New Member and New to Site

[Gadawgfan]

Hi Ya'll,
My name is Jody Griffin and am just a good ol boy from Southeast Georgia that loves to deer hunt and especially loves chasing the big bucks up there in your fine state of Ohio, as well as Kentucky and Illinois. I have been on several hunts with outfitters over the years in Illinois, and most recently, Kentucky and Ohio. The last few years mainly in Ohio, I have hunted around Steubenville and also in Hocking and Vinton counties. I might ad that I saw some monsters but just could never get in the right spot. After this past year, I decided to give up on the outfitters and try it on my own, so I got lucky enough to find a small 60 acre farm right outside of Coshocton, which I understand is one of the top ranked counties in Ohio, so you can imagine my excitement. I said all of that to ask this, I noticed there is a public area called Woodbury Wildlife Area very near. I was just wondering if anybody has any information, good or bad, about the area. The topo and satellite maps look great but I know that can be deceiving. I plan to make a trip up in the spring during turkey season to check it all out. It looks like an excellent area with tons of agriculture!!! Thanks for listening to me ramble and I look forward to hearing from you fellas.
Thanks Again

[mrbb]

well welcome to the sitre, cannot help you on that area, but I gather that it i a fairly hunted area, due to the fact its a well known area, so private lands bnear by can sure be hot spots due to pressure maybe pushing deer onto them
best of luck! and safe huntings

[Gadawgfan]

thanks for your welcome and insight mrbb. good luck and good hunting as well!!

[Stonegod]

Welcome to the site!!!

[89trackerpro17]

Welcome aboard.

[Gadawgfan]

thanks for the welcome fellas

[Griz]

Welcome to the site. I've done the same thing as far as not hiring outfitters anymore. I've been public land hunting in Ohio for two yrs now. IMO your scouting trip will be the judge of how good Woodman is. The furthar you get from the access, the better. Alot of hunters like it easy, if you are willing to get off the beaten path, your success rate will rise. As you know, hunting in Ohio can show you some nice mature animals. Your not going to be disappointed in hunting public land. Good luck to you. Also, there alot of big public land on your drive up from Georgia, give it a look an see.

[Gadawgfan]

Thanks for the info Griz. I have no problem venturing off of the beaten path, I just know how crazy it is hunting public land down here and was just curious if it was the same way up there. Of course, with no rifles and the majority of the season being bow only, it should be a lot safer. Good luck to you also.

[mrbb]

well I have hunted ohio many yrs and hunted both private and public lands, and I only once had a guy come close to me on public lands
so they all ain't crowded places
you many times don't even have to get far off the road, just hunt places other over look, or better yet, hunt the first few weeks of the season, far too many guys wait till the so called rut to start hunting, meaning the early weeks are a lot less packed with hunters, and to be honest, deer are still on better patterns in early season too,
I personally think, come rut time, far too many bucks are already nocturnal any more, making early season a better time to hunt big bucks rather than HOPING, and I say hoping a good rut happens, as seems last few yrs teh rut has sucked, bad weather hot wet dry ?? you name the reason you want, but the rut action has been very off in area's I hunt last few yrs
I blame pressure and poachers more than weather, and all its done is teach bucks they can just breed at night and live longer
earlier in thye season you hunt the more bucks are out there in day time hrs,. as season goes on, less and less walk about in shooting legal shooting hrs if you ask me!

[Gadawgfan]

Some great points there mrbb I definitely agree about early season hunting, the deer are easier to pattern then during the rut, whci like you stated has pretty much been hit or miss for the last few years