By Mike Bleech

January in Ohio finally feels like hunting season. Barring unseasonably warm weather, chill temperatures keep deer moving during the day. With the modern, weatherproof clothing available to hunters, the elements pose no problem, except sometimes when driving to your favorite hunting area.

Perhaps best of all, the early-season crowds are mostly gone. Some of the great places that were overrun with hunters during fall can be yours alone.

"Between 5 and 7 percent of the total archery harvest is recorded in January," said Mike Tonkovich, Ohio Department of Natural Resources wildlife research biologist. "But I think there is a core group of people who really look forward to the January season for its challenges and opportunities."

Here is a look at 10 of the best places to go for great public land deer hunting in Ohio this month:

Pay special attention to drainage ditches that connect woodlots. Deer take advantage of the cover along these ditches to travel undetected between feeding and bedding areas.

"If you can get on the outskirts or into urban areas you should find lots of deer," Huss said.

He specifically suggested that sportsmen seek permission to hunt areas bordering land where hunting is not allowed, especially around Columbus. Hunting pressure tends to be light just about everywhere in the district. "During much of the week you can have an area to yourself," Huss noted.

Winters in District One tend to be less harsh than in the northern counties closer to Lake Erie. "During the last several years we've had very mild winters," Huss said. "I think a lot more bowhunters that hunted that January season."

Photo by BillKinney.com

According to Huss, there are two public lands that provide good January bowhunting for deer in District One: Delaware and Deer Creek wildlife areas.

Delaware WA is between Route 42 and Route 23 across the border between Delaware County and Marion County. From Columbus it is a short drive north on Route 23 and then east on Route 229.

The wildlife area borders Delaware State Park, where hunting is not allowed. Although most of the shared border is through the middle of Delaware Reservoir, hunting can be good where the border is on dry land.

"Generally, the closer you get to the state park or the private land the more deer there will be," Huss said.

The terrain of Delaware WA varies from flat to rolling. Reverting fields with grasses, brush and briars cover about half of the property. A small amount is cultivated with timothy, clover and prairie grasses. Nearly 40 percent of the area is in hardwoods in various stages of maturity including cottonwood, ash, elm, beech, maple, hickory, walnut and oak.

Deer Creek WA covers 4,085 acres in Fayette, Madison and Pickaway counties. Like Delaware WA, it's adjacent to a state park and a lake.

"Deer Creek has a fairly high deer population, and hunting the border between the state and private land is a good tactic," Huss said.

The area's flat to gently rolling terrain is covered by a mix of habitat types. About a quarter of the area is cultivated for row crops. Another quarter is second-growth hardwood forest and brush. The wooded area, which is mostly on the east side of Deer Creek, features a mix that includes oaks. Watch for the presence of acorns on the ground, which will attract deer to the vicinity. The remainder of the area is native grasses and other meadows, reverting fields and food plots.

Deer Creek WA is about four miles south of Mount Sterling on Route 207. Take Interstate Route 71 south from Columbus to Route 62, and then continue south on Route 62 to Mount Sterling.

For more about the January deer-hunting opportunities in District One, contact the ODOW's Wildlife District One office, 1500 Dublin Road, Columbus, OH 43215, or call (614) 644-3925.

January weather conditions in this region tend to be harsh, with temperatures usually below freezing, some snow, and stiff winds. Woodlots tend to be small in this corner of the state, which concentrates deer in relatively small areas. Although deer might be reluctant to leave the safety of these woodlots, getting into these areas without being detected can be challenging. Approach and enter these small woodlots with care, using the wind to keep your scent from bedded deer.

Conservation Reserve Program lands may also contain some deer, so make an effort to gain access to participating private lands.

Butterworth named Willard Marsh Wildlife Area as one of the better public options for a January bowhunt. "This area has thick cover," he explained, "and it's one of the few large blocks of forest cover in this district."

About two-thirds of the area is wooded. The remainder is a mix of brush and open areas, which include sharecropped fields. The area's brushy habitat is likely to attract deer that were dispersed on surrounding private croplands earlier in the season. Several drainage ditches have been cut to provide waterfowl habitat, and these are active deer travel lanes.

The Willard Marsh WA is in southwestern Huron County about three miles west of Willard via Route 224 West to Section Line Road; turn south to access the wildlife area.

From the Cleveland area, take Interstate Route 71 south; from the Akron area, take Interstate Route 76 west. At the junction of I-71 and I-76, turn onto Route 224 west to Willard.

Butterworth also pointed to Killdeer Plains WA, featuring 8,627 acres straddling the border between Wyandot and Marion counties about eight miles south of Upper Sandusky. From Upper Sandusky, take Route 67 south about a mile to county Route 115, and then proceed south to the wildlife area.

From the Toledo area, take Interstate Route 75 south to Route 15 on the south side of Findlay, and then continue southeast on routes 15 and 23 to Upper Sandusky.

This is a large area with some scattered small woodlots. Butterworth also noted that special youth hunts held on the first three Saturdays in January tend to get the deer moving.

The terrain here is mostly flat, except for rolling hills close to the Little Sandusky River at the east side of the public land. About two-thirds of the area is open meadows and cropland. The remainder is a mix of woodlots, brush and wetlands. Scout for travel corridors between woodlots.

More information about hunting in the northeastern counties is available by contacting the Wildlife District Two office, 952 Lima Avenue, Box A, Findlay, OH 45840, or call (419) 424-5000.