The area is scenic and home to a variety of wildlife. There are numerous wet areas, large areas of grass and plenty of forested land, with much of it being mast-producing hardwoods.

The west end has the largest forested area, which amounts to about 600 acres. The east section of the area features more traditional woodlots, which are narrow and divided by fields.

Only around 5 percent of the property is sharecropped, but much of the adjacent lands are planted in row crops such as corn, soybeans and winter wheat. There are also numerous food plots on the property. Some of the managed dove fields have standing corn on them.

This 2,430-acre property lies in Bridgewater and Northwest townships. It may be reached from Williams County Road R or Road 7. The area headquarters and manager Doug Soards may be reached by calling (419) 485-9092.

Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area
Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area offers District Two hunters 8,627 acres -- plenty of space to spread out. It has a diversity of habitats, including open areas, wetlands, and forest. The forested component makes up about 27 percent of the property.

Fred Dierkes, the area manager, said the deer population is typical of northwestern Ohio. A wildlife refuge on the property also helps maintain a healthy deer population. Dierkes said there are a number of good bucks on the property.

About 1,000 acres of the property are sharecropped, with farmers required to leave a portion of the harvest in the fields for wildlife. These crops are mainly corn and soybeans. There are also a few food plots, as well as plenty of surrounding agricultural lands.

Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area lies in Wyandot and Marion counties, about 14 miles from Marion. It is best accessed from state Route 294 and then from county Road 115. Access is also possible from state Route 309.

Fred Dierkes and the area headquarters may be contacted by phone at (740) 496-2254.

The ODOW's Wildlife District Two office may be reached at (419) 424-5000.

DISTRICT THREE
Highlandtown Wildlife Area
Columbiana County is home to the 2,265-acre Highlandtown Wildlife Area. It is about 30 miles from Steubenville. The best access is either via state Route 164 from Lisbon or via state Route 39 from Salineville.

The deer population at the area is very healthy and according to Jeff Janosik, the area manager, deer numbers are excellent. Hunters have been seeing some really good bucks of late. Recently, a couple of 140-class 10-pointers were taken on the area, which is a mixture of grasslands, rolling hills, brushy areas and woodlots.

There are some steeper areas, with the elevation rising to nearly 300 feet.

Area staff plant food plots to enhance hunting opportunities, with most of these being planted in corn or winter wheat. There are also dove fields and other fields that are planted with a mixture of grains including corn, sunflowers, buckwheat, and millet. Crews have also planted soft-mast trees such as crabapple and dogwood in the area.

The Highlandtown Wildlife Area office and manager Jeff Janosik may be reached at (330) 679-2201.

Hunters looking for camping arrangements should contact the Beaver Creek State Park office, which is located nearby in the same county. Call (330) 385-3091 for details.

Brush Creek Wildlife Area
Janosik also serves as the area manager for Brush Creek Wildlife Area. He said the whitetail population here is also healthy, and hunters usually see good numbers of deer. There are some big bucks on the property as well. Last year, in fact, a gun hunter took an exceptional 12-pointer.

However, this area can be a bit tougher to hunt than Highlandtown WA. The property has some rough terrain, with many areas featuring steep ravines. Hunters who can meet the challenge will find some excellent whitetail hunting.

There are a few food plots planted in corn, and Janosik said deer utilize these areas heavily. Other key areas are hard mast and browse areas.

In addition, the ODOW has planted thousands of soft-mast trees such as crabapple, American plum and dogwood.