Hey guys, is anyone here around/near hocking county? I was wondering how the beaver/otter trapping is down that way? Are there any grey fox left in that part of the state? Thanks!!

Use to hunt down there for deer. Great deer hunting but never trapped down there. Red and Grey tracks were good in the early 80's. We're having a coyote problem in Northern Ohio that has driven the fox population to almost nothing. (the rabbits are making a come back)

There's a bunch of beaver up there. It's about an hour for me to get to Hocking. Couldn't tell ya about the otter as I don't know of anyone catching any but there are a bunch in the Hocking River. There are some greys still in the area but I wouldn't get hopes up on catching any.

When I was in college there in the mid 2000s you couldn’t trap beaver on Wayne National Forest land and a lot of the coal companies like Sunday Creek Coal let you trap but didn’t want you targeting beaver. They wanted more wetlands to help with all the acid mine drainage run off. Lots of rats, mink, coyotes and coon though. I spent a lot of time trying to call or catch a grey but never had any luck. I don’t think otter was open back then but can’t recall.

You have to draw a lottery permit to trap beaver in Wayne though they don't often issue permits for Wayne unless they are causing issues with roads or flooding neighboring private land and ate tired of getting yelled at.

I will be setting some traps there the week I am there in November while deer hunting. It is gorgeous country down there pretty hilly in most places. But heard plenty coyote on the property I hunt and I am sure there is a abundance of coon as well. Good luck and I will keep you posted on my results.

Thanks guys. I will down there next year, and was wondering what I should target. I love beaver and otter trapping, and I’d like to hit them hard but it seems that private would be hard to come by, and that permits are needed on most public. Is this correct? Thanks

This year's drawing for beaver and otter trapping on Ohio owned and Ohio managed land is 10/13/2019

http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/stay-in...n-state-owned-or-managed-properties-2018

With beaver prices in the toilet, except for the castor, there probably is not much competition in the drawing.

I trapped out of a van, with a buddy, whose was drawn, around 16 years ago. The property was almost entirely locked in by private property. It took us almost a week to figure how to hike into it and better than 2 hours to get to where he was allowed to trap. Somebody, without permission had already set several of the ponds. We ended up staying at and trapping a campground on a large private lake, that we were tipped off had a beaver problem. We hunted a fair amount too. I caught a whole lot of tiny coons, some opossums and skunks and my first and only beaver. It was fun, but not profitable.

Keith

Trapped around the Tappen Lake just South of Canton, OH. Good beaver (but this was 40 some years ago). Private land owners we talked to. The owners wanted the beaver gone. Check it out. I have no contacts anymore. good luck.

Keith, the drawing this year should be on the 12th, the 13th was last year.

Last year the drawing for District 4 was almost standing room only and the only way I got a permit was because nobody knew where the last place was people left. Not that it and the permit I inherited later was worth a darn.

You're right. The search pulled up the wrong page and I missed that it was for 2018. The ODNR should take the old page down.

Last I checked, the old turtle regulations are still up too.

Keith

The beaver drawing will always be on the second Saturday of October barring major changes to the way public beaver trapping occur.

Welcome to Ohio lol.

In fairness, the new rules dont become effective for the year till July 1, then they have to get the books made. Site will probably be updated in the next few days.

Lol, and like I said, welcome to Ohio.....