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Revenna Arsenal

Thunderflight

Dignitary Member
17,770
167
Shermans Dale, PA
Anyone ever draw a hunt there? I put in for it this year. I figure after buying my NR hunting license and deer tag another $3 wouldn't hurt. I've heard the draw odds aren't good.
 

Buckmaster

Senior Member
14,362
191
Portage
I only live a couple miles from it. Been there twice and took 3 deer home. That's when APCO ran it and one of the warden's lived down the street from me. No draw required back then. He took us as his guest. My dad used to go a couple weekends out of the fall. It's a different look in there. Now they have a systematic draw thru the State. Find a hole in one of the fences and you have reached the heaven of bottlenecks.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,741
274
North Carolina
EHD has taken its toll out there, I have buddies who go out there too pick up the chutes and pallets dropped from the C130's and it went from seeing tons of deer too barely seeing anything the whole ride in and out.... I've hunted it on the controlled hunts back in the 80's with APCO and their good ole boy network and all thru the 90's and up too a couple of years ago.... The military had a set amount of slots die too the restricted areas throughout the arsenal.... Those areas are pretty much gone now and it's wide open for the majority of hunters.... There are still some good deer in there but nothing from I'm told like years ago.... It's still worth a shot especially if you've never been there before....
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,741
274
North Carolina
Those are my thoughts as well. I'd go again...if invited.

Wasn trying too discourage anyone from going just wanted too make sure your expectations are more accurate.... 90's thru mid 2000's you'd see a ton of deer.... Lots of good bucks were taken every year consistently..... Couple buddies were escorts out here and still are but they just go too see what they can see anymore....
 

antiqucycle

Junior Member
506
36
East Ohio
I have been in there hunting about 10 times dating back to 1979. I went there for the archery tournament until it was discontinued. I killed one eight point in all the trips. I have hunted with a bow during the insane deer drives with 75 drivers and 75 standers on a road two miles away. I have been in there on various shotgun hunts.
The APCO members were certainly not the most ethical hunters I have seen. They would drive to areas where a big buck was sighted using walkie talkies and pickup truck beds loaded with shooters. If you were assigned a section, They would not hesitate to send members to run thru your section.
It was always extremely interesting to look thru their photo books at the monster bucks they killed. I especially remember the member with the big Afro hair.
Yes I have hunted the drop zone. I also know two guys who snuck into the "demolition zone" and killed a monster buck. Still have a picture of it.
I was also lucky enough to get drawn to hunt ducks there and got assigned to a flooded parking lot.
My son was lucky enough to spend a night in the arsenal and saw jillions of deer. Him and his buddies in ROTC at OSU rapelled down from blackhawk choppers then got picked the next morning and flew back to the campus in choppers.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,741
274
North Carolina
Most of the time I drew antlerless tags and would see nice shooter bucks walkin by... My son and I hunted there on his first year shotgun hunting and we were about 20 yards apart looking in two different directions and he had a 140-150" buck walk within shooting distance and I had one about the same, although his was a I army non typical and mine was a typical 5x5 frame..... Just walking by as if not a care in the world.... Both sitting there with nothing legal for us too shoot other than does..... Did we see any antlerless that day??? Not within shooting range as they were flying low lol.... Heading back out we had a heard cross the road in front of us that we had too stop the truck and wait on lol.....
I have an application that's sitting in my email that I can't decide if I'm filling out yet or not....
 

5Cent

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
12,291
212
North Central Ohio
Hunted there as a youth twice ,cool facility! I grew up right outside Plumbrook so I knew to what to expect for a fenced controlled hunt. The herd is not as strong as J said, but well worth the cost of admission. Anyone who gets a chance will enjoy. The largest buck I have ever seen was bedded under a train loading dock for a munitions building. Saw crates stacked to the ceiling marked "grenades, handle with care"!:smiley_clap: