VA, NC, WV, MD, PA, TN, KY, DE----Fall 2013 Public land hunt get together

Sorry I never noticed this reply.

Most likely, as long as I have a buck tag still.

There is a pretty healthy deer population all over Ohio, especially central to southern Ohio. The thickets are where you will find does, doe groups and some young buck beds. The older bucks you will find bedding up high during daylight hours. Wind / thermals and escape routes trump thickets for the older bucks.

Now if you are talking intercepting cruising bucks, yes, those would be good set ups.

My suggestion would be to let the topos guide you to likely terrain features. The terrain never lies if it tells you he has to pass a point to get from one area to another he will. You just need to be there when he does.

 

Another map.

 

Good public hunting and camping in Jefferson National Forrest in Va. Went up a few times in my Norfolk navy days.

 

Wish I could make this trip, but I already have an Ohio trip planned for Nov. 8-15 . If any of you OH guys are near Athens and want to stop by camp and hunt with us a few days we will be in the Wayne National Forest. I've hunted there the last two years and seen some giants both on the hoof and the ground. Hopefuly this will be MY year.

 

Josh, those are awesome maps man. What are you doing with those maps with the clear cuts/strip mined spots? I am new to that type of map. I will be looking at the maps soon and adding to the discussion a little more. I am looking forward to this trip.

ps...if anyone wants to start an e-mail distribution list about this you can e-mail me at [email protected]. Not sure if our maps and the like will get picked off if someone google searches.

 

I think that wills creek is federal property and is huntable with archery only. I passed through there once and asked a guy working there and that's what I was told. There is also some public hunting ground along the gravel back roads in the area. Not sure if its state or aep though. Been a while since I went through there.

 

I hunt there every year. It isn't archery only. Around Wills Creek it is all AEP. South of Wills Creek's AEP lands you will find Tri Valley which is pretty big and is state land. West of Wills Creek's AEP lands will take you to Woodbury, again state land.

 

I'm talking the actual dam area. There is about 100 acres that is mostly a couple crop fields. I was sure he said it was archery only. I could easily be wrong though.

 

The topo is useless in the mined areas, so I overlaid aerials to give us an idea of where the wet and/or dry pits, spoils banks and reclaims are located. It's all about the edges Brett, structure, terrain, cover, field, marsh, river, lake, it's all the same and you hunt it all pretty much the same way (farm land, hill country, strip mine, sloughs, suburbia) Deer focus on edges and use them as a line of defense in there habitat...and that my friend, is the ***** in there armor.

 

I hear you Josh. What are the areas bordered in red?

 

They are the property lines. I guess I need to post a key map also.

 

Josh will you be attending ?

 

Yes, looks good so far.

 

I am looking forward to the hunt. Work has been piling up, moved the family to PA, and still working on getting my old house rented. Stress! I need some cold days in the woods and some good times with the fellas to recharge.

 

Is the invitation still open? I don't want to commit to anything yet but I am interested and have vacation during that time.

For a non-resident, it appears the license would be $125 and $24 for deer tags, is that right? How many tags and which type do you get?

Which area did you guys decide on? Give me a town so I can do a little googling to see travel distances and such.

 

Invitation is still open Donnie! Coshocton, OH. I haven't looked at the tag info yet. I will do it soon.

 

Thanks! Looks to be about a 6 hour drive from the house.

 

Pretty sure the $124 gets you an either sex, then the $25 is doe only.

 

Are you sure about that?

Hunting Licenses

 

A non resident license is $125. Either sex tag is $24(limit 3). Antlerless tag is $15(limit 1) to be filled by Dec. 1. That info is from the regulations book.