Ohio deer population

RedCloud · Dec 5, 2014

Hortontoter said:
RedCloud that is liking saying that the Dept of Highways posts the legal speed limit and we all obey it. You know and I know we pull the trigger or release the arrow not the DNR. There are to many ways around the hunting laws for the DNR to be effective IMO.

You and I may drive at a safe posted speed limit but it still doesn't keep us out of harms way of the reckless speeding driver now does it?

The DNR/DOW might not pull the trigger or hit the release but they are doing very little to stop the tool from doing damage either.

Bigslam51 · Dec 5, 2014

Hortontoter said:
Abnd like Lundy stated "I saw a guy shoot 6 does on one drive". No way was that legal and if I had seen it happen you can bet there would have been a confrontation. We have to do our part to turn these people in.

IMO there's always going to be assholes like that guy. The whole idea of killing does to manage the herd fad that started years ago is not helping Ohio. When the DNR installs an early muzzy season for does only what's that make some people think? IMO it makes them think we have too many does and they need killed. All of us on here know that ain't true, but alot of weekend warriors don't. The blame lies with the DNR, the telecheck system, and incompetent hunters. But it is the DNR who is taking advantage of these hunters who don't know any better.

Bigslam51 · Dec 5, 2014

And the Amish, fugg the amish.

Certified106 · Dec 5, 2014

Bigslam51 said:
IMO there's always going to be assholes like that guy. The whole idea of killing does to manage the herd fad that started years ago is not helping Ohio. When the DNR installs an early muzzy season for does only what's that make some people think? IMO it makes them think we have too many does and they need killed. All of us on here know that ain't true, but alot of weekend warriors don't. The blame lies with the DNR, the telecheck system, and incompetent hunters. But it is the DNR who is taking advantage of these hunters who don't know any better.

I know a bunch of those people........ I get into arguments with them all the time and have tried and tried to explain the doe population does not need thinned down but yet they run out and shoot every doe they see so that the hunting will be better. How you can even say that and not see the fallacy is beyond me.

hickslawns · Dec 5, 2014

From Bigslam's excerpt:

Archery hunters checked 69,648 deer before the gun season began, a 14 percent decline. The overall deer kill through Wednesday, including the archery, youth and early black powder seasons, was 113,093 deer. That is 9 percent below a year ago, when hunters had already bagged 124,290 deer.

Shot my buck and doe with archery. I wasn't to blame for archery decline. lol

To be serious now, myself and the other two guys hunting this acreage communicate. We try to keep trespassers out. We talk about deer we are seeing. We talk about when/if we should back off on does. Not everyone does this. Not everyone has the self control to do this.

Hortontoter · Dec 5, 2014

Lundy said:
I have witnessed that more than once just never 6 before, but multiple kills from one stander on a drive are commonplace everyday occurrences.

I have called the GW many times, including that time but don't know if anything was ever done, probably not considering they continue their ways even today.

I am NOT going to confront 25 country yahoo's with guns. I already have bullet holes through all of my hunting blinds.

I hear you on the shot up stands. But, your reply solidifies my thoughts. You called the GW, which I commend you for, but it had little effect. These things go on all the time, we all know that. The GW's will never be able to police hunters to much of a degree. That is why I say that hunters have the control, even though some may not want to admit it. Can we school all of these slobs, probably not. Are we fighting a losing battle, probably so, but the hunters still decide to kill or not to kill when an animal is sighted.

bowhunter1023 · Dec 5, 2014

I know people much like Lundy does. Large group that does nothing but drive from dark yo dark every available day of our gun seasons. They have all but wiped out the deer in their neck of the woods. I hunted with them one time and never again. If you hit a deer, they'd leave you behind with no help. No doubt they left a bunch of wounded deer in the woods because as a group, they were too lazy to help out. They also pooled tags and shot whatever, then sorted out who tagged what in. It was a sad thing to see.

As for our GW, he's worthless. I've tried to contact a handful of times over the years and have never once been called back. I've had people tell me he is a good guy. He may very well be, but he is a failure at his job IMO. As a whole, I think our WOs are pretty pathetic. Seeing how they handled Charlie Stone's situation speaks volumes about the integrity (or lack thereof) within the DNR/DOW.

Milo · Dec 5, 2014

if it not ODNR's job to manage the herd and its ours, then why in the heck do we have an ODNR? c'mon man...

Certified106 · Dec 5, 2014

Milo said:
if it not ODNR's job to manage the herd and its ours, then why in the heck do we have an ODNR? c'mon man...

I'm guessing that was said with sarcasm? but ODNR's end goal doesn't exactly line up with what I would like to see happen.

Hortontoter · Dec 5, 2014

Milo said:
if it not ODNR's job to manage the herd and its ours, then why in the heck do we have an ODNR? c'mon man...

I think you answered your own question.

RedCloud · Dec 5, 2014

bowhunter1023 said:
I know people much like Lundy does. Large group that does nothing but drive from dark yo dark every available day of our gun seasons. They have all but wiped out the deer in their neck of the woods. I hunted with them one time and never again. If you hit a deer, they'd leave you behind with no help. No doubt they left a bunch of wounded deer in the woods because as a group, they were too lazy to help out. They also pooled tags and shot whatever, then sorted out who tagged what in. It was a sad thing to see.

As for our GW, he's worthless. I've tried to contact a handful of times over the years and have never once been called back. I've had people tell me he is a good guy. He may very well be, but he is a failure at his job IMO. As a whole, I think our WOs are pretty pathetic. Seeing how they handled Charlie Stone's situation speaks volumes about the integrity (or lack thereof) within the DNR/DOW.

But why? I think most of them go into it thinking it will be a great place to work and love what they are going to do. When they actually get in there and their hands are tied behind their backs by the higher ups they see it as fighting an uphill battle so what's the point. That leads them to not want to do their job and turns them into assholes IMO. Of course they will not leave their job because of the benefits that come with the state job.

Steelheadtracker · Dec 5, 2014

Very interesting and educating reading your replies. Thanks. I have an additional question. Do you think there is a higher decline in bucks or does or about the same for each? How many game wardens are there supposed to be? Is it by county?

Jason Short · Dec 5, 2014

Steelheadtracker said:
Very interesting and educating reading your replies. Thanks. I have an additional question. Do you think there is a higher decline in bucks or does or about the same for each? How many game wardens are there supposed to be? Is it by county?

One warden per county

RDM · Dec 5, 2014

Jackalope, I hunt champaign also, I own some land that has always had good deer numbers, last two yrs has definitely been a decline in amount of deer numbers. Im fortunate to still see good amount of deer. But it not what it was 3 yrs ago. They need to back off bag limits, and account for wounded deer that don't make it. I see late season, after gun, a few every yr, happens more than people like to admit

Hortontoter · Dec 5, 2014

Steelheadtracker said:
Very interesting and educating reading your replies. Thanks. I have an additional question. Do you think there is a higher decline in bucks or does or about the same for each? How many game wardens are there supposed to be? Is it by county?

I believe the doe numbers have declined much more than the buck numbers. I know at my place bucks outnumber does by about a 3 or 4 to one ratio.

Big_Holla · Dec 5, 2014

My estimates for the last two years, based on summer trail cam surveys, would put our ratio at about 1 doe per 2.75 bucks for 2013 and 1 doe per 3 bucks this year. That's about 4 does for every 11-12 bucks for just under 200 acres. Keep in mind that's just bucks we knew were different and some may only have passed thru a couple times. Once deer season got rolling and we neared the rut several of those bucks disappeared and it's still that way now, maybe closer to 1:1.

bowhunter1023 · Dec 5, 2014

Based on the camera at my parents, we went from a 1:4 buck to doe ratio 5 years ago to a 4:1 buck to doe ratio. What is scary is I don't know who is killing all the does.

RedCloud · Dec 5, 2014

Hortontoter said:
I believe the doe numbers have declined much more than the buck numbers. I know at my place bucks outnumber does by about a 3 or 4 to one ratio.

It's been like that at my place for at least 5 years now. This season was the first year I seen more doe then bucks. I figure it will be back to more bucks then does again next season.

Steelheadtracker · Dec 5, 2014

Do you guys think making it so a person is only allowed one doe and one buck would help instead of the possibility of killing 3 does?

finelyshedded · Dec 5, 2014

Although I agree whole heartily with the deer numbers being way down I think all of our bitching and observations are falling on deaf ears. This is what the FB and Insurance companies have been wanting to achieve anyway and the DNR's in every state in the Midwest used us through phony numbers and liberal kill numbers to get us where we are today,IMO.

Ohio deer population

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