What should I do....

[DLuke]

I would like to come out to Ohio in the next couple years for the late muzzleloader season.  What would be my best bet for getting into some decent deer hunting?  I know there is a ton of state land, but everything you hear is that private property is the key.  We'd be looking at SE Ohio... What is the likelihood of door to door permission for a father and son?  Is there "pay to play" for the four days...like a four day lease of a farm?  Any insight anybody could give would be greatly appreciated!!  DL 

[Winter Hawk]

I work for the Wayne National Forest and hunt on N.F. land.  This year I was out with my son for half a day, saw two deer but they were running shots, and saw three other guys in orange.  That was on Utah Ridge, which gets very heavy use.  You might want to get on the Wayne website and look at the maps.  Our land is in mixed patches with private, and some gets very little use while other is hit pretty hard.  You do need to know where the boundary is so you don't get off the Forest.

-WH-

[DLuke]

Thanks for the response White Hawk...I have looked around online at the Wayne.  It is huge!  As big as our neighboring state of Rhode Island, so it makes sense that there should be areas that get very little or no pressure.  It is definitely an option, but to drive out there for deer numbers that I might be able to get right here is the issue.  We just want to see deer with a good chance of coming home with multiple deer...antlers don't matter.  Thanks again....any other thoughts?

[sk330lc]

Just so you know!   Private property Is mixed in with Wayne national forest..   Most owners will not give you permission and will Press charges. If you mess up and get on them..  
 Wayne nationl forest is a JOKE!  1.) They buy land and never pay for it 2.) They try to control everything around. 3) It's like everything else the Goverment touches. (They mess it up.)  If you don't beleave me ask anyone that boarders Wayne nation forest.
Your best bet is to go through an outfitter.  Or come in advance and talk to people..   Noble and washington Co's.  Have AEP , and B&N Strip ground you can hunt. You have to get permits to hunt it though.  

[DLuke]

By going through an Outfitter, are we talking about a guided hunt?  That's the last thing I'd want to do.  If an outfitter is just a guy who has a bunch of leased farms at his disposal that he can put you on, that's a different story.  I'd do that for the right price...  Details??

[sk330lc]

Exactly.  There are a few outfits That do what your wanting.   I don't know the names of any though. 
I Seem to remember, there are a few in Morgan co.  Try doing a Google search    

[john-78]

winterhawk, what part of wayne, nelsonville or marrietta?  would love to pick your brain a little.

dluke, i live in SE ohio, this year they were all ready starting to shed before ml started.  as far as door knocking, you probably woulden't have much luck.  we have a problem down here with the city crowd from columbus, they seem to think all of hocking county belongs to old mans cave, and that all of athens county belongs to wayne.  ml down here is pretty good though it's a couple of weeks after the extended gun weekend, so most of the deer are on the move during mid day.  i had about 20 good shots at big does on mon. and tue. but i was looking for a big buck i saw the week prior.  (problem was he wasn't looking for me)  can't tell you much about state land hunting, i tried it once years ago in muskingum county, and i'll never do it again.  your best bet to get land rights would be spring and summer coyotes to build a good relationship.  hope this helps.
                                         john

[DLuke]

Thanks for all the updates and information guys, I appreciate them.  As a lifelong Maine and Massachusetts hunter, I've never really had the opportunity to hunt a higher population of deer.  Maine kills as many deer all Fall long through bow/rifle/muzzle (@25,000 deer) as you do in just that four day muzzleloader season!!  Massachusetts kills half that number (12-13,000).  What my dad and I are looking for is a chance to go kick'em around a bit, get some kicked into us, and maybe end the year with some good memories...  Keep the information coming guys!  Thanks....  DL 

[shaner]

if ya wanted to hunt central ohio  people here usually give bout anyone  permission to hunt  lots of farming land and small woodlots , danville area in knox county , or check out richland , knox, morrow , plus  lots of state ground  that butts up against farms , ton of deer big bodied deer

[BIG Dog454]

OH: Hunters Take 24,078 White-tailed Deer During Statewide Muzzleloader Season
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft
   


 
"Hunters took 24,078 deer during Ohio's four-day muzzleloader season, January 9-12, with Tuscarawas County again leading the state with 1,345 deer checked. In 2008, a preliminary total of 20,659 deer was taken during muzzleloader season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife."

"Counties reporting the highest number of deer checked during the muzzleloader season included: Tuscarawas-1,345; Harrison-1,025; Guernsey-1,000; Washington-937; Athens-816; Belmont-735; Coshocton-692; Licking-679; Meigs-645; and Jefferson-616."

"A total of 251,826 deer have been harvested so far this season ... Hunters took a total of 252,017 deer during all of last year's hunting seasons." .

[Winter Hawk]

John78,

I am one of the engineering techs for both the Athens area as well as Marietta, trying to keep our roads in fair shape.  I'll try to answer questions if I can.

We get hammered pretty hard by ATV enthusiasts during summer and hunters during fall.  The roads get closed to vehicles later in the winter when the roads are soft to keep them from getting torn up.  Last spring I met an older gentleman out walking with his English Setter and a pretty little 28 ga. side-by-side double, who had been up in the hills after grouse.  He didn't have any but he had a great time without seeing anyone but me.  Once the roads are opened, we get the Columbus crowd and lots of out of staters riding the trails.  On holiday weekends it gets to be a zoo.  Folks move in several days early to stake out their camp spots.  Lots of those rigs are way too spendy for this boy.  If I had the price for what I see out there, I'd retire!

-WH-

[john-78]

winterhawk, that was my question exactly, is there a certain season for the quadbikes?  i'd like to go walk some of the trails, but i've seen how those guy's drive on the road pulling their bikes, i shure don't want to be around them when their riding.  (all county tag 25)  alot of them that i see at valero in rockbridge seem to be drunk, not talking a few, but drunk drunk.  I hope this isn't an allowed practice at the park.  also, do they ever put on any coyote drives?  thanks ,  john