Grrr need help!

[Weaver.b]

Hey guys unfortunately I have to ask a negative question. I live in Ohio right by Killbuck marsh wildlife area where there is a few thousand acres of public hunting. Extreme pressure by folks after deer, waterfowl, and fur bearers. The problem I have year after year is no matter how deep I go or how good of an overlooked spot I think of there is either sign of pressure or no sign of deer. I try to stay positive but I am slowly losing confidence in the area all together. This evening I checked a little 2 acre island by the RR tracks that I knew I had never seen anyone deer hunt. When I got back there I had high hopes seeing most of the trees were oaks. I saw zero deer sign from this year or years past although everything looked prime! Only thing I found was fresh cut branches to get back to a spot some duck hunters set up for season soon. My question is when do you throw in the towel on an area and say you know I have given this an honest of a try.

[Jackson Marsh]

Sometimes you have to just move on from a property. Do you have any other viable options within a reasonable distance? Are good bucks killed out of the property you are frustrated with?

I've dumped properties that were tough to get away from other hunters and never regretted it.

[tgreeno]

So you walked the transitions and the points?

As Dan has always said..."Sign don't lie"!

If you don't see any, find a place where you do see it! That's my best advice.

[Weaver.b]

Sometimes you have to just move on from a property. Do you have any other viable options within a reasonable distance? Are good bucks killed out of the property you are frustrated with?

I've dumped properties that were tough to get away from other hunters and never regretted it.

Thats the only problem getting private permission around here is about like asking someone for their first born. And no more decent public land for about an hour away.

[Weaver.b]

So you walked the transitions and the points?

As Dan has always said..."Sign don't lie"!

If you don't see any, find a place where you do see it! That's my best advice.

Hahaha I walked every square foot around and on the darn thing...not even one old rub or sign of a bed

[Hawthorne]

Set up where roger rathaar did at killdeer. Right on the border of the goose refuge. I hunted another wma in northwest Ohio similar to that and it was tough to get away from hunters. Some nice bucks in the area but they get pushed onto the private after season starts imo. I would say hunt opening week and be aggressive. Do some observation sits to try and locate a shooter. If the area has any autumn olive thickets that's where I would look.

[mike_mc]

Where I live it is really tough to find a spot without other hunter sign nearby. But I still see some nice bucks. Have to settle for where the other hunters are less often.

[tbunao]

I scouted that area for a day and 1/2 in march. I ran into a ridiculous amount of human sign no matter where I went. Doesn't mean that some good deer don't run through there I just moved on. There are good spots around you....

[Redman232]

It's a tough time to find sign right now. But with all the wet ground there I would think you would see something.

[stash59]

Lots of Beasts travel at least an hour to areas.

[Net Guy]

May need to find another spot to check out. My closest spot to hunt is an hour away. I know that's easier said than done, but that's what the sign is telling me. Also, a fresh set of ground may give you more excitement/confidence going into the season. I love hunting new ground!

[Weaver.b]

I scouted that area for a day and 1/2 in march. I ran into a ridiculous amount of human sign no matter where I went. Doesn't mean that some good deer don't run through there I just moved on. There are good spots around you....

I am glad you got to see it first hand haha do you live close?

[Weaver.b]

Thanks for the replies guys. All were helpful. Hopefully things will look up here soon and I will be able to get on something

[MDSikajunkie]

Sometimes you have to just move on from a property. Do you have any other viable options within a reasonable distance? Are good bucks killed out of the property you are frustrated with?

I've dumped properties that were tough to get away from other hunters and never regretted it.

Thats the only problem getting private permission around here is about like asking someone for their first born. And no more decent public land for about an hour away.

If I only hunted places that were inside a 1 hour drive I would never hunt. It sucks that your nearest area is overrun with pressure but the more you branch out and find other areas you will be rewarded. I hunt any day I can get away from work but if I only had one area I might be at the mercy of natures schedule.

You can always keep you close spot for decompression sits and on really crummy days when other hunters will be by the fire drinking cocoa. LOL

I like to still hunt here in the rain on the heavily pressured areas and I rarely see hunters and have killed a few deer that way.

Hope this helps

[Weaver.b]

Thanks! I do intend to go for some weekend trip hunts this year. I am excited to go to southern ohio where I went to college. If I would have had half a clue how to hunt the hill country when I was down there I think I would of put some big ones down.