What public land should I muzzleload hunt.

[Ike]

Hey guys. New to the site and hoping you guys could give me some insight on what public land and where I should focus my muzzleloader hunt. My father and I are coming down for the hunt and don't really know where to start. I have been researching maps for the last week but there are so many areas to hunt it makes it difficult so I am turning to asking for help. Lol. Going to be staying somewhere in a hotel and making the drive out everyday. I have been looking at staying in Athens and hunting the Wayne but not dead set on that if you guys think I would be better off somewhere else. Not sure if I should try to hunt the large chunks of land and go deep or focus on the land that has private land close by that might have a good food source on it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.Thanks... Do you guys have any snow on the ground?

 

[bowhunter1023]

It's a big state with a lot to offer. We get this question a lot and it really depends on what types of areas you like to hunt. Want to hunt the hills and big woods? Hit up the Wayne Marietta area, or Athens for some slightly smaller hills. The central and northern areas of the state are more flat. Hunting the AEP land will give you an entirely different feel as well. Shawnee State Forest is also a nice big woods hunt. Spend time on Google Earth and then narrow it down from there.

Good luck out there and be safe.

 

[Ike]

Ok. I will check out Google earth. Thanks

 

[Redhunter1012]

Depends on what you are looking to do. Take a look at Killdeer Plains Wildlife area. Tons of places to go and sit, and there will be people moving deer. If you get bored, go beat some brush and attempt to jump shoot deer.There are tons of tall grass fields that hold lots of deer. There are loads of deer there and plenty of area to get away from people if you want. Deleware Wildlife area is something similar, on a larger scale though

 

[Ike]

Cool. I will take a look at those spots. Is Athens a good central spot to stay or should I look into another town with places to stay. Thanks for the info. Greatly appreciated.

 

[bigten05]

Join up with the guys from here on the muzzy hunt I'm sure it would be a good time.

 

[Ike]

Sounds like a great time but how do I go about joining up with them.

 

[bigten05]

Sounds like a great time but how do I go about joining up with them.

check out the annual too muzzy hunt thread i think its at aep.

 

[Dannmann801]

Here's the thread, address/time/gps coordinates in the beginning post

http://www.theohiooutdoors.com/showthread.php?21871-Annual-TOO-AEP-Muzzy-Hunt-Sunday-January-8-2017

 

[Ike]

Thanks for all the info guys. It sounds like there is going to be some people out moving some deer so I am going to try and find a big track of land that I can get in really deep and just sit tight.

 

[Bigcountry40]

I have never actually hunted state land during muzzle loader, but I am goin to guess that it will not be that crowded where ever you go. Gun hunting is down and hunting late season in Ohio is also not that popular compared to early season. IMO


I lied I did cross over some state land during black powder recovering a doe. No one around for miles or gun shots when I hunted state land.

 

[Ike]

Cool. Well I will be staying in coshocton and hunting the surrounding public land. Still have not decided what chunk yet. Trying to figure out which area has the best opportunity for getting in a mile or two. I have been studying maps but without knowing the roads and trail systems it is proving to be a little difficult. I will try and find a spot to get some maps as soon as I get there and hopefully that will help.

 

[Bigcountry40]

Cool. Well I will be staying in coshocton and hunting the surrounding public land. Still have not decided what chunk yet. Trying to figure out which area has the best opportunity for getting in a mile or two. I have been studying maps but without knowing the roads and trail systems it is proving to be a little difficult. I will try and find a spot to get some maps as soon as I get there and hopefully that will help.

I've killed a # of deer in Woodbury, you should should get down there Friday drive around maybe bow hunt then youll be good to go saturday. I don't think you'll have problem finding land to walk there plenty of hills you can climb.

 

[PA Bandit]

I've killed a # of deer in Woodbury, you should should get down there Friday drive around maybe bow hunt then youll be good to go saturday. I don't think you'll have problem finding land to walk there plenty of hills you can climb.

I used to live near Canton (recent moved back to PA right arcross the border from Negley, Ohio) but when I was out that way locals always suggested Woodbury is the place to start when looking for good public land hunting. Needless to say I never made it down due to having other closer private land but when I moved I lost acess to said private land. This year was a struggle but through a few friends out that way I found access to some decent public state land that isn't marked so gets signficiantly less pressure down near Cambridge (This is what I would advise anyone to look for is public land that is not marked as a wildlife area).

Anyways long story short after a morning hunt one day (November 12th to be exact) me and a friend decided to drive over and check Woodbury out as it was only about 30 minutes or so. I was very suprised when we got there and drove around for quite a few miles and literally anywhere you could park there was at least one vehicle if not 2 or 3. I am not particularly sure if this was just an off occassion or if this is normal and one could assume some of those may be small game or other types of hunting but still I was awestruck as it literally looked like 1st day of PA Rifle Season.

 

[reo]

I used to live near Canton (recent moved back to PA right arcross the border from Negley, Ohio) but when I was out that way locals always suggested Woodbury is the place to start when looking for good public land hunting. Needless to say I never made it down due to having other closer private land but when I moved I lost acess to said private land. This year was a struggle but through a few friends out that way I found access to some decent public state land that isn't marked so gets signficiantly less pressure down near Cambridge (This is what I would advise anyone to look for is public land that is not marked as a wildlife area).

Anyways long story short after a morning hunt one day (November 12th to be exact) me and a friend decided to drive over and check Woodbury out as it was only about 30 minutes or so. I was very suprised when we got there and drove around for quite a few miles and literally anywhere you could park there was at least one vehicle if not 2 or 3. I am not particularly sure if this was just an off occassion or if this is normal and one could assume some of those may be small game or other types of hunting but still I was awestruck as it literally looked like 1st day of PA Rifle Season.

It is 100% normal from the last week of October through gun season except during gun season is x10.

EDIT: I can guarantee 99.99% of them were deer hunting.

 

[Ike]

I am hoping that maybe because it is muzzleloader season maybe there will be a little less hunting pressure and hopefully it is really cold and that will cut down on a few more of them. I am hoping to find a spot I can hike in really deep and just hunt all day. I plan on trying to find a spot to stop and get some maps and maybe get pointed in the right direction to a spot I can get into really deep. I have been looking at the area on my maps that I have access to but I am not real familiar with researching maps as far as distance/depth of the woods goes. All the public land I hunt around me it is impossible to get into a mile or two deep without running across another access road. I am hoping that is not the case there. Well thanks for all the info and pointers. Good luck to everyone.

 

[Bigslam51]

I am hoping that maybe because it is muzzleloader season maybe there will be a little less hunting pressure and hopefully it is really cold and that will cut down on a few more of them. I am hoping to find a spot I can hike in really deep and just hunt all day. I plan on trying to find a spot to stop and get some maps and maybe get pointed in the right direction to a spot I can get into really deep. I have been looking at the area on my maps that I have access to but I am not real familiar with researching maps as far as distance/depth of the woods goes. All the public land I hunt around me it is impossible to get into a mile or two deep without running across another access road. I am hoping that is not the case there. Well thanks for all the info and pointers. Good luck to everyone.

Hopefully that's the case. I know last year at the TOO muzzy hunt at AEP we saw at least 5 out of state trucks at the campground.

 

[Bigcountry40]

I used to live near Canton (recent moved back to PA right arcross the border from Negley, Ohio) but when I was out that way locals always suggested Woodbury is the place to start when looking for good public land hunting. Needless to say I never made it down due to having other closer private land but when I moved I lost acess to said private land. This year was a struggle but through a few friends out that way I found access to some decent public state land that isn't marked so gets signficiantly less pressure down near Cambridge (This is what I would advise anyone to look for is public land that is not marked as a wildlife area).

Anyways long story short after a morning hunt one day (November 12th to be exact) me and a friend decided to drive over and check Woodbury out as it was only about 30 minutes or so. I was very suprised when we got there and drove around for quite a few miles and literally anywhere you could park there was at least one vehicle if not 2 or 3. I am not particularly sure if this was just an off occassion or if this is normal and one could assume some of those may be small game or other types of hunting but still I was awestruck as it literally looked like 1st day of PA Rifle Season.

Like others said woodbury is packed Halloween- gun season, I have been told there is a big drop off after late gun season. During typical peak rut dates, I think a member on here said that he drove around woodburry counted something like 70 vehicles and like 50 something were out of state. Don't quote me on that, it think that post was a few years ago and it might of been wayne national forest, my point being during the rut some of Ohio's best state land now gets hammered.

 

[reo]

I am hoping that maybe because it is muzzleloader season maybe there will be a little less hunting pressure and hopefully it is really cold and that will cut down on a few more of them. I am hoping to find a spot I can hike in really deep and just hunt all day. I plan on trying to find a spot to stop and get some maps and maybe get pointed in the right direction to a spot I can get into really deep. I have been looking at the area on my maps that I have access to but I am not real familiar with researching maps as far as distance/depth of the woods goes. All the public land I hunt around me it is impossible to get into a mile or two deep without running across another access road. I am hoping that is not the case there. Well thanks for all the info and pointers. Good luck to everyone.

Good luck to you and let us know how the hunt goes.

 

[Bigcountry40]

Yess like Reo said please report back to us in detail how the hunting is during muzzle loader, if you can count vehicles(instate, out of state) amount of shooting, etc. I will probably be joining you for muzzle loader in a few years once I lose access to my spot.