Down

[Lundy]

Hickslawn,

I feel your pain and realize that I have been spoiled over the years by the great deer hunting opportunities I have had in this state and others.

I can only compare to what used to be where I hunt. I can't compare it where you hunt, although it doesn't sound like I'll be driving up to spend a week hunting deer your area anytime soon

I am not abandoning Athens. Even with the reduced deer numbers it still is a good place to hunt. Even though the sky is not falling it is hard not to think back to times past.

During my bowhunting years in the late 70's , 80's and 90's all of my Ohio bowhunting was in Franklin County. It was as good as it can get back then. Today all of those locations are either housing developments or part of the Battelle Metro Park system.

 

[JD Boyd]

I hunted a total of 17 hours during gun season. Took the day off monday and hunted a few mornings a couple hours before I would go to work. Most years I would take the entire week off but since it was so nice I figured I better work. I saw a total of 19 deer, 9 of them being at last hour last night. I know to a lot of hunters that sounds like good numbers but trust me that is terrible for where I'm at. And throw into that I worked at trc two and a half days and saw 0 deer there...

 

[dante322]

The DOW has been wanting the herd reduced for years, they've made no secret of that. The only question is when do we get to that happy medium? At what point are the insurance companies and farmers satisfied, and the hunters are still seeing enough deer to keep them interested? Seems to me, we are getting close to that now.

 

[hickslawns]

Hickslawn,

I feel your pain and realize that I have been spoiled over the years by the great deer hunting opportunities I have had in this state and others.

I can only compare to what used to be where I hunt. I can't compare it where you hunt, although it doesn't sound like I'll be driving up to spend a week hunting deer your area anytime soon

I am not abandoning Athens. Even with the reduced deer numbers it still is a good place to hunt. Even though the sky is not falling it is hard not to think back to times past.

During my bowhunting years in the late 70's , 80's and 90's all of my Ohio bowhunting was in Franklin County. It was as good as it can get back then. Today all of those locations are either housing developments or part of the Battelle Metro Park system.

Glad you didn't take that wrong. Wasn't my intention. Thanks for sharing your experiences in Athens. Seems "some" feel there is nothing wrong with the area.

I am definitely fearful for our area though. Seeing fewer deer, yet having our harvest go from 193 to 293 is scary.

Brock- We went to Zone B a couple years ago. I believe Van Wert, Paulding and several others (6 total I think?) were increased last year. We were bumped up the year before I believe. Either 09/10 or 10/11. I need to look it up. This is when these two counties went from 7-800/season harvest counties to 11-1200/season harvests.

 

[Jackalope]

The DOW has been wanting the herd reduced for years, they've made no secret of that. The only question is when do we get to that happy medium? At what point are the insurance companies and farmers satisfied, and the hunters are still seeing enough deer to keep them interested? Seems to me, we are getting close to that now.

I believe I have read before that Farmers wanted the population below 250k.

 

[dante322]

I believe I have read before that Farmers wanted the population below 250k.

Its nice to have a good round number, but it seems to me with no real way to gauge the size of the herd, numbers are meaningless.
I figure they will let the numbers go down for a couple more years, until the hunters arent buying as many tags, and then they will try to do something to level it off.
A bounty on coyotes would help.

 

[Ohiosam]

I believe I have read before that Farmers wanted the population below 250k.

That would be Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. On this issue they are shills for nationwide insurance.

 

[Huckleberry Finn]

That would be Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. On this issue they are shills for nationwide insurance.

What gave that away, Sam? The THREE Nationwide booths at the OFBF annual meeting!?!?

(not knocking you nor the OFBF as I work with them a LOT and they are great 99% of the time, the love between the two was overwhelming)

 

[MandRroofing]

Yup

 

[Jackalope]

That would be Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. On this issue they are shills for nationwide insurance.

I should have been more clear. You are correct. Didn't mean to mislead anyone thinking I meant actual farmers. When they were surveyed back in 2000 by the dnr they only wanted to see a 15% decline.

 

[MK111]

I don't know the answer either. But in away you can't blame the farmers as they are feeding the deer 12 months a year and putting up with the damage.
I raise no planted crops as I pasture my whole farm. I am repairing high tension pasture electric fences every week. When I don't use a pasture for 6 months or so I have to repair at least 8-10 spots where the deer ran into the fence and broke off all the plastic electric insulators.
I live to deer hunt but really it's getting old. I have seen more deer this seaon than ever before. But now I have hunted about 175 hrs in pre-gun season so I really think this accounts for my more deer sightings.
On Nov 12th I seen 16 deer in my neighbors hay field. On Nov 10th I had 7 differant bucks in my woods as I hunted all day. In the past I wouldn't have seen 7 bucks during gun season in 10 yrs. Matter of fact I didn't see one buck during 4 days of gun season with 35 hrs of hunting.
Us deer hunters want more deer for our pleasure and the farmer landowners plus the insurance companys want less deer for less damage expense.
What's the answer.
Frank

 

[bowhunter1023]

But in away you can't blame the farmers as they are feeding the deer 12 months a year and putting up with the damage.

What about the farmer who owns the 260 acre farm I picked up to hunt this fall that in the span of 3 years, killed 100 deer with crop damage permits? They killed 40 in one year alone. That seems excessive to me considering he has the majority of the farm in pasture, doesn't make his living off the crops that are there, and simply wants deer killed because he thinks of them as over sized rats. He is not only impacting the hunting on his property, put that of properties for a mile in any direction. I talked to a gentleman there this fall who used to see 15-20 per sit. He told me the most he had seen in the past 3 seasons in one sit was 6. Not only does he hunt this farm, but he owns 15 acres next to it that was also severely impacted by this slaughter.

I'm from a farming county. My uncle farms. My dad "farms". My grandfather-in-law has farmed his whole life. However I still don't think farmers have a golden halo over their head through all of this as they have helped fuel the decimation of the deer herd across this state. But then again, I'm part of the machine that's screwing me from behind right now. I belong to the Farm Bureau and have Nationwide Insurance. So maybe I should just keep my mouth shut... :smiley_blackeye:

 

[Milo]

the only crop i know that grows 12 months a year is POT... im thinking you meant 6months a year

 

[jagermeister]

the only crop i know that grows 12 months a year is POT... im thinking you meant 6months a year

Word on the street is the deer like pot too... Just sayin.

 

[Jackalope]

I don't know the answer either. But in away you can't blame the farmers as they are feeding the deer 12 months a year and putting up with the damage.
I raise no planted crops as I pasture my whole farm. I am repairing high tension pasture electric fences every week. When I don't use a pasture for 6 months or so I have to repair at least 8-10 spots where the deer ran into the fence and broke off all the plastic electric insulators.
I live to deer hunt but really it's getting old. I have seen more deer this seaon than ever before. But now I have hunted about 175 hrs in pre-gun season so I really think this accounts for my more deer sightings.
On Nov 12th I seen 16 deer in my neighbors hay field. On Nov 10th I had 7 differant bucks in my woods as I hunted all day. In the past I wouldn't have seen 7 bucks during gun season in 10 yrs. Matter of fact I didn't see one buck during 4 days of gun season with 35 hrs of hunting.
Us deer hunters want more deer for our pleasure and the farmer landowners plus the insurance companys want less deer for less damage expense.
What's the answer.
Frank

Coons and groundhogs cause far more damage to planted crops than deer. Yet I don't see farmers or the DNR making one peep about extending coon season. Where is the uproar? Nor is Nationwide and Farm Bureau screaming about coons.. The truth is farmers are not the ones causing a ruckus. Farm Bureau and Nationwide are the ones pushing the issue. Those companies are trying to add a non corporate greed facade to it by including the poor poor farmers. The bottom line is they love to take your money, but don't love to pay when someone hits a deer.

 

[jagermeister]

Coons and groundhogs cause far more damage to planted crops than deer. Yet I don't see farmers or the DNR making one peep about extending coon season. Where is the uproar? Nor is Nationwide and Farm Bureau screaming about coons.. The truth is farmers are not the ones causing a ruckus. Farm Bureau and Nationwide are the ones pushing the issue. Those companies are trying to add a non corporate greed facade to it by including the poor poor farmers. The bottom line is they love to take your money, but don't love to pay when someone hits a deer.

I'm marking this date on my calendar... For once, I completely agree with what you just posted Jose.

 

[Ohiosam]

the only crop i know that grows 12 months a year is POT... im thinking you meant 6months a year

Haha gotta love you city boyz

 

[Milo]

Haha gotta love you city boyz

city boy? thats a good one..

 

[Ohiosam]

city boy? thats a good one..

As good as crops don't grow year around lol

 

[Milo]

As good as crops don't grow year around lol

wud i miss here? did the bong skip by me or something?