Agreement Reached On Mead Lands

[freedomrules3]

AGREEMENT REACHED FOR CONTINUED PUBLIC USE OF FORMER
MEAD WOODLANDS IN SOUTHERN OHIO
Scioto Land Company tracts will be open to spring turkey hunters

Hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy continued public use of 43,000 acres of forested lands in seven southern Ohio counties, following a formal agreement on Thursday between the Ohio Division of Wildlife and the Scioto Land Company.

The acreage, formerly owned by Dayton-based Mead, lies in Vinton, Adams, Pike, Jackson, Gallia, Ross and Hocking counties. It was purchased by the Scioto Land Company in December as part of a large-scale acquisition of the former Mead woodlands. Since then, the fate of continued public use of these prime hunting areas has been in question. Thursday’s agreement assures the public of continued access. The Scioto Land Company has approximately 90,000 additional acres in southern Ohio that are in private leases with individual hunters and hunting clubs.

The parcels that are open to the public are posted with yellow and black wildlife area signs. Regulations and conditions of use for the land that existed under the previous agreement with Mead remain unchanged. The Division of Wildlife enforces all state laws on these lands including hunting and fishing regulations. Enforcement priorities include prohibiting littering, off-road vehicle use, and timber theft and destruction.


www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/News/meadwoodlands.htm

[ncboman]

Rick, do you have a map of the Mead land?

I once went to some of it during the gun season a few years ago, more or less tooling around from spot to spot following my maps and getting a feel for the extent of what I was seeing. ;D

I found a place near Radcliff that really looked good to me. Lots of pines and a nice gated pulpwood road that went waaay back. 99% of the hunters were walking in and hunting really close. While I was there a couple of guys came out on bikes and hooked up to a cart. They had both killed really nice bucks.

I've never forgot that spot and it's the primary reason I've got this thing for a hunting bike. All the foot hunters had the deer/bucks going deep and these guys were stand hunting near good road crossings deep in the woods and from what they said, taking their pick of the many bucks that crossed.

If I ever get a bike like I want and am in Ohio for gun season again, it's probably the best hunt I know of for a big deer. The terrain there is much more like what we are use to hunting with all the pines and the woods is so vast, it's not difficult to find spots relatively free of human traffic if you're able to get in there deep. It's the only place I've seen in Ohio where it looks like the deer have any advantage during gun season.

Let's take 2 extra early days this year and go check it out. I think there may be places to camp nearby. We can walk in there and check out the size of the tracks anyway. I walked about a mile and a half back in there and the road shows tracks good.

[freedomrules3]

Let me check around with some maps and catch my bearings on where it is in relation to the other spot. I hope to be outta here by the 7th after voting or the 8th right now . I can always get an absentee ballot I think , I'll have to check the deadline on that.

Hmm , bike talk again , I may have learned my lesson on that one. lol the conditions would have to be right for me to try that again .
I'll do some readin up on the place and look at some maps. startin to get a small glow inside ... its getting closer

[ncboman]

I think they call it prevoting here. I've gone in and voted ahead of the elections several times and it's the fastest way to vote. I think the ballots go in the regular voting count though and aren't counted as absentee but I'm not sure on that.

I'll look around and post a map of it. It's not far.

I gotta warn ya. You may like this place more than where we're at. lol

[ncboman]

here's a link;

terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/image.aspx?T=2&S=15&Z=17&X=59&Y=677&W=1&qs=%7cAshland%7cKy%7c

the area is between Radclift and Prattsville. I think it's the largest piece of unbroken land in the state and that's what drew me here back when I started hunting Ohio.

[freedomrules3]

looks like about 45 sq miles to me, that is huge. not sure when I will get to leave , about to start a very important job . I shouldn't have any problems finishing it by the 1st of Nov I hope . Might be hard starting out away from my primary focus right now though. I would hate to lose focus thinking of what could be .

[ncboman]

I've got bids out on 2 large jobs but the customers are taking their sweet time deciding. I need em both and also need to get going if I'm going to be free in time. They'll do it every time. lol

[Trumbull Archer]

Hey guys, what can I do to help? I could take a weekend trip down and look around a bit.Let me know what you need,I'm only 3 hours from the Wayne.
T.A.

[ncboman]

Appreciate the offer but this is one of those things one person can't do for another. ... well, most of us anyway.

but then again, if you want to ride around the Wayne and post gps coordinates of the 140+ bucks you see, that'd be great. ;D