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were are all the hunter?

Longdraw

Junior Member
496
102
Central,Ohio
I was riding around about a 8mile block yesterday and only seen 1hunter and 2vehicles setting off the roa,and very little shooting for Knox county
 

saddlepants

Member
1,224
0
central Ohio
Nope, not hearin the shots either around here. Nobody pushin. This has been the suckiest year ever. Made me sad , guys across the way hunted first two days and then nobody...I woulda given my right arm to go over to their "bigger" woods for a chance at some freezer meat if only for one day
 

Schu72

Well-Known Member
3,864
113
Streetsboro
There was fair activity up in Geagua yesterday. Nothing super close to me but farily steady shooting throughout the morning. Still didn't move any deer past me.:smiley_depressive:
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
I only heard one shot yesterday morning and only saw one hunter in Medina County. Nobody was pushing deer around me anywhere. Pretty strange if you ask me.
 

dante322

*Supporting Member*
5,506
157
Crawford county
Here is a thought, The economy sucks. Not as many guys could afford to take off work, buy tags, buy ammo ... So when the weekend rolled around they figured the deer are all staying low from being hunted all week and there is no point going out. add to that the fact that the weather has been warm and wet all week.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Dante.. A very large portion of the shotgun only hunters are.... How can I put this politely... Not exactly what one would call career type people.. The economy sucks. Yes.. But I've seen people that have been laid off for years buy a box of slugs and a tag for gun season... If anything I think more of them have time to hunt in this economy. And even a need to hunt to reduce grocery bills. I don't think we're seeing the hunters for one reason... Those people aren't dedicated hardcore hunters.. They hunt a week a year and the easiest week I might add.. They don't bowhunt for a reason... Well now that they aren't seeing deer to them it sucks as bad as bowhunting. Fugg this.. I only hunt when its fun. Not fun. I quit... It'll be interesting to see what license sales do next year.
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
I see both what Dante and Joe said...probably a combination of both.

And yes, it will be interesting to see what license sales do next year. I'd imagine that at least NRs would be down...long way to drive for not seeing deer.
 

saddlepants

Member
1,224
0
central Ohio
Funny you guys say that. I worked a route as a mobile groomer for three years around the entire city of Columbus. 90% of my clientele was 300-500k homes and I had quite a few well over that up to the 5-6Mil homes. Got to see TONS of nice trophies on walls and talk to "the Hunter". Seems to me 90% of those who hunted seemed to think that Gun season was the only season. I refer to Deer Season as soon as bow starts. Even tho the leaves are on and you cant see as far I think its MUCH more fun, you see more kool "stuff" happen and I rather like being able to hear them coming before they see me. And the weather is better. To me Gun season is just a way to pick up my losses on filling the freezer. Personally Id rather be done by then and doind what I used to do...stir the Chili and wait for the "guys" to come in for Lunch or take a kid out, or drive, or use that time to train my trackin pups on the gun kills. I hate the new early youth season (even when I had one to take out) and will despise an early muzzeloader - but if that early muzzy is before youth gun and I need a deer Im gonna jump on it and forget opening day. I Can Bet you that half the guys around here filled ther freezers on early youth gun with the new Tagging system with kids names that were home doing nothing...Thats why gun week sucked! Hell I think I heard more shots the Day before the opener than I did the opener!!
 

huntn2

Senior Member
6,090
157
Hudson, OH
Friday I saw 2 guys parking at one spot down the road from where I hunt. Saturday there was a truck at a different spot. I pass 6 parking spots that could have trucks but the rest were all empty. I circled the block leaving yesterday and did finally see 2 guys that had been in on the property to my south, but no other pressure. Friday and Saturday were 2 of the best weather days for the week in my parts. 30's-40's overcast and sunny. Winds were rather calm. If there was to be pressure and people out I figured it would have been then.

Explanation as to why, I don't really know. If money were tight for me or if I were out of work, I know I would be in the woods putting meat in the freezer (assuming I could find a deer). I am not talking about taking road trips to hunt other parts of the state but staying close to home is what I would be doing. So I tend to not think the economy is the driving factor here. I admitt the weather Mon-Wed would have kept many out of the woods but how many folks have that much flexibility with vacation time? So were a bunch of hunters off work sitting at home or was everyone able to re-schedule days. I feel fortunate that I believe I have a tremendous amount of flexibility scheduling/using my days. I don't believe many are as fortunate.

I believe it is a combination of factors. Perhaps economic times have some not traveling as far to hunt where they once did (NR's primarily). License/permit sales figures at the end of the season will shed light here. I believe weather is a component but that wouldn't explain the lack of hunters some of us are witnessing during the later part of the week and this weekend. Lastly, I think most importantly as Joe pointed out, lack of deer sightings will drive folks that would typically only head out for this week away.
 

RedCloud

Super Moderator
Super Mod
17,381
193
North Central Ohio
Just took a drive around the ol block at 1pm and not a single person in sight. Should have been a great time to do some drives of the woodlots and CRP fields. No trucks parked in fields and now that it is raining I figure the rest of the day will be much of the same.
 

Mike

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,840
223
Up Nort
I heard a lot of shooting yesterday and only about five shots today. One was mine.:smiley_bril:
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
I drove 12-15miles this morning to see where the hunters were parked before I decided where to hunt. Problem was I only saw 2 vehicles parked with guys out hunting. I hunted this evening and my buddy drove around to road scout for deer/hunters. He saw none of either. I can tell you one thing, I have not hunted one property at all this year simply due to lack of deer sightings.