Ohio Deer Hunting

Rut Chasers, LLC offers some of the best hunting trophy whitetail deer in the most renowned counties in Ohio, including Licking, Franklin, Coshocton, Knox, and Muskingum counties. We limit the number of hunts so that we can focus on you. Bigger in terms of business is not better in our opinion. See why we have an 80% rebooking rate! Take the best whitetail deer hunting in the country and an outfitter committed to your success, and you will feel the same. Experience our fair-chase, semi-guided deer hunts for yourself. You won't be disappointed!

Book Your Ohio Deer Hunt:
Email or Call us today at 419-543-3433

Hunt Package and Pricing Info:
Opening Week Hunts Pre-Rut Hunts Rut Hunts Post-Rut Hunts Gun Hunts Gun/Bow Combo Hunts Muzzleloader Hunts Late Season Hunts

Opening Week Hunts:

Price starts at $3500 - Opener OR Midweek Opener $2850 5 days of hunting

Opening week has always been one of my favorite weeks. There is something special about the opening week here in Ohio—no pressure in the Ohio woods until that opening day. The deer are very patternable this time of year. So, there's a good chance we will know exactly what bucks you'll see. I killed Goliath, my biggest deer to date, the opening week back in 2020. This year we killed a 180" deer on the opener. Hunting greens and corn piles are typically the best this week. As always, weather is a factor, BUT I will say that warm weather is more forgiving on the opener. As the weeks progress, temperature plays an even bigger role in deer activity. On the opener, we have had days when 4 shooters went down on a 90+ degree day. This isn't the rule every opener, but I guarantee we wouldn't have been that successful on a given night if it were 90+ degrees in mid-to-late October. This week's success and opportunity rates rival any time of year. It's always been a very successful week, especially for opportunities. This week, we only hunt in the evenings, except for certain situations. Hunting in the mornings does more harm than good at this time, as getting to a food source before daylight is hard. Like late season, the early season deer are focused on the baits and generally offer the best chance on those "slam-dunk" opportunities, as they come right to the baits and sometimes stand there feeding for a long time, giving you the best angle to take the perfect shot. Even though the opportunity can be high, it still can be challenging, like all fair-chase hunts for mature whitetails.

Mid-week Opener can be great too and sometimes kills some of our biggest bucks. It can even be better than the opener AT TIMES if the weather is right. However, it is cheaper than the opener because it's the second crack, or delayed crack, on our farms. Again, most times we only hunt afternoons on these hunts, except for certain situations and setups that allow for a morning hunt. Weather is a little more of a factor this week than the opener, but still more forgiving than the weeks to come. If you're looking for a more affordable hunt that still gives you a chance to get a great early season buck, this might be your hunt. Keep in mind if it's hot, it could be a challenge. That's why they call it hunting!

Late October Pre-Rut Hunts:

Price starts at $2800 - 4 1/2 days of hunting (Sunday afternoon through Thursday).

This particular hunt is an absolute blast. This last week of October typically falls right before Halloween. Hunting on Halloween is one of my favorite dates to hunt. This time, a lot of my bucks disappeared before the opener started showing back up randomly, along with new studs. The opportunity rate this week is around 75%+, depending on a hunter's abilities, how hard they hunt, and other factors we can control, such as weather. We need the right weather for it to work perfectly. But it's also the beginning of the rut, so even if the weather is warm, there is still a very good chance something BIG can happen! Trail Camera photos don't mean much at this point because most of our bucks are not just standing on the baits. Many are killed as they cruise through, looking for does. So being ready and prepared in any direction is key! The biggest factor in your success is how long you can stay in that treestand! Pack a lunch and be ready for a buck cruising at midday. Hunting all day is recommended

Rut Hunts:

Price starts at $2,800 - 4 1/2 days of hunting (Sunday afternoon through Thursday).

Rut hunts will run the first 3 weeks of November. The first three weeks are typically all good in their own way. Weather conditions play a significant role in this particular hunt. The deer are going to rut regardless. But movement will be reduced if it's warm due to the deer developing their warm coats for winter. Typically, it's not that warm, and they chase and rut plenty during the day. Success rates are high if you're willing to put the time in and stay focused. This hunt is better suited to a patient, hard hunter who can perform under pressure. For this period, I prefer to book hunters who are willing to sit all day. If you don't want to sit long, this hunt probably isn't for you. In that case, you're better off going earlier or later in the season. A lot of my hunters have killed between 10 and 2 during this time. The best part about the rut is you never know what can show up. Don't let your guard down on this hunt, or you could miss your shot at the booner whitetail of your dreams! Don't get caught up with or bother asking about daylighting bucks on the trail camera at this time. They rarely stand on a bait pile long enough for a photo. Our cameras don't tell us much at this point, as most of our bucks are killed as they cruise through looking for does. If they do hit the camera, they are usually just walking to and through the bait, nose down, looking for does or chasing does. Be ready to stop that buck and possibly make a shot where you didn't expect him, instead of the standard broadside bait-pile shot. The good part about this hunt is that the playing field is even, and no matter what farm you're hunting, that mega stud could cruise through!

End of November- December Bow Post Rut

Price starts at $2600 - 4 1/2 days hunting. (Sunday afternoon through Thursday).

The post-rut bow season can be an excellent time to hunt, mainly because we are a bait state. These bucks have been cruising, chasing for a month, and eating very little. Then the rut starts winding down, and they hit bait, food plots, and crop fields like crazy. It can be one of the best times to get an easy bait pile shot at a big, mature whitetail, especially if we get that perfect weather situation. Cold, snow, and food add up to some excellent hunting. The hard part of hunting this time is typically a ton of deer hitting each spot. So there are a ton of eyes, ears, and noses in the same area. So scent control is a big deal, as well as getting in early before they start moving. This hunt can also be great because the last does and fawns are coming into heat. Those big mature bucks are cruising to find those last few does to breed for the year.

Gun Week Hunts

Price starts at $2800 - 5 days hunting (Monday through Friday)

Gun week hunts are 5 days with 6 days of lodging. On this hunt, you will arrive on Sunday, start on Monday, and run until Friday. There's also an extra weekend hunt the following weekend after the gun week. We have very little gun hunting here in Ohio. Gun week is a great week to hunt. It's a great time to kill a mature buck that we haven't been able to get to cooperate. Monday morning of shotgun week is awesome. Some absolute studs have went down that morning and throughout that week. It is gun week, so expect mid-week action to be slow and pick back up as the pressure drops.

Bow and Gun Weekend Combo

Price starts at $2400 5 days of hunting. (Wednesday through Friday is archery, and Saturday and Sunday are gun season).

This bow-gun combo hunt allows you to score a buck either during the three days you hunt with the bow or the last two days with the bang stick. This combo hunt can be action-packed, as deer frequent the baits after all the hard rut action.

Muzzleloader Season

Price starts at $2250 - 4 days hunting

Muzzleloader season is a great time to book. It's one of my favorite times, especially if the weather is good and cold. We could have snow and frigid temperatures, and that's just what we need to kill studs late and during muzzleloader. I love it because the late season is good all around, but you have a gun in your hands. It makes the opportunity so much better. You just have to be willing to hunt in cold temperatures. Some of our biggest bucks come from this time of year. These hunts are over a food source, and I highly recommend evening hunting only. It's hard to get into food sources in the mornings. This hunt will make you want to rebook it each year. You just can't beat late-season hunting on food sources with a gun. If you're interested in our combo hunt, reach out, and we'll discuss it.

Late Season Whitetail Hunts

Prices start at $2400 5 Day Hunt (Can be extended for $300 a day.)

These hunts are some of the coldest and most successful hunts. If the weather is right, the success rate rivals any other time of year. I enjoy this hunt. You will mostly be hunting for food sources. All my mature bucks start randomly showing up and become regular at food plots or bait piles. Makes for an exciting and cold hunt. I've typically got regularly daylighting bucks for this hunt and the opener. This is when the deer are the most aware, so you must be still and ready. Mostly evening-only hunts, but it will depend on the situation and deer movement. Call me, and let's talk about late-season whitetails!

Additional Hunt Info

Booking

80 to 90% of our hunts are from rebookings by past hunters. Our high rebooking percentage keeps our availability window small; call ASAP to determine the best dates for you.

How our semi-guided hunts work with going in and out of properties:

All the hunters drove their vehicles to the properties once we showed them where they were hunting. They wanted the freedom to come and go on their own schedule. That is fine with me, but I encourage you to stay in your stand as long as possible or as long as we recommend. Some of the properties you will have to be dropped off and picked up by us because that is what the landowner wants. When I drove to an outfitter to hunt whitetails in the past, I always preferred to drive myself to the property if allowed, because I wanted all my hunting equipment in my vehicle in case I needed it. I also didn't want to be on the outfitter and other hunters' schedules.

Lodging:

Lodging is not included on any hunt, but we can assist you in finding a place for a reasonable cost.

Success Rates:

One of the most-asked questions for an Ohio whitetail deer hunt with an outfitter is, "What is your success rate?" That is a difficult question, and it varies on the time of the year, the weather, acorns, surrounding agricultural fields, and the biggest variable: the hunter's performance himself. Some guys don't shower and/or smell like Axe Body Spray. Others don't put the recommended time in the stand as they should. Others just don't make the best choices, for example, opening every window in the blind, using a bunch of scent lures, not sitting still, or doing Candy Crush marathons. Simply put, there is no real success-rate percentage because it depends on the hunter's preparation, patience, and performance, plus variables we can't control that change all the time. So the guy who takes scent control seriously, puts in the right amount of time in the woods, doesn't question the guide or ask to be moved, and gets in and out properly will have a much better chance than the guy who doesn't take anything seriously. So it's hard to give an exact answer on our true success rates because of all these factors. Last year, we killed a great number of big, mature whitetails. But we also had around 25 missed opportunities, and many passed deer! Missed opportunities aren't included in an outfitter's success rate, although the opportunity was presented. No one sees this unless the hunter and outfitter succeed and the trophy is harvested. I can say this: we have a higher success rate than the big outfitters in Ohio. They may kill as many deer as we do or a few more, but they take 2-3 times as many guys to do it. I promise, as the owner of Rut Chasers, LLC, anyone who hunts with us will be on a mature shooter buck. Weather, hunter ability, and everything else determine whether that deer gets harvested. Over the last few years, the opportunity rate has been around 70%, but it could be higher if all hunters put in the effort mentioned.

130-Inch Gross Minimum & Penalty Fees:

A 130-inch antler minimum is implemented and enforced on all of our farms. Shooting a substandard buck will result in a fine. Only by myself or a guide will some leeway be considered. This fine isn't about making money or alienating customers; it's about growing the kind of bucks our customers want to shoot. It will help you as a Rut Chaser customer in the future. Quality deer management is one of the reasons you will want to hunt with us in Ohio!

"The Oops, I Made A Mistake Buck" Scoring Under 130 Inches: $1,000 penalty fee
"The No-Excuse Buck" Scoring Under 100 Inches: $1,500 penalty fee

Rut Chasers size restriction exceptions:

Each of our farms holds a few fully mature bucks whose antlers do not reach the desired 130" requirement. Most often, our guide or I will inform hunters about these specific management bucks, and they may harvest them without penalty.
We do NOT impose antler restrictions for our disabled or youth hunters.