Ohio late ML season

[adirondack46r]

Just curious is there is anyone here from the great state of Ohio who can give me an idea as to what to expect during the Ohio late muzzleloader season in January. The season runs for 4 days from 1/9 to 1/12 (I think). I was there (central Ohio) in November and saw plenty of deer. I am curious about how much pressure your late ML season receives. Will I see many guys on public land? I may get on some private land as well, but it will likely be mostly public land. I will likely be planning to put a fat doe in the freezer for winter, and see if I can put some smoke in the air in the vicinity of mature buck that managed to evade the orange army. I'm also praying for snow as well.

 

[RonT]

Too far away to tell what to expect weather wise. Be prepared to dress for wet or ~0* cold, maybe in the same day.
With Ohia's liberal view of what constitutes a ML, yes the Orange army will be out in force.
Where do you consider Central Ohia? Got private land....first choice, state land...third choice.
R

 

[adirondack46r]

Ron,

Thanks for the info. Fairfield county - Lancaster area, Baltimore area - is where the private land is. I am familiar with Wayne NF so that will be a destination as well. I am pretty sure that will get pounded.

Thanks,
46r

 

[silent sniper]

i am a fellow ohio hunter. i hunt in holmes county. late season hunting in january is pretty different from earlier season hunting. in the late season it is going to be cold guarnteed. the deer will be herded up in large groups. they dont move much, the only place they go is from food to there beds. the best way is to find out where they feed and hunt the trails between the beds and food sources. there will be pressure on them but not near as much as shotgun season.

 

[JNG]

Last year there was alot of ice and snow in Pike county. You had to kick them up to see any. Other years not so much of a problem.

Joe

 

[8905c]

I hunt SE Ohio, and have for several years. Overall, the deer population in this area is not what it once was. A few years ago, EHD hit this area harder than most people, including ODNR, realize. A large number of deer killed by EHD was found by landowners/farmers in many SE Ohio counties.
However, this is not saying there is not a huntable deer population in SE Ohio, but this area does not lead the state in the number of deer harvested as it once did. Recently, leading Ohio counties in the number of deer harvested seems to have shifted more to the east central counties of Tuscarawas, Coshocton, Licking, etc.
8905c

 

[adirondack46r]

Wayne NF in Perry county seemed like the population was down as well. Saw some deer, but not like I would have expected. Spoke to a few out of staters hunting during the peak of the rut and they were not having great luck. I'm going to consider it success if I see deer, and a resounding success if I get a shot. We'll see....

Thanks for the info.

 

[scoutinlife]

Weather will tell all for sure, Jackson County Ohio numbers for deer taken was up 400 plus from the previous full week of shotgun season we had. I taken a doe for the freezer that week. This weekend I have sunday off so going to take my ol hawkins, plus I have mangaged to get the first 3 days of Muzzleloader season off as well. I hunt behind my house not a bad area at all seen a coulple nice bucks and several does when I was out hunting. I'm a meat hunter an go for the closest, clearest & safe shots, the woods is hills ravines,hardwooda and thick my best spots are 45 yard shots at the best most 35 yards..... Wayne National forest South on 93 below Oak Hill Oh has some great hunting for public land.... Good luck to the Ohio Hunters out during Muzzleloader season.... :wink:

 

[adirondack46r]

Weather will tell all for sure, Jackson County Ohio numbers for deer taken was up 400 plus from the previous full week of shotgun season we had. I taken a doe for the freezer that week. This weekend I have sunday off so going to take my ol hawkins, plus I have mangaged to get the first 3 days of Muzzleloader season off as well. I hunt behind my house not a bad area at all seen a coulple nice bucks and several does when I was out hunting. I'm a meat hunter an go for the closest, clearest & safe shots, the woods is hills ravines,hardwooda and thick my best spots are 45 yard shots at the best most 35 yards..... Wayne National forest South on 93 below Oak Hill Oh has some great hunting for public land.... Good luck to the Ohio Hunters out during Muzzleloader season.... :wink:

I agree Wayne is pretty good. I didn't see a ton of deer there during early archery but there's some room to roam. I'm still looking for more private access in south central OH. I like the mixed woodlots/corn and occasionally you find a farmer tired of the crop damage. And the nice thing is that it's not a terrible ride from East TN where I am.

Funny story =- I met a young guy in Wayne NF while hunting during the rut. Told me he had hunted there "20 days and had yet to see a deer". If he had hunted there 20 days and not seen a deer he's either legally blind or the world's worst hunter. I think he was trying to shoo this hillbilly back to dixie ;-)

 

[jal5]

Dress for the cold for sure. Won't be as much pressure though as during the shotgun season. Deer won't move much so look for trails between bedding and feeding areas. Good luck and hunt safe.

Joe

 

[swank]

Adirondak46r-
While I'd say he was blowin you off, I have hunted with folks who have gone near a week in the WNF without seeing deer. Local boy- doubt it but, for folks used to hunting ag land, the "big" woods can be a transition to know where to set up.

Unpredictable is the best word for late season in my experience. I agree with others, still plenty of deer in SE, but in the areas I hunt in Morgan, Athens, Perry, and Hocking counties deer (especially does and mature bucks) seemed fewer this year. Another thing is that in part of this area the early season ML hunt is getting a lot of pressure before the rut. The hunting pressure as a whole in November is also getting worse every year. In fact late ML season is often less crowded than the 2nd week of November in spots.

The Rut and, buck sign was spotty and almost non-exsistant in the areas I was in although our group, including myself, all managed to take nice bucks with bow.

The feed in the National forest was almost non-exsistent as well so. So concentrate on any food sources you might be able to find- or when in doubt hunt the cover. Late is often feast or famine, as the deer are often hearded up.
Still a good time in the woods and if its really nasty out theres usually not so much orange in the woods.

 

[dmowery]

I've hunted in SE Ohio all my life and it seems there has been a low count on deer. there are several different areas of WNF so look around and you may be able to find a good spot..good luck and the main thing is to have fun.

 

[larry wv]

Horns are falling off a month early in western wv. Mast was realy bad here. If its that way where you hunt antlers will be scarce. Sucks to kill a big buck for a doe and find round spots. The horns are falling off in black powder season in ohio about every year. Meigs county area was just about wiped out by the blue tongue a few years back. Larrry Wv

 

[adirondack46r]

Horns falling off is not a big issue - my freezer is empty so I'm hoping for a fat doe. I'll do my best to avoid shooting a buck that has shed. I don't need the meat that bad, and maybe I'll be back next year. ;-)

 

[steve nagy]

Isn't this the first year for the late season to fall into January? I would venture a guess and say that it will be more of a manure shoot due to the season's date change. I would think that one could pattern the feeding habits and be successful form that; the challenge in that for me has been that the deer seem to go more nocturnal with the shift in the available daylight.

 

[Dave K]

Years ago, the Ohio ML'er season was the first Tues.-Thurs of Jan. Then they moved it to between Christmas and New Years. Personally, I like between the holidays best, my kid was out of school and could go hunting. But, back to Jan. hunting. We would find sheds occasionally in the Jan. season before. But we also would see some huge racks being carried yet in March. All I know, is I make every attempt to make certain the deer I am about to take is not a buck that has shed his horns or a button buck. Actually this time of year, I am looking for a young doe, if I am looking for meat. She may not be bred, so I am not taking from a large doe that probably is. Just one of my little silly things.

 

[NJStricker]

One benefit of having the late ML season back in January is that with the extra gun weekend in mid December, deer have a chance to settle down a bit after the gun season.

 

[Dave K]

You are right, unless you are a bowhunter. Between the youth hunt(this is the season where Dads and Uncles, show the little tike how THEY can shoot and the youth can tag it, got to start them right). It seems as if we keep the deer heard all messed up starting the weekend of Thanksgiving on till the end of season. I just wish they would have the regular gun season would run 9 days straight and be over with, instead of putting that break in there. I always loved bowhunting the late season, as there was NO ONE in the woods anymore and the deer would get on a regular feeding schedule.

 

[larry wv]

I agree Dave its the same thing in W Va. Let things calm down so us we can do some Bow hunting the last of the year. Little timmy rarely pulls the trigger himself. Be nice if he did. Dad usualy has one of those auto loading muzzle loaders at home also. Larry Wv

 

[Chuck 1]

Weather will be a big issue.If it is too cold they tend to lay up and have to be moved.Sometimes you need hunters to move them when it is like that.Seems to be a good number here at my place in Columbiana Co.Have been seeing quite a few .Look for feeding areas.They have been hitting the corn fiels here.