Shawnee state forrest

My advice would be drive around the private property near Shawnee and ask permission. Turkey permission is a lot easier to attain than you probably think.

We actually tried that one year at a couple places without any success. I live a few hours from the shawnee so i like to try and make the most of the time we are there.

Don't go to the door with 4 guys.

We didnt. I appreciate your advice but i am not here to talk about how to ethically ask for permission to private property. I am asking about the forrest.

Assuming in 4 years of hunting it you should probably have a good idea of where birds are or aren’t no? I doubt anyone’s gonna give the honey holes up. Advice would be put the miles on, try to locate birds at dusk on the roost and have a game plan to use topography to set up on them in the morning. I’ve never had much success in similar terrain setting up downhill unless it’s just over the crest of the ridge, turkeys can see a long way and if they come from above they have a long time to check it out as they approach. Another tip is hunt in pairs and “fall back” call or have one guy (non shooter) setup 40-50 yards behind the shooter calling, this may make the turkey close just enough distance and not hang up.

That's a very average county as far as turkey harvest goes. Way better public land for turkey elsewhere.

I know its not the most dense turkey population in ohio. But what i do like is i have never ran into another hunter back in there.

Therealjmill….thanks for your input..and we do break up and hunt in pairs and our calling setup is something similar to what you have mentioned. Have put on alot of miles in there trying to locate birds and yes i do have a few spots where we have worked birds. Not looking for anyone to give up honey holes. We have spent most our time north of 125. Spent very little time on south side. Just looking for some that knows the forrest and break it down a little bit. Could spend alot more years in there and not touch a large portion of it.

Berle said:

Therealjmill….thanks for your input..and we do break up and hunt in pairs and our calling setup is something similar to what you have mentioned. Have put on alot of miles in there trying to locate birds and yes i do have a few spots where we have worked birds. Not looking for anyone to give up honey holes. We have spent most our time north of 125. Spent very little time on south side. Just looking for some that knows the forrest and break it down a little bit. Could spend alot more years in there and not touch a large portion of it.

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I’ve only turkey hunted there once and it was the southern portion, faired very similar to you, hard to locate birds and we were unsuccessful. I have since started hunting an hour north and east of there and I’ve gotten into more birds. Schu said about the county being very average is very true. Lots of other public down that way to always give a try. Good Luck and knock one down!

Berle said:

I know its not the most dense turkey population in ohio. But what i do like is i have never ran into another hunter back in there.

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probably because there aren't many turkeys there and people aren't going back. I work with a few guys that live around there and they have turkeys on their property, but they don't allow hunting.

Seems to be a consensus regarding bird hunting. I experienced the same thing the few times I tried deer hunting there. that was many years ago. Has it improved any in recent years?

Although I have never deer hunted it I have scouted a couple different portions pretty good and actually hiked there with my wife last weekend. While there was definitely deer sign I think the hunting would be tough. I’d imagine there are some good ones in that forest with how massive it is, but overall population isn’t very high. Sign seemed concentrated in certain cuts. While there are some good terrain features overall the spots I walked lacked benches that I am accustom to on other public land areas. That is my very inexperienced take on it.