BOWHUNTERCOP

My friend just called me, we have a chance to lease 300 acres of land starting in the 2012 season, we could have it for this year but we have other hunts planned. From what he told me this land hasn't been hunted in a few years.

My questions would be of course how is the hunting in Athens County, also is it known for good deer numbers and good bucks?

From what he also said, is that a few years ago on the land next door a 200" plus buck was killed which was on the cover of North American Whitetail Magazine

foo

Hi there, we own 2 sections in Meigs county which is the next county south of Athens county. Athens has more hills, steeper than Meigs, depending where your lease is you might be hunting up and down all day, a long shot is 100yds.most of my shots are 25 to 40 yds. Again depending where your lease is, you might find Mead paper company land which was clear cut 40 to 50 years ago and replanted with pines, or land that logged and Oaks,Red Bud, Maples, and Hickory have grown up. You will also find lots of pastures, with the price of beef and feed up a lot of farmers are running cattle in pastures (organic beef). The town of Athens is the headquarters for the district ODNR, you can get some good info from them, and OU the #1 party college is there also. Athens is not what you would call a rich county, no industry,except coal, no jobs,most people there are just getting by, there are a lot of locals that think nothing of meat hunting year around too. I've seen some 160+ deer being checked in during bow season, gun season most people will shoot the first set of antlers they see and swear the dead deer had 10pts through the scope. Gun season is shotgun,muzzle loader, or 357 or bigger pistol. As for game lots of deer and quite a lot of the big boys, I see more turkeys during the fall than spring turkey season.My neighbors son lives in the northern part Athens county and has shot 3 or 4 wild hogs around where he's at, hope they don't make into Meigs. Deer processing fees the average is $50-$75 cut, wrapped, and frozen. Checking deer in this Ohio has started a phone in system so you don't have to drive 30+ miles to a check station anymore, hope that works out! Most deer camps have at least a couple of quads in camp to get to your stand and drag the deer out like I said you might be hunting up and down all day. Hope this helps Foo

BOWHUNTERCOP

thanks for the info Foo!!

buckeye guy

I used to hunt Athens county quite a bit.Yes, It can be hilly for sure....Deer in all of Ohio...Not always a lot of guys in the rough hilly areas so theres always big bucks, on the other hand theres always somebody hunting on your land , posted or not !