More information about hunting in southwestern Ohio, including maps of state lands open to bowhunting, is available from the ODOW's Wildlife District Five office, 1076 Old Springfield Pike, Xenia, OH 45385; or call (937) 372-9261.

DISTRICT TWO
Lake La Su An Wildlife Area
Few bowhunters look to District Two as a destination. Harvest figures are relatively unimpressive -- as far as numbers are concerned. But if you know where to go, there is some great bowhunting for trophy bucks in this district.

"Up in northwest Ohio, we have the Lake La Su An Wildlife Area," stated Scott Butterworth, wildlife management supervisor for District Two. "It's an excellent mix of habitat, with grasslands, wetlands, forest, and neighboring private land. Plus there's quite a bit of agricultural activity nearby."

Lake La Su An Wildlife Area, best known for high-quality bluegills, has limited access for fishing, but not for deer hunting. This 2,280-acre area is one of the best public lands in the northwest for bowhunters to open their seasons, and a good place to sample Ohio's trophy buck potential.

A lot of the area is wetlands, including numerous small- to medium-sized ponds. The area is primarily forested with a mix of beech, oaks, maple and ash, along with some brushy areas. The terrain is gentle.

There are some co-op crop fields and food plots for dove hunting. Crops include corn, sunflower, winter wheat and millet.

Hunters should pay attention to the mix of ponds, open areas, forest, wetlands and thick cover when scouting deer movement patterns.

"On the weekends, the area certainly gets pressure. But during the week, you can usually have your pick of where to go. I'd say that characterizes all of our areas," Butterworth noted.

Lake La Su An Wildlife Area is in the northwest corner of Ohio in Williams County, west of Pioneer. To get there from the Toledo area, take Interstate Route 80/90 west to Holiday City. Turn north on state Route 15, and then proceed west on state Route 576.

Check for local information with the Jefferson Township Holiday City Visitors Bureau, 13918 B CR M, Holiday City, OH 43543-0303. Call (419) 485-5881, or you can visit http://www.holidaycityohio.org.

Tiffin River Wildlife Area
The MWCD lands provide a total of 54,000 acres for public use. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, is responsible for fish and wildlife management through a lease agreement.