Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

Disappointment but opportunity

Dannmann801

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,640
191
Springboro
I lost my best and closest hunting area this weekend (my Clermont County spot).

Owner is a quirky fellow that took some time to get to know. I've put in a lot of time at his place (winterized his trailer last year) and done numerous other favors for him, which he has always acknowledged. But he feels that the other 3 guys that hunt there don't appreciate him or help out, and he's facing some financial difficulties, so he's decided that nobody is going to hunt there until everybody ponies up $1000. When he told me that, I thanked him for the privilege and opportunity I'd had to hunt there, told him I understood how he felt but that wasn't in my hunting budget, collected my cameras, did the weedeating I'd come to do that day, and told him to feel free to call me if there was anything he ever needed. So much for that. I'm hoping he has a change of heart and calls me to say "come on down", but I don't see that happening. The place is overrun with deer and turkeys. Oh well, I learned alot there, and it was a good run while it lasted.

Good news is: I've still got places to go locked up, good places. Bad news: they're all down in Adams County, about a 2 hr drive for me. Good news: I can stay at my parent's place down there anytime (they've moved up to Dayton near me but keeping the homeplace for now), so I can drive down on Fri nite and the place is like my hunting cabin...so I can get up early and be in the woods before sunrise. Bad news: every weekend I hunt down there is going to be a major time commitment. I really wish I had a place close to me that was convenient for short hunts. Good news: I live 15 mins away from Caesar's Creek and Spring Valley, and a little further from Beavercreek Wildlife area. I've done some very brief scouting at all 3 places before, but avoided hunting public to this point. But now I've decided that I'm going to do some close-to-home public hunting this fall, focusing mainly on Caesars Creek. I've heard some good things about it and will just give it a try.

I've taken a map and sectioned it off and tonite I went to the first area, took the .22 to do some squirrel hunting and scouting. Didn't see a single squirrel, and not alot of deer sign. Not as many oaks as I would have like to see, and when I followed the most promising gametrail I found only one pile of deerturd near an oak that has dropped alot of acorns. Not a single rub or scrape or any other sign. So for the next 3 weeks I'll be walkin CC with my .22, lookin for squirrels and a whitetail honeyhole.

So as of right now, I don't know what my opening day plans are. Other than I will be somewhere in Adams County, watching a sunrise.

I gotta say though, I felt oddly comfortable in our public woods...knowing the rules and having to right to be there, not having to worry about a permission slip other than an Ohio driver's license.

Keep a good thought for me as I try to find the deer there.
 

Fluteman

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,094
146
Southeast Ohio
Man, I hate to hear of someone losing their place to hunt, that really stinks. Sounds to me like the guy was just lookin' to make a $ or two, and didn't have any easy way of putting it to ya. You did the right thing by working for your right to hunt, and there is no shame in that. There are very few people willing to put in that extra effort to earn a place to hunt, and that, IMO, is the main reason that everyone is leasing land. It's sad it's got to be that way, but that is what it is becoming. I'm very thankful for the land I do have to hunt, and I'm sure that at some point down the road I will have to deal with this very situation.
 

JD Boyd

*Supporting Member*
3,173
0
Urbana
He tells you that 2 1/2 weeks till season? You've been helping him out and had cams there all summer? Sounds like a good fella to me... Yeah right. Least you handled it in a good way and did'nt tell his ass off... Do you think there is gonna be guys jumping all over it now to give him a grand to hunt?
 

RedCloud

Super Moderator
Super Mod
17,381
193
North Central Ohio
That sucks Dan. If you lived closer I would get you on with me NP. I hope you can find some decent ground and have it work for ya buddy. If you need anything that I can help ya with just let me know I would be more then happy to do it :D
 

Dannmann801

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,640
191
Springboro
JD - Nah, anybody that would know about this place couldn't afford it, lol...and this guy is pretty hard to deal with anyway, very odd bird.

Like I said, it felt kinda good walkin public land...I wuz hummin "This land is your land, this land is my land..." lmao I really was.....but I wish I'd known this was gonna happen in March instead of September, that's a real kick in the nuts. However, I will prevail.
 

Dannmann801

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,640
191
Springboro
That sucks Dan. If you lived closer I would get you on with me NP. I hope you can find some decent ground and have it work for ya buddy. If you need anything that I can help ya with just let me know I would be more then happy to do it :D

Yeah, you could get a nice big ol' 10pointer on a leash an' walk him in front of my stand! real slow like....
 

RedCloud

Super Moderator
Super Mod
17,381
193
North Central Ohio
Yeah, you could get a nice big ol' 10pointer on a leash an' walk him in front of my stand! real slow like....

Don't laugh but I could do that lol. I know a guy that raises deer over by Plymouth..only problem is a 10pt would probably cost me a pretty penny and all I have left is ugly pennies so, I'm a little short on funds lol.
 

rgecko23

*Supporting Member*
7,466
0
Massillon, Ohio
dude that sucks, 2.5 weeks out of season?......That blows big time Where abouts in Cleremont County was it. Curious cause thats where I grew up. In Bethel.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,720
248
Ohio
Sorry to hear that Dannmann. Sounds like you took it well. Very polite to go on with your string trimming for him after he told you. Hopefully he will remember this.

Thought about you over the weekend every time I saw a Glenfield with a squirrel on the stock at the Allen County Fairgrounds this weekend during the water dog races/flea market.
 

Dannmann801

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,640
191
Springboro
dude that sucks, 2.5 weeks out of season?......That blows big time Where abouts in Cleremont County was it. Curious cause thats where I grew up. In Bethel.

New Richmond, not far from SR132. Place is overrun with deer and turkey that are somewhat used to seeing human traffic. Ridiculously fertile.

Sorry to hear that Dannmann. Sounds like you took it well. Very polite to go on with your string trimming for him after he told you. Hopefully he will remember this.

Thought about you over the weekend every time I saw a Glenfield with a squirrel on the stock at the Allen County Fairgrounds this weekend during the water dog races/flea market.

I'm still lookin for a Model 20 - dang - you just reminded me that I ain't checked out gunbroker in a while - dang
 

Geezer

*Hims a Super Moderator*
11,640
0
Your a class act Dan :smiley_bril:- i don't care wud Riverdude sez bout ya - dang
 

Curran

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,971
172
Central Ohio
Yeah, you definitely handled that very well... even finishing the yard work. Hopefully some of that karma comes back around and he calls you back, and not just to do some work, but to let you hunt this fall!!! Good luck!!!
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Sorry to hear that Dan. We've lost several areas(4 to be exact) all to leasing. You handled it straight up and hopefully the guy will realize he was getting a good deal in the first place. When his trailer needs more work and his lawn is taller than his ass you might be getting a call back. Goodluck!
 

Dannmann801

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,640
191
Springboro
I've scouted 2 areas in the last few days at Ceasar Creek to have a place close to home - one was disappointing and the other mediocre - I was really saddened by the amount of trash on our public areas. Followed a few trails into areas that opened up and looked like they could be ambush points - only to find garbage and spent shotgun shells in the spots I would have hunkered down. Shows me I'm on the right track in relation to scouting, but I need to get farther away, up and in.
 

CJD3

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
14,629
201
NE Ohio
Dann, You handeled it well. You are a class act... Ummm about that bag of flaming dog poo... O never mind.