Hunting Alone

[Hickory]

The woods I use to hunt was no good the last two year, because there was a hog farm built right up against it. Fall seems to be the time the honey wagon makes its rounds and and deer in and around the area seem to go on vacation when the manure hits the ground.

I'd thought about going to southern Ohio this fall to hunt, but I can't find anyone to go with me. My wife won't let me go alone because of my health I find myself with no place to hunt and no one to go with.

So, my question is this, is there anyone in the southern part of Ohio that could point me to a good spot to hunt and know exactly where I'm at and could drag my body out of the woods for my wife if I don't answer my cell phone at night.

I'll stay at a camping place and do for myself, I'm not crippled up and can take care of myself, I just want my wife to be at ease while I'm hunting and not worried that I might die in the woods and not know where I'm at. Women worry too much.

[Rcmaveric]

I give my wife a map with stickers showing where i am. Then tell her if I am not home by midnight on said to call a list of contacts i gave her. If i die in the woods she knows i went out happy doing what i love. She doesnt like it, but it gives her peace. I dont have cell service in the woods so if i get stuck in the mud or mauled it could be days before i am found.

[osteodoc08]

I leave a plan at home for family and let my brother know when I'm in the woods and out.

Our local EMS found a missing person that died in his ATV last week after missing for 5-6 days. He didn't leave a plan and his wife had no idea where he went. Finally found him slumped over his handlebars on flat ground with the ATV ran out of gas.

Yes women worry too much at times.

[Zeebob]

Get yourself a gps SPOT and you can be in touch with your wife everyday and let her know u are ok and exactly where u are...your spot message will show up on her computer with a map showing your location anywhere in the world. U can use it to call 911 too! My buddy in Alaska uses one all the time and I'm thinking about getting on for myself. And I just hunt the Ozarks by myself a few hours from home..

[lightman]

If I were near you I would gladly hook up with you. As we get older it never hurts to have a buddy close by or at least have an emergency contact plan in place. Sometimes women worry for a reason!

[kens]

I hunt by myself alot. I let the wife know where Im going, what time to expect me to be back.
I will say, that I have quit using tree climber stands, I now use ladder stands, and or, ground blinds.

[pill bug]

Hi Hickory, Saw your picture in the community album. If that pic is current, you are looking fit, healthy and happy. Which is great. A few months ago, just after your Hawaii trip, I remember you having a health issue that required a short stay in the hospital. Was hoping you were feeling better. So this post is a welcome update. Being willing to go to a new area and camp and hunt on your own is a nice indicator that you are doing good .

That being said, your wife is taking a sensible precaution for anyone our age venturing into unfamiliar woods. Fortunally Hickory, I'm thinking southern Ohio has plenty of like minded individuals that would be happy to point you in the right direction and keep an eye out for you. Just have to reach out to places like this and perhaps some rod and gun clubs and make a connection. I'm interested to hear what you find.

[Hickory]

Here's the rundown, two of my friends have their own plans this year, another is not hunting and my last friend had a stroke this past February and is done hunting also.
I went down to Athens, Vinton and Hocking county's in July where I used to hunt and asked for permission from about a couple dozen places, but found out that most land is under lease or no longer allow hunting.
There's always public land or National Forest but my experience has been that these places attract some of the worst types of hunters, people who will shoot at anything that moves or makes a sound.
But, mostly I need to reassure my wife that I'm not alone in the woods. I just don't want to sneak off and get caught, if there's one thing I've learned after 40 years of marriage, it's this, women don't like sneaky men. Especially redheaded women. Unlike a 4th of July celebration, the fireworks don't stop after an hour.

[OnHoPr]

Hey Hickory, I just got an idear. My health has been failing as well in the last few years. Three years ago it was a bad disc. I couldn't even sit in a chair for a year. Then last year it was pneumonia which trigger COPD. I went once squirrel huntin 3 years ago and fell asleep under a tree after a little while because of so many OTC pain meds. Last year I went deer huntin twice just to say I was out in the woods huntin. They were nice sunny 65 degree days, probably just north of you 100 miles. This year the back is just giving that warming electric notification when I twist or pick something up to heavy, but at least I am semi mobile. But, the COPD won't let me walk for much more than a 100 yds before I have to get oxygen resaturation. Both together kinda puts the dragging a deer out of the woods on hold. The only way I would even think about deer hunting is if was a guaranteed DRT and a slight downhill trek to the car with a nice trail or cleaner hardwoods floor where I would just have to guide a deer cart downhill. I made the cart, but finding an even wishing harvest spot is time consuming let alone stand hours.

Enough rambling, back to the idear. MI has a hunter access program that has been around since the '70s. MI has also implemented another program with farmers to have hunters do crop damage hunting, or the like. I just did a flash of the eye
google check and check out this link.

http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/stay-inf...able-august-26

Since it is new it may be quite the look into. Back when MI's HAP started it was pretty decent. Farms get rotate for whatever reasons and certain farms or properties can produce game. I shot 3 or 4 deer on these type properties in the previous years before the health issues. Call your DNR to see if there are any other programs of the like. It is public hunting, but it is not like the pumpkin patch hunting that is sometimes rightfully so portrayed on the NFs or SFs (public).

Now, back to a little rambling. So, I decided to after 17 years out of the marsh to buy a duck stamp this year. I can launch a boat, throw out 5 dozen dekes, and grab my ole Olt D2 and call "here duck, here duck", sit in a boat and shoot ducks, divers if I have to. I am still trying to get my gear going for the opener after 17 years. A lot more stuff, little things, need to be addressed for duck hunting various public waters than deer hunting. Maybe no more errrrrppp errrrrppps and rattlin, but quack quacks. I did go out for the evening of the teal opener with no expectations and said "I can do this". I did go out for squirrels on the opener and harvested a couple of fox squirrels for the first time in about 4 years.

[RugerFan]

Get yourself a gps SPOT and you can be in touch with your wife everyday and let her know u are ok and exactly where u are...your spot message will show up on her computer with a map showing your location anywhere in the world. U can use it to call 911 too! My buddy in Alaska uses one all the time and I'm thinking about getting on for myself. And I just hunt the Ozarks by myself a few hours from home..

BINGO! I also use one here in Alaska and it really puts my wife's mind at ease. I got the tracking option, so she can watch my travels online. Every evening I hit the "I'm OK" button which sends that right to her cell phone (through satellite). Since we generally don't have cell reception in the mountains, tundra or ocean, this comes in very handy.

[Hickory]

Hi Hickory, Saw your picture in the community album. If that pic is current, you are looking fit, healthy and happy.

This is kinda what my Doc. says.
She said once, "For someone with so many things wrong you, you're in pretty good shape."
Picture is about a month old.

[Moleman-]

I give mine a google map pic with red dots where my treestands are at. The Pic has the road it's on and a cross street listed along with the farmers phone number. The cell service is spotty so I can't count on calling for help. That GPS spot sounds like a winner. After 4 back surgeries I'm not as spry as I used to be and try to take every advantage available to make sure #5 gets put off as long as possible. Game cart, ramp for the game cart, rope and pulleys to get the game cart up the ramp, elec winch in the barn to get the deer out of my truck and hang it. Takes a little longer but worth it to not be sore for weeks.

[smokeywolf]

I used to spend quite a bit of time on horseback out in the lonesome; just me and old Stormy horse. Wouldn't go alone now. Too old, too infirm.

If I were within a day's drive, I'd join you Hickory.

[Hickory]

If I were within a day's drive, I'd join you Hickory.

Well, I'm not wanting anyone to go hunting with me, but thanks just the same, just someone to point out a good place for me to hunt.
I've done a lot of hunting over the years by myself and will this fall also. However, my wife just wants to know I'm safe and that there is a contact close by.
I'll keep looking and may find someone eventually.

[smokeywolf]

Hickory said,

I'd thought about going to southern Ohio this fall to hunt, but I can't find anyone to go with me. My wife won't let me go alone because of my health I find myself with no place to hunt and no one to go with

Don't know how I could have misunderstood you.

[Hickory]

Hickory said,

I'd thought about going to southern Ohio this fall to hunt, but I can't find anyone to go with me. My wife won't let me go alone because of my health I find myself with no place to hunt and no one to go with
Don't know how I could have misunderstood you.

Yes I did say that. But I was referring to people in this area whom I know and might be willing to go with me.
But it soon became obvious that no one here was gonna say "Hey, I know a place close by where you might go deer hunting without being charged by a game warden with trespassing or hunting without permission."
I think that they were thinking that I wanted to move in with them for a week and hunt their favorite deer stand, which I wasn't.
Camping in the woods for a week would not be a hardship for me as a matter of fact I want to do it and would enjoy it even if I wasn't successful in getting a deer.

[gwpercle]

I take the wife , makes the sleeping bag warmer !

[smokeywolf]

Hickory, wasn't trying to invite myself along. I'm well over 2,000 miles away from you.
I hope you find the right place and the right hunting partner. Also hope to see some pics of nice buck or doe that you harvested; hopefully with a cast boolit.

[waksupi]

I've hunted these mountains for nearly 40 years, generally alone, and no one has any idea where I am, or where to look. Dumb, but I enjoy the solitude. Some day I may end up like this.

[swheeler]

I've hunted these mountains for nearly 40 years, generally alone, and no one has any idea where I am, or where to look. Dumb, but I enjoy the solitude. Some day I may end up like this.

Frenchie Joe never came back! I too have hunted alone for many years, not so much any longer daughter usually wants to go. Many a time a pack frame, rifle and a small tarp for shelter was good for a week.