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Guess the harvest number

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,914
274
Appalachia
I'd bet my years salary that there will be a statistically significant jump in the number of bucks checked in Monday compared to the same Monday in years past.

My guess is 7,164.
 

teej89

Senior Member
2,288
48
NE PA
I'd bet my years salary that there will be a statistically significant jump in the number of bucks checked in Monday compared to the same Monday in years past.

haha!!! I will back that up with my salary too. Gonna be crazy how many bucks drop monday morning.
 

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
I'm leary of even sitting on stand with my boys as a beautiful 10 point walks by and I tell them they aren't allowed to fling an arrow at it (yes, they will be bowhunting instead of muzzy). This is just flat out stupid. I have the boys taking their bows just to try and get their first compound kill. Do we want the meat? Absolutely! But this whole idea just gets under my skin.

If they wanna do this, make it doe only with a muzzy and anything with a bow.

My guess? Since the doe are still on a relaxed feeding pattern in open fields, I'd say at least 10,000.
 
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LonewolfNopack

Junior Member
1,505
127
The woods
I'm leary of even sitting on stand with my boys as a beautiful 10 point walks by and I tell them they aren't allowed to sling an arrow at it (yes, they will be bowhunting instead of muzzy). This is just flat out stupid. I have the boys taking their bows just to try and get their first compound kill. Do we want the meat? Absolutely! But this whole idea just gets under my skin.

If they wanna do this, make it doe only with a muzzy and anything with a bow.

My guess? Since the doe are still on a relaxed feeding pattern in open fields, I'd say at least 10,000.

What's your guess on bucks??:smiley_bril:
 

Quantum673

Black Hat Cajun
Supporting Member
I'm leary of even sitting on stand with my boys as a beautiful 10 point walks by and I tell them they aren't allowed to fling an arrow at it (yes, they will be bowhunting instead of muzzy). This is just flat out stupid. I have the boys taking their bows just to try and get their first compound kill. Do we want the meat? Absolutely! But this whole idea just gets under my skin.

If they wanna do this, make it doe only with a muzzy and anything with a bow.

My guess? Since the doe are still on a relaxed feeding pattern in open fields, I'd say at least 10,000.

I had this conversation with my son last night. I asked if he was going with us and if he wanted to shoot my muzzy or take his bow.
He said he would take his bow with us but would probably hunt with the muzzy.
I said remember this weekend is doe only. He said "what, thats stupid". I explained it was new this year and that we would only be hunting does. He said "what am I supposed to do if a big 10 point walks up right in front of me?"
I said shoot it but only with your phone. Get a good picture of it and we will try to get back on him next time.

My guess is 8763.
Would be a lot higher but I figure with Football in mid season and other sports could be a lot not going.

The other thing I have noticed is not a lot of people seem to know about it. The more casual hunters that is.
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,840
247
You may be correct about that, Dante. A guy came in the shop the other day and asked if I knew anything about the early muzzy season. I filled him in. I don't think he even buys a hunting license until the day before gun season. Who knows how many are like him, but with the popularity of bowhunting and muzzleloading having boomed over the last decade and a half, I suspect the number of hunters in that category have dropped dramatically.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
I don't have a clue on the number. One side of me says a large number since it's early and nice warm weather. The other side says how many hunters want a doe only and would rather hunt for a buck and doe then shot a doe if no buck shows up.
I asked both of my grandson who are 17 & 15 if they want to ML hunt and shoot a doe this weekend. Neither one shows any interest in shooting a ML doe. Both have take deer with a shotgun and pistol and both want to take deer with a bow and ML. But just no interest in a doe only.
I have no real interest in ML hunting this weekend either but I do plan on sighting in my ML with sabots today and if lucky I will ask my neighbor to go on his 1st deer hunt. He can hunt his hay field from my new tower in complete comfort. We'll see.
 

Ohiobowhunter1

Junior Member
296
49
Columbus
I agree that there will be people that break the law, those people normally would anyhow. Most people will do what I did when I found out 2 months ago that I had to miss a weekend of chasing bucks and take the following Monday off, I hope I am one of the lucky ones that checks a buck in Monday legally.

My guess for the doe harvest is 9,300
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,859
260
..



Factors at play.

As of Oct 2nd (latest data available due to gov shutdown)
7% of Ohio's corn crop had been harvested with an average moisture of 24%.
17% of Ohios Soybeans have been harvested.

This means Ohio Deer have 6.8 million planted acres to seek refuge due to standing crops vs during regular gun with 8.4 million harvested acres.

Ohio land mass.

28.8 million acres.
8.4 million row crop
5.7 million pasture
8.3 wooded
3.0 water
1.4 developed / urban.
2 mil misc wetland / stripmine / etc.

When accounting for standing crops this leaves 16.6 million huntable acres. (harvested crop / pasture / wooded / 1 mil misc)
Compared to 23.4 million during shotgun. This represents a 29% loss in available hunting area due to standing crops.


Hot weather. Daytime High 70+
Lack of frost. Mosquitoes.
Green vegetation in wooded areas reduces range.
1 shot vs 3 shots
bowhunters who hunt gun season who will not hunt early muzz due to not wanting to spook a target buck.



I'm going to say it'll be right at 6,200
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
This week will have a lot of bucks checked in for sure.

As much as I hate big brother looking over our shoulder all the time. I do hope every buck checked in the week after is looked at. I know they can't check all the checkins but something will have to be looked at.
Don't throw any big stones at me now as I bruise easy.
 
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