Ansel

Would someone tell me what the deer hunting pressure is like in Ohio - especially for Bow. I'm in Michigan and wouldn’t mind coming down for a week of bow hunting in the fall. How open are farmers to giving permission to hunt their farms/land? Thanks for your feedback.

Pro-Line

Ansel, it really depends on where you want to hunt. In Northwestern Ohio, the deer numbers aren't booming...but there are deer. I'm not sure what the pressure is like there.

In central Ohio,(Where I live) there are tons of deer, but permission is hard to come by and public land is limited and sometimes crowded.

In southern Ohio, there are all kinds of deer. I'm not sure about permission, but there are like 200,000 acres of public land. (Wayne nat'l and other places)

GOOD LUCK!!!

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Beeg

I live in west central Ohio. In my business I know the majority of farmers in my county and have plenty of places to hunt but I find that if they let one guy hunt they will give permission to anyone who asks. Get a pattern on a good buck figured out , then go out Saturday morning and and see three other guys hunting the same area. The last six years I have driven 4 and 5 times each fall to hunt northern Michigan . Sorry to sound so negative but the peace and quietness of the north is what its all about to me. By the way I know several real good bowhunters and they don't see the bucks like they did 10 years ago in our area. More houses being built and more gun and bowhunters. In addition we don't have the public land like Southeastern Ohio has. When I hunted Ross County there was alot of bowhunting pressure on public land . Good Luck!!!

Pro-Line

Beeg, I know exactly what you're saying. I live in Central Ohio, too...and the big bucks aren't as plentiful as they used to be.

I have 4 or 5 farms I can hunt. Problem is (like you said) the farmers let everybody hunt. I usually kill a deer each year, but the past 2 years I never saw a buck.

There are still some big ones around, I just don't see them like I did 15 years ago.

Ansel

Thanks for the info. It sounds like the same song up here. Beeg I live in Marquette Co. in Northern Michigan. I hunt the "big woods" and can relate to what your experience. Gun season gets pretty crazy especially that first week. Bow season isn't that bad but lately the quality if bucks has not been there. I was hoping that if I went down into some of the farms in Southern OH., I might have better luck. Got me scratching my head now. Thanks again.

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Ansel

Thanks, I'll continue with my research and check out a few more sources I have. I agree that this would take more than a day and plat books are worth there weight in gold.
I've been successful in the past by taking adds out in local news papers and it usually produces some good leads. So I may decide to try that option. Thanks again.

SingleShot

Ansel, How far south do you want to Travel in OHIO? Check out Shawnee State Forrest it over 60,000 Acres in Scioto and Adams Co. It got a 8000 Acres wilderness area,You get in the middle of this area you might see another hunter in a week of Bow hunting .Also Brush Creek Wildlife area in scioto co. Then there Tranquility Wildlife Area, it in adams co.,it got 4254 acres to hunt on,
Talk to some of the farmers in these's areas, yes they get gun hunted, but it not that bad in Bow Season so far.Also Mead Paper has land to hunt on in the area write or call them for a map.

Ploopy

I live in west central Ohio .The largest woods around here is 40 acres.There is probably 3-8 treestands in every woods.The deer herd is low.Everyone surrounds the woods and shoots whatever comes out.It was better in the early 80's I know of only 3 bowhunters
in a 40 mile radius back then.

Edited by - ploopy on 02/25/2002 21:08:05