Ohio Public help

[RidgeReaper]

Have put a few posts about my 2017 Ohio trips so far and have gotten great feedback. Was wondering if anyone new of any remote areas with big timber in the eastern part of the state. Belmont, Coshocton, Washington areas. I like Wayne National Forest but I look at plat maps and it seems like there is a lot of private tracts that take up most of the valleys and edges. I want to be as far from people as I can get if possible. Just wondering if anyone knew any big woods areas or even marsh land?

[tbunao]

Wayne is surrounded by a lot of small parcels of private if I remember correctly? Small parcels connected to public tells me that the likely hood of those hunters would venture on to public. Try and look for large blocks that would be a haul from one end of the property to the other in order to get to public. Also would be big enough to hold a few hunters "I have this managed land why would I hunt public" kind of thought.

[WV Bowhunter]

Take a look at the AEP ground near Caldwell. I have think it's around 60,000 acres and pretty much in one chunk.

[WV Bowhunter]

I forgot to mention that you have to print off a free permit from AEP recreational land site to be able to hunt it.

[RidgeReaper]

Wayne is surrounded by a lot of small parcels of private if I remember correctly? Small parcels connected to public tells me that the likely hood of those hunters would venture on to public. Try and look for large blocks that would be a haul from one end of the property to the other in order to get to public. Also would be big enough to hold a few hunters "I have this managed land why would I hunt public" kind of thought.

Yea I'm seeing big blocks of wooded land and every hollow and roadway is surrounded by big private property according to plats. As far as I can tell there are huge areas there but the distance between the county roads (access) and private property borders is only about 1000 meters or so. I know there are probaby bruisers in around there but I like big tracts so I can go in blind when I get there and not have to worry about stumbling into private ground where I planned to hunt. Once I travel there this October, things will make much more sense but for an out of state guy it's tough.

[RidgeReaper]

I forgot to mention that you have to print off a free permit from AEP recreational land site to be able to hunt it.

Awesome thank you! When I went out there a few weeks ago to scout an area in Belmont I somehow ran into the warden. He was a super nice guy and I talked with him for about 30min about the Egypt Valley and where he has seen a few around the 190" range. He printed me some maps and marked them up right from his truck. He mentioned the AEP lands. Thats one thing I havent looked into yet but I'm going to!

[bowfreak8]

I would also check out the lakes that are part of the Muskingum Watershed. There's not necessarily a huge block of timber but all around those lakes is public hunting. Some of the lakes are fairly close to each other so you have thousands of acres within a short drive.

[headgear]

I agree with you leaning towards big tracks of timber and no people but with that said I wouldn't rule out areas just because there is private land and people around, while most of my bigwoods spots are remote or very remote I still hunt and have shot bucks near golf courses, homes and other private land. Basically don't volunteer to limit yourself unless you know that these places don't consistently hold big bucks.

[seazofcheeze]

Google "vinton furnace" or "racoon experimental forest".

[RidgeReaper]

Google "vinton furnace" or "racoon experimental forest".

Will do!

[RidgeReaper]

I agree with you leaning towards big tracks of timber and no people but with that said I wouldn't rule out areas just because there is private land and people around, while most of my bigwoods spots are remote or very remote I still hunt and have shot bucks near golf courses, homes and other private land. Basically don't volunteer to limit yourself unless you know that these places don't consistently hold big bucks.

I have no problem hunting smaller tracts. I'm just figuring my first couple times out there I will stick to bigger timber just to make things easier for me mentally. I would hate to end up 50yds from a border or something in a spot I dont know. While i'm out there I will have a much easier time determining what is good or not but I still find it a bit difficult to go in blind out of state from maps. I've never really gone anywhere just based off maps that I don't already know a bit about the area. Where I hunt in PA has a pile of gamelands and it's all surrounded by private just like what I see in Ohio but it just seems easier here because I've been on the mountain a thousand times.

[OHBB24]

Anyone know if there is any large tracts in Adams? Pike? Jackson? Would be worth looking into. Giants come from these counties every year. Just a thought.

[Josh_S]

Don't "over look" the over looked public. Bigger is not always better.