Ohio questions

[Dirtybird]

Toledo is a long ways away from Canton.  Nice flat farm land up that way with some large wooded lots interspersed between crops.

[BEN]

Salt Fork State park is straight down I-77 from Canton. Easy to get maps for the State parks. I live in Coshocton and wouldn't recommend hunting deer here----none around  

Alright---that last part MIGHT have been a little white lie......  :p  
Anyway, Woodbury public land is about 20k acres here and would take about an hour (give or take) depending on where exactly you are around Canton. Also, AEP has public hunting lands close by here (Coshocton) that only require signing up for a free permit.
can't really steer you aroundthe Canton area exactly, but there are several others trad-gangers who are liable to chime in here who can...

[59Alaskan]

Good public hunting around here.  I live 20min from Canton and 10 min from 4runr.  I am originally from Michigan.  I get by okay as a Spartan fan.

Owlbait - I will always love Michigan but hunting SE Ohio is hard to beat.   I have only lived here 4 years and have had some of my best hunts here.

My first year here I  shot over the back of a nice 6 pt on public land.  My experiences on public led me to seek out areas where squirrel hunters won't go.  Squirrel hunting is very popular here and the woods are full of them 3 weeks before archery deer opens.  The deer will have already sensed pressure for weeks before archery season.  Need to keep your eyes open for squirrel hunters too.  There is no orange requirement for squirrel hunting.  I got to carrying an orange hat with me I could take out and flash to make sure they saw me.  Had one shotgun blast too close for comfort when in a tree.  That stuff happens in any state though.

I was shocked with the quality of state land and the sheer number of squirrel hunters.

[Chester Thompson]

Thanks guys, I will definally will be in contact, I need to talk with my BIL and see what he wants to do. I would like to meet some of the nice people here, I think that we are planning on driving up at Christmas time this year, so is there any good places to shoot that won't freeze out a Texan? I moved to Texas from Minnesota, but after 8 years here I don't do cold as well as I used to.

[Dirtybird]

Chester you better bring a warm jacket come December.

[59Alaskan]

Is CTO Cross Trail Outfitters in San Antonio?

Dec in OH can be like Dec in Texas or Dec in MN.

The beauty of it here is you can have both on the same day without the drive.

[Chester Thompson]

ceme, yes CTO is the one out of San Antonio.

I was originally from Illinois and then Iowa, and then MN, and been in Texas for 8 years now, so winter currently is a thing of the past. If my wife has her way we will be back up there sometime, and someplace.

[Hoyt]

Originally posted by ceme24:
Good public hunting around here.  I live 20min from Canton and 10 min from 4runr.  I am originally from Michigan.  I get by okay as a Spartan fan.

Owlbait - I will always love Michigan but hunting SE Ohio is hard to beat.   I have only lived here 4 years and have had some of my best hunts here.

My first year here I  shot over the back of a nice 6 pt on public land.  My experiences on public led me to seek out areas where squirrel hunters won't go.  Squirrel hunting is very popular here and the woods are full of them 3 weeks before archery deer opens.  The deer will have already sensed pressure for weeks before archery season.  Need to keep your eyes open for squirrel hunters too.  There is no orange requirement for squirrel hunting.  I got to carrying an orange hat with me I could take out and flash to make sure they saw me.  Had one shotgun blast too close for comfort when in a tree.  That stuff happens in any state though.

I was shocked with the quality of state land and the sheer number of squirrel hunters.

It's not a good feeling to be sitting up in a tree deer hunting with squirrel hunters shooting .22's near by.

[buckeye_hunter]

Shane,
You might want to check out Lake La Sue Ann Wildlife Area. Much closer to Toledo.

[owlbait]

Colin, the fellas I hunt with get 150" bucks on a regular basis. The first time I hunted there I saw a HUGE forkhorn that looked like a muley buck. When I told my buckeye buddies I saw a nice 4 pt they dressed me down."What's wrong with you guys from Michigan? Ain't no such thing as a NICE 4pt. Just a damn scrub buck!" I did end up shooting a "scrub" 5pt that had a growth on his nose. Called him Rudolph!

[Shane C]

Thanks Charlie! Yeah, I'd live to get a nice buck with my bow. Heck, I'd like to get anything with my bow. I haven't accomplished that yet.

[buckeye_hunter]

Owlbait,

Where are you and your buddies hunting? Like you mentioned before, down near Zanesville? I used to own a small farm down there(7 miles south of Zanesville) and many HUGE bucks were shot on, in and around my old property. A 209 inch non-typical was shot off that property 3 years ago.

Chester,
To keep this tied into the original question; I have personally seen 150 class bucks, maybe bigger, down on Trivalley Wildlife area. 2 1/2 hour drive from Canton. I also agree with looking onto Saltfork State Park area. I used to fish and camp there as a kid. Ridiculous amounts of deer near the golf course!

All the above being said, I couldn't care less personally about trophy antlers. They are nice, but I love seeing any deer period! They all give me the shakes when they get close.

[59Alaskan]

Shane,

The Toledo area is very different than the area most of these guys are referencing.  Both have plenty of farms that are fueling some of these big deer, but the Toledo area is flat as a board compared to the rolling hills around Zanesville.  There are woodlots in the Toledo area and little large / dense woods as compared to the Zanesville / SE Ohio area.

There are still plenty of good hunting near Toledo but SE Ohio has a better reputation to be honest.

Personally, where I hunt, the population isn't what it was a few years ago but it's still good.  The DNR has been very liberal with doe cull permits for farmers in the past 5 years or so.  Significant numbers of does have been culled.  This past season I was lucky to see half the deer I used to.  That issue is one that you are starting to hear about here on very localized levels where the farmers get the permits and are very effective in using them.  And/or maybe it's the coyote boom.  Or both.

[buckeye_hunter]

ceme24 is right about public land deer numbers. They are WAY down with the liberal limits and booming coyote population in many places. The golden rule of going where other people are not willing to travel pays well. It is a lot of work, but the deer are there if you have the ability/will to walk distances.

[Shane C]

Well, I'm not against driving a few hours to go to a good place to hunt. I'm definitely not against hiking in an area. I think last year bow hunting for elk we hiked 10-12 miles.

[Chester Thompson]

I just wanted to say that I have not been replying much, but I have been looking at the places that you have been talking about. Once I have a better idea of timeframe I will be asking more specific questions. Thanks again for the help.

[bansheewins]

I am also from Canton lived there my entire life.  6 years ago moved to Navarre which is 10 minutes on the South side right off 21.  Chester, if they live in Canal Fulton they are in some prime area.  There are MANY big bucks roaming all around Canal Fulton and the Massillon area.  There is plenty of public land within close driving as others have mentioned but once he is here long enough to just ask a few people he will get some private land.

[tuscarawasbowman]

Chester- P.M.d you.

[hvyhitter]

itty bitty deer near Zanesville...................

[GingivitisKahn]

Deer? Wha?  Nah - those are all in MI.  Ohio has only ticks and coyotes and things.  ;-)