Delaware WA's 4,670 acres wrap around the eastern side of the 2,000-acre Delaware Reservoir. Delaware State Park borders the southern half of the area, which is 32 miles from Columbus in Delaware County. Access is on U.S. Route 23 from the north and south and state Route 229 from the east and west.

For more information, call the ODOW's District One office at (614) 644-3925, or the Delaware State Park office at (740) 369-2761.

KOKOSING WA
"Kokosing is a small area with a lot of hunting pressure," said Ludwig.

"Even so, a nice deer can be taken here, since Kokosing lies in a county that has a high-density deer population."

River bottoms, streams, marshy areas and hardwoods provide ideal habitat. The ODOW has added row crops, grasses and food plots to improve the habitat. Trees have been felled along the fencerows and in the woodlots, to allow new browse to develop.

Archers are advised to focus on the area on the south end of the lake east of the North Branch Kokosing River. The woodlot consists mainly of pin oak and hickory.

The 1,323-acre Kokosing Lake WA lies in Knox County. The area is two miles northwest of Fredericktown on county Road 6. Access is good into the area.

Call the ODOW's District One office at (614) 644-3925 for additional information.

LAKE LA SU AN WILDLIFE AREA
"The Lake La Su An Wildlife Area is always good for bowhunting," said wildlife biologist Scott Butterworth.

"The habitat on the area contains excellent deer cover and it's all open to public hunting. The fishing ponds are clustered on the west side of the area where a tornado went through several years ago. There's some pretty thick cover there as a result.

"In the center of Lake La Su An, the St. Joseph River and a few small creeks form a heavily forested river corridor. On the outskirts of the area, there's a lot of grass and fields, all of which hold deer."

Williams County harbors one of northwestern Ohio's highest populations of deer. Walking into the interior of Ohio's public lands will put archers in a better spot to score than the easy-to-access spots along the roads.

According to Butterworth, hunting pressure changes from year to year, depending on how well hunters did the year before. A nice-sized buck was taken last year, and Butterworth expects the word to have gotten out.

Call the ODOW's District Two office at (419) 424-5000 for more information.

WILLARD MARSH WILDLIFE AREA
"Willard Marsh is another good area for bowhunters," said Butterworth. "Willard Marsh is a unique marshy area. The area has little open water and is primarily forested with grassy fields and truck-farm crops nearby."

Onions, radishes and cabbage attract the area's whitetails, and they travel far to enjoy this bounty. The abundant food draws deer out of heavy cover where bowhunters can get a shot at them.

You should scout the area surrounding Willard Marsh, including the edges of forested tracts, open marsh sections and forest openings -- all good bets to set up for an archery hunt. There aren't any specific best-bet areas, said Butterworth. Just pick a parking lot and start walking into the interior where the cover is thick.

Huron County is a high-percentage whitetail destination overall, where archers can expect to have a shot at a deer. Willard Marsh is a great spot to fill an empty freezer.

For additional information, contact the ODOW's District Two office at (419) 424-5000.

HIGHLANDTOWN WILDLIFE AREA
"Highlandtown is a good area to start the early bow season, and it has big buck potential," said Damon Greer, assistant wildlife management supervisor.

"Early-season deer are still in their summer pattern of feeding in green fields rather than on crops. There's a lot of diverse habitat, including wildlife management food plots, that provides great opportunities during the early bow season. Once the pheasant and small game seasons come in, the area gets a lot of pressure."

Greer is a bowhunter who studies Highlandtown's whitetails both on and off the clock.