Typical Day Ohio Public Land
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: RIT
08-Nov-21
Not seeing deer is tough. But you only need to see one to turn a slow but good day into a great day. I saw more deer walking out of my house than I have from the stand. Slow so far in NW Ohio.
From: SteveB
08-Nov-21
We have excellent property in Ohio and it has been exceptionally slow too this rut!
From: timex
08-Nov-21
Friends of mine used to pack into the national forest in va near a popular spot outside of frontroyal. They would stay a week & said by the 3rd day would be seeing plenty of deer. As all the day hunters would push the deer back to em. I always wish I'd have joined them. Camping, deer & small game hunting , and catching native brook trout. The secret was to get just beyond the distance a one day hunter could get.
From: TGbow
08-Nov-21
Rocky until this yr I was hunting public land, bowhunting only tract, I went anyware from 600 yrds to a mile ..but thats on flat land. You have it rougher dealing with mountainous terrain
From: TGbow
08-Nov-21
Nice buck
From: WV Mountaineer
08-Nov-21
I love it. That’s the way our group does it here. However, the mileage is quite a bit more. But, packing out meat is the only thing that makes it possible.
I drug a pretty decent buck two weeks ago that my buddy killed. I’m guessing a160 lbs or so field dressed. I’m just not the man I used to be. That thing wore me out.
From: Grey Ghost
08-Nov-21
On the bright side, you haven't seen more hunters than squirrels, like you would on public land in Colorado. ;-)
Matt
From: SIP
08-Nov-21
We were on public in southern ohio last friday. Sat dark to dark, 1.1 miles in and between the two of us sitting 400 yards apart, did not see one deer. We did have a group of 3 hunters from new york come in and set up in our block, one guy setup about 150 yards from my brother. And i had 2 random guys wander in to me mid afternoon, assuming they were scouting. No camo or bows, but not sure what else they’d be doin that deep. We left and moved hour n half north to hunt with a buddy on some private ground and it was a complete 180 of what we experienced on the public.
On an unrelated note, if u live in ohio and ur 4 ponies got out of their pen, we saw them at 2:05 in the morning as we came around a blind curve. In the middle of the road is where they were. I dunno what pony tastes like…but we almost found out….
Good luck Rocky, will be following this and rooting you on!
From: Grey Ghost
08-Nov-21
Rocky, I had Colorado's OTC elk hunting in mind when I made my comment above. And, I agree with you about Colorado whoring out our elk resources.
I was just reading thru Ohio's hunting regulations. It seems to be a very hunter friendly state with generous bag limits and license requirements, especially if you're a resident landowner.
Matt
From: WV Mountaineer
08-Nov-21
Are the deer there this year RockyD?
From: mattandersen
09-Nov-21
Good luck Mike! I don't have my usual week off to hunt the rut but I was able to take a long wknd just last wknd and it was very slow...not sure what's going on. Hang in there!
From: mattandersen
09-Nov-21
haha no clue Mike choot a biggun!
From: SIP
09-Nov-21
We will forget all about the double posts after we see some pics resulting from a double lung!! Come on rut, turn on and get these bucks cruising!
From: SBH
10-Nov-21
This is a cool thread. Thanks Rocky. Its interesting to see and hear about your time in the tree. Usually all we hear about Ohio, Kansas, and places like that are all the big deer behind every tree. Fun to see someone going after them on Public and having some tough sits. Not fun cause I want you to have slow sits! Just cause I can relate and hope it pays off for you. Good luck!
From: RIT
10-Nov-21
I am on my private farm in Ohio and it has been very slow. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 1000 acres of standing corn within 3 miles of my place with moderate pressure. Occasionally I see some little bucks in the morning but it was almost 70 yesterday.
From: mattandersen
10-Nov-21
Damnit Mike! haha Sorry that is the worst did you miss or not get an opportunity to shoot but should have?
From: mattandersen
10-Nov-21
ahhhhhhhh!!!! haha sorry man keep at it!
From: SIP
10-Nov-21
Second time is the charm. Git em Rocky
From: Old Reb
10-Nov-21
If it ain't a perfect hit I'll take a clean miss everytime.
From: GLP
10-Nov-21
Enjoying this thread. Rooting for you! The misses hurt a lot, but make the successes sweater.
From: EmbryOklahoma
10-Nov-21
Best of luck, Rocky! Make up for that miss!
From: DonVathome
11-Nov-21
Great thread! Ohio public land is tough. I used to think a mile walk was a long ways. Then I started elk hunting. In WY this year I woke up at 4:30am, freezing cold in the tent. Let at 5am for a 1 hour and 45 minute climb straight up to hunt. The only reason I did it that fast was I worked out a LOT this year and had just finished a brutal hunt in AK for caribou.
My climb was straight up gaining 1,800 of elevation. I hunted all day with minimal food/water and climbed down in the dark. I did that every day a couple times twice a day. Keep in mind that just got me up to the elk. I walked many more miles a day hunting.
Good luck! There is still at least solid week of hard rutting action left in Ohio.
From: RIT
11-Nov-21
7 different bucks on their feet at my place in Ohio today between 10 and 2:00 pm. 70 degrees and 25 mph wind. Love is in the air.
