OH / IL public land

[tjarvis22]

First post here! Don’t know why I haven’t been on here until today, let’s talk about public land in either Illinois or Ohio.
I live down in GA and I’m planning a trip with 2 guys from my fire station for next November. I’ve always wanted to hunt the infamous Pike County but I feel like it’s no longer a secret and everyone flocks to hunt the “Golden Triangle” and it’s extremely over pressured. I’m interested to see if I should stick to my gut and go there or try to go to a different area or even a state over in Ohio. I’m aware that public land can be extremely difficult to hunt but it’s all about putting in the leg work and being in the right place at the right time.

Anyways, just wanted to know if I should continue to try and go to Pike County or if I should look into going to Ohio or even Wisconsin.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Fordguy]

Depends what you're looking for in your deer hunting. The public lands that I've seen in Michigan this year have had very little pressure. Many public land parking areas in my locale were empty during the first 2 days of firearm season. What you find depends on where you look, but there's a lot of otc opportunity. You may have to adjust your expectations if you're looking for mature bucks, but finding deer shouldn't be a problem. The central and southern lower peninsula has plenty of deer.
I know guys who kill mature bucks on public in Michigan every year, but some years they put in a lot of legwork.

Suppose I should talk about Illinois since the post specifically wanted to talk about it. I pass through Illinois from bottom to top as I travel. The public areas usually have a lot of traffic, a lot of vehicles in the parking areas that I drive by, but I've never hunted them. A friend of mine used to hunt Pike county, and he shot some really nice bucks there and around the state over the years. He did mention the competition for spots and territorial hunters.

 

[Wingshooter]

Ohio has very small amounts of public land Michigan would have much more room to roam. I can't comment on Illinois.

 

[kingfisher]

Moved from MT to back to my homestate of Ohio for a time. When I moved back, I tried hard to find a good spot in OH. If I remember correctly, there are three main forests down in Southern Ohio. I also hunted the area in Eastern/Central Ohio. My experience is that guys use motorized vehicles, despite road closures. There is a lot of poaching, and rule breaking. Guys steal cameras and treestands. I honestly got so tired of it, that I decided driving 20hrs outwest to hunt river bottoms was worth my time. I filled my coolers faster and had a lot more fun. Northern Michigan has wolves. I would look heavily at Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, or Eastern SD. I don't know much about Illinois. Good luck.

 

[dtrkyman]

Illinois public is a bit limited and definitely hammered. Still puts out good deer just be prepared for company and adapt.

 

[DanAntoszewski]

Moved from MT to back to my homestate of Ohio for a time. When I moved back, I tried hard to find a good spot in OH. If I remember correctly, there are three main forests down in Southern Ohio. I also hunted the area in Eastern/Central Ohio. My experience is that guys use motorized vehicles, despite road closures. There is a lot of poaching, and rule breaking. Guys steal cameras and treestands. I honestly got so tired of it, that I decided driving 20hrs outwest to hunt river bottoms was worth my time. I filled my coolers faster and had a lot more fun. Northern Michigan has wolves. I would look heavily at Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, or Eastern SD. I don't know much about Illinois. Good luck.

Only have been out west hunting one time. It’s worth going as I filled an elk tag. Now my daughter who hunts wants to go try for mule deer and antelope so I think that’s going to be our next quest.


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[SO IL]

As stated above, IL public is hammered pretty good. I live in IL and only hunt public. There are lots of out of state plates at parking lots. Have a plan A, B, and C every day because you will need them at times. Good luck wherever you go.

 

[Phil4]

I hunt a couple public spots in IL and they produce monsters every year. They get hammered and are hard to hunt or at least not typical whitetail places to hunt. I’ve never hunted NE or KS but I’d imagine it’s similar. Vast areas with no trees and head high grass. Maybe a hedgerow to put a climber or a saddle in. The woods that are present get a ton of pressure and the big fellas know it. I’m eating tag soup this year but saw a lot of action. Walked between 3 and 10 miles every day of gun season. I’d focus on the big places and hunt during the week if you’re archery hunting. Gun season is gun season they will all be packed.

You can google outfitters and find public adjacent, save yourself several thousand dollars.


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[Cady Creek]

No experience in IL, although I'd like too. I agree with the above on limited options in OH, although I've seen some dandy bucks. With that said, I won't go back. My interactions in that state never went well. Assuming it was the Michigan plates

 

[SavedByGrace2001]

Ohio has very small amounts of public land Michigan would have much more room to roam. I can't comment on Illinois.

, You’re joking right? Wayne national forest covers like hundreds of thousand acres. There’s lots of public land in Ohio.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

Thinks IL is over pressured so you want to come to WI

WI has been over pressured for going on a decade.

 

[Fordguy]

, You’re joking right? Wayne national forest covers like hundreds of thousand acres. There’s lots of public land in Ohio.

Lol. And in contrast, Michigan has 4.6 million acres of state owned public land, 3.6 million acres of federally owned public land and an additional 2.2 million acres of CFL land where hunting, fishing, and trapping are allowed.

I'm thinking Wingshooter's comment was comparative.

 

[MIbowhunter4954]

Ohio has a ton of public land.

IL has very little, and what they do have, you need to sign in and what not. They don't make it easy.

 

[MIbowhunter4954]

Depends what you're looking for in your deer hunting. The public lands that I've seen in Michigan this year have had very little pressure. Many public land parking areas in my locale were empty during the first 2 days of firearm season. What you find depends on where you look, but there's a lot of otc opportunity. You may have to adjust your expectations if you're looking for mature bucks, but finding deer shouldn't be a problem. The central and southern lower peninsula has plenty of deer.
I know guys who kill mature bucks on public in Michigan every year, but some years they put in a lot of legwork.

Suppose I should talk about Illinois since the post specifically wanted to talk about it. I pass through Illinois from bottom to top as I travel. The public areas usually have a lot of traffic, a lot of vehicles in the parking areas that I drive by, but I've never hunted them. A friend of mine used to hunt Pike county, and he shot some really nice bucks there and around the state over the years. He did mention the competition for spots and territorial hunters.

Where do you hunt in MI? I've seen a steady uptick in pressure over the past few years in SE MI/the thumb. Hell, even the pigeon was overrun during bow season.

 

[Fordguy]

Lol. I'm not handing out spots. I'll say this though- I usually hunt south-central through mid-central lower peninsula but I've also been known to head over to some of the more eastern counties during archery season on week days. In my core area, hunting pressure has dropped dramatically in resent years on public. (Edited for redundancy lol) send me a PM if you want to discuss further.

 

[MIbowhunter4954]

Not looking for spots, just geography. I just don't believe it for a second.

Hell even spots up in Baraga where I bear hunt are seeing bow pressure it never saw before. Phuck youtube.

 

[Fordguy]

It's been surprising for me too. I always expect to see full parking areas at the public land areas. 10-15 years ago (for the first several days of firearm season) people would hold their spot in those parking areas by staying in their truck bed campers or sleeping in their toppers.

I used to hunt a state rec area in Washtenaw County that was phenomenal. Saw some huge bucks there. I'd ride my horses on the high trails overlooking swamps in September to scout. Worked out really well. Haven't been there in a few years, and things can change quite a bit from one year to the next. It was crawling with bow hunters on the weekends, but weekdays didn't see much traffic.

 

[SavedByGrace2001]

Lol. And in contrast, Michigan has 4.6 million acres of state owned public land, 3.6 million acres of federally owned public land and an additional 2.2 million acres of CFL land where hunting, fishing, and trapping are allowed.

I'm thinking Wingshooter's comment was comparative.

well I wasn’t comparing Ohio to Michigan and I’m not saying that one state has more property than the other. But to make a statement that “Ohio has very small amounts of public land” is a very inaccurate statement. I believe Wayne national forest alone is 240,000 acres.

 

[Wingshooter]

, You’re joking right? Wayne national forest covers like hundreds of thousand acres. There’s lots of public land in Ohio.

Compared to western states yes a small amount of public land. Haven't hunted Wayne since college so I'm not trying to steer him away for my own benefit I just don't consider it big compared to Pennsylvania Michigan Kentucky Michigan.

 

[MIbowhunter4954]

Compared to western states yes a small amount of public land. Haven't hunted Wayne since college so I'm not trying to steer him away for my own benefit I just don't consider it big compared to Pennsylvania Michigan Kentucky Michigan.

Homie is trying to steer people towards MI so hard he listed it twice

lmao