Co on 11-2.  

After heading down south I saw a few bucks chasing, but the heat seemed to really slow the activity down. It reached the upper 70's several days around 11-7. Weather was good for drinking frosties and workin on a fall tan, but the bucks seemed to just dissappear when it was that hot out.  Also it just didnt cool down that much in the evenings.  When a dominant cold front finally came in to stay, it did turn on pretty good for a few days.
I am taking the 7th through the 15th off, but wish I could get a few days before that.  Good luck if you come, and pack for cold, rain and sun.  It is Ohio....if you don't like the weather, wait it will change.

[vtmtnman]

Darb,You'll see more of us VTers,as we actually want to get a nice buck for a change instead of a 200# 4 pointer like over here.We have a 23 day bow season here,and no bow only rut hunting.Mr.Laroche won't be changing our season anytime soon so we have to go to bow friendly states.

The weather sounds just like here in Nov.Thanks for the info.

[Chuckton]

I was in central OH last year the first week of Nov. It was still pre-rut. Many morning evening buck sightings. No mid-day chasing.

[Buckeye Trad Hunter]

No deer in Ohio.  Probably better stay in Vermont.    I'm just messin with ya'.  Second week of November is the time to be in the woods.

[vtmtnman]

Originally posted by leatherneck:
 But if you get to Guernsey, get in touch and we'll have you over to our camp one day. We are in Harrison.

BTW,Thanks for the invite Leatherneck!Semper fi Marine bro.

[vtmtnman]

Originally posted by Buckeye Trad Hunter:
No deer in Ohio.  Probably better stay in Vermont.     I'm just messin with ya'.  Second week of November is the time to be in the woods.

You're right...I didn't see a thing.Better come back this year and double check..    

That was the week I'm starting to gather will be the good one.

[59Alaskan]

Last year was my first year of seriously hunting OH.  It was warm in early Nov.  I took a rutting buck who was literally 5 yards behind 2 does on November 20th.  That's youth gun season.  You can still hunt with your bow if you wear orange.  

In addition to wearing orange it might also help to be completely sweated through from going up and down your tree a couple of times and have someone drive their truck around your hunting area yelling your name an hour before hunting time is up.  All of that happened to me the evening I took that buck.

[vtmtnman]

LOL..nice ceme...at least you got the buck!

[Osagetree]

Ohio early season scouting 8/22. Mild precaution after the scouting hike,,, wash off the chiggers in the lake
 

My situation today 8/28
 

Lesson learned:
Don't forget the sulfer powder before the 1st frost!

[Hill Hunter]

I got into them last year by my home in southern Ohio, had that from my ancles to my shoulders, and some bad places in between, try adolf's meat tenderizer made into a paste, helped me a lot.

[VTer]

Wow, are those things going to be gone by November. Looks nasty.

[vtmtnman]

Yeah really...not fun at all..

[heydeerman]

I'm in central Ohio and I have picked up a couple chiggers scouting and checking the cameras. Get some bug spray that starts with a "p"...can't remember the name. It's odorless and you spray it on your socks and pants and let it dry overnight. No problems with any critters using this stuff. It will last through a few washings too. Kinda expensive but good stuff.

[magnus]

If it's unusually warm then they could be a problem. Once we get a frost then no worries with bugs. I never had a problem with them here but you saw the picts. Surprised mee too!
Magnus

[leatherneck]

Originally posted by Osagetree:
Ohio early season scouting 8/22. Mild precaution after the scouting hike,,, wash off the chiggers in the lake
   

My situation today 8/28
   


Lesson learned:
Don't forget the sulfer powder before the 1st frost!

You guys keep those babies down south. We don't see them up this way. At least I've never had any issues with them. Last time I had dealings with chiggers was in Paris Island!!!!   :eek:  
Skin so soft really works for those babies.

[vermonster13]

Permanone is the stuff.

[buckeye_hunter]

Even when the temps were back up to 70 in November none of us had any problems with them at our camp.

[myshootinstinks]

Nice to see Ohio as a hunting destination.  I was born there and lived there until we moved west in the '60s.  We seldom saw deer back in those days.  Now all my cousins, uncles, back there say they are loaded with deer. That's wonderful.

[darb]

MyShootinStiks,
Thats same thing my dad used to say while he was alive.  When he was a kid, just seeing a deer was a treat.  
The outlook for continued great buck opportunities for everyone, without a high price tag (i.e. hunting leases) though worries me a little.  More and more property owners are leasing, which I can't blame them for.. Ohio has great genetics, good herd size in some areas, but the public areas, I have hunted for years are getting more and more pressure during November.  

The secret is out at least, at least it is in Vt, TN, MI, SC, PA, GA, FL, and NJ.  These were all the states that I saw multiple registrations in town from the past two seasons.  
I've got NO problem with out of state hunters, as I said some of my best firends are from VT. I grew up rifle hunting there years ago, when you actually saw antlers from time to time in the big woods.

But I am just beginning to see that the increased numbers are going to lead to diminished opportunities if the trend continues. I just hope Ohio doesnt end up like Illinois, where you have to generally pay for good opportunities.  Also as someone mentioned above, don't hold back on our does.  

I am also with Buckeye, never had any issue with chiggers in late Oct to Nov as far south as Athens Co. Right now is another story altogether.