So this year I have scouted East Fork & a lot of Shawnee State Forest (anything you take out of there, you have earned it). I want to throw a stand at Tranquility as well since I’ll strictly be hunting southern Ohio during their last few weeks of late season.
I’m used to hunting bottoms and farm land so hill country is mostly new to me. Ive found sign on the tops of the ridges but not many beds nor much action during shooting light. Not sure if the bucks are favoring the upper/lower quarter or these ridges or if they prefer the runoffs and ditches down low.
Shawnee seems full of briars & blowdowns and also oaks everywhere. Are you all targeting the flats at the bottom of these ridges in hill country thinking the deer are dropping down? I’ve pinned a few benches on the side of these ridges as well.
I’ve hunted an isolated area with multiple saddles with zero sightings. I’m thinking the tops and saddles may have gotten the most pressure throughout the year.
My plan is to go in late morning and walking/scouting in & to be set up to hunt evenings.
What have you all found to be more successful in late season in hill country?
Southern Ohio
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Re: Southern Ohio
You aren't going to find a ton of sign or beds in most of Southern Ohio public hills because their simply aren't a ton of deer to leave a ton of sign. Even worse now that EHD hit a lot of places hard this year. You're not as likely to see classic well used rub marked buck beds because there is more bedding options than mature bucks.
This time of year find the food. Don't know what the acorns look like down there this year....last year was slim so I'm guessing this year is better. Can be tough because like you said, often plenty of oak...cover ground and figure out where they are NOW.
This time of year you gotta get pretty aggressive IMO. and in my experience, you can get away with it if they are a good food source. Last season I ran into the same group of deer 2 nights in a row on my way out. OK...let's see if they come here in daylight a 3rd day. Boom. Tag filled. They were feeding under 1 oak tree walking through a forest of oak to get there. I couldn't figure out where they were coming from...didn't matter when they were there in daylight.
Even most acorns are gone or not so edible by this time in the year.
The colder the better the movement. Even if it's not real cold, bucks especially are pretty dang lean and they are feeding pretty much around the clock considering whats left is mostly lousy for energy so they gotta eat a LOT.
Personally, I go back to just evening hunting...but I like to be in early. 10 o'clock or so. Not uncommon to see movement at all hours of the day if you are on the food and close to bedding.
Once you find the food, you can figure out where they are likely bedding but a lot of times it's just easier to sit the food. Look for 2-4ft kinda turkey scratchings...when they look fresh, climb a tree. Not always the case if they are browsing or whatever...but I find the pawings pretty regularly in the late season.
This time of year find the food. Don't know what the acorns look like down there this year....last year was slim so I'm guessing this year is better. Can be tough because like you said, often plenty of oak...cover ground and figure out where they are NOW.
This time of year you gotta get pretty aggressive IMO. and in my experience, you can get away with it if they are a good food source. Last season I ran into the same group of deer 2 nights in a row on my way out. OK...let's see if they come here in daylight a 3rd day. Boom. Tag filled. They were feeding under 1 oak tree walking through a forest of oak to get there. I couldn't figure out where they were coming from...didn't matter when they were there in daylight.
Even most acorns are gone or not so edible by this time in the year.
The colder the better the movement. Even if it's not real cold, bucks especially are pretty dang lean and they are feeding pretty much around the clock considering whats left is mostly lousy for energy so they gotta eat a LOT.
Personally, I go back to just evening hunting...but I like to be in early. 10 o'clock or so. Not uncommon to see movement at all hours of the day if you are on the food and close to bedding.
Once you find the food, you can figure out where they are likely bedding but a lot of times it's just easier to sit the food. Look for 2-4ft kinda turkey scratchings...when they look fresh, climb a tree. Not always the case if they are browsing or whatever...but I find the pawings pretty regularly in the late season.
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Re: Southern Ohio
I hunt the same tracts you mentioned. EHD and the hunting pressure put an enormous burden on the deer population this year on those properties. Your odds of finding mature bucks are going to be very bad, worse than in past years. However, if you're just hunting deer, focus on the bottoms with high stem count and briars. You might be lucky to find a black or bear oak with good acorns on the ground. Otherwise, they are hitting the browse hard right now and will be your best chance in finding deer and deer sign. I like to focus on bottoms close to water with the most sun exposure. Each one of these properties have several areas to consider. Try to pick days after a storm or windy days to reduce the noise getting in. They can hear you a mile if it's light wind or calm and they are bedded to watch hunter access. You have a chance if you have wet leaves and wind cover. I think mornings are just as good as evenings and sometimes offer some advantages that an evening hunt doesn't have. I'll hunt those travel corridors back to bed in the mornings and have decent sightings in years past. These animals are sketched out/ traumatized this time of year. Good luck to you!
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Re: Southern Ohio
I wasn’t aware of EHD hitting the area so strongly. I met a few of the local hunters last weekend, seemed like a couple of good ol’ boys. They even showed me a few pics of deer they’ve taken over the years. From the evidence I saw, there are some good deer in these locations but EHD may explain the lack thereof. I hunted the muzzleloader season last week & only heard maybe a dozen shots…..
He’ll see you twice, hear you three times, but he's only gonna smell you once.....
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Re: Southern Ohio
From what I understand, the deer population innsouthern Ohio is WAY down from years back. From my experience of 2 seasons there, there's not a ton of deer. Pockets here n there. The areas I've hunted, despite great habitat for "big woods", I was really surprised at the lack of sign and lack of deer.
Now throw EHD in the mix...it'll be a few years before I buy another Ohio tag I think. I have to travel 4-5+ hours to get down there though so different set of circumstances for me. I can travel the same or a little further and hunt another state.
Also from talking to guys, even on here, the popularity increased pressure in the last 20 years or so to the point its not what it once was.
I found deer and got into some good bucks.
Pressure down there, especially gun pressure, seems to vary year to year for whatever reason. 2020 I had the property largely to myself for the 2nd and 3rd days (washout onnthe opener so I traveled that day)...only close shot i heard was mine....135" 10 point...2021 complete opposite...I couldn't get away from pressure. Muzzleloader season was minimal. Me and what looked like 1 driving crew. Only close shot I heard was mine on a coyote. Gun season, there was a good bit of shooting..pressure died off every day but by then, everything was holed up.
Now throw EHD in the mix...it'll be a few years before I buy another Ohio tag I think. I have to travel 4-5+ hours to get down there though so different set of circumstances for me. I can travel the same or a little further and hunt another state.
Also from talking to guys, even on here, the popularity increased pressure in the last 20 years or so to the point its not what it once was.
I found deer and got into some good bucks.
Pressure down there, especially gun pressure, seems to vary year to year for whatever reason. 2020 I had the property largely to myself for the 2nd and 3rd days (washout onnthe opener so I traveled that day)...only close shot i heard was mine....135" 10 point...2021 complete opposite...I couldn't get away from pressure. Muzzleloader season was minimal. Me and what looked like 1 driving crew. Only close shot I heard was mine on a coyote. Gun season, there was a good bit of shooting..pressure died off every day but by then, everything was holed up.
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Re: Southern Ohio
I hunt Shawnee and will mimic everything above. Pressure this year was insane, far more than double from last year. Deer density was already low and now EHD there’s just not a lot of deer. I usually pull all day sits and I seen one small 8 point this year following a hot doe. Last year all I seen was dink 6. I really can’t help out with late season though because I normally just hunt the rut there.
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Re: Southern Ohio
Probably been said but food is the key.
SE Ohio public gets hammered in Nov with rut hunters from all over the country. EHD hit some counties hard. Just depends where you are.
Late season I would walk till you find food.
In big woods look for red oak acorns, honeysuckle, and other browse. Deer clean up the white oak acorns first then the reds later. Where I hunt the red oaks didn’t drop much this year but if you find any that did you may be in the money.
I wouldn’t overlook picked corn and bean folds near public. They can be a big draw if they are close.
Finally if you find clear cuts deep in they can also hold a lot of deer late season in hill country. Good luck and hunt safe.
SE Ohio public gets hammered in Nov with rut hunters from all over the country. EHD hit some counties hard. Just depends where you are.
Late season I would walk till you find food.
In big woods look for red oak acorns, honeysuckle, and other browse. Deer clean up the white oak acorns first then the reds later. Where I hunt the red oaks didn’t drop much this year but if you find any that did you may be in the money.
I wouldn’t overlook picked corn and bean folds near public. They can be a big draw if they are close.
Finally if you find clear cuts deep in they can also hold a lot of deer late season in hill country. Good luck and hunt safe.
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