Gun week total is down 8%

[Bowhunter57]

I've heard this for years, but can't find anything that ties either organization to the ODNR. Can you show me some evidence that both the FFA and OIC have a strong influence?

Farmers complain and get crop damage permits. These permits allow a large number of deer to be taken without the use of "standard" weapons. In Warsaw, Ohio, there is a farmer that didn't have to show proof of crop damage, just that he owned a lot of acrage. He was allowed to kill 20 deer...and he did it at night, with a spotlight and a 7mm Mag.

I can see some of this as necessary, if it were an apple orchard or if there was proof (pics) of the crop damage.

The O.I.C. has a cash resource like no other business, to put toward the ODNR, to keep deer from becoming hood ornaments. This keeps their costs down...in the long run.

Just the same, when a deer gets hit by a car, it creates jobs. Tow services, body shops, parts sales, mechanics, car rentals, etc.

Good hunting, Bowhunter57

 

[formerbowhunter1023]

We were down 654 deer or 18% on the harvest this year and I'm not the least bit shocked by that. Everyone I talked to this year has said the hunting sucked this week. The gotz damned DNR is going to ruin hunting in Ohio. Sure we might have some world class animals and the whackin' and stackin' they want from us won't change that too much thanks to urban areas. However the general hunting experience for rural hunters, especially bowhunters, it taking a dive for the bottom of the shitter. It is to the point now, that I am thinking of starting a QDMA co-op around our farm and asking for a cease on doe kills next year. The future of our hunting needs to be in our hands and I'm going to do what I can to offset an over zealous and poorly influenced DNR.

 

[Jackalope]

Their a a DNR meeting in the Spring... What about a mass TOO collective?

 

[RedCloud]

Their a a DNR meeting in the Spring... What about a mass TOO collective?

That sounds like fun .

 

[formerbowhunter1023]

Their a a DNR meeting in the Spring... What about a mass TOO collective?

I'd be game for that. Maybe we should make a TOO DNR committee and get to work on our meeting notes!!!

 

[uglykat26]

i woud def attend a too dnr meeting , i hunt 95 percent public land , i was all for the 6 deer limit , just cause it ment more meat in my freezer , but after seeing what it did to the population on public land , i am 100 percent against the 6 deer limit , 3 would be suffice to keep a healthier number and a healthier herd , when is the odnr gonna stop listening to biologists that dont spend nearly as much time in the woods as a rurl hunter does and start listening to us hunters who spend most of the year in the woods.

this year the first day of shotgun season i hunted jockey hollow , usually the first day out there i see between 50 and 80 deer , this year i seen one deer before noon , and i heard maybe 60 shots fired, thats way down from previous years , usually i see about 40 deer before noon , and it sounds like world war 3 from gun shots , this 6 deer limit is gonna kill our public hunting

 

[cotty16]

Did any of you guys get the thing in the mail from the DNR where you fill in your daily hours spent and deer sightings? I have been keeping track of every outing (I do this every year on my calendar anyway). My sighting this year are way down from last. From two years ago? WAY DOWN!
Anyway, I'm going to continue to fill this thisg in for the DNR. Maybe they will actually use this information.

 

[uglykat26]

i didnt get one

 

[cotty16]

If I remember right, last year I got a post card type thing in the mail asking if I would be interested in taking part in this program. I replied that I would and I filled out the daily log last year and I'm in the process for this year.

They also want to know if you've seen other animals while on stand. The animals with bubbles to fill in are: (If I remember right) Bobcats, Hogs, Raccoon, Opossum, Coyote.

 

[uglykat26]

i didnt get one of dem eaither , i feel so left out

 

[Gern186]

I went to the Division open house last year along with a few other guys to voice our opinion on the upcoming hunting bag limits......after speaking with the DNR employees and game wardens from the area I could tell immediately that we wasted our time and gas money driving to Findlay......They had their minds already made up what the new regulations were going to be.....to hell with what the general public thinks.....at least that's my take on it.

It might be fun for everyone to get together, but we aren't going to change anybody's mind about deer regulations.....

 

[hickslawns]

Allen –314(567)

Bull crap. This might be the number reported, but it is a far cry in my opinion from what was killed. For example I know of a guy that tagged in two deer this year. He never tagged in the first deer last year. Not because he didn't get any, just didn't tag them. People are liars. I guess the ODNR is no different. I killed one. I tagged one. I hope to get one more before the season is out. Had to buy an additional $24 permit to do so because my "antlerless" expired. Freakin' state got more money out of me. Crooks.

 

[Gern186]

Allen –314(567)

Bull crap. This might be the number reported, but it is a far cry in my opinion from what was killed. For example I know of a guy that tagged in two deer this year. He never tagged in the first deer last year. Not because he didn't get any, just didn't tag them. People are liars. I guess the ODNR is no different. I killed one. I tagged one. I hope to get one more before the season is out. Had to buy an additional $24 permit to do so because my "antlerless" expired. Freakin' state got more money out of me. Crooks.

Yeah, they supposedly want more deer killed, but then the tags expire at the start of gun season! WTF!!!! I actually got to use my antlerless this year.....a day before it expired. That just proves to me that it's all about the money, nothing else.

 

[jagermeister]

I guess I must just be lucky because I've seen nothing this year to indicate a low deer population, both on public land and private. The public land I hunted was pounded by early season muzzleloader guys just two weeks prior, and I could've shot 20 different deer from the stand in 5 days.

I can definitely understand the frustration, though. If I were witnessing a lack of deer I would probably have the exact same attitude. One thing I can't understand, though, is how everyone automatically assumes the DNR is crooked and "out to get us." WTF? I know many people personally that work for the ODOW, and trust me, they love hunting and the outdoors just as much, if not more, than all of us here. It's certainly plausible that the harvest tracking and/or population monitoring methods are flawed or inaccurate... I can agree with that... but there's really no perfect way of doing it. To assume that Ohio hunters are purposely misled by the ODOW... or that the ODOW is knowingly running deer hunting into the ground... etc etc etc is a bit ridiculous IMO. Ohio has some of the BEST... I repeat, THE BEST... deer hunting in the country. We should all be thankful for that.

 

[hickslawns]

Jim- I don't think it is the "ground troops". I think some of them at the top controlling harvest numbers and such would be the ones to question. I agree they do a pretty decent job for the most part. My "crooked" comment was about the antlerless tag which states it is good until Feb which actually expires. Could be the poor explanation from the Walmart employee when I bought it too.

 

[Bowhunter57]

One thing I can't understand, though, is how everyone automatically assumes the DNR is crooked and "out to get us." WTF? I know many people personally that work for the ODOW, and trust me, they love hunting and the outdoors just as much, if not more, than all of us here.

JBrown,
As with any large organization, they get their focus off of the intent of their orginal goals. Like hickslawns stated, it's not the ground troops, it's the administration. I have no doubt that the GWs love hunting and the outdoors, but their upper management are altering/abusing what information they're being given by their own people. It's all about the money...or at least that's where/why/what it's become. :smiley_depressive:

Good hunting, Bowhunter57

 

[uglykat26]

my problem with the 6 deer limit for gun season , is when you see yoder toters , with box trailers and open trailers loaded to the brim with deer off of public land i counted 5 different vans that had atleast 30 to 40 deer piled up in trailers and had some pics sent to me from a friend that works at the check station , and i know all these deer didnt come from private land , private land hunting is great , seen alot of deer on private land , but the limit is killing public land hunting

 

[Geezer]

I seem to remember shouting it from the rooftops a couple years ago.. Vinton was down 23% this year..

:smiley_angelmusic::smiley_angelmusic::smiley_angelmusic:

 

[RedCloud]

My "crooked" comment was about the antlerless tag which states it is good until Feb which actually expires. Could be the poor explanation from the Walmart employee when I bought it too.

The $15 permit does expire in all 3 zones ( A,B,C ) however it is still legal to use in URBAN hunting areas until the end of deer season (Feb. 6th)

I wonder what the formula the ODNR uses in counting the deer herd numbers. Do they see a doe and say it counts for X- amount of deer in an area and a buck ='s X amount of deer in a given area ? Just seems like that's the way they almost have to do it given there is NOWAY your going to get an exact number of deer in the state. Also seems to me that if they do use a system like this that the numbers could be way off in certain locations.

 

[jagermeister]

JBrown,
As with any large organization, they get their focus off of the intent of their orginal goals. Like hickslawns stated, it's not the ground troops, it's the administration. I have no doubt that the GWs love hunting and the outdoors, but their upper management are altering/abusing what information they're being given by their own people. It's all about the money...or at least that's where/why/what it's become. :smiley_depressive:

Good hunting, Bowhunter57

I can see that as a possibilty. But until I see hard evidence that proves this type of thing is going on, I'll consider it all to be shear speculation. Maybe I'm way off here... Maybe I'm just too trusting... but aren't we supposed to consider people innocent until proven guilty?