Woodbury Area opening day excitment

I will be hunting whitetail for the first time ever opening day on Sat. 29. Going to be there Sunday as well, unless a guy gets so lucky Sat. he has to head home! I have found a few spots by tromping around after looking on Google Earth. I now know I should have done this earlier, but to late now. I am trying to choose which spot and what time. Wind direction of course should narrow it down. If you know enough to say what direction a deer will be moving and when, or if it would be staying put. So, would someone be willing to give some advice on a location or two based on my description of it and the general surroundings? I would like to have some reason to pick spot A or B and all day or just evening or morning. If you would reply ya or something I will post information as I know it. Will be in Woodbury Wildlife off Rt. 60 near Coshocton useing a compound bow and a tree climber trying to be safe. Thanks for reading.

I'm by no means an expert, but I can tell you what I would do. After looking at the area with google earth, I see numerous lush green fields surrounded by timber. I'm not sure if they're ag fields or just open grass, but they have my attention. I would hunt the edges of these or just inside of the edge of a morning. For mid-day, I would find some kind of hard mast. Acorns or whatever is there. The thicker the timber, the better mid day spot for me. Also, if you don't have success Sat. AM, you could use the mid day period to find entry and exit points on the field edges and hunt them Sat. PM and Sunday AM.

I only see one source of water there. The small pond. Only one small side of it provides cover for deer. I would not overlook that spot! Good luck, man. I hope you kill a big one. If you have more detailed info and want some advice, let me know.

Well thanks for your reply. ODNR or whoever cuts paths and fields around the wildlife area for management. The fields have various heights of brush, grass, weeds, small patches of short trees, and the ever present pricker bushes. Brush hog work, freshly around the edges and criss-cross through the middle. In some fields there are even plots of field corn planted by the state. These are probably the "lush green fields" you see, surrounded by timber of various size and density at different locations. If the pics. you saw are from around March on Google, there are brown strips in some, some of those are now the corn fields. There also happens to be small creeks here and there. Being new I am not confident enough to find a spot/trail/tree to climb in the dark. So for morning one, I have a tree I climbed as practice in a not as dense timber area about 20 yards in from the edge. Between two trails that are about 40 yards apart. Next to one of the corn field/open grass areas. Can't you just see the spot clearly now? haha I happened to see a deer in the corn round 6:30pm for what it's worth. You say you would hunt the edge in the morning and I will do just that. So my question - is that just a morning spot? Do they head to the corn early then go to the thick timber/mast at this time of year? Do they go back to corn in the eve. from the thick timber/mast normally? So many ?s If your still awake and reading.. another spot I checked a couple times and also jumped a deer round 6pm seems good. But I don't really now. O.K from left to right, with the features I mention running north and south. It goes asphalt road, 200yds cut grass, 50 or so yards corn, from 5 to 20yds thick nasty brush, small creek, then uphill timber and then lots of woods. Got a trail on right side, parallel to creek, at the foot of the incline. And some trails going up this fairly steep hill. It's thick going there with not much visability, prickers and stuff. However, there is a small ravine running down the hill where water trickles. Open enough with few trees I can get into. Thinking 25 yards uphill from creek, near joining of a couple trails. Hard to picture it from that, I'm sure, but what about that spot? And when? Got one more for you or anyone else too, but this took me for ever to type all ready and don't wana "lose ya". Can't wait for my first hunt. Maybe a nice buck?! Thanks for your time and experience, it may make the difference for me!

Sorry for not replying sooner. I was busy sneeking in on that 8 pointer. If you have found a well used trail near a creek in some tight cover, I would certainly do that. If it's where two trails join, then YES!! I find that the field edges in the PM get the most pressure from hunters and the better deer won't even show on the edges until after shooting light. I killed that 8 pt the other day on the edge of a creek with thick cover. I had hunted for a couple of days near a field but he always showed up too late. I CAREFULLYscouted mid-day to find a spot closer to his bed and he walked right into my tight shooting lane.

Congratulations to you! Glad to hear you brought home what you worked for, you must be proud. Nice work finding the bedding spot and not alerting him to your plan. If I understand, you intercepted him on his way to the field edge? The field edge he would not arrive at till to late in the day. But you knew he would show as you stayed past "shooting time" and saw him arrive. Then you chose a location, away from, but on the way to the field edge. You did this by CAREFULLY scouting mid-day, starting at the field edge and working your way back into the woods using the trails? Until you thought you were near his likely bedding area that he would be leaving on his way to the edge. His bedding area being thick cover near a creek..... Do you think he was in his bedding when you set up near by, and is that his night time bed too? Also, was it the hunting pressure from just this year that made him arrive late to feed, or a learned behavior over several seasons? How did you hunt that morning? When you say "tight shooting lane" can you describe about how far from the path you were set up and how many yards of the path you could actually shoot at him please? And finally, for now anyway, about how long before dark do you pass on taking a shot? That's a lot of questions I know.... This is cool of you to help me for Opening day Ohio, Sept. 29. Congrats again and thanks.

Pretty much exactly what I did. I KNOW he was in his bedding area less than 200 yards from my set up. The reason I had such a tight shooting lane is because I was in super thick cover. It was pretty much the only place I could set up without him seeing or winding me. I had the wind blowing from him to me the entire time. I can't overstate the importance of playing the wind. You can use all of the scent control products in the world, but a deer's sense of smell is 4,000X better than ours. If the wind blows from you to them, it's game over. I didn't hunt that morning. I went in at around 2 pm knowing he would be bedded until at least 6 pm. It took me over an hour to get to the spot and set up. Climbers can be quiet if you take your time. It took me 30 minutes to get 15 feet up the tree. I was being super quiet. He was less than 10 yards from my tree when I shot him.

To be honest, some luck was involved. I knew the general area of his bed and where he came out to feed, but that's about it. I found a funnel area (the creek bed) and set up between his bed and the food source. As far as passing on shots, I'm not sure if you mean passing to wait for a better deer or passing because it's too dark. As long as I can see my pins, I'm shooting a deer. I don't normally pass on does in early season and on this trip, I passed on 3. They walked by less than 10 yards away. The only reason I did that is because I wanted that buck so bad. This weekend, I'll go back for the does. My shooting lane was only about 10 feet accross. That's how thick it was. I stood in my stand with bow in hand for that last hour before he showed up. If I had been sitting or had my bow on a hanger, I would have missed the opportunity.

I think some bucks are darn near nocturnal by nature. I don't think pressure did it although it probably had some influence on it.

The deer will bed right in a standing corn field, live in it until it gets cut. Right now, I think I'd be looking at a stand of oaks next to the corn field. Deer seem to know about seasonal food sources, and will be hitting the oaks as soon as they drop. They will get there with plenty of shooting light left, and stage and feed on the acorns until they move out in the open a little later. Lots of droppings on an oak flat will alert you to the fact that they prefer that particular area over others. They will also swing through after dawn to pick up the acorns that fell overnight.

Bowhunting is a close quarters game. Hunting the edge of an open field can be extremely frustrating. You'll end up "watching" a lot of deer out in the field as it gets dark, then you have to figure out how to climb down and leave without letting them know about it. Almost impossible to do.

Personally, I usually quit hunting about 15 minutes after sunset. That's about as late as I can comfortably see my sight pins.

Well then I will plan as best I can, with the spots I have on my radar, to hunt the wind. Heard about it, read about it, but was going to kind of ignore that bit due to how much there is to think about already. But I will hunt smarter from the start I guess. So I may pass on a doe as well the first time out just to go for the big brown gold medal. If no buck first day though... I was wondering if you would have passed on a shot had it been near dark, but understand now that if I can make a good shot, seeing the pins and target, then do it. Look for your downed deer with lantern/flashlight or whatever help you can get. As far as picking a tree. I was thinking being in a more open spot near the thick was ideal. I thought I would want to see as far/much as I could, though that may get me spotted. Now I will be more willing to "risk" being in tighter thicker cover. Thicker the better. Palehorse shot to a 10' wide lane 10 yards away. So I don't need a ton of area, just a small good one! Realizing more and more just how much of a "close quarter game" this is. Reading from SlowBow, going to try to make the tree picked among the oaks that are dropping, and they are dropping now. That should then give me a chance in the am, then again pm. Plus with creek and corn I should see something more than squirrels and racoons! (just don't wana see bears or other hunters) So will try to be in stand all day. In the 'ready position' early and late. Having bow in hand I heard from you and the one buddy I know who hunts sound important. Another thing is food/water/and peeing. Keep the food smell down by eating light and less smelly foods? Drink water and pee in a plastic bottle? What do you guys do? And is being in the stand midday increase my chance of seeing doe and not so much increase the chance of seeing a buck? Are they just tucked away mid day pretty much and that is that? Meaning I could weigh my option of a break mid day against the increased noise and smell my travel would create. Just wondering if I should stay put. Anyway thanks again for your advice. Sort of like deer hunt prep school for me via this cool forum.

You wil find far more useful info here than on any show. Hunting shows are made to sell products to consumers, not to inform. I'm glad you're getting the useful info. I would certainly recommend a mid-day break. Sitting in a stand from before sun up to after sun down is absolutely miserable. I usually take a couple hour break during the hottest part of the day usually around 1-3 PM. You will put some scent down, but you should be careful enough about your approach that it's not a big deal. I'm glad I mentioned the importance of playing the wind. I ignored it for years when I first started and it cost me dearly. It has to be the single most important thing I do. I do pee in a bottle when on the stand. My absolute favorite quote is "I don't always pee in a bottle, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis" --. Hilarious! I have never avoided certain foods. Some guys do, I never have. I do however eat verly light for a couple of days prior to a hunt. There's nothing worse than having to climb down and hike to the truck to take a crap. Not to mention, I think I hunt better hungry. Maybe I'm weird, but it works for me.

If you shoot a deer anytime near sunset, you WILL be blood trailing in the dark. I wear a small headlamp but I keep a powerful surefire light to bloodtrail with. It's not my favorite thing to do. Finding blood in the dark sucks. I always feel so rushed to go find the deer, but you have to wait. Even with that last buck I shot, I knew he died in 50 yards. I heard him crash. I still waited an hour to go retrieve him. You don't want to push a fatally wounded deer. It only makes them harder to find. Good luck, man. If you have any more questions, let me know. I probably won't be back around until Sunday morning. I'll be on doe patrol for the next couple of days trying to fill the freezer!

Agreed with palehorse. This time of year, the deer move more during the morning and evening. Don't wear yourself out yet doing all day sits. They are tough on you. Save it for the rut when you can expect good deer movement all day. Be prepared for night tracking if you hunt in the evenings. Find a partner if you can, one to stay at and mark last blood and one to move forwards with the light. I've been on some hairy trails that lasted until 02:00, so be ready.

Also, watch that wind. The buck I shot wednesday night, as well as the does I saw, came OUT of a standing corn field into the woods to feed on acorns. So hunt a lateral wind if you can, blowing back the way you came in if possible. If I had been hunting traditional common sense wind blowing into the field I would never have seen them.

I posted his photo in the Trophy Den, and he will be making an appearance in the next episode of Public Land Pope and Young 7 soon to be released, as soon as I get the butchering done I'll be working on that.

What are you doing hunting my area. LOL I have been hunting down there the last 19 years. We have a camp of st rt 36 Close to the tip of woodbury. If you see a fat guy with a longbeard and a longbow say Hi.

Well I had been wondering just who's area it is. Gotta say I love what you've done with the place. I will look around someday and try to find you. Fat guy, long beard and long bow. Check. If you see skinny guy who may look a little lost, compound bow, prolly me. Say Hi. Will be trying my luck and what I've learned so far opening weekend! Good Luck to You and Yours.

When are you going to be down there. Ill give you an invite to dinner at our camp. And if not good luck to you to.

Well had I read this sooner....Showed up at the "campsite" area Friday night. Left Monday morning. Would have taken you up on an invite for sure! I read here somewhere you had a chance at one or two doe. Next time. I will post something whenever I go back down and maybe I could swing by your camp then. Thanks for the offer.

no problem. i dont hunt down there till the last few days of oct fist week of nov. where is your camp at.

camp set up Cant wait. I have three weeks off starting Nov 4th

My camp set-up. It is small, mobile and a 2wd Malibu. Got heat, radio, storage and lots of windoes. No running water though. Have parked in the "camping area" off rt. 60 not far from the maint. garage. Trailers, camper truck people, and me. Spent my first trip sleeping in a tent and the second in the car. Roughing it. Hunting out of the car is extra rough with a side of back ache and some cramping. However, the price is right and I am happy to be hunting. It makes the tree stand seem a rather comfy place to be. Must be sort of comfy, as I doze off enough. Gotta tree sleep less because I woke once to a small buck that had just walked right in front of me and had gone too far by the time I opened eyes. But anyway my camp is....wherever I park it! Three weeks off for you starting the fourth...Cool!!

If you ever want a more perm. spot right in the middle of GREAT hunting. I might be able to get you in. 250.00 a year right on the river 3 or four miles from tip of woodberry plus water shed land.