Question for the Ohio guys (or those familiar with the state)

14 years of Northern Maine may be given up on next year. Our crew is likley to abort that mission due to age of some guys, and conditions where we have been hunting. We like the idea of pushing into big woods on foot, getting away from 95% of the other hunters. The lumbering where we have been hunting has been aggressive, and the woods are now thinned out and very accessible. No mature buck tracks found this year at all.

So we are looking at Ohio as a potential destination. I have researched this before and found a large public forest in the Southwest portion of the state. Not having ever seen the area, I am hoping somebody here may be familiar with that area, or have other suggestions for us. We don't need to shoot a deer! That may be strange to some, but it is a fact. What we want is to have a chance at a real mature buck. We (5 of us) took 7 deer over 13 years at our Maine location. That was acceptable. For years we had many other good bucks close to being on the hook. We never shot small bucks. The buck I took this year was the smallest of the 7 we tagged (http://www.firewoodhoardersclub.com/forums/index.php?threads/whos-hunting-this-season.108/page-4). We just need to find big woods where we can get away from most of the orange hats. Is this possible in Ohio?

 

A buddy of mine goes to Ohio with a group of guys each year for bow season. They only hunt public land and every year someone kills a bruiser! They put a ton of leg work in while they're there though. And it tends to pay off

 

I agree with Swags.....Public land in Ohio is pretty congested in gun season. Private land is also a lot different than it was 20-25 years ago. Many of the big farms have been sold off in parcels so the bigger areas have multiple owners with some that let you hunt and some that don't. Then you have a lot of the large farms that still exist that most have entered lease agreements with groups of hunters.

 

In this part of ohio you would be hard pressed to get away from orange hats on any public land. I actually loathe Ohio's gun season because it is short and it seems everyone and their brother are out there running deer. I have mainly bow hunted the last few years to get away from the crowds.

 

Probably ruffle some feathers, but if you want to just come to Ohio to shoot bucks stay in New Jersey. I feel Ohio needs to institute a doe before buck rule. That would cut down on out of staters, but I'm wishing because money talks.

 

I certainly wouldn't go to any other state to shoot does. There was 15 next to my house on the way in tonight. Mostly grass and corn fed. Deer hunting has become big business, been that way for decades. My desire is to have access only. No tree house with a window and door. No guy sitting with me to tell me if I paid enough to shoot what may show up. No computer program showing me what comes out and at what time. Just want woods and a population that gets a chance to age. Thankfully I have taken some sizeable bucks and don't have any need to pay the big bucks to go get another. My Maine hunt was under 800 all in for 6 days of hunting.

 

my land is a preserve no hunting.

 

If you want to head south I could put you on some public land that will give you hardwood draws and pine ridges that seldom see an orange hat.
Do you guys pull campers or rough it up there in ME? plenty of both "camping" styles avaible
Gun season from ~Nov 20 - Jan 31, rut can be finicky though late Dec-early Jan...usually

 

We have had some really nice cabins to stay in in Maine. The one we stayed in most often is this one-

Slept 6 easily and was clean. Separate bath house that had hot water/showers/toilets. Only felt like you were roughing it when you had to scurry across the yard in the cold air. No campers used. Wouldn't have a problem using one, just don't have one to use. We are looking at a campsite setup as a possibility now, but would try to find a cabin to rent for the week. I had been looking at Wayne Forest. There looks to be some large state forests.

 

If the 5 of you consider getting 7 nice bucks in 13 years "acceptable", you don't need "big woods" like the Wayne Forest to do that here in Ohio ..................... I can just walk out back on my 25 acres and do that! If I'm lucky, I might see one of my neighbors orange caps way-way off in the distance too! We do grow them big here. Took a nice doe and had a big buck experience yesterday that I'll post soon.

 

Hunting in NJ is all about hats; avoiding them. That is why the most important thing to me is to be alone in the woods. Taking a nice buck needs only be a realistic possibility. If I cross paths with a good mature buck, my week is made. Once in a while I will come out on top of that meeting. That is all I can ask.

 

I do with an in-line 50 cal. scoped. Is that legal there? When is that season and for how long?

 

If that's all you are looking for you can drive west 8 hr and do that on my modest place ................... PM me.

 

Jaunary 4-7 ............... They had an early one for the first time this year October 12-13, but I had not heard about it and missed it.