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Deer Gun Harvest Totals Decline

http://ohiolandforsale.com/deer-gun-harvest-totals-continue-decline/

Deer-gun harvest totals continue to decline
Though his forecast overshot the mark substantially, wildlife biologist Mike Tonkovich didn’t seem too surprised by Ohio’s gun-week harvest of 66,759 deer.

Tonkovich, a deer management specialist with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, had anticipated a kill of perhaps 80,000 whitetails from Nov. 28 to Dec. 4. Instead, the number of deer checked fell 6,580 from the 73,399 reported during the 2015 gun week.

This year’s total topped the 2014 mark, the 21st-century low, by fewer than 1,300. Except for the uptick a year ago, the erosion of the gun week harvest has been steady and spectacular.

The numbers strongly indicate a trend rather than anomalies caused by weather, a diminished deer population or lack of hunter access, though each might play a part. Tonkovich suggested as much in an email response to questions about gun season.

“The key message is that the days of treating the archery, gun, bonus gun and muzzleloader seasons as separate are over,” he wrote. “What happens in the early archery season bleeds over into gun, and that into the rest of archery season and the late firearms season.”

The decline in less than a decade has been dramatic, a drop of more than 40 percent.
The wildlife division has acknowledged an effort to cut the deer herd in some counties in response to complaints by farmers and orchard growers, backed by the Ohio Farm Bureau. The bureau in December 2006 called for reducing by half the whitetail population from an estimated 500,000.

That effort, which translated into liberal limits and the introduction of reduced-price antlerless permits that could be used from the start of bow season until just before gun week, was met with skepticism and hostility from some hunters.

Still, many hunters went along with the program. The consequence was not restricted to cutting the deer populations to levels deemed acceptable by the wildlife division and tolerable to the farm bureau constituency. The effort to eradicate more deer early in the season may have changed the habits of hunters.

The wildlife division began curtailing the sale of antlerless permits in 2013. The number of permits sold fell from 163,383 in the 2012 season to 15,514 last year. This year, the use of antlerless permits was restricted to a handful of metropolitan counties, including Delaware and Franklin.

“Beginning in 2013, we started to ‘soften’ regulations to reduce antlerless harvest,” Tonkovich wrote. “Each year since, we’ve made changes designed to grow the herd in a very ‘contained’ manner.”

Meanwhile, the sale of either-sex permits has held steady at around 400,000 per year. The numbers suggest many of those permits are being used before gun week.

As Tonkovich noted, the buck harvest is off less than 3 percent from a year ago. Thus, he wrote, this year’s “9 percent drop in the gun harvest does nothing to inform deer management decisions” going forward.

The division awaits results of the buck kill for the remaining deer seasons. The bonus gun weekend is Dec. 17-18, followed by the statewide muzzleloader season, Jan. 7-10. The bow season continues through Feb. 5.

The forecast for the 2016-17 season was for a harvest of about 200,000, an increase of some 12,000 from last year. However, hunters will have to go some to match the 2015-16 kill of 188,329. The harvest through Monday was 143,602, almost 10,000 fewer whitetails than were checked through the same period a year ago.

For the record, Licking led central Ohio counties during gun week with 1,609 deer checked, followed by Fairfield (681), Delaware (411), Union (271), Pickaway (270), Madison (158) and Franklin (157).

Originally Posted By Dave Golowenski For The Columbus Dispatch
outdoors@dispatch.com
Saturday December 10, 2016 11:13 PM
 

Jackalope

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And now we see what happens when they don't have any idea what the live population was to start, or incrementally as they progress, and they're just winging it through a population reduction agenda.
 

Carpn

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Makes sense tho . Alot less people gun hunting is going to result in a lower harvest . I see much more pressure in alot of areas during Nov than during gun season . Many people are focusing on bowhunting and take their vacation time then instead of during gun now . I'm sure overall harvest numbers will fall , but there are alot of factors involved . Is lower population one of them ? Yes , it definitely is...but it's not the only reason either . There's multiple factors affecting harvest numbers ...and it's not just the weather ..lol
 

Jackalope

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I think the lower gun participation if true is a symptom of the disease. If your populations in the crapper and you like to hunt would you rather have a week to get it done or months. It only logical that as the population declines people will look to extend their season. I would be curious to see his math around "how he thinks either sex permits holding steady at 400,000 translates to hunter participation and them using those permits before gun. Especially when the Antlerless only sales fell from 162k to 15k. But the 400k didn't uptick. There's far too many variables to be able to even attempt making such a statement. Some guys that used to buy antlerless now can only buy either sex, maybe someone that used to buy an either sex and three antlerless now only buys a single either sex. Way too many variables to be able to make that call.

We had to buy an either sex permit before buying an antlerless permit.
So the statement could just as easily be made that 400k either sex permits continue to be purchased but antlerless permit sales have fallen 147k, so hunter participation has declined by 29%.
 

Carpn

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Well , the antlerless only permits served their purpose really . They sold em cheap and let guys use em during gun season. The population was up , people could shoot a bunch of deer ...boom...record harvest ....years later , fewer deer especially in traditional high harvest areas , very limited area to use antlerless tags ( basically the old Urban zone areas ) and some people realizing ya don't have to kill every deer that walks in front of you = lower harvest numbers .
 

5Cent

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Well , the antlerless only permits served their purpose really . They sold em cheap and let guys use em during gun season. The population was up , people could shoot a bunch of deer ...boom...record harvest ....years later , fewer deer especially in traditional high harvest areas , very limited area to use antlerless tags ( basically the old Urban zone areas ) and some people realizing ya don't have to kill every deer that walks in front of you = lower harvest numbers .

I still believe a majority of Ohio hunters hunt for meat. I am not saying the bowhunting/growth in everyone is the next big thing does not exist, but I disagree more and more hunters are passing up deer. It all comes down to why a person hunts and the numbers are just not there. I feel meat in the freezer is still #1 motivator to buy a tag. I agree the ODNR did what they wanted to do to get to their target. I dont find fault in their success to meet their goal, I find fault that the goal did not align with hunters. I feel hunters should have the largest voice....
 

"J"

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I still believe a majority of Ohio hunters hunt for meat. I am not saying the bowhunting/growth in everyone is the next big thing does not exist, but I disagree more and more hunters are passing up deer. It all comes down to why a person hunts and the numbers are just not there. I feel meat in the freezer is still #1 motivator to buy a tag. I agree the ODNR did what they wanted to do to get to their target. I dont find fault in their success to meet their goal, I find fault that the goal did not align with hunters. I feel hunters should have the largest voice....

[emoji1303]
Agreed Adam.... The DNR made the bag limits and we as hunters filled out tags and at the time weren't worried about #'s.... Fast forward, they capitalized on our greed too fill the freezers.... Mine included....


 

Carpn

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Not gonna disagree with ya . The majority probably still do just shoot whatever . But compared to 10 yrs ago a helluvalot more people are passing up deer . And it doesn't even compare to the mindset of hunters from 20 yrs ago . It's just different now ...not necessarily better tho unfortunately...but definitely different .
 

giles

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Not gonna disagree with ya . The majority probably still do just shoot whatever . But compared to 10 yrs ago a helluvalot more people are passing up deer . And it doesn't even compare to the mindset of hunters from 20 yrs ago . It's just different now ...not necessarily better tho unfortunately...but definitely different .

I'm not seeing that. I see hunters working harder to fill those tags. You can't fill the freezer during gun season like you used to be able to do.

More people flooding the woods during that "rut" time has played a big part also, IMO. Deer are nocturnal long before gun season nowadays.
 

5Cent

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J, I will never apologize for filling my freezer because that is not greed. I will say it again....its the ODNR's responsibility to manage the herd. That is why we pay them, as both citizens of this state and hunters spending our hard earned $ on licenses and tags. Where we are today is the results of decisions. I will never apologize for my decisions but will always embrace change if it is warranted. If we as hunters can persudae the ODNR that a line has been crossed for deer herd health and sustainability, I will embrace it. Until then, I will fill every tag that is "rightful" to me....no apologies even cross my mind.

I survived on 1 deer tag at one time, I will survive on a similar change moving forward. Bet your ass the local squirrel population will feel that wrath though :)
 
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5Cent

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Not gonna disagree with ya . The majority probably still do just shoot whatever . But compared to 10 yrs ago a helluvalot more people are passing up deer . And it doesn't even compare to the mindset of hunters from 20 yrs ago . It's just different now ...not necessarily better tho unfortunately...but definitely different .

Why does a hunter pass up a deer...to kill one bigger (aka a better trophy). Society and the "industry" is the one responsible for this thinking, not an empty freezer or hungry mouths.
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
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Why does a hunter pass up a deer...to kill one bigger (aka a better trophy). Society and the "industry" is the one responsible for this thinking, not an empty freezer or hungry mouths.

Agreed, I also agree with your other post. I might pass a little deer early season so I could kill it later in the season. That's about it, unless it's a buck tag and that goes on a big bodied deer (well, that's my hopes). Anyone that text with me knows that this season I've been willing to even tag a fork! And at this point, nothing is safe. I'm hungry.
 

5Cent

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And I am the first to admit that I have not filled a buck tag simply because I have more opportunity this year. As the year winds down, the smalller the animal that qualifies as a buck is considered. When push comes to shove, I will shove back. I hope you all do too to get your $'s worth. Sure steers are easier to hunt for the $, but they dont taste near as good and provide the same nutritional value for my family.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
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J, I will never apologize for filling my freezer because that is not greed. I will say it again....its the ODNR's responsibility to manage the herd. That is why we pay them, as both citizens of this state and hunters spending our hard earned $ on licenses and tags. Where we are today is the results of decisions. I will never apologize for my decisions but will always embrace change if it is warranted. If we as hunters can persudae the ODNR that a line has been crossed for deer herd health and sustainability, I will embrace it. Until then, I will fill every tag that is "rightful" to me....no apologies even cross my mind.

I survived on 1 deer tag at one time, I will survive on a similar change moving forward. Bet your ass the local squirrel population will feel that wrath though :)

Oh I'm not apologetic for any version that's been on my plate, fed the family for years on venison playing by their rules.... Kids and wife all loved eating those organic 4 legged creatures....


 

Bigslam51

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And I am the first to admit that I have not filled a buck tag simply because I have more opportunity this year. As the year winds down, the smalller the animal that qualifies as a buck is considered. When push comes to shove, I will shove back. I hope you all do too to get your $'s worth. Sure steers are easier to hunt for the $, but they dont taste near as good and provide the same nutritional value for my family.
Never pass up what you would shoot on the last day, Adam[emoji106]
 

5Cent

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Never pass up what you would shoot on the last day, Adam[emoji106]

Unlike the outfitter logic for trophy hunting to which I feel this applies, we are blessed with 4 months of opportunity. This is not about me, but I will say I only shove when absolutely necessary. Its all strategic moves, if allowed more than one, then take the biggest when able. The following tags simply get smaller in body/rack size as the season progresses. When there is a dwcent one out there, thats what you hunt. As the back n wall get closer together, so do expectations. So no, as long as opportunity exists, I will take it to the very.last.day.

For some, they only have a few weeks or worse yet, a few days during gun season. This is where I believe filling a tag takes precedence.
 
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Carpn

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Why does a hunter pass up a deer...to kill one bigger (aka a better trophy). Society and the "industry" is the one responsible for this thinking, not an empty freezer or hungry mouths.

I dunno . Lots of people have realized ya can't kill every deer ya see and there still be deer . Alot of people are just shooting one or two does now and then passing does up , even tho they could buy more tags and keep killing deer .