Ohio Hunters-- Be Aware

[Mike Gerardi]

Originally posted by buckeye_hunter:
According to a press release I saw from ODNR, they will be happy if the overall deer harvest is down another 10-15% again this year. They are saying that it demonstrates a decrease in the herd and that is their goal.

As far as accidental shooting of bucks during muzzleloader season goes, my favorite county saw a 30% increase in the number of bucks harvested just after the DOE ONLY muzzleloader season. They were down almost 16% before the doe only season and then somehow miraculously they were up 15% after the doe only season. That 30% swing in the math which doesn't add up to good things....


I'm not saying anything was intentional, but  the county shouldn't go from a deficit of bucks to a surplus after a doe season.        Somebody shot the wrong thing.....

YEP! Phone it in and tell them what you killed. If it had to go to a check in station might be different.

[Bob Morrison]

I just checked the county I hunt and Buck harvests are down -11% for bucks and -21% on does so far for the archery season as of 10/27.
Thought things where different this year.

Bob

[Kevin Dill]

Actually every farm around me, plus mine gets hunted in bow and gun season, Gary. The nearest lease is 4 miles away. We local landowners do discourage trespassers and guys who take unethical shots, so that eliminates a few lazy window-shooters.

Within the counties I commonly travel (Jackson, Athens, Vinton, Meigs, Ross, Scioto and Gallia) I'm not having any trouble seeing deer out in the fields at morning or evening.

[Zbone]

Oh, so you displace other locals to lease....

So basically you're managing your local deer herd rather than the state, yet you claimed the state was doing a fine job with the statewide deer population.... I don't get it...


"Jackson, Athens, Vinton, Meigs, Ross, Scioto and Gallia"

How many of these does seen will survive these hunting seasons, and all the vehicles you guys hit them with, to reproduce fawns that'll survive until next year?

In my area where big farms and large tracts of land are are not common, (and amish are) and the if it's brown, it's down mentality, while deer run wildly dodging whistling slugs from one small patch of land to the other, they whack over 50% a year....

[Kevin Dill]

Gary, I'm not sure where your anger comes from. I am not part of any lease, and that's not what this thread is about. I own land and I let others hunt there at no expense. The deer are free to range anywhere they want. No food plots. No lease anywhere close to me. Come to think of it, I don't believe there is a NO HUNTING sign hanging within 2 miles of my home. The neighbors don't shoot guys who ask to hunt. I'm seeing an abundance of deer. I'm happy when guys hunt them successfully, and that's why I invite my friends to hunt my farm, and we've taken a pile of deer from it over the decades. We try to do our part. My neighbors allow me to hunt their farms, but I actually seldom do as I have enough acreage where I live.

I don't manage deer at all, unless you consider shooting the heck out of them as managing. I just hunt. I've defended Ohio's efforts to drop the deer population, mainly because I believe there are too many deer when you look at the big picture. I know you're only capable of looking at it from your somewhat limited and disgruntled perspective. I understand.

I'm not skeptical of the ODNR. I'm not paranoid about other hunters. I don't think a conspiracy exists to deprive me of a deer. I don't think the state is out to screw me or other hunters. I don't want a deer population of 750,000+ statewide. I don't need to kill 3 deer a year to be satisfied. I tend to report what I see from where I live in rural deer country. I give the ODNR credit for ignoring the minority and managing the deer population for the majority of residents of Ohio, and not just hunters.

I've got a super-abundance of coyotes here, too. They don't kill off the deer, contrary to popular rumor.

[Zbone]

"I've defended Ohio's efforts to drop the deer population, mainly because I believe there are too many deer when you look at the big picture."

"I give the ODNR credit for ignoring the minority and managing the deer population for the majority of residents of Ohio, and not just hunters."

Yep Kevin you're never wrong, or won't admit it...

That is where you and differ bigtime, and from the sound of some here and from hunters afield I talked to, they aren't seeing enough deer either...

If you farmers have a deer population issue, allow more to hunt your land to kill them, its that plain and simple....

Oh well, it'll be fine with me when many quit due to lack of game and sightings...

[Kevin Dill]

Five hunters in orange on my property today, so no problem there. My employees hunted here yesterday and killed 2 deer. We'll do our part.