Very well said. I pulled cards yesterday and the activity between Sunday and yesterday was virtually zero. And it's an area that has no gun pressure whatsoever. I think part of it is the natural ebb and flow of deer activity throughout a season and this year it seems to have ebbed during gun week, unfortunately. That being said, I'm excited to get back out there this weekend!
Ohio sucks
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Very well said. I pulled cards yesterday and the activity between Sunday and yesterday was virtually zero. And it's an area that has no gun pressure whatsoever. I think part of it is the natural ebb and flow of deer activity throughout a season and this year it seems to have ebbed during gun week, unfortunately. That being said, I'm excited to get back out there this weekend!
Brock is right and this week is not why I ask that question. For me, I had my best season in maybe a decade in terms of deer/shooters seen between late October and mid-November. It was the best rut in 11 seasons on the farm. Things are actually getting better at the farm, but us arm-chair biologists deserve ALL the credit for that. With 500 acres in a well managed defacto co-op, we've taken over and are making the decision to not shoot does and as a result, our hunting is getting much better. However I do ask that question as a thought provoking statement to generate discussion because as a whole, the state is in worse condition than it was before Tonk authorized and promoted the decimation of the deer herd. IMO, it wasn't biological decisions that lead us here, it was lobbying that landed us in this condition. To me, that opens the door for a discussion on ethics and gross negligence by those in command of our state resources particularly as it applies to whitetails.
No surprise, but I disagree.
I've hunted four different counties, NW and SE Ohio and have had opportunities during almost every sit, even with relatively limited seat time. I spent three days in Morgan county hunting heavily pressured public land on almost zero pre-hunt intel, and could have shot three different bucks. I saw deer and rutting activity every day. I've seen the Facebook page of a local processor absolutely littered with good bucks... A processor that takes in deer from all over the state, mind you. Same processor saying this is one of their best years in a while (bow season has been incredibly busy for them). I know of two 200+ inchers killed up here this year as well.
All anecdotal, I know. But reason enough for me to disagree. Deer hunting in Ohio does not suck. It's the amount of pressure and limited access that sucks.
livetohunt228
Junior Member
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I completely agree with your points. IMO, aggressive overhavesting of does over the last several years, add in some bad bouts of EHD and then the predation problems and its put a real hurting on the deer herds all across the Midwest. We can't control mother nature and EHD, although I believe extensive research needs to be done on how we can try and prevent this devastating disease. Got to figure out a way to spray for the midges or something. I don't know, I'm clearly no biologist but I sure would like to hear that there atleast looking into it. Maybe there's nothing that can be done. We can however limit our number of deer we shoot and try and help out the deer by taking out a coyote any chance we get. I was baffled when I read the survival rate of new born fawns. It's something like only 30-40% survive and the rest are killed by predators, mostly coyotes in the Midwest. Just because the county allows a hunter to take 4,5,6 does, it don't mean you have too or should. I know a lot of hunters rely on the meat to fill the freezer but unless it's live or die, pick up some meat at the grocery store and pass on taking that extra 1 or better yet 2 does. Us as the hunters are out there seeing what's going on, not the people sitting behind desks being lobbied by insurance companies that more deer need to be killed. When will enough be enough? Our deer herds are disappearing at a rapid rate. Man and woman ruin most great things on this earth, hopefully we won't completely destroy deer hunting for ourselves and the generations to follow. Just my 2 cents for what it's worth
I remember that campfire "chat". To say it was eye opening is an understatement.
I do agree that there has been a change in hunting attitude or demeanor just in the past 16+ years I have been hunting deer. My dad started hunting with a group of 15-30 guys on the coal company lands that turned into Egypt Valley Wildlife area. Most would be down for the entire week and spend it on bunks in a pole barn. Of that original group 3-4 of them will be together this weekend for saturday. Some of that was personality issues as time went on, some was as they got older they don't hunt as much or their kids don't hunt, or this or that. Small erosions over time lead to large changes.
The herd in that area (EVWA) is definitely down on the easy to get to spots. There are still pockets if you know where they are to get to them but otherwise you are in for a hike.
Whereas the in-laws farm in Ashland county is doing well. By choice and lack of accuracy not a lot of does have been taken the last couple of years and its not uncommon to see 10+ deer in some of the cut corn fields right after harvest in the evening. I am with Jesse, if you have the ability to "manage" your own herd you can do a lot of good and or bad. The property we have outside of Freeport Ohio is the bad because of what is going on on neighboring properties in the area. Some shoot anything that is brown, and others have gotten large (10-15+) crop damage permits for the last few years and filled all of them. The deer sightings are way down on the property this week.
I do not think it was gross mismanagement as much as not having the interests of the hunting public in mind. Unfortunately as much as they "SHOULD" work for us, its obvious that they do not.
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Very well said! ODNR worked to reduce the herd to satisfy auto insurers and the farm lobby against deer predation. All the doe permits over the years took its toll. That was their plan and it worked. But we have less deer for our pastime.
So what do you do when the property owners are drinking all the ODNR juice? This is the frustrating problem I'm having right now.
Well....I didnt read every post in this thread but you can add me to the list of people seeing less and less deer every year it seems like.
I hunt on property in both southeast Ohio and north central Ohio....I sometimes go days without so much as jumping a deer while walking in or out. This is in areas where 10 years ago you were all but guaranteed to at least see some deer every time out....
I know there are a few deer there (trail cams) but with increased bag limits and increased hunter numbers statewide....deer sightings have decreased. And the deer that are left are basically 100% nocturnal. If they poke their nose out during daylight it gets shot off lol
I hunt on property in both southeast Ohio and north central Ohio....I sometimes go days without so much as jumping a deer while walking in or out. This is in areas where 10 years ago you were all but guaranteed to at least see some deer every time out....
I know there are a few deer there (trail cams) but with increased bag limits and increased hunter numbers statewide....deer sightings have decreased. And the deer that are left are basically 100% nocturnal. If they poke their nose out during daylight it gets shot off lol
bigten05
*Supporting Member*
the only does we shot this year were on a few small drives. on the propertys we sit on we didnt shoot a single doe and have only shot one off it in the last 4 years the numbers are coming back because of what we are doing saturday of gun season my cousin saw 14 out of my stand, now if we can just keep them there and off the property down the road that has 100 kill permits every year we will be doing good. i still agree the numbers are way low and the hunters are gonna have to do it themselves odnr doesnt want more deer.
motorbreaker
*Supporting Member I*
I started my rut hunt on Nov. 5th. Hunted thru the 13th. I seen plenty of does and more shooter bucks then I have ever seen during the rut. The deer numbers at our place are pretty much spot on.
Went back to camp for the youth hunt and seen plenty of bucks and does again. Movement was pretty good. But when we went down for gun opener things changes big time. We seen very few deer. and herd very few shots. All the sudden everyone in the area was bitching that there were no deer. I know there are deer but what happened to them?
This was one of the weirdest years of hunting I have ever seen. While the rut was the best id ever seen there was something different.
The deer seemed to be on a completely different pattern then Id ever seen on this farm. Pretty sure the massive acorn drop had a lot to do with it.
I talk to a lot of hunters all over Ohio and Michigan and everyone is saying the same thing. Where did the deer go. It was the quietest gun season I have ever seen. But yet, Drive around at night and see deer everywhere. What gives?
Went back to camp for the youth hunt and seen plenty of bucks and does again. Movement was pretty good. But when we went down for gun opener things changes big time. We seen very few deer. and herd very few shots. All the sudden everyone in the area was bitching that there were no deer. I know there are deer but what happened to them?
This was one of the weirdest years of hunting I have ever seen. While the rut was the best id ever seen there was something different.
The deer seemed to be on a completely different pattern then Id ever seen on this farm. Pretty sure the massive acorn drop had a lot to do with it.
I talk to a lot of hunters all over Ohio and Michigan and everyone is saying the same thing. Where did the deer go. It was the quietest gun season I have ever seen. But yet, Drive around at night and see deer everywhere. What gives?
Bow hunting pressure. Bow hunting pressure has completely changed the game. To kill deer you have to do it early in the season or drive them.
Buckmaster
Senior Member
My exact scenario as having spent 7 days at camp in Jefferson Co. I had 12 hunts over 7 days and saw a total of 10 antlerless deer. I could have easily killed 6 of them however no shots fired. My November 4-14th rut hunt was fabulous....my best rut hunting in years. Follow it up with my worst gun hunt week since the mid 80's. Totally a weird experience.
Bigcountry40
Member
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I agree with you completely, my questions is why have youth gun season, its setting kids up to "chase a ghost". I know a lot of land owners that allow kids to youth hunt 8-13 year olds, but those kids will lose that privilege when they turn 18 or younger. So kids get the idea that getting decent land access is fairly easy and competition to shoot a deer is relatively low. This couldn't be farther than the truth, its like hooking a kid on a drug where the first hit is the best and your chasing a ghost the rest of your life.
Now my opinion/metaphor maybe negative or dark, but I believe it is partially true.
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My thought is two part with one being that your experience is anecdotal and not representative of the overall "population" of youths. While a tough situation, I feel only a small percentage of kids have to deal with that. The other thought being the larger percentage of kids get to hunt when it's prime. Youth weekend is the perfect time to have kids in the woods IMO. I fully support a youth season for what it allows a mentor to accomplish with the future of our sport. Ohio would be doing a disservice to the future sportsmen/women of this state by eliminating youth season.
motorbreaker
*Supporting Member I*
Very well said. My son loves the youth hunt. He's 14 and not good enough with a bow yet. So if there was no youth then id have to take him during gun season, Witch means I wouldn't get to hunt.
This year we were lucky enough to see a breeding party not far from where we were sitting. The hot doe wasn't moving and the boss buck was busy chasing off contenders, One of them a 125" 9pt. My son could have shot that 9pt. many times but he wanted to wait for the boss buck to give him a shot. Well he never did, Just before dark the 9pt. came out and offered a shot, But before my son could pull the trigger the 9pt. went back in the woods. So he didn't get a deer this year but he said the experience was well worth the trip. So you see, Even kids can appreciate the experience without the kill.
I personally never did youth season when I was a kid, don't even remember them having one even... I'm glad they do though. This gives me a chance to get out with my kids while deer are moving. Gives them something of their own. It's the parents/mentors job to teach them those other parts of hunting. That's no fault of the ODNR if you choose to not teach them, it's yours. Plenty of kids out during bow season, that gun is just an excuse. Let them have it, it is our future.
Bigcountry40
Member
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I guess what I am trying to say is kids who are being introduced to the sport that have no/limited land access once they turn 18 and the conservation league only sponsors a youth gun hunt (just an example) and these kids who have harvested does and bucks now must fight over the scraps of public land. This probably does not apply to anyone on this site. I will take my boys in 5 or 6 years, but I have access and come from a culture of hunting. Like you said in earlier post, we need a smaller hunting population, so in a way I think the youth hunt sets kids up for failure as adults. But like you said this is a personal experience and I know a few personal examples (4) where I believe these kids have killed the biggest deer of their life before 17 and probably will not have access to very good property unless they are willing to give a testicle.
ImpalaSSpeed96
Junior Member
Oh, I agree from a semantics standpoint. When I was coaching baseball I used to say there are kids who play baseball and there are ballplayers. Same with bowhunting. Lots of people bowhunt, but bowhunters are a different breed.