Southern Ohio recommendations?

[jonathan creason]

I'm debating trying to make a trip or 2 up to Ohio next year to deer hunt.  I'd like to hunt in the southern part of the state to keep travel time down, and increase the possibility of multiple trips (especially to scout).  Does anybody have a recommendation on a game land to check out?  Hogs would be a bonus, but from what I can tell from the distribution map on the wildlife resources website there's no gamelands in that area with them.

[buckeye_hunter]

Pigs are pure luck if you run into one.

Look into Wayne National, but personally I would hop over to Virginia instead. It was rated better for deer hunting than Ohio in recent publications. Also poaching is getting crazy down around the public lands in SE Ohio. I have seen too much for my liking.

Just my opinion and observation.

[vtmtnman]

Egypt Valley wildlife area in Belmont county.Was pretty decent this year when I was there.

[jonathan creason]

Originally posted by buckeye_hunter:
Pigs are pure luck if you run into one.

Look into Wayne National, but personally I would hop over to Virginia instead. It was rated better for deer hunting than Ohio in recent publications. Also poaching is getting crazy down around the public lands in SE Ohio. I have seen too much for my liking.

Just my opinion and observation.

VA would definitely be an option.  Does anybody have a recommendation for public land that isn't insanely pressured?  Just looking on the wildlife commission website Fairystone Farms WMA would be great, probably only 2 hours away.

[Buckeye Trad Hunter]

I'm going to agree with the other Buckeye.  Poaching and public land pressure are ridiculous around here.  If you do stumble upon an area that is a good place and has big deer for God sake keep it quiet or everyone from the lower 48 will be comin to hunt and all the poachers will be out at night and during the off season times    .  Virginia has really got it coming now if it was written that it was a good deer location.  They'll be flocking in until they're literaly rubbing elbows in the woods.  Better get there while the gettin's good.

[Kevin Dill]

If you are driving up from NC, you're possibly driving right past some of the best-kept-secret deer hunting around. Logan, WV and surrounding areas are lightly inhabited and have very few farms. Coal and timber are the big industries in the area. The terrain is hilly to mountainous and very steep. Old and reclaimed mining areas abound. The area gets hunted of course, but my understanding is that bow pressure is extremely low. I have personally seen some shed antlers from there, and deer taken from this area. There are some shockingly large bucks, and they have no problem surviving in the tough terrain. I have a feeling that I'd rather hunt a more remote (low competition) region vs some areas of Ohio that are 95% private land and small farms.