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The Greater Cleveland area....

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grfox92

Junior Member
10
9
Hey guys, I am relocating my family to Lake County next year. We love the area and have visited 5 or 6 times now. When we are ready to buy we will be looking in the Willoughby, Willowick, Timberlake, Mentor area. I have spoken to quite a few hunters from the area and have gotten vastly different answers and opinions.

I feel like some people were intentionally misleading me because I'm from out of the area and they didn't want to help me, telling me there aren't a lot of deer around Lake County. Another guy told me you can't hunt the county at all. Another guy told me you can hunt private, there are a ton of deer and plenty of big bucks.

I understand some people may not want to answer this publicly so feel free to PM me.

I am from NY and have been hunting suburban areas my whole life so I am used to that.

I'm not looking for a spot, just trying to understand the area I am moving to as bowhunting is my top priority outside of my family.

any advice is appreciated

Thanks,

Gary
 
M

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Welcome to TOO forum. I'm from SW Ohio so can't help on info. Good luck.
 
nis1

nis1

Junior Member
203
52
I'm not really in the towns you listed but I hunt a lot of pretty urbanized areas in Summit county so maybe I can give you some insight about what to expect. Cities and towns allow a lot of bucks to reach an older age class because access sucks. That will be your main issue. Urban areas often have small parcels and the people that have big parcels either hunt or are already leasing their property. If you buy property or do gain access to private, you will likely deal with trespassers regularly as no one in this area has any respect of anyone's property. Hunting areas like that are awesome because of generally high deer densities and big bucks but getting permission and everyone and there brother ruining your hunts can often be enough to drive you insane.
 
"J"

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
59,542
288
North Carolina
Welcome too the site... No help either as I'm an hour or so east/she of you as well.... I do know there's a lot of big bucks seen up that way but like has already been said by nis1 good luck with your venture....
 
rsmith

rsmith

Member
1,835
52
Welcome. I got some friends that hunt/have hunted in mentor. There are deer there like every other city, only problem is if you're actually hunting in the city there are strict rules and regulations to follow. You can call the ODNR or the local police station and find out regulations to being able to hunt but I know Mentor is very strict since the houses are stacked next to each other and the majority of the lots are about 1/2 an acre each if that. I believe Willowick and Willoughby have the same restrictions as Mentor but call and double check. You can also put in for the metro parks drawing but it is very hard to get in as hundreds of people apply every year and only a few are picked. I would contact ODNR or the city to find more about the regulations.
 
huntn2

huntn2

Senior Member
6,097
171
Hudson, OH
Welcome. Access will be the biggest hurdle. Many of the cities require additional bow hunting shooting proficiency certificates and police permission, but it is really no big deal. Many deer - plenty mature! Challenge will be access. Other options will be to shoot out route 2 or 90 a few exits into Ashtabula.

For the cities you listed, it will be bow only, if at all.

Best of luck and welcome to TOO.
 
Riverdude

Riverdude

The Happy Hunting Grounds Beyond
Supporting Member
10,254
115
Ashtabula, Ohio
Welcome to TOO. I live in Ashtabula, county, about 30 east of Mentor. Can't really help you out other as I am sure you know those area's are very populated as far as people, businesses, stores, mall's...ect. I would head more east but that is just my two cents.
 
Bigcountry40

Bigcountry40

Member
4,788
137
Welcome aboard, I'm BigCountry and had a cellphone mistake with a mystical man named Gary, did you have a 330 area code for your cellphone?

On a serious note, while in college in portage county which is a little south of you, I hunted a suburban woods in Stow, Ohio that was a little over a acre big. I was very successful, but it was highly illegal and I gained the trust of the surrounding neighbors which viewed the deer as a nuisance. My advise to you, find a dr., lawyer or someone with acreage that lives in the rural suburbs where bow hunting is legal or does not have any city ordinances against it.
 
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grfox92

Junior Member
10
9
BigCountry40 said:
Welcome aboard, I'm BigCountry and had a cellphone mistake with a mystical man named Gary, did you have a 330 area code for your cellphone?

On a serious note, while in college in portage county which is a little south of you, I hunted a suburban woods in Stow, Ohio that was a little over a acre big. I was very successful, but it was highly illegal and I gained the trust of the surrounding neighbors which viewed the deer as a nuisance. My advise to you, find a dr., lawyer or someone with acreage that lives in the rural suburbs where bow hunting is legal or does not have any city ordinances against it.
Click to expand...
haha no it was not me!
 
G

grfox92

Junior Member
10
9
lots of great insight here guys, and for the record I currently drive over an hour to hunt in some spots, so I'm not looking to exclusively hunt directly in the town I live, I just wanted to know the legality, hunting pressure and deer quality which you guys have answered and I very much appreciate it.

I will be asking about leases, hunting agriculture, as i never have, and all sorts of other topics in the near future.

Thanks for the info guys!

Gary
 
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