# Public land hunters



## hopintocash2

So with the gun seasons over, curious as to how your public hunting has gone this year. Getting better, worse, or about the same? Mine was bad, but I think I need to find a new area. Pretty crowded this year.


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## FAB

hopintocash2 said:


> So with the gun seasons over, curious as to how your public hunting has gone this year. Getting better, worse, or about the same? Mine was bad, but I think I need to find a new area. Pretty crowded this year.


My brother and I have hunted public land for a long time now. This year we did change to a new area, we had been hunting the Egypt Valley wildlife area and had done well there until last year. So this year we move more southwest to the Wayne National Forest area just outside Glouster. We stayed at Burr Oak and hunted from there.
We both did well and tagged a couple nice deer but the outstanding thing about the area is the size. We hunted 5 days there and did not see one other hunter in the woods.There were very few cars and trucks parked along the road going into the area we hunted . But then again we were hunting in an area with a huge expanse of public property and very lightly populated in all directions around it. If you were hunting anywhere near home you have smaller parcels of hunting area with a very dense population surrounding it and wanting to hunt. West Branch is a no go except for Bow season, Ladue and Berlin are okay during Muzzle loader but again gun is crowded . Don't know if you hunt with anyone or have the means to camp but if I were you I would head south, at least for the gun season.


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## Flathead76

I was driving around WNF around 10 am this morning. Only saw 5 vehicles in 20 mins of driving. Wouldn't say the pressure was too bad for gun season.


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## SmallieKing

I hunted yesterday morning here in SW Ohio. There were 14 trucks at the small property I hunted and 20 more at another property not far away. So it's safe to say that the public around here is get hit pretty hard. I was fortunate enough to be invited to go with a friend yesterday afternoon on his cousins farm and we both harvested bucks. With not much public around in this part of the state I normally stick to hunting Indiana until I tag out.


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## Erieangler51

The sign is there at west branch but I think with it being so close to akron canton the pressure pushes them into the super thick stuff or the surrounding private property and they stay bedded until way after dark. Hunted there yesterday for a few hours just to get out and didn't want to drive down to Seneca to private property. Didn't see anything but 10-15 other hunters and no1 else I talked to see anything but 1 coyote. We used to shoot deer at Atwood years ago but haven't been there in years. We hunt private land down at Seneca but every Saturday of gun season we drive the public land with 10-20 guys and usually shoot a few. But again less people down there to compete with.


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## hopintocash2

We hunted Woodbury for the week of gun, we have had pretty good success there in years past, but a lot of hunters this year. We drove over to the AEP lands on tues and there were quite a few hunters there as well. Stayed home and hunted behind the house for the 2 day. I didn't go out to west branch but I live close enough to hear shooting, and i heard very little. Maybe mz will pan out.


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## FAB

hopintocash2 said:


> We hunted Woodbury for the week of gun, we have had pretty good success there in years past, but a lot of hunters this year. We drove over to the AEP lands on tues and there were quite a few hunters there as well. Stayed home and hunted behind the house for the 2 day. I didn't go out to west branch but I live close enough to hear shooting, and i heard very little. Maybe mz will pan out.


One of the reasons I decided against Woodbury, Tri Valley, Powelson, Simco or Dillon this year was their proximity to I-70 and I-77 it is a straight shot to either of these from Columbus or Cleveland via these interstates but if you look at any area below I-70 there is no easy way to get to it save a bunch of twists and turns. I think that fact alone helps make them the "Famous Five" when it comes to public land destinations in Ohio. While the deer kill in those counties is usually at or near the top of the list is not due to a larger deer herd but more hunters in the equation. I think the individual hunter success ratios for these areas are actually less than for the areas reporting smaller harvests. in other words if an area has 10 hunters that harvest 5 deer their success ratio is 50% if an area has 100 hunters that harvest 25 deer then their success ratio is 25% . Half as many hunters killed deer even though the area produced 5 times as many kills as the area with twice the ratio where 1 in 2 hunters killed a deer.


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## supercanoe

FAB said:


> One of the reasons I decided against Woodbury, Tri Valley, Powelson, Simco or Dillon this year was their proximity to I-70 and I-77 it is a straight shot to either of these from Columbus or Cleveland via these interstates but if you look at any area below I-70 there is no easy way to get to it save a bunch of twists and turns. I think that fact alone helps make them the "Famous Five" when it comes to public land destinations in Ohio. While the deer kill in those counties is usually at or near the top of the list is not due to a larger deer herd but more hunters in the equation. I think the individual hunter success ratios for these areas are actually less than for the areas reporting smaller harvests. in other words if an area has 10 hunters that harvest 5 deer their success ratio is 50% if an area has 100 hunters that harvest 25 deer then their success ratio is 25% . Half as many hunters killed deer even though the area produced 5 times as many kills as the area with twice the ratio where 1 in 2 hunters killed a deer.


There is some truth to that for sure. You also have to look at the geographic size of the County. Licking, Muskingum, and Coshocton are all larger in land mass than some SouthEast Counties that have lower kills. It would be interesting to see the number of deer killed per square mile on a county by county basis.


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## FAB

supercanoe said:


> There is some truth to that for sure. You also have to look at the geographic size of the County. Licking, Muskingum, and Coshocton are all larger in land mass than some SouthEast Counties that have lower kills. It would be interesting to see the number of deer killed per square mile on a county by county basis.


That's the other half of the equation, for sure.


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## hopintocash2

Hunter success rate per county would be cool also. That would be tough data to track. I guess there must have been deer near me at Woodbury judging by the amount of shooting. With the amount of hunters and shooting i didn't want to movr much.


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## bdawg

I hunted Ladue during the 2 day gun season and didn't see anything. I only heard 2 shots the first day! I walked around and didn't see any fresh sign in the area. I had scouted that area before the first gun season and saw enough sign to be interested. They must have been run off during the first gun season. I don't bother to hunt West Branch. It's not worth it. 

My dad and I have hunted Tappan Lake for 15 years. We used to do well and get multiple shots at multiple deer. We would both usually get a deer. However, the last few years, someone has started bowhunting the private land next to the public land we hunt and the population has crashed! We are only seeing one deer at a time instead of groups of 3, 4, or 5. We are only getting one shot per season. Very disappointed, and looking for new land.


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## c. j. stone

The main prob with Public Land hunting is you have to go before the gun seasons(bow, of course) or the first day of gun season. If not, the "very efficient", large groups have been there and driven off(or shot) everything in those woods with split hooves. For an example, I went turkey hunting to Clendening one Spring. Usually, in such a big area, you would expect to see some deer sign. There wasn't as much as one track in the mud. Talked to an old timer I ran into in the woods and asked why no deer sign? He said there was a fair deer population before the previous gun season TIL the drive&blockers showed up and killed most(if not all) of them the first day or so of deer week.(Heard and saw no turkeys either)!


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## WISH IT WAS YOU

I've been hunting Wayne the last few years and during gun you can most certainly expect to see people walking though your area I hunt Hockin/ athens county and it gets crowded zaleski is even worse more and more people I must have heard well over 200 shots the first day lead flying everywhere I still get my deer outa there but its tough had a very tough season on the wayne during bow season I shot my buck out there because people had jumped it up too me


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## UNCLEMIKE

I am sure you guys have heard the term food deserts. These are areas in the inner cities where there are no grocery stores. Well the state is allowing our pubic lands to become deer deserts. Pay the farmer/land owner to lease or you may need a new hobby. I agree with the previous poster... get em during bow or first day of gun or stay home! Those hunting private land cannot hope to understand the frustration with watching our once great public hunting go hell.


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## catmoris

Around 20 straw hat on first gun day at Salt Fork = we didn't see deer in four days of hunting


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## bdawg

Public land hunting has never been great, but I would like to have at least a chance to shoot some game when I go out!

I hunted Tappan again for the first day of muzzleloader season. I didn't see any or even any hunters out there in my section of woods! I also didn't hear any shots at all!!! I got worried that I had the wrong weekend, so I checked the dates again on my phone! I was there until noon and didn't hear any shots. I walked around a bit and only saw 2 fresh tracks! I need to find a new area before next year!


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## Erieangler51

We saw around 20 deer this weekend down south on public land all driving nothing just walked up on us while sitting. Fresh sign everywhere. Just gotta get to where the deer are and if not in a decent sized group get out early season and search for spots off the beaten path to try that look promising. The deer are in public woods. After shotgun you really gotta put some leg work In to find them after they've been pushed around and shot at. My buddy has a tracker on his phone and by Saturday night he had walked 5.6 miles and I did 2 more drives than him so I'm guessing I was more towards 7 miles. We were on hands and knees at some points going through briar patches that I wouldn't even send my dog through but that's where majority of our deer came from where not many are willing to go.

We never sat our private land we were just constantly moving patch of woods to patch of woods


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## UNCLEMIKE

Erieangler51 said:


> We saw around 20 deer this weekend down south on public land all driving nothing just walked up on us while sitting. Fresh sign everywhere. Just gotta get to where the deer are and if not in a decent sized group get out early season and search for spots off the beaten path to try that look promising. The deer are in public woods. After shotgun you really gotta put some leg work In to find them after they've been pushed around and shot at. My buddy has a tracker on his phone and by Saturday night he had walked 5.6 miles and I did 2 more drives than him so I'm guessing I was more towards 7 miles. We were on hands and knees at some points going through briar patches that I wouldn't even send my dog through but that's where majority of our deer came from where not many are willing to go.
> 
> We never sat our private land we were just constantly moving patch of woods to patch of woods


The old.... deer are there you just have to look harder, longer or in different places is less and less true with each passing year. Sure they are there but in many areas the number gets to be less and less each year. There are still good pockets and as always you need to step on them to get them to move this time of year. Bottom line though I take serious issue with anyone trying to say the public land herds are anywhere near at population levels that we had five years ago and they were by no means that heavy back then. The good old days were 10 years ago on public lands in general.


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## UNCLEMIKE

Erieangler51 said:


> The sign is there at west branch but I think with it being so close to akron canton the pressure pushes them into the super thick stuff or the surrounding private property and they stay bedded until way after dark. Hunted there yesterday for a few hours just to get out and didn't want to drive down to Seneca to private property. Didn't see anything but 10-15 other hunters and no1 else I talked to see anything but 1 coyote. We used to shoot deer at Atwood years ago but haven't been there in years. We hunt private land down at Seneca but every Saturday of gun season we drive the public land with 10-20 guys and usually shoot a few. But again less people down there to compete with.


The practice of hunting ones private lands then going to public to do a drive with 10-20 guys is part of what is causing the decline in public herds. Guys don't realize the impact of these drives on these lands. It is a limited resource and it is in major decline on public lands. I for one would ban drives on public land.


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## catmoris

I Am not afraid to say that Salt Fork herd is destroyed . On 2 days gun season I didn't hear not one shot,skunk is still in my trunk for 7 days of powder hunting.


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## JimmyZ

I haven't seen a deer since opening day of gun. Nothing on 2 day season . Nothing in 3 days of muzzle loader hunting. 

I agree, get them during bow or opening day of gun. After that it is super slim picking. Or in my case no pickings at all. 

Have to say I public land hunting is hurting.


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## Erieangler51

Deer herds are nowhere near where they were 10 years ago anywhere in the state not just public land. Us driving public land with 10- 20 guys is doing nothing to the herd. We shot 3 deer from public land shotgun and 4 other guys that weren't with us because they are tagged out tagged on the private which is a total of 11 deer for 21 guys in a 2 deer county between bow, shotgun, 2 day shotgun, and muzzleloader season. We are very cautious, smart, and safe hunters. If someone does something stupid or starts Pop shooting deer while they're running full speed they are not invited back. We do not go into sets of woods where people are already in. Out of 17 guys we had this weekend and seeing around 20 deer seen we took 1 shot. We did not hurt the population of public deer by shooting 3 deer off it on 1 drive. 

We have 35 acres of private, 20 private down the road between all those guys where would u suggest setting 17 guys on 55 acres.

Deer get shot while driving but also gets the deer moving around for others and your chances of seeing deer while sitting are way higher. 



Driving is legal and as long as it remains legal we and many others will continue to do it. Plain and simple it gets deer moving and puts meat in the freezer. The real problem with driving it not groups like mine it's the groups that go out and shoot at anything they see wether it's a fawn, a 200" buck or running 100 mph those are the ones that hurt the population.


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## UNCLEMIKE

Erieangler51 said:


> Deer herds are nowhere near where they were 10 years ago anywhere in the state not just public land. Us driving public land with 10- 20 guys is doing nothing to the herd. We shot 3 deer from public land shotgun and 4 other guys that weren't with us because they are tagged out tagged on the private which is a total of 11 deer for 21 guys in a 2 deer county between bow, shotgun, 2 day shotgun, and muzzleloader season. We are very cautious, smart, and safe hunters. If someone does something stupid or starts Pop shooting deer while they're running full speed they are not invited back. We do not go into sets of woods where people are already in. Out of 17 guys we had this weekend and seeing around 20 deer seen we took 1 shot. We did not hurt the population of public deer by shooting 3 deer off it on 1 drive.
> 
> We have 35 acres of private, 20 private down the road between all those guys where would u suggest setting 17 guys on 55 acres.
> 
> Deer get shot while driving but also gets the deer moving around for others and your chances of seeing deer while sitting are way higher.
> 
> 
> 
> Driving is legal and as long as it remains legal we and many others will continue to do it. Plain and simple it gets deer moving and puts meat in the freezer. The real problem with driving it not groups like mine it's the groups that go out and shoot at anything they see wether it's a fawn, a 200" buck or running 100 mph those are the ones that hurt the population.


Your group is the exception. The drives I see on the public I hunt are not what you describe. I agree it gets deer moving. Problem is moving deer end up as dead deer and I don't believe killing more deer on our public lands is the best action with current herd levels. Read the majority of the posts in this thread. The herds are way way down in many areas.


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## WATER FOX

I live by Maumee State forest.I never see anybody with Deer in the truck s. Population is way down especially in the Southern forest.Sportsman are the only people who can change this the State is just interested in the $$$ and yes I do work for the State .Just my opinion.


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## supercanoe

The good old days were the 1990's. There were more deer back then than anyone really new or appreciated at the time.


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## bigwayned

I hunted public land in Harrison County Saturday and Sunday, seen 8 deer on Saturday, all does. I didn't hear much shooting and only seen a couple other hunters. My buddy missed one due to a misfire. People that leave their muzzleloader loaded from one season to the next deserve it when there gun don't go off. Common sense people!


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## jray

The reason you aren't seeing deer is because of driving. Not too much, too little. I was hunting public land Saturday, a buddy was with a group doing drives on private land all within a couple miles of me. They saw a total of 37 deer. They get moved by the people. Oh and I hunt 3/4 of a mile from the road in really thick stuff. No trouble seeing deer for me.


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## Erieangler51

The public spot we shot our 3 deer shotgun season you start out in thick briars, cross a creek ( need hip boots) back into thick briars, then into muddy bottoms and back into briars then it clears into hardwoods and briars. Most don't like to go in there because of the terrain. 

I agree jray. If sitting public I'm at least 3/4 to a mile from the nearest pull off as most aren't willing to travel that distance. I've used drivers to my advantage when hunting with just me or 1 other guy. Find a spot where the deer can skirt out of the side of the drivers and blockers and set there until the drivers pass you and move on. When hunting public land use others to your advantage if you don't learn to do that you won't be successful.


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