Deer seem to like old, rusty farm machinery and buildings. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources working with Ducks Unlimited has done a lot of work to create a premier wildlife area. Its all good, he said. About 850 acres of the Killbuck wildlife area was set aside years ago as a refuge; controlled youth hunts for turkey and deer are the only human activity allowed. State Routes 67 and 294 border the area on the west and north. Roadside Hotspots. This means any dry land with easy access and parking. The action can be outstanding for does, and more productive than most think for mature bucks and the occasional trophy that slips out of the sanctuary for a chance at a meal. Oftentimes, thermals carry scent up from the valley and normal wind currents carry scent over the top from above. This can be difficult to hunt for several reasons, but the biggest is that the wind swirls more in valleys. This land provides a great opportunity for hunters to hunt Ducks, Acres 4,500 County Jacksonville Near Jacksonville, Texas Game We saw many swans that were too far away for us to identify which species they were, but Id like to begin by talking about the trumpeter swan, a species that has successfully become established at Killbuck Marsh. The latter included black ducks, which had been notably absent. But whether hunting public land or private, the key to harvesting a whitetail this time of year is being out there in the first place. D'Arcy Egan, special to The Plain Dealer. The check stations were established after Ohio's first positive test for CWD in late October, a captive deer at World Class Whitetails, a deer farm and hunting preserve in Holmes County. The mature buck bedding areas I find on public land are in spots with very little human intrusion. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; Get 4 Weeks of Farm and Dairy Home DeliveredSign Up for your FREE Trial. Locals called it Big Spring. All of these could be seen on an afternoon in May at the Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area near Shreve. Below are a couple other photos taken while walking down Force Rd. Crews cut trees to power the dredges as they went along. Buy Alert:Realtree 7" Mini EZ Hangers 2-Pack. The black ducks are back. Its feathers begin to whiten in late December and by late March it will be white like its parents. Its the same concept. Mark everything you find on a map or GPS so you remember where you located it. Create walls and barriers to block deer from going one direction while steering them in another. A pasture or field that is no longer used soon grows up with trees and shrubs. You might feel a little ridiculous watching cars drive past, but when that giant walks out, you will be wondering why you never tried this before. Waterfowl require shallow marshes or wet meadows for roosting and breeding, and for the insects, small mammals, amphibians and reptiles they depend on for food. Cardinal Collection News Release [5-26-22], Fall 2022 DNAP eNews - Prairie Restoration, Wild Ohio Harvest Community Video Library, Specialty Wildlife & Wild Animal Businesses, Coal and Industrial Minerals e-Permitting, 00-01 Orphaned/Injured - Wildlife - Common, 00-03 Landowner Family - Hunting - Common, 01-04 Wildlife - Nuisance - Division Help, 01-28 Wildlife - Other - Collection Permit, 02-10 Hunting - General - Communication Device, 02-35 Hunting - Furbearers - Bait Coyotes, 02-37 Hunting - Furbearers - Roads Bridges, 03-14 Fishing - Laws - Private Pond Release, 03-19 Fishing - Laws - Previous Day Catch, 02 National Floodplain Insurance Progam - Common, 04 Water Withdrawal Registration - Common, 19 Old Woman Creek Education Opportunities, 01 What does the Capital Improvement Program do? I guess that buck found a surefire way to get out of the wind and rain. If I can manage the ground I'm hunting by adding food plots or mineral sites, I like to focus on the edges of cedar thickets. Big bucks recognize these areas as safe spaces, as predators (even hunters) often cower at the mere mention of water. Funding for the trail comes from Ohios Endangered Species and Wildlife Diversity income tax checkoff. The trail is four miles long, and passes through a large variety of habitats. "I was surprised a bit by a couple of the counties that the books show producing big late-season whitetails," Rex admitted, adding, "Wherever you live and hunt in Ohio, there's no reason to put away the muzzleloader or bow this time of year just because you think there aren't any big deer around.". Master Sportsman Ranger Sleeping Bag in Realtree Xtra. Prepare a list of questions to go over with your whitetail hunting expert, including topics such as hunting outfitters or mule deer hunts. District Four's Gallia County has been a consistent producer of large late-season bucks over the years, based on the record books compiled by BBBC. As the Big Spring Project restored the pool and the marshy area around it, waterfowl began to return. Its amazing how every portion of high-timbered ground can have a hunter per acre, but hit the cattail water edge and all pressure stops. Terrain Tip: Cedars are great for minimizing your scent but still be aware of the wind. Waterfowl hunting is very popular at this site. The property was acquired using multiple state funds and donations. Year-round family fun and a picturesque, old-town atmosphere await visitors in Medina County. Its not easy to find them, but if water levels are low enough, you may see rubs leading to them. Bucks tend to bed right in the thermal wind tunnel about 1/3 of the way down the ridge and look downhill. And they love cattails. Simply put, deer like terrain edges. Marlin is back in the game with the re-introduction of the classic 336 and 1894 lever-action hunting rifles. amzn_assoc_linkid = "4ea0038170a64f214707d3b343c57158"; Share the post "Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area". amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; Theyre starting to spread out to smaller wetlands further away from Funk and Killbuck.. Located 6 miles south of Oxford near the village of Reily, about two-thirds of Pater acreage is in woods, mostly along Indian Creek, which runs through the middle of the WLA. Older bodies of water often have large oxbows in them. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Upon finding the shed, Billy immediately went to find his hunting partner, Paul Junior. At the Millersburg check station, Westerfield and Laura Graber, a wildlife research technician, were removing two lymph nodes and the brain stem from checked deer. ELD-X Precision Hunter). Buy Alert:34" EZ Hanger + Arrow Combination. Still, deer will sometimes use low-lying bottom land that offers quality bedding cover. It might lay down before legal light starts. During the off-season, map out the network of trails to see how deer navigate the land. amzn_assoc_title = "TrekOhio's Amazon Picks"; And as deer often do, theyll not only bed in these ditches but travel up and down them as they move from point A to B. Terrain Tip: Use an aerial map to pinpoint these areas. In cattail marshes, these are really easy to pick out on an aerial. You just have to work hard during the offseason to find where those bedding areas are. Many of my biggest public land bucks were shot a stones throw from the road. Thats why were seeing such a large increase in suburban deer populations. To further drill down, start by scouting the ones that give whitetails the best wind advantage. Or, rather, it does if you have permission to do so on private land. Related G&F Deer Hunting Stories. Bucks live and thrive in wet areas. Oxbows in rivers have been really good to me. It was filled with deer tracks and droppings. Bedding will be along the river in the bowl shaped area. The Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area encompasses 5,671-acres and is situated in portions of Wayne and Holmes counties. amzn_assoc_asins = "B079J4ZQ6S,B0086GYPLU,B07G4L72NS,B076JJGMSY"; Your hunting might benefit from it. Marsh islands are really easy to see when surrounded by cattails, dogwood or some other low brush. All they need is some scattered high spots to lay on. At our first stop at Killbuck Marsh (P-10 on the wildlife map) we were greeted by a trio of mute swans with a flock of Canada geese behinds them. Hang stands too low or far away from where the deer will likely travel and you may not get a shot opportunity with all of foliage in the way. My comment is If used to your advantage, they help block a deers line of sight as you walk along entry and exit routes. Use milkweed to see what the wind is really doing. 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Utica Marsh Wildlife Management Area. When you look at a pressured public property, you have to wonder how mature bucks survive there. Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area. And generally, they can spot any predator that pops up over the bank before the predator sees them. Hundreds of great blue heron nests dot the trees around the pool, though a pair of bald eagles was allowed to rent space in the heronry, too. The tundra swans have arrived here on the Chesapeake Bay, I can hear them every morning off in the distant coves around us, love it and the Canada Geese honks. Don't be afraid to walk and look. It was expected that some silt and sediment would flow through the breach in the dike, but the sheer volume took many by surprise. These locations can be a slam dunk. Theyre able to bed down, watch the ridge with their eyes and allow the thermals to bring word of any threats straight up to their nose. Good deer movement leads to a buck down! If they are, they wont live long. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Ive even found evidence that a deer (frequently) bedded down in an old abandoned corn crib. First, the breach in the bank of the Killbuck was repaired and the errant channel plugged. Its a lot of work but worth it, not only for waterfowl, but for songbirds, eagles, osprey and barn owls, as well as deer, turkey, rabbits and river otters that make their home at Killbuck. Along with water from the creek, the channel funneled all kinds of silt, sediment and debris into the wetland. Deer will use the crossing. This is also the best place in hilly terrain to catch a buck cruising for does. Thermals begin to rise when the sun comes up and starts heating the valley floor. Big bucks don't get big by hanging out where people hang out. You still may find the best bedding areas a half mile or more away, but its the best place to start. Frog and turtle hunting are popular activities in the marshy portions of the area.A walking-only trail for wildlife observation follows the abandoned B&O Railroad, through the center of the area. Just don't overpressure them or theyll be like all the rest. That's exactly what happened to an extremely important part of the 6,000-acre Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area, a place called the Big Spring. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; Shreve Lake and Killbuck wildlife areas may be obtained by contacting the offices at Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area, or from Wildlife District Three Office, or by visiting wildohio.gov. Here are some places to remember. The more pressured the area, the deeper theyll go. I learned long ago that hunters park in a parking lot, follow a trail way back, and then go left or right. There are two times I find deer focus on these areas the most. All Game & Fish subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. Terrain Tip: Its easy to move debris around to direct deer movement. She can be reached at editorial+barb@farmanddairy.com. That said, any type of edge habitat can produce. Once you find them, move in to inspect. Solon, Long and Abele keep that from happening by mowing, cutting, burning and treating chemically when necessary. The other late-season destination to consider in Wayne County for overlooked deer hunting opportunities is Shreve Lake WLA. You must make it into the stand or blind without making a sound. Just put out a few trail cams and see what roams through at night. The biggest advantage of knowing this is that you can eliminate a lot of ground and concentrate on the leeward ridges. This reaction will be located just down from the top of the ridge, often a quarter or a third of the way down from the top. The three also work to keep the area in the early succession stage, which benefits most kinds of wildlife. Terrain Tip: Hang treestands higher and within 10 yards of the trail so that you can shoot down into the vitals. Killbuck Marsh was probsbly viewed as an obstacle to early settlers and farmers who turned the rest of the region into a thriving agricutural area. Lease. Your scent may blow in the exact direction you want for 50 yards or so, only to make a turn and do something completely different beyond that. The wind can even be bad when you think its good, too. Dont Miss:5 Advanced Trail Camera Tactics. An Ohio.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the State of Ohio. Terrain Tip: Dont invade the CRP and CREP fields unless there are islands of trees where you can hang a stand and hunt. But bowhunters are primed to take advantage of these city deer. Especially I love Your swan photos. The most common species on the area are the wood duck and Canada goose, followed by the blue-winged teal and mallard. Up-to-date agriculture news in your inbox! Youll need it, too, as deer will likely be bedded close. They love to bed down in areas where marshes meet hardwoods and other forms of standing timber. Average Temperature J F M A M J J A S O N D 0 20 40 60 I dont recall ever seeing so many swans in one place in the wild. Winchester's new Big Bore ammo, available in 10 mm, .44 Mag., .357 Mag., and .45 Colt, is specifically designed for big bears in bear country. About 56 percent of the acquisition unit consists of marsh and swamp that is flooded during some portion of the year. Deer are adaptive creatures. It was cold and sunny in the morning, growing cloudier as the day progressed, and finally ending in snow flurries. Site by Gray Loon. Those whitetails start venturing forth about now each year, according to the local wildlife officer I talked to, onto wildlife area lands that are open to walk-in hunting. Its excellent fawning cover. Solon said every time one fell in, it cost between $5,000 and $30,000 to clear the resulting logjam before it could create another breach. Look for tight spots along the ridge like at the top of erosion draws, or where rock formations or fallen trees push the bucks thru a tight spot. They shot around 10 does but no bucks. Don't Miss:5 Best Stand Setups for Pre-Rut Bowhunting, There are a lot of big woods and big-woods deer hunters throughout the country. Solon and his coworkers estimate there were 300 swans and 500 sandhill cranes in the area last year, plus thousands of geese and ducks. It keeps out the predators, coyotes, wolves and humans. Terrain Tip: Ask landowners (private land) or property managers (public land) if they know of any places like this. Wonder how mature bucks survive there of trees where you located it Marsh and swamp that flooded... ( private land silt, sediment and debris into the vitals left or.. 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