Ohio - Public Land

[pcappy08]

Leatherneck, Just based on the picture alone is  worth the exploration and research...they dont get much more impressive looking than that guy...i guess the next step is to start looking at topo maps and such...thanks again all!

[hvyhitter]

The tri-valley area is reclamed strip mine area. Many small pockets of wildlife area between farms. Lots of open rolling hills of grass and scub with hardwoods left in the vallys and some ridgelines,lots of funnels.  Some ares are a good hike in from limited road accesspre-season scouting can really help. Have hunted it about ten years and have my own favorite spots. Have been thinking of looking into Egypt valley also this year.

[T.J.]

AEP is a great place to hunt

[IronCreekArcher]

AEP?  

[IronCreekArcher]

Oh I got it...American Electric Power...where does one start in all that country?

[Kevin Dill]

I live about 30 minutes from Tar Hollow. Although I don't hunt it, I have walked on much of it and I'll say this:  If you want to get some exercise, hunt big hills, feel alone, and be in the company of lots of deer...Tar Hollow is a prime consideration. Some of those deep hollows feel semi-wilderness.

Kevin Dill

[Cherokee Scout]

I have hunted some of the National Forest in Ohio.
They are nice, but they can get crowded with other hunters.

[Three Arrows]

All the public wildlife areas get a considerable amount of people and you will come across others unless you go in further.  I have also hunted in sight of a main road and had deer stand further in and look out towards the crops until dark.  If I see bags and bones in ditches along fields, I don't hunt there.  I have traveled to all of the major wildlife areas in Ohio in the past 25 years.  My top 2 places for both size and solitude.  Avondale and Tri-Valley.

[Day Dreamer]

Ive hunted Ohio power "Sunday Creek" butts right up to wayne national without the allowed atv access that wayne has. Great rough terrain lots of deer and plenty of solitude "bow season"

[IronCreekArcher]

What about a National Forest pick?  I know that Wayne is large but which are quality in the numbers of decent deer with few people?

[buckeye_hunter]

Tranquility is supposed to be great with less pressure.

You will have many fellow hunters at Dillon. I have spent some time over there and there is heavier pressure. You can get away from the pressure with some effort.

Hunted Kildeer last year. Not many deer, but those that are there are big-bodied. Very low pressure during bow season.

[Archer Fanatic]

I have found that the national forest land around Wolf Creek WMA in Morgan County does not get much pressure when I'm there. We are talking thousands of acres.

[djanko]

More Deer in Kildeer than you think! Great place top bow hunt...very few people, I have seldom seen any people??  See the deer that is attached to my author name...I shot him in Kildeer, he was a massive 8pt, 294lbs, scored 161 gross!  Kildeer rocks!

Also, shot a 131 in 2007...lots of good deer.

[IronCreekArcher]

djanko,

It looks like there are not a lot of trees there...did you hunt from the ground or around the lakes and ponds?  It also looks to be difficult to find an area next to the refuge to hunt.  If you shoot a deer and it runs into the refuge are you allowed to retrieve it?  Thanks a bunch...

[pcappy08]

djanko
thats a toad of an 8pt congrats on an amazing deer! and thanks all for the tips and advice!

[djanko]

There are plenty of tree...you just have to do some exploring.  My 161 and my 131 were both shot from 2 wooden ladder stands that I dragged in and left them there for the last 3 years.  Probably replace this year.  Again, virtually no bow hunts this area...especially if you go in 1/4 mile or so.  Regarding the refuge, you can go in an pick up you deer...no problem.  

I know I will be down there again this year, especially Nov 1 - Nov 15!!!

[darb]

PCappy- check out Ohiosportsman.com.  Lots of info on public hunting there.  Just don't listen to any of those local folks saying to stay home because there are any big bucks in Southern Ohio! There is so much out there you can never begin to cover it.    

I've been hunting various areas of WNF for almost ten years and certain areas are seeing a serious increase in pressure during the first two weeks of November. Not as bad as the orange army invasion during gun season, but I saw more plates this past November from Mi, Ms, Nj, Vt, Tn and PA thean I ever have before.  

There is still plenty of great places to get away from hunters.  Also check the Wayne National Forest site and call them.  They have always been helpful as can be and you can get maps/topos of the different federal areas (units).  Good luck
Darb

[Cherokee Scout]

Wayne National forest can be crowded. Last two years there have been guys coming in from other states (N. Carolina) who run 4 wheelers in violation of the law. They have ruined more than one hunt and location for us. We taked to them about this, they say they are going to do whatever they want ot do, do not care about the 4 wheeler law.
We reported them to Forest rangers and Game Wardens, so far nothing has been done.
Real arrogant jerks.

[pcappy08]

I cant stand the abuse of 4 wheelers on public land, its rampant on state land here too, and i have never seen anything done about it, nothing worse than going far back super early to avoid the crowds then to have some lazy guy ride up on a quad right after sunrise.

[BEN]

You can also check out Woodbury public land---23,000 acres. It's where I live and hunt almost exclusively.
VERY busy during gun seasons and a little less so during the 2 wks. around the rut-----but in my experience------most hunters don't go too far off the oil-well roads. And sometimes you don't have too either, because you can walk down the road and then in and others will drive by because it's too much walking or something.

You can check it out on Google Earth. Good mix of habitats from open grass and swampland, to very dense woods with some hard wood patches thrown in. It is all re-claimed strip mine land so it can be rough and jagged in places.

ben