Wayne National Forest

[DLuke]

I am considering some hunting options for the next couple years, and have had a trip to Ohio on the back burner for several years. I am looking for any sort of feedback on hunting Wayne National Forest....more specifically, the late muzzleloader season which will be in January. Wondering about deer numbers in the National Forest, successes from the members here, even some second hand information. We'd be coming from a couple New England states and we know deer numbers are relative, but were you able to get into deer on a fairly regular basis out there? Thanks in advance! DL

 

[shooter44n45]

I think if you got into the old Meade properties in Vinton county, you would stand a higher chance of success. Im not overly familure with Wayne forest but I do hunt the southeastern county of Jackson and I hunt 98% public property and Ikill no less tan one deer a year. This year I took 3 on opening day alone.

You can go to http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/ and do some research and call them. They should b ble to put a map in your hands and also give you some insight as well.

 

[kparrott]

The best tip I can give you for Wayne is find green. There are some patches of hunnysuckle that deer always find in the winter. They are looking for food so find green.

Find the green, Find the deer.

 

[DLuke]

Thanks for the responses guys! My biggest concern is that the deer numbers would be very low compared to the rest of the state. I know that the Wayne is about the size of my neighboring state of Rhode Island, but I also know that there is no agriculture in there... I can hunt fair populations of deer here and don't need to travel all the way out there for that.... Out here, a deer a day seen is a pretty good average for the season. What could I expect in several days of poking and sitting, poking and sitting in Wayne?? Thanks again for any replies gang...very helpful... DL

 

[shooter44n45]

We have a pretty large population and if your in a good area, you should see several deer a day at least. I shot 3 on opening day.

You dont have to have farms to supoprt a deer heard, find the hardwoods bordered by green growth and you will have a great spot.

 

[DLuke]

Good info shooter!! Thank you for the replies. Hoping for the next two years...going to Anticosti this coming December, so it might not be the following month, but you never know....

 

[shooter44n45]

We had next to no luck during ML season this year until we started hunting around the new pine growths. They clear-cut huge areas and then in some of them they plant pines, the rest of the areas they let regrow naturally. The pines are about 10' tall now and the deer were held up pretty tight in them. Its the only place we really had any luck. I shot one broadside at 60 yards and tracked it 1/2 mile and then it must have found a bandaid. We saw it crossing a road at one point and it was covered in blood. I'll be damned if I know where it went once we lost the blood. Tracks mingled in with other tracks and split off many times before we finally lost it.

 

[coal hollow]

Do you know that you're only allowed 2 deer per day?

 

[DaveLemaster]

Do you know that you're only allowed 2 deer per day?

That rule was changed.