Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

Went to Mohican state forest.

Bigcountry40

Member
4,555
127
Went to Mohican State Forest to do a scout hunt in the snow and I also wanted to get some exercise. I literally live 2 minutes from Mohican and have been waiting a for a good snow to scout/locate tracks. I had absolutely no plan or any starting point, other than find tracks-follow tracks. Well this plan was an absolute bust and I probably walked 2 miles, found several places I would consider pinch points and did not see any tracks. Anyone ever hunt there, have success or have a specific road they hunted? I really had no intentions of killing a deer (killed 3 by end of November) just thought I would see a lot more sign.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
If you haven't noticed we've been talking about the decline of the deer population in the state of Ohio for about 7 years now. It doesn't surprise me that in two miles of walking state Forrest you didn't cut a single track.

The way that our department of natural resources set about reducing the deer population of the state has resulted in areas of higher hunter density being completely decimated, while areas of low hunter density and high human population such as urban areas largely untouched.

Write your state representative and tell them how dissatisfied you are with the DNR. Don't bother writing the DNR they think you're just another stupid hunter.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
If you haven't noticed we've been talking about the decline of the deer population in the state of Ohio for about 7 years now. It doesn't surprise me that in two miles of walking state Forrest you didn't cut a single track.

The way that our department of natural resources set about reducing the deer population of the state has resulted in areas of higher hunter density being completely decimated, while areas of low hunter density and high human population such as urban areas largely untouched.

Write your state representative and tell them how dissatisfied you are with the DNR. Don't bother writing the DNR they think you're just another stupid hunter.

whssign.gif
 

Bigcountry40

Member
4,555
127
If you haven't noticed we've been talking about the decline of the deer population in the state of Ohio for about 7 years now. It doesn't surprise me that in two miles of walking state Forrest you didn't cut a single track.

The way that our department of natural resources set about reducing the deer population of the state has resulted in areas of higher hunter density being completely decimated, while areas of low hunter density and high human population such as urban areas largely untouched.

Write your state representative and tell them how dissatisfied you are with the DNR. Don't bother writing the DNR they think you're just another stupid hunter.

I wish you were wrong, but I think you basically covered everything. I only see 1 other car (not sure if they were a hunter or hiker).
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
I wish you were wrong, but I think you basically covered everything. I only see 1 other car (not sure if they were a hunter or hiker).

That's how it works. People will show up in droves early-season to kill anything that may have survived the previous season or managed to breed last year. Once the deer have been shot out for the year they move on to decimate the population somewhere else. Humans are no different than any other predator. If the prey population drops in an area the predator moves to a different area to continue it's hunting.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
If you haven't noticed we've been talking about the decline of the deer population in the state of Ohio for about 7 years now. It doesn't surprise me that in two miles of walking state Forrest you didn't cut a single track.

The way that our department of natural resources set about reducing the deer population of the state has resulted in areas of higher hunter density being completely decimated, while areas of low hunter density and high human population such as urban areas largely untouched.

Write your state representative and tell them how dissatisfied you are with the DNR. Don't bother writing the DNR they think you're just another stupid hunter.

I concur with this 100%, but in reality yesterday wasn't ideal conditions too have deer moving throughout the day with that wind....
 

Jamie

Senior Member
5,691
177
Ohio
I spent half a day driving around Mohican state forest on the Monday of the the two day gun season. I drove every part of it, and, in a steady cold rain, I saw not less than 15 vehicles parked, presumably deer hunters. one at nearly every place you could pull off the road, some with two or three vehicles. I was astounded how many were out, especially with the crappy weather. I was looking for a place to squirrel hunt. subsequently, I spent a whole day there squirrel hunting. covered some ground, too. saw what I felt like was a large amount of deer sign for a public hunting area. some well used trails with fresh tracks, lots of rubs and scrapes and plenty of piles of pellets. it's no petting zoo, but there are some deer there. I found one ladder stand about 100 yards from one of the places I parked.
 

Bigcountry40

Member
4,555
127
I concur with this 100%, but in reality yesterday wasn't ideal conditions too have deer moving throughout the day with that wind....
Yeah I thought of the wind, but I should have seen atleast 1 track! Ashland is a 3 deer county, I can go to any North Westen Ohio state land (which is been raped and pillaged by every local idiot with 20 square miles) and find a track in 5 minutes.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
Yeah I thought of the wind, but I should have seen atleast 1 track! Ashland is a 3 deer county, I can go to any North Westen Ohio state land (which is been raped and pillaged by every local idiot with 20 square miles) and find a track in 5 minutes.

Did a very slow push for a buddy last evening on a farm that he hunts in Carroll county outside of Minerva... This place has a good population of both bucks and doe, didn't cut a track of anything until I jumped the buck my buddy shot, he jumped outta his bed and was behind a tree 30 yards from me trying too wind me too figure me out.... He hightailed it across the field 300 yards and walked into my buddies stand site.... I trailed him the whole way and didn't cut any other track.... By the time I was halfway across the field it was extremely hard too make his tracks out as they'd already drifted over.... I also went past both of their feeders they have up and nothing was hitting them but birds and squirrels....
 

Bigcountry40

Member
4,555
127
Did a very slow push for a buddy last evening on a farm that he hunts in Carroll county outside of Minerva... This place has a good population of both bucks and doe, didn't cut a track of anything until I jumped the buck my buddy shot, he jumped outta his bed and was behind a tree 30 yards from me trying too wind me too figure me out.... He hightailed it across the field 300 yards and walked into my buddies stand site.... I trailed him the whole way and didn't cut any other track.... By the time I was halfway across the field it was extremely hard too make his tracks out as they'd already drifted over.... I also went past both of their feeders they have up and nothing was hitting them but birds and squirrels....

hmm, i guess I may have to take a hike this weekend, I don't think the drifting was quite the same as you were dealing with (farmland v. Thick Timber forest) but Carroll County is the same area as I was hunting (few counties away) so the deer were probably behaving the same. I appreciate the incite.
 

CritterGitterToo

Junior Member
375
58
Central Ohio
After youth gun, regular gun, bonus gun and muzzy, the local deer are likely harboring on "No Hunting" private land nearby. Take a walk through there at the end of Feb or mid March and see what you find. Probably see a bit more sign.

Though, what Joe said is accurate. There simply aren't as many deer as there used to be. I like his idea of contacting elected representatives and tell them you're upset with the ODOW. A very detailed, factual and well articulated letter could get some attention. Imagine if hundreds or thousands of Ohio hunters were doing the same thing.
 
Last edited:

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
hmm, i guess I may have to take a hike this weekend, I don't think the drifting was quite the same as you were dealing with (farmland v. Thick Timber forest) but Carroll County is the same area as I was hunting (few counties away) so the deer were probably behaving the same. I appreciate the incite.

No problem, I just wanted too relay what I saw so you wouldn't get too discouraged.... While I was in the woods, I could see the field above me and the wind was creating white outs out here lol.... Tried too stay in the low areas as I figured it'd of been more conducive too seeing something.... Saturday will be a little breezy as well but temps will hover 30, so you might have better luck seeing some as the snow is moving in as well....
 

Hedgelj

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,145
178
Mohicanish
After youth gun, regular gun, bonus gun and muzzy, the local deer are likely harboring on "No Hunting" private land nearby. Take a walk through there at the end of Feb or mid March and see what you find. Probably see a bit more sign.

Though, what Joe said is accurate. There simply aren't as many deer as there used to be. I like his idea of contacting elected representatives and tell them you're upset with the ODOW. A very detailed, factual and well articulated letter could get some attention. Imagine if hundreds or thousands of Ohio hunters were doing the same thing.
This!

The deer population on the surrounding private property around the state forest definitely increases after those events. But some of the locals on the roads around the forest say Hunter traffic is way down also....
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
Never hunted public. Local deer herd has never been large. In the last several days I have seen deer yards I have not yet seen this year. In my opinion, it didn't take but a few real cold days to yard the deer up on properties they don't call their home range.