chipshot

Curious if anyone else hunts this huge plot of public land? I' ve put in two separate hunting trips in the last two bow seasons and had no luck, but saw lots of deer activity. It' s a beautiful place, but I' m only scratching the surface at this point. I' m finding good afternoon spots to treestand hunt, but these same places are tough to get to in the early morning because the deer are feeding in the corn stubble that I have to walk across to get to my spots. Anybody else hunt this area and what sections in particular? I' m scratching my head over what to look for in an early morning tree stand location.

Woody116

I wish I could remember where we hunted it. I went there two times about 4-5 years ago with a group that hunted it regular. Two of the guys took a couple nice bucks a few years before we went. One was a 10 pt from less than 10 yards.
The one weekend that I went I saw a doe the first day and two fawns the second. The other trip was rained out.

The only thing I remember was that we had to drive thru a creek then turn left. I then walked about 150-200 yards (,maybe more/less) to a ravine and then down in there. We camped out at a private ground near the town down there. (This could maybe give you the direction)
Wish I could be more help, but at least I can say that I had some " success"

Don K

Problem with 4-5 years ago and now is they have developed the park alot since then. New campgounds, biketrails, roads, etc.

I might be hunting there myself this year for a week or 2. Cant give you any tips but im sure the more time spent there the more that will be learned.

Don

chipshot

Don K,

I was able to do a little scouting out a Panther Creek this weekend and we jumped a lot of deer. With 16,000 acres to choose from I' m finding it best to choose a small section and stick with it. By the second season, I found better traveled deer routes than the year before and got myself closer to the deer activity. Hope to be down there again for a block of time this next bow season.

I guess I' m asking more in general terms about terrain like Panther Creek and what makes a good morning set up when the deer are usually up top in the corn or beans all night. I' m assuming they are going into the ravines or even the flood plain to bed during the day. I' m talking about the end of October or early November when most to the fields have already been harvested. Don, hope to see you down there sometime.

Don K

Chipshot,

If i end up down there it will be in November. I have the 2 weeks off prior to slug season. Now if isnt 90 and tanning weather i should hit a good part of the rut.

Buckeyemike

I have a buddy that hunts panther creek. There are a lot of deer there but from what he has told me the good areas are int the back. I hunt middle fork by danvill. If you ever come out this way I would be happy to show ya some goodspots. I hunt aroun the power plant and Ill tell ya there are some big boys there. I was out scouting a coupoe weeks ago and found an area with soe trees the size of power poles tore up. I have seen quite a few 140 160 class deer. I can talk to my buddy though about panther creek and get back to ya. Good Luck.

chipshot

Buckeyemike,

Thanks for the help and your offer. It sounds like you are on to some good places. I have to look up Middle fork on IDNR website. Thanks

Buckeyemike

I just wanted to let you know look up in the boon and crocket and pope and young record books from 1981 to present and count the deer turned in from vermillion county they have the most record deer by county then the rest. even pike. Just thought you would be interested in that. Middle fork is located in Vermillion County, another good area is Kikapoo and Kennykut the parks are all attached next to one anther with a river sepperating Kennykut from Middlefork and Kikapoo. Im Telling ya its PRIME AREA to hunt. The only Down side it takes a lot of scouting to figure the deer out. I have probrabley told you too much already. But beleive me I have not told you every thing. I usually spend as much time scouting after season as I do hunting . And I hunt ever chance I get. Well good luck. PS I have found that my morning hunts are more succesful hunting the Oak ridges along the edges of the thickets. The bucks tend to come out of the botttoms to feed on the acorns and bed along the ridges by the thicketsof a morning. I think they do this so they can see the bottoms and also here anything coming through the thickets.

chipshot

Buckeyemike,

Thanks for the tip on hunting the ridges with oaks in the morning. I was able to get down there and scout again last weekend and found a couple of the exact set ups you are talking about. Found an obvious bedding spot with thick deadfall on the back side overlooking the creek below and huge white oaks on the ridge all around him. During pre-rut and rut, do the white oak acorns draw the bucks in over corn or beans?

Buckeyemike

I usually will hunt the beans of an evening and the ridges in the moring. I have exsperienced more Buck sightiungs in the mornigs along the top of the ridges edge clos enough to the edge that you could shoot a Deer crossing through on a sadle bellow.. It seems that expecially during rut the Bucks will go to the bedding areas looking for Does. They seem to graze through the acorns as they try to wind the thickets. When I talked about the thickets before I did not say it but that is why I sid along the thickets.Another strategy I use is Hunting in the pine trees. I will hunt the pines any time morning evening all day. I dont know why but pines are magnets for Does and bucks. I know of some pine trees at clinton lake. I killed many deer there. Any way useing these ridges for morning hunts works. I Killed two deer useing this method within 30 seconds of one another. If you come down any time soon E-mail me and I will show you some decent spots. Take it easy. PS Within the past 5 years I have killed 20 deer Bow hunting useing this method. I know it works. GOOD LUCK!