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Re: Maumee State Forest Information

Posted: Thu 2009-07-16, 23:26:58
by cheechgang
Yep, they apparently made the decision in a vacuum, and that sucks. :crazy1:

Re: Maumee State Forest Information

Posted: Mon 2009-09-21, 15:01:40
by droptine1968
First off, I'm not trying to be a troll, or argue. I'm not a geocacher. I'm a deer hunter, and I hunt Maumee State Forest.
I just want you guys to see a hunter's view on this. In the Toledo area, there is very little decent public hunting land available to us for deer. Maumee State Forest in itself, has bridle and ATV trails in a large percentage of the total acreage, which, if you know anything about deer hunting, those spots are pretty much useless for deer. As a deer hunter of this forest, many times have I seen people just walking through, sometimes with dogs, people and dogs being noisy, leaving human and dog scent everywhere they walk, basically ruining the hunting for two to three days. Now, I understand this is state land, but there is Oak Openings metro park right across the street with many more acres of woodlands then all of the Maumee state forest plots combined. Add the other area metro parks, you cachers have mroe then triple public land available to you then deer hunters do. I just want you to all have an understanding the point of view of a deer hunter in this area.

Re: Maumee State Forest Information

Posted: Mon 2009-09-21, 15:28:31
by ScouterJoe
Exactly how long is deer season?

Re: Maumee State Forest Information

Posted: Mon 2009-09-21, 15:39:13
by GrizzFlyer
Very good points droptine. There are cachers here that are also hunters, and at the beginning of the fall and spring hunting seasons, a notice is usually posted on this board to remind cachers that it is hunting season. This is usually given as a warning/reminder notice to wear appropriate clothing, and many of us will not enter a public hunting area to geocache as a courtesy to hunters and to avoid getting our butt shot off by some city-boy that got a shotgun for his last birthday. Its the main reason I haven't done a cache I really want to do, as its in a public hunting area and I forget to get it done during non-hunting times.

As far as ATV trail usage goes, the MSF has a VERY small amount of trails (less than 6 miles), and is the smallest public and legal ATV area in the state and the only one in NW Ohio. The next closest one is in SE/south central Ohio. I have seen firearm hunters along those ATV trails many times. Pretty useless for bow hunters though.

Bridle trails... I have to wonder why MSF has bridle trails at all, the Oak Openings MP has an extensive network of excellent bridle trails and the horse day camp is right there at the north edge of MSF. The area with the bridle trails is an excellent hunting area if the number of shotgun hulls and tree stands I've seen in there means anything, but it looks like the bridle trails are there to stay since the parking area was recently improved.

Great post, and your viewpoint is well taken and appreciated.

Re: Maumee State Forest Information

Posted: Mon 2009-09-21, 16:13:49
by GizmoGuy411
GrizzFlyer wrote:Very good points droptine. ...

Great post, and your viewpoint is well taken and appreciated.
Well stated, and I concur. Maybe during hunting season, the area should be off limits to EVERYONE except hunters, for fairness and safety!

Re: Maumee State Forest Information

Posted: Mon 2009-09-21, 16:25:45
by ScouterJoe
Exactly the point of my question. Most, if not all hunting seasons are in the fall. It doesn't seem that spring/summer caching should be precluded.

Re: Maumee State Forest Information

Posted: Mon 2009-09-21, 17:38:24
by droptine1968
ScouterJoe wrote:Exactly how long is deer season?
Archery for deer opens the last week of September, and goes to early February, and other small game interspersed in that time. I bowhunt primarily, and do not gun hunt deer there because there are way to many people for size of the land. I did once and never will again. As someone pointed out, the "city boy with a shotgun" thing. I'm a city boy myself, and have struggled to find hunting areas, as I have no relatives in the rural areas at all. Most of us hunters are not the "shoot at any movement" types. But that's the only ones you hear about in the news. As far as the ATV trails, yes, it's only 6 miles, but those trails run through areas bigger then the one forest plot I hunt. I used to have an ATV and rode there myself often.

Re: Maumee State Forest Information

Posted: Mon 2009-09-21, 17:48:45
by droptine1968
GizmoGuy411 wrote:
GrizzFlyer wrote:Very good points droptine. ...

Great post, and your viewpoint is well taken and appreciated.
Well stated, and I concur. Maybe during hunting season, the area should be off limits to EVERYONE except hunters, for fairness and safety!
I can live with that.

Re: Maumee State Forest Information

Posted: Mon 2009-09-21, 20:50:03
by Mighty_Mo
I wonder if a permit could be issued by the State Forest that limits the time to cache. Maybe Mid February to mid September. The cache could be disabled during hunting season. Also a BOLD LETTER statement in the "short description" stating DO-NOT seek this cache during hunting season . Sept 15th to Feb 15th.

GC reviewers would probably allow the cache to be disabled for longer than theri nornal "several weeks" because of safety concerns.

Re: Maumee State Forest Information

Posted: Fri 2011-01-28, 13:38:54
by Handyman-N-Fam
The policy has changed!
Geocaches are now allowed in Maumee State Forest. Stop by the forest office on CR D for a permit application! :clap:

Re: Maumee State Forest Information

Posted: Fri 2011-01-28, 14:00:15
by armygreenx
Handyman-N-Fam wrote:The policy has changed!
Geocaches are now allowed in Maumee State Forest. Stop by the forest office on CR D for a permit application! :clap:

That is awesome. That is just next to Oak Openings right?

Re: Maumee State Forest Information

Posted: Fri 2011-01-28, 14:44:29
by TeamMina
Just awaiting Handyman's return from the offices with a permit, so we can know just what the stipulaitons are. :lol:

Re: Maumee State Forest Information

Posted: Fri 2011-01-28, 15:08:53
by Handyman-N-Fam
I got a permit application, but they couldn't locate the "Geocaching Policy". They are going to send it to me as soon as they locate a copy.

After I got home, I went to the ODNR website and found this: #10-34 Geocache Policy - Division of Forestry.

I will wait until they get back with me to confirm that this is what they are using. The date on the policy coincides with the "last fall" time frame that they told me that the policy was changed.

Re: Maumee State Forest Information

Posted: Fri 2011-01-28, 15:49:59
by TeamMina
We'll just need to do a little research about how big a 50 c.u. container is, and a 600 c.u. container.

Re: Maumee State Forest Information

Posted: Fri 2011-01-28, 15:57:02
by Handyman-N-Fam
50 Cubic Inches is a 5X5X2 Lock & Lock (a little bigger than a typical Handyman cache)
600 Cubic inches is about the size of a shoebox