Planning my Ohio trip...would like some feedback.

[RidgeReaper]

So I'm planning my first trip to Ohio to hunt public and I've never been there before. I posted a similar discussion last year but would like some more feedback. I would prefer to go to the Eastern part due to being from PA its a bit shorter of a drive. Coshocton and Muskingum areas area appealling due to the high success rates every year but obviously that means more pressure too. I'm not much of a rut guy because I like killing them pre rut on bedding but I think I'm going to plan for rut just so I up the odds a bit. I"d like to do the trip twice but who knows. Does anyone have any tips or info for traveling to hunt public? It's going to be tough to pre scout obviously since its summer but I'm thinking of driving out there soon to walk around...thanks in advance for any input!

[Jed33]

You are on the right track for targeting southeast Ohio. Lot of big woods, hilly terrain, and the occasional clear cut. I grew up hunting in Vinton county before Mead paper started leasing their smaller tracks of land, and have seen some slobs.

I have not hunted state land in that region so I have no idea about how much pressure will be there. I will say that during bow season especially during the week you will most likely have the land to yourself.

[flinginairos]

In the areas I have hunted I haven't seen a ton of pressure outside the rut and like was stated above, during the week there's very little. I hunted in Meigs county and I was hunting a lease but drove by three different access points almost every day and there was hardly ever a person parked there. Even gun season wasn't that bad. I'll be hunting public over there this year and plan to hunt mainly the end of October.

[Jed33]

I forgot to add that some paper and mining companies still have some tracks of land that are public. I would guess that most people are not as aware of these tracks as they are with state land tracks.

Good luck and I hope you connect with one of those big woods bruisers.

[<DK>]

I think youll get it figured out RR, judging from your posts and success last year youre on the right path for sure.

IDK what advice you got last year but you can probably cyber scout enough to at least be in a position to see something then make an adjustment. Pressure is everything so look for a thick over looked spot where everyone goes the other way. I find more overlooked spots in flatter/farm type terrain settings but they are around. You could do some pre season light bumping. Pick the best spots just like off season but walk field edges, transitions, creeks, funnels to get there for easy going and to catch big tracks, sign, does, anything... Then I would plan my route to walk that specific ridge to try get a glimpse of one bailing out w the key being not getting winded. Choose your days the best you can for scent reasons and dominant wind directions. Tracks, tracks, tracks! I would specifically target creek crossings between good bedding ridges/points. Be sure to check the wind in these spots alot! Last thing I would say is plan your access accordingly, be sure you can get to places that you find w/o issues. Some places are very tough early season. Good luck

[Grasshopper]

Something I like to keep in mind when I hunt out of the area is that a lot can change in the few days or weeks in between hunts. It's a fine line of what sign and Intel will still be worth considering. It pays to really pay attention to where sign is then look at maps and ask yourself why? Last October I found myself in a Bucky area, but I missed a good buck on I think the 19th and couldn't get back until November 2nd. By that time the bucks were not bedding where they had been they moved off closer to the ladies.

[RidgeReaper]

I think youll get it figured out RR, judging from your posts and success last year youre on the right path for sure.

IDK what advice you got last year but you can probably cyber scout enough to at least be in a position to see something then make an adjustment. Pressure is everything so look for a thick over looked spot where everyone goes the other way. I find more overlooked spots in flatter/farm type terrain settings but they are around. You could do some pre season light bumping. Pick the best spots just like off season but walk field edges, transitions, creeks, funnels to get there for easy going and to catch big tracks, sign, does, anything... Then I would plan my route to walk that specific ridge to try get a glimpse of one bailing out w the key being not getting winded. Choose your days the best you can for scent reasons and dominant wind directions. Tracks, tracks, tracks! I would specifically target creek crossings between good bedding ridges/points. Be sure to check the wind in these spots alot! Last thing I would say is plan your access accordingly, be sure you can get to places that you find w/o issues. Some places are very tough early season. Good luck

Awesome! I really appreciate the input! Its pretty overwhelming so far but its getting better. Ohio DNR is mailing me a bunch of maps and stuff so that helps a lot. I know that with any land its best to ground proof it so I'm wanting to try going there a few weeks prior as well and maybe even go soon just to drive around and find public access and start to narrow down some information. Its all super exciting! I'm probably going to do two bow trips this year, one being rut timeframe just to up my odds a bit as far as just seeing any nice buck. We shall see how this all plays out!

[BradC36]

I've been doing a lot of the similar work you have since last year when I moved to PA. I think anyone with a similar mentality in our neck of the woods has put some serious thought and hopes into bagging an OH monster. I went and walked a bunch of public ground in the early spring but a lot has been based on reading topos and google earth. I work remotely a lot and the fall is when I have the most down time at work, so I've been planning two mini vacations to go to OH and hunt during the week for 3-5 days and work if and when I get time.

I picked out a handful of spots I thought might be good for certain times of year, and I'm planning to hang and hunt and follow the sign as best I can. I'm not putting too many eggs in any one basket because you never know how the million variables that can affect your hunt, will.

[seazofcheeze]

It might sound crazy, but if I hunted Ohio public again, I would spend 1-2 FULL days scouting at the start of my trip. Sign was few and far between when I went a few years ago, but was pretty good once I finally found it. A lot of spots that looked good on the map didn't pan out for one reason or another. Get some boots on the ground, even if it means sacrificing a whole day of hunting.

[RidgeReaper]

I've been doing a lot of the similar work you have since last year when I moved to PA. I think anyone with a similar mentality in our neck of the woods has put some serious thought and hopes into bagging an OH monster. I went and walked a bunch of public ground in the early spring but a lot has been based on reading topos and google earth. I work remotely a lot and the fall is when I have the most down time at work, so I've been planning two mini vacations to go to OH and hunt during the week for 3-5 days and work if and when I get time.

I picked out a handful of spots I thought might be good for certain times of year, and I'm planning to hang and hunt and follow the sign as best I can. I'm not putting too many eggs in any one basket because you never know how the million variables that can affect your hunt, will.

Yea PA is a tough state to hunt and I'm pretty successful here so I figure I should be ok out of state. I've heard many times that high pressure states like PA, NY, MI and some like those are very difficult to learn in but once you kill them regularly here you should kill them anywhere with the proper education. I will be doing the mini trips as well so it will be fun either way. Might take a season or two to learn the land but I should do ok after that. Where in PA are you?

[RidgeReaper]

It might sound crazy, but if I hunted Ohio public again, I would spend 1-2 FULL days scouting at the start of my trip. Sign was few and far between when I went a few years ago, but was pretty good once I finally found it. A lot of spots that looked good on the map didn't pan out for one reason or another. Get some boots on the ground, even if it means sacrificing a whole day of hunting.

Thank you! That may come into play as part of my plan too...my trips might only be like 4 day weekend trips. I'm planning to spend a whole day rapid scouting with my LW and maybe just hang on fresh sign in the evening the first day or 2. My second trip out should be a bit easier I hope.

[flinginairos]

It might sound crazy, but if I hunted Ohio public again, I would spend 1-2 FULL days scouting at the start of my trip. Sign was few and far between when I went a few years ago, but was pretty good once I finally found it. A lot of spots that looked good on the map didn't pan out for one reason or another. Get some boots on the ground, even if it means sacrificing a whole day of hunting.

This is really good advice. I had scouted several spots online and several of them weren't any good once I actually got there. Have LOTS of spots picked out and be prepared to scrap several of them.

[BradC36]

I've been doing a lot of the similar work you have since last year when I moved to PA. I think anyone with a similar mentality in our neck of the woods has put some serious thought and hopes into bagging an OH monster. I went and walked a bunch of public ground in the early spring but a lot has been based on reading topos and google earth. I work remotely a lot and the fall is when I have the most down time at work, so I've been planning two mini vacations to go to OH and hunt during the week for 3-5 days and work if and when I get time.

I picked out a handful of spots I thought might be good for certain times of year, and I'm planning to hang and hunt and follow the sign as best I can. I'm not putting too many eggs in any one basket because you never know how the million variables that can affect your hunt, will.

Yea PA is a tough state to hunt and I'm pretty successful here so I figure I should be ok out of state. I've heard many times that high pressure states like PA, NY, MI and some like those are very difficult to learn in but once you kill them regularly here you should kill them anywhere with the proper education. I will be doing the mini trips as well so it will be fun either way. Might take a season or two to learn the land but I should do ok after that. Where in PA are you?

I'm in Erie, PA area but actually hunt almost exclusively in Western NY in multiple counties (leases, public, private, you name it). This year I'll be trying to save my hunting days for my spots in NY when they are "ideal" and the conditions are right, and trying to break new ground in PA and OH on public the rest.

[gravebeforeshave80]

I have some maps at home for woodbury wildlife area in coshocton....I can mark areas I have been...and give you a general idea of how those areas look and mail them to you if you would like....I have maps for some other public spots as well but I don't recal which ones... you are welcome to all I have if you want....these are all state issued maps....not something I printed out..let me know

[rfickes87]

Something I like to keep in mind when I hunt out of the area is that a lot can change in the few days or weeks in between hunts. It's a fine line of what sign and Intel will still be worth considering. It pays to really pay attention to where sign is then look at maps and ask yourself why? Last October I found myself in a Bucky area, but I missed a good buck on I think the 19th and couldn't get back until November 2nd. By that time the bucks were not bedding where they had been they moved off closer to the ladies.

RidgeReaper,

Grasshopper just hit the nail right on the head. I'm a PA boy and I've been driving to Ohio to hunt public for the last 3 years. Now for me, I get out there to scout and hunt very seldom maybe 4-6 times a year. Actually was just there this weekend, took the family camping and I made time to go around checking my cameras. It always amazes me how the forest changes from season to season. I hung cameras in Feb and it was so thick it really caught me off guard and I spent an hour just trying to find where I put my cameras because I couldn't get thru the woods with all the thick crap. I had hung them over beds and although I basically got blanked with pictures meanwhile behind one of my cameras was a new deer trail with a track in it that I fit my whole hand in. I realized that those February beds I found aren't being used now. They're somewhere else. Bottom line, and as you already know, deer are constantly changing patterns and to hunt them from another state away is so tough. Now you obviously, know how to get it done and you'll be successful out there too. But I just wanted to give some two cents in on what I've dealt with.

Also rut hunting is easier and harder, I can't describe it. Ohio rut is a destination for a lot of hunters. It blew me away the first time how many hunters I saw. It was honestly similar to PA rifle, almost...

My first year there, first day actually I hit a 140 but wasn't able to recover him after days of searching. That hunt was just a chance encounter. He got bumped by other hunters.

I like hunting early season too and the last 2 years I've focused on early season bed hunting and knowing from trail cameras I've come within a day or two each season of killing my biggest buck ever out there. And again I'm excited for this year.

For me after 3 years now I've learned its all about finding beds and scouting them. My game plan has always been early season. There's little hunting pressure and I feel like you can make all that big land your own if you work harder and walk further than the other guys.