Gun numbers are out.

[Jackalope]

And they're as I would expect. -13.2% decline for gun week. For a total harvest this far of -9% decline over last year. Which was the worst harvest in over a decade.


http://ohiodnr.gov/news/post/more-than-65-000-deer-checked-during-ohio-s-weeklong-gun-hunting-season

COLUMBUS, OH – Hunters checked 65,485 white-tailed deer during Ohio’s 2014 gun hunting season, Dec. 1-7, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

Rifles using specific straight-walled cartridges were allowed during Ohio’s deer-gun season. Gun hunters took advantage of the new opportunity and checked 5,360 deer with straight-walled cartridge rifles.

Hunters have checked 148,830 deer so far in all 2014 hunting seasons, compared to 162,720 at the same point last year. Hunters harvested 75,408 deer during the 2013 deer-gun season.

Until recently, the populations in nearly all of Ohio’s counties were above their target numbers. In the last few years, through increased harvests, dramatic strides have been made in many counties to bring those populations closer toward their goal, and the effectiveness of these herd management efforts are reflected in the number of deer checked this season. Once a county’s deer population is near goal, harvest regulations are adjusted to maintain the population.

Counties reporting the highest number of checked deer during the 2014 gun season: Coshocton (2,308), Muskingum (2,084), Tuscarawas (2,074), Guernsey (1,788), Ashtabula (1,730), Knox (1,727), Licking (1,655), Harrison (1,491), Carroll (1,477) and Belmont (1,428).

Editor’s Note: A list of all white-tailed deer checked by hunters during weeklong 2014 deer-gun hunting season is shown below. The first number following the county’s name shows the harvest numbers for 2014, and the 2013 numbers are in parentheses.

Adams: 1,134 (1,343); Allen: 348 (380); Ashland: 1,160 (1,162); Ashtabula: 1,730 (2,334); Athens: 1,360 (1,745); Auglaize: 278 (299); Belmont: 1,428 (1,851); Brown: 940 (932); Butler: 308 (312); Carroll: 1,477 (2,019); Champaign: 434 (414); Clark: 195 (198); Clermont: 685 (667); Clinton: 285 (250); Columbiana: 1,245 (1,726); Coshocton: 2,308 (2,658); Crawford: 515 (528); Cuyahoga: 24 (31); Darke: 241 (170); Defiance: 871 (744); Delaware: 422 (393); Erie: 219 (176); Fairfield: 708 (827); Fayette: 142 (103); Franklin: 124 (113); Fulton: 336 (341); Gallia: 1,220 (1,420); Geauga: 470 (509); Greene: 213 (224); Guernsey: 1,788 (2,401); Hamilton: 165 (202); Hancock: 443 (338); Hardin: 487 (544); Harrison: 1,491 (2,133); Henry: 334 (326); Highland: 1,004 (1,041); Hocking: 1,195 (1,456); Holmes: 1,349 (1,494); Huron: 921 (1,029); Jackson: 968 (1,156); Jefferson: 1,120 (1,494); Knox: 1,727 (1,966); Lake: 138 (126); Lawrence: 779 (1,002); Licking: 1,655 (1,887); Logan: 672 (653); Lorain: 646 (678); Lucas: 105 (131); Madison: 154 (127); Mahoning: 555 (750); Marion: 340 (348); Medina: 567 (555); Meigs: 1,270 (1,482); Mercer: 206 (219); Miami: 250 (211); Monroe: 1,056 (1,337); Montgomery: 130 (109); Morgan: 1,207 (1,445); Morrow: 671 (640); Muskingum: 2,084 (2,604); Noble: 1,031 (1,454); Ottawa: 121 (88); Paulding: 509 (499); Perry: 1,160 (1,362); Pickaway: 330 (343); Pike: 701 (818); Portage: 451 (568); Preble: 272 (274); Putnam: 315 (255); Richland: 1,159 (1,182); Ross: 1,106 (1,167); Sandusky: 261 (208); Scioto: 761 (1,099); Seneca: 710 (747); Shelby: 397 (371); Stark: 759 (883); Summit: 122 (140); Trumbull: 983 (1,298); Tuscarawas: 2,074 (2,604); Union: 313 (301); Van Wert: 283 (214); Vinton: 1,032 (1,424); Warren: 321 (285); Washington: 1,409 (1,606); Wayne: 639 (724); Williams: 831 (838); Wood: 389 (213); Wyandot: 749 (690). Total: 65,485 (75,408).

 

[bowhunter1023]

Were representative of the state here, down 13.3%. Can't wait for it to get worse...

 

[Bigslam51]

I say we all go to the next open house.

 

[brock ratcliff]

Were representative of the state here, down 13.3%. Can't wait for it to get worse...

Its simple, hit the bottom of the barrel and he will cut back the tags, then a slow rebound. Take note of Fayette, told ya we were on the way back!

 

[Jackalope]

I say we all go to the next open house.

The time for that was three years ago. What's done is done now. We're not going to raise the population back up without cutting or closing seasons. And good luck getting the uneducated portion of our hunting brethren to agree. The bottom line is we were used against ourselves and sold out by the very DNR we trusted. The only thing we can hope for now is like Tonk said. Enough people quit hunting that the DNR can't use us to manage them anymore.

 

[bigten05]

man i cant see there being 1727 deer killed in knox i was on every part of the county all week monday i heard less than 40 shots all day, we had between 8 and 10 guys with us all week and only shot 4 deer.

 

[xbowguy]

And then it makes me wonder if those numbers are even the correct ones...

 

[Big_Holla]

Damn bad weather............ :smiley_arrogant:

 

[huntn2]

Ashtabula down 25.9%......one of 20 counties with over a 20% decrease...

Sad!

 

[hickslawns]

man i cant see there being 1727 deer killed in knox i was on every part of the county all week monday i heard less than 40 shots all day, we had between 8 and 10 guys with us all week and only shot 4 deer.

I often wondered where the numbers come from. I certainly don't trust the higher ups in the ODNR. Very sad display of our deer hunting. I know I worked a lot harder this year just to see deer.

 

[brock ratcliff]

It's funny they show year to year, but never 5 year trends. What did Ashtabula kill in 2009 Ryan?

 

[finelyshedded]

I told ya there was TOO many dang acerns layin on the ground!!!

For the life of me I'm trying to understand how we had an increase here in Warren county?!?!? Had to be in areas I don't drive through or around that's for sure!

 

[brock ratcliff]

Just for fun, here are some total harvest numbers from 1995. Ric, you keep track of Warren, it was 1129 in 1995. Ryan, Ashtabula killed 3336 in 1995. Mrex, hello Mrex... Athens killed 4327 in 1995. Fayette killed 600, total, in 1995. Knowing what your gun season harvest is this year, figure your total harvest will be about double, and you can see the difference 20 years makes.

 

[Bowhunter57]

I often wondered where the numbers come from. I certainly don't trust the higher ups in the ODNR.

The ODNR gets some pressure to produce more tags from the Ohio Insurance Commission, which is supposed to produce more kills and thus reducing the number of car/deer accidents. However, this can only happen for so long, as it's now showing in the numbers, you can't kill what doesn't exist.
This year's Deer Gun Season was the worst I've experienced. Not because I didn't get one, but due to the lack of numbers seen. I seen 2 deer on the opening day...period. :smiley_depressive:

The bottom line is we were used against ourselves and sold out by the very DNR we trusted. Enough people quit hunting that the DNR can't use us to manage them anymore.

I believe every word you said in your entire statement. While I was out hunting on Wednesday, I gave thought to going back to goose hunting and giving up on the deer hunting, next year. I dearly love bowhunting deer and taking one with a handgun is the next best thing. Just the same, I don't like spending all of that time in the woods watching tree rats, all the while geese are flying overhead. :smiley_armscrossed:

It might just be waterfowl stamps for me, next year...instead of a deer tag.

Bowhunter57

 

[Bigslam51]

http://www.cleveland.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2014/12/deer_hunting_in_decline_all_ar.html

Read this bullshit.

 

[Curran]

Great article. It had it all, weather was the problem, it's a balanced herd so we'll kill more, and hunters kill a deer early in the season and are too lazy to kill another one with a gun. Bravo!

 

[brock ratcliff]

I can agree with most of it, rain has an effect I'm sure. Some people are wussies. There are more people bowhunting, and gun hunting doesn't seem to be the free-for-all festival it once was. What I find offense, because it plays to the dumb, and I don't consider myself in that group, is the comment about the DOW wanting to maintain a balanced herd. I recall the good ol days. The herd did not seem out of balance to me. I don't ever recall seeing a deer starving to death in my neck of the woods. Disease did not seem to negatively effect our "out of balance" herd... They were fat and healthy, even though Mike T and Mike R liked to point out that the deer of the 2000's had antler bases that were on average 1/8'' smaller in circumference than they were in the 1970's. Which, btw, I ain't buying. IMO, we HAD a great herd, we should have kept it!

 

[Jackalope]

The funny thing is we still have all of these so called sportsmen organizations asking us to join or donate to fight the anti hunters. Yet none of them will even say a cross word to or fight the biggest threat we face today. The ODNR. Our very DNR has been more detrimental to sportsmen and hunting in the past decade than the antis EVER have been. And they will continue to be until these so called organizations claiming to be for hunters are actually for hunters.

If I belonged to any of them if would cancel my membership immediately and tell them why.

 

[Certified106]

I love how they keep throwing around bringing the numbers down close to the effectiveness of the heards....... What exactly does that mean? The herd seemed plenty effective when the numbers were way up. I have never in 34 years seen a deer starving to death in the woods.

 

[Gern186]

All counties around me were up this year, ranging from 2 to 32%....