FYI Deer Hunting Ohio

[leatherneck]

Charlie, the private lands are declining as well. We lease 500 acres and have for about 17 years now. We manage it for trophy deer. Only the kids end up shooting the does when needed. But our numbers have been declining for the last 5 years.
Aother point to point out. If I read it correctly you cannot shoot a buck at all during this early ML season, even if bow hunting! It's doe only no matter the weapon. So keep that in mind. Me, I'll just stay home that weekend.

[BrushWolf]

Originally posted by buckeye_hunter:
I guess it is a moot point now that the legislation passed. The overall point I'm still making now, is that we don't need any antlerless season at all. The deer population is stable or declining on many public lands. The privately held land is where the high numbers of deer persist.They must do something about private land if they want to do something positive about deer numbers.

-Charlie

I have access to close to 1000 acres of private land. It gets harder and harder each year to find deer to hunt. I still think it is more about money than over population of animals.

[buckeye_hunter]

Sorry to hear some of you guys are running into trouble with low deer numbers on the private lands you hunt. Locally, a lot of the private land owners do not allow hunting at all. We have been seeing steady and high numbers of deer in these unhuntable locations around my small town. I guess I should have been more specific in that statement.

Do you think the decreasing numbers you are seeing has anything to do with the explosion in coyote numbers?

-Charlie

[BrushWolf]

Coyotes aren't helping for sure. Bobcats are getting thick here as well. IMO - With a 6 deer limit the last few years and predation of fawns it has put a dent in the herd. As far as coyotes I try to do my part and trap as many as I can.

[leatherneck]

Originally posted by BrushWolf:
Coyotes aren't helping for sure. Bobcats are getting thick here as well. IMO - With a 6 deer limit the last few years and predation of fawns it has put a dent in the herd. As far as coyotes I try to do my part and trap as many as I can.

X2!!!!  Shoot the yotes  every chance we get. but they still get their share. We had a deer kill several years ago. Didn't hit us as bad as our neighbor West Virginia but took the herd down. The 6 deer a year hurt as well.

[buckeye_hunter]

Since the 2013-2014 season is over, I can say this legislation was a bad call. The overall harvest was down over 13% this year statewide. This makes 6 of the last 7 years we have seen a harvest decline.

Sadly, the state is getting ready to okay the same regulations again for this upcoming year. I wound up gun hunting due to time constraints. I only saw 3 deer in 4 days on private land at that. Our overall group of hunters only saw a total of 7 deer in 4 days of gun hunting on private lands.

Everyone I have spoken with this season on public and private land has said the same thing. "Where are the deer?"

[Steve in Canton]

There are some significant changes proposed to the deer seasons this upcoming year.  I think that the DNR has done a good job at managing our herd, they are never going to make everyone happy.  If you only saw 7 deer maybe you need to adjust how you hunt, or find new private land.

[buckeye_hunter]

Seven deer and some of that was WITH a deer drive used. I think, if you can't move them with drivers and posters, they are not there to start with. Finding new private land is not easy.

[Slickhead]

looks like they are trying to pass a rifle season in Ohio for 2014
Straight wall cartridges only
duck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

[Mojostick]

I would hope Tradgangers would support any easing of rules in shotgun/muzzleloader only area's, since they are allowing old, traditional calibers in traditional lever action rifles.
There's a push to do the same in southern Michigan too and I fully support it.

It isn't as if any state is creating new firearms seasons just for straight walled calibers or allowing centerfire calibers which are more powerful than modern slug guns, they just want to allow calibers that are essentially lesser than the 250 yard muzzleloaders and slug guns out there today.

I think if one is going to use a firearm in southern Michigan or Ohio, why can't they use a lever action in a caliber with less killing range than what is legal now?

I have a Browning A Bolt slug gun that I'm completely comfortable out to 250 yards with. Compared to the proposed calibers, my slug setup, matched with premium slugs, out performs a 45-70 on every count and my drop in long range trajectory is 50% less, minimum, with a premium slug from a premium slug gun, than compared to a lever gun in 45-70.

I think my 40lb recurves have better trajectory than the .45 Long Colt.      

Here's the calibers in question...

Proposed hunting rifles are chambered for the following calibers: .357 Magnum, .357 Maximum, .38 Special, .375 Super Magnum, .375 Winchester, .38-55, .41 Long Colt, .41 Magnum, .44 Special, .44 Magnum, .444 Marlin, .45 ACP, .45 Colt, .45 Long Colt, .45 Winchester Magnum, .45 Smith & Wesson, .454 Casull, .460 Smith & Wesson, .45-70, .45-90, .45-110, .475 Linebaugh, .50-70, .50-90, .50-100, .50-110 and .500 Smith & Wesson.

[buckeye_hunter]

If it can be used in a handgun to hunt, there is little reason not to allow it for lever action or other rifles. I always thought that was a crazy rule. It was okay for handguns, but not rifles.


To speak to the original post about the doe only season, I think(my opinion here) it is foolish.If I am bow hunting that weekend and a buck walks by, I have to let it go. What if it is the only chance I get at a deer that season? I'm not out for antlers, but I do eat deer everyday literally. I would like to see higher numbers on the public lands. The deer are still there, just in much depleted numbers.

[buckeye_hunter]

Also, in a previous post, I should have said similar seasons and regulations, not the same. My mistake.