"This is a topnotch area, and all of Highlandtown is good for deer," said Greer. "I don't think any one area is better than another. The edge of the forest where it meets open fields is a good place to set up during the first few weeks of the season. Hunters should look for heavily used trails and pattern deer movements between fields. Most of the mast crops will be coming on, but the acorns won't be on the ground yet."

Highlandtown Wildlife Area consists of rolling hills, open fields, food plots and hardwoods covering 2,265 acres in Columbiana County in northeastern Ohio.

GRAND RIVER WILDLIFE AREA
The Grand River Wildlife Area is another of Greer's top early bowhunting picks.

"This area is one of the largest wildlife areas in northeastern Ohio and features sections that rarely, if ever, see a hunter," he said. "These spots are tough to get to and require either a boat or waders, so take your hip boots with you. There are areas that may never see a hunter."

ODOW management activities include food plot maintenance, and the deer definitely take advantage of them once the weather starts to get cold. The area's river-bottom habitat holds deer through the gun season, and some of its bucks have some age on them.

For more information, contact the ODOW's District Three office at (330) 644-2293.

"We see some big deer at the check stations around here," said Greer.

Grand River covers 7,231 acres in Trumbull County. Access is available via township and county roads.

Convenient parking lots provide pull-off space and put bowhunters close to the action.

Contact the ODOW's District Three office at (330) 644-2293 for more information.

AEP LANDS
The big news in District Four this year is the ODOW's acquisition of 2,300 acres of American Electric Power's Poston Plant lands in Athens County. This fall's bowhunters will now have free reign on some of southeastern Ohio's finest hunting terrain. The AEP Company's Re-Creation Lands now provide Buckeye State bowhunters with a total of 63,876 acres in Morgan, Muskingum, Perry, Noble, Coshocton, Athens and Guernsey counties.

According to wildlife biologist Jim Hill, the former AEP Poston lands in Athens County are now officially called the Poston Plant Lands Public Hunting Area and Consol Energy Powhatan Point Wildlife Agreement Area in Monroe County.

The sight of a big buck standing on one of the area's hundreds of ridges and hills is a common one. Bottomland and new-growth woodlands comprise much of the area, interspersed with some 300 fishing ponds. Wild rosebushes woven into the tangle make pushing through the area's brushy cover a tough proposition.

Big bucks have lots of room to roam here, and there's a good chance you won't see another hunter.

Contact the ODOW's District Four office at (740) 589-9930 to obtain a permit, a map and more information.

CAESAR CREEK WA
The Caesar Creek Wildlife Area is close to urban areas and receives a fair amount of pressure from local hunters. But it supports good numbers of deer, according to Heidi Devine, a wildlife biologist in District Five.

"There's a good mixture of habitat and food plots that are planted to benefit wildlife," said Devine, "and as a result, the area supports a lot of deer."

Nearby farmers are encouraged to leave a few rows of crops standing after they harvest their fields.

Corn and soybeans are the obvious front-runners as far as the deer are concerned.

Bowhunters are advised to study the area's topography on the public lands and adjoining private property, Devine said -- noting that what goes on where no-hunting signs are posted will affect deer movement on the wildlife area.

The big news in District Four this year is the ODOW's acquisition of 2,300 acres of American Electric Power's Poston Plant lands in Athens County.

"Look for travel routes and funnels leading in and out of Caesar Creek and the crop fields, small woodlots and developments surrounding it," she advised. "A hunter can find himself a trophy-class buck if he's willing to do a little homework and a little scouting."

Caesar Creek covers over 10,000 acres. The southern section borders Caesar Creek State Park, where hunting is limited.

For more information, contact the ODOW's District Five office at (937) 372-9261, or the Caesar Creek State Park office at (513) 897-3055.