If you're one of the lucky individuals who either, own land, or know someone who does, you are in a good position to get hunting permissions. However, if you are like me, you are not so lucky and will have to look to other options. Sure, you could go around to surrounding properties and ask the landowner for permission to hunt. Some individuals have great success at this. A better option, in my opinion, is to take advantage of all the public hunting land Ohio has to offer. Known for its trophy bucks, hunters travel here from surrounding states at their chance for a wall hanger. While public hunting has its setbacks, some of the best hunting is done there. Listed below are some of the top public hunting lands in Ohio.
With 19,000 acres of land, Woodbury Wildlife Area is the largest public hunting land in Ohio. Once an old strip mine, this area offers some unique topography to hunt deer. Serious hunters love the more difficult terrain of this land because they know they can get deeper back into the land than others, who will likely be deterred by it.
Located right next to Woodbury, you can find the Dillon Wilderness Area in Nashport, Ohio. On this 8,200-acre property, there is an abundance of whitetail deer for the taking. Over half of this area is woodland, while about one-third is open land acreage. This area is under quite a bit of hunting pressure, so you will want to search for low human traffic to find that special spot.
Located in the south-eastern part of Ohio you can find the Wayne National Forest. Divided into three units; Athens, Ironton, and Marietta, there are collectively over 200,000 acres of land to hunt. With its patchwork of oak-hickory hills and grassy valleys bordered by private land, many of which offer deer destination food sources, you are sure to land a prize-winning deer. Due to the vastness of this land, hunter density is somewhat reduced, making your experience more enjoyable. You will want a good map to show the boundaries and property ownership when you hunt this land.
The Conesville Coal Lands consist of roughly 12,000 acres in Northeastern Ohio. Hunting here requires a permit, however, that deters human activity which makes your hunting experience worthwhile. You can go online or visit a local bait shop to acquire the permit. This land also offers plenty of campgrounds to make your hunting adventure more comfortable.
As Ohio's reputation for producing big bucks continues to grow, so does the deer herd. Public hunting helps to manage the deer and other animal populations. While the list I provided is some of Ohio's top public hunting lands, many more areas are available. Explore the full map of available public hunting areas at: Ohio Department of Natural Resources - Outdoor/Hunting. Now while I must admit, I haven't had the pleasure of getting out there these last couple of years (due to having my third child), I am excited to get back in those trees this season! While I wouldn't pass up on a monster buck (obviously), my personal agenda is to fill my freezer, so a doe or two would be just fine with me. Show off your prized deer below and get a chance at being highlighted on our Facebook page!.