Metropark lottery archery hunt

I applied for the toledo metropark archery deer hunt this year...This is their 2nd year of the deer management program...after reading through all the information from last year, contacting the park and finding out how successful the program was last year (22 deer harvested out of 96 hunters), I decided to try and participate...And I finally got drawn for something other than a doe bleat can at a wildgame dinner!

Every hunter gets a specific parcel assigned to them and a 3 week window to scout and hunt that parcel...these are corridor properties that the metropark has purchased over the years and I believe are not currently open to the public. My 3 week window happens to be primetime around here Nov.8th -28th!!!

They sent me a package of information with all the rules and a tag to hang on my rearview mirror when I park there to hunt. In the packet, is a hunt log sheet to record my observations when I'm out at the property and a qualification sheet which I have to take to basspro or clelands and put 4 consectutive arrows inside an 8" diameter target at 20yds.

I hope this will be a positive experience. After looking at the aerial of the area it appears to be a great spot, but I am left wondering what the hunting pressure will be like on the surrounding private properties.

With November 8th being my start date, I believe I NEED to just pick a good spot based on aerial map and head out in the morning and set up and see what happens...that is not the time of the year that I want to be out walking around looking for a spot when I could disturb deer or worse, ruin someone adjacent to me hunting.

Also, wondered if any TOOzer's applied and got selected?

Jesse, thanks for the support, i think you're right about the third week also, youth shotgun weekend has always seen a lot of movement around here...

Doe before buck is not required but if I do, i automatically get a spot next year if they continue the program...i have to ask them about hang on stands, i don't have a climber and would rather buy a ground blind than a climber.

Mike said:

If you can take a partner, I have two summit climbers.

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Would enjoy hunting with you Mike, if my dad can't make it I'll get back to you!

teej89 said:

ah man that's awesome news congrats! I was going to sign up for a metropark lottery this year and just flat out forgot. I bet they would allow hang on stands, that'd be nuts if they didn't and I'd rather use a hang on than a ground blind since the deer will probably be spooky of it.

Do you know if anyone is hunting your area before you? Or is it just you for those three weeks all season?

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Each parcel is booked up with a hunter every 3 weeks till the end of season...I am set up to carry my hang-on, climbing sticks and bow in and start hunting right away...first day might be an evening hunt anyways. so I should be able to find a tree to get in without a problem...

I'm glad I got drawn, but the time slot is kind of bittersweet for me...I have a nice buck deer at my private property spot I would like to "catch" (lol) this year but I would also like to see what might be available on the metropark hunt....hmmmm, what to do, what to do?

Carpn said:

I hunted the Dayton metroparks hunt a few yrs . You had to earn a buck by killing a antlerless deer . The way they did it they pressured the deer pretty bad . It was set up different than your hunt tho . I killed deer every yr which allowed me to pick when and where I hunted in subsequent yrs . It ended being somewhere for me to chase does in Oct while staying out of my private spots .

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I'm starting to think this place should be the same

Finally have pic loaded. this is just a small chunk of the property I have at my disposal for 3 weeks...This is why I love bing.com maps, Looks promising to me as long as the 2 hunters before me don't disturb things too much.

oakswamper said:

What park can you hunt? If it's the one by our place I can give you some good info on the location to target

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Pm sent

GoetsTalon said:

Awesome!!! I work for the parks and didn't think i could get in on it and found out i could one day after the deadline lol!!! The corridor has some great deer as do the parks themselves. Have a great time and good luck!!!

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Well that wasn't very well communicated now was it...bummer.

I understand my job is to basically kill deer, especially does...my plan is to do what I have to in order to automatically earn a spot for next year. I'll be hunting with my dad and we have a solid piece of property to hunt for 3 weeks, so it will a fun time regardless of the deer situation.

GoetsTalon said:

You have the perfect dates that for sure. We see some great deer in the parks like sidecut and swancreek but the corridor properties that run from oak openings to secor park hold some awesome deer. You have a great plan on getting a doe to seal the deal for next year then wait for the big boy. Seen a lot of does this year with twins and one that had triplets and there was a couple piebold deer around oak openings.

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A piebald would be really cool to see, especially around here