I've hunted deer since 2008. I didn't get one until 2010 and I've taken multiple deer every year since then. I haven't noticed a huge change in the herds where I hunt in NW Ohio. If I do notice a dip, it's usually due to crop rotation or change in habitat. I haven't had a reason to bitch yet. Sure, hunting very small woodlots can get frustrating which I may have conveyed in other posts, but I don't think it was due to the number of deer in my areas (Williams/Wood Co.). Maybe I'm naive, lucky or both.
Changes ahead
- Thread starter jagermeister
- Start date
I really couldn't have started hunting at a "worse" time. My first hunt was 1990 on 300 acres of prime ground that had a decent herd and I hunted with my uncles who knew exactly how to get deer in front of me. When I picked up a bow in 1999, you literally could not hunt behind my parents without seeing deer. I cannot recall getting skunked the first 5-6 seasons I hunted. As a young, self taught hunter who looked to the Drury Brothers for guidance and trusted our DNR to make the right management decisions, I bought in to the whole idea that we needed to manage doe numbers. After all, I saw multiple does every time I hunted. We bought the farm in October of 2005 and the first time I hunted late season (muzzleloader) I saw 15 deer, 13 of which were does. I felt there were enough to go around. It did not take long to figure out how quickly you could knock the numbers down, especially when surrounded by blood thirsty neighbors. IMO, we were being reasonable on our farm, but our neighbors were not and I did not take that in to consideration. We have not shot a doe on the farm since opening day of the 2011 bow season and numbers have rebounded.
I understand opportunity and opening days kill deer. However eliminating tags will help in areas like our farm where the vast majority of the neighborhood HAS to fill every tag. The outlaws will be outlaws. Hopefully there will still be decent numbers around for my daughter to enjoy in a few years.
I understand opportunity and opening days kill deer. However eliminating tags will help in areas like our farm where the vast majority of the neighborhood HAS to fill every tag. The outlaws will be outlaws. Hopefully there will still be decent numbers around for my daughter to enjoy in a few years.
I grew up in Ottawa county where if you wanted to see deer you drove out to Crane Creek/Magee. We would drive down to Athens and hunt because the deer seemed to be thriving there. This year was the complete opposite. My dad got a call from a farmer (ottawa county) that he had way to many deer eating with his cattle. He wanted a couple guys to come and kill a few of them off. It was exactly an hour from when we pulled in and we had 3 fawns in the back of the truck (early ML).
Not real sure where I'm going with this story…But the deer hunting on the farm's we hunt seem to be switching. We know we have been a HUGE part of the problem, now….we didn't realize it at the time. Education is the only chance I think we have to finding a happy medium. This imaginary "goal" Tonk has needs to be shared so this back and forth crap can stop. I understand that numbers will bounce back and forth a little. But come on, this is stupid. "Kill'em all! Oh, shit…ummm" isn't managing, thats trial and error.
Not real sure where I'm going with this story…But the deer hunting on the farm's we hunt seem to be switching. We know we have been a HUGE part of the problem, now….we didn't realize it at the time. Education is the only chance I think we have to finding a happy medium. This imaginary "goal" Tonk has needs to be shared so this back and forth crap can stop. I understand that numbers will bounce back and forth a little. But come on, this is stupid. "Kill'em all! Oh, shit…ummm" isn't managing, thats trial and error.
Bigcountry40
Member
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Giles,
I grew up on the border of Sandusky/Erie County and have hunted Fulton a few yearsas well. When I was very young in the early 90's, it was common practice to drive 2-4 hours to hunt. Very little deer in NW then. Our population has continued to increase (not including last 2 years) while the opposite is happening down south. Problem with NW Ohio is typically all state land is severely over hunted and deer disappear when the corn is taken off and the leaves fall (They go to the very thick and rail road property).
bthompson1004
Member
Keep it down Mike, we don't need the entire state trying to come up here for a new challenge of hunting flatland deer. lol, just kidding!
but seriously, keep it on the down low. just kidding
but seriously, I agree with you...I haven't shot a deer in a few years now (but that's for another thread) but I have seen them to know there are enough around to keep me from being frustrated.
Funny you mention the Railroads. Where I grew up in Wood County, about mid week during Gun season we have always pushed quite a few deer just by walking the tracks and nobody says a thing (CSX owned). Where I currently reside it is a Norfolk Southern rail and they will have your ass arrested for Mushroom hunting, let alone rabbit or deer hunting. Sorry for the hi-jack
Same here with the Norfolk and Way pal railroad...we always rabbit hunted it...up until about 8 years ago they started threatening to have us arrested...we always stopped and sat still while the trains were going by...never hurt anything. The RR police blamed it on train vandalism in the big cities..wth
Joe has said it best in the past: You don't realize it until it's too late. (Sorry Joe) but when he first started talking about this (I had pretty much just met him) and I thought What Is He Talking About? "How could we be loosing all these deer if I just counted 40+ and up to 70+ come out of our thicket?" "He must be in a bad area". Then it happened to me....Like Overnight! The field that was guaranteed to hold 20-50 deer an evening has dwindled down to about 6. The thicket now releases about 10 on a good night.
JMO: But on top of 2 tags at most, I believe the 6 state-wide limit should go as well.
JMO: But on top of 2 tags at most, I believe the 6 state-wide limit should go as well.
http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov
Click on the "Quality vs Quantity
A closer look at deer herd condition trends in Ohio.
Click on the "Quality vs Quantity
A closer look at deer herd condition trends in Ohio.
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I killed my first deer in 1982. There were 3 that came by. The first made it by without a shot fired. The second, I shot at about 10 yards. I had never seen a deer shot with a bow. I heard a thump and the deer ran off. I figured I may well have missed. The last deer came by and I shot at it too, at about 5 yards. As it turned out, I had made good shots on both deer...we only had one tag back then. Those were deer number 5,6, and 7 I had ever seen behind my parents home... The WO was at our home the next morning due to my father calling him. He took the buck I'd shot, and gave me a firm scolding for shooting again before checking to see if I'd hit the first one I shot at. I had never killed a deer with a bow or gun at that point, heck we rarely ever saw them!
In 1988, I went to Athens Co to hunt with a buddy of mine for the first time. Athens Co was one of only 11 counties in the State to participate in the inaugural "2 tag" season. I had already rattled in and killed an 8 point on November 7th, so the chance to continue hunting was a welcome opportunity! My barrel got hot on that trip, but I didn't hit a thing.
In 1994, I married KR and moved over to Fayette Co. I hunted with my FIL's group of buddies during shotgun season, and we were enjoying Fayette's first 2 tag season. We killed 32 deer in two days. To say there were a lot of deer here then would be accurate, and we enjoyed it to the fullest. "A lot" is relative of course, Fayette's highest kill total is 600, and that was in 1995. We have not seen a herd like that around here since. Many of those old farmers have passed on, many of the others just quit hunting due to age and others due to lack of deer. As far as I can tell, I'm the only one of that group that still hunts deer. We moved deer out of EVERY patch of cover we hunted back then. Certainly not that way now, and I don't even remember any of those farmers complaining about too many deer back then...
I moved 15 miles south in 1996, into northern Highland Co. It didn't take me long to start gaining access to ground close to home, and I live 3 miles from Paint Creek WA. I hunted PC a good bit in 1996. I found a couple of great funnels, and killed a really good buck on PC on Nov. 15th. I had seen 6 before killing him at 8:15 a.m. Now, I wouldn't waste my time hunting that area. There is nothing there. One of the farms I gained access to back then was my neighbor's place. I had met the "Ol Man" when he brought me a deer to process. I just wanted permission to rabbit hunt, and he granted that, as well as deer and turkey. He told me I'd see more deer than rabbits on his place and at the time, he was right! That year, he had shot 12 on crop damage permits, there were 14 killed on opening day of shotgun on his farm. This year, including Mason's last minute buck, there were 5 killed on the property the entire year. Hunting pressure was not as bad as it once was there, but I suspect it has more to do with a far lower deer population than anything else. As good as this property once was, in 1958 the "Old Man" killed his first deer in 1958 in Vinton Co., there were no deer on his farm back then... So the rise and fall is evident on his place.
There are still pockets of decent deer hunting in my area. The difference is there was once great deer hunting most anywhere a person wanted to set up shop. I'm convinced if I were stuck to hunting just one property, I'd be far more frustrated than I currently am with our herd. Luckily, I have enough access to move around a lot when I need to. I am certain most people are not so lucky.
In 1988, I went to Athens Co to hunt with a buddy of mine for the first time. Athens Co was one of only 11 counties in the State to participate in the inaugural "2 tag" season. I had already rattled in and killed an 8 point on November 7th, so the chance to continue hunting was a welcome opportunity! My barrel got hot on that trip, but I didn't hit a thing.
In 1994, I married KR and moved over to Fayette Co. I hunted with my FIL's group of buddies during shotgun season, and we were enjoying Fayette's first 2 tag season. We killed 32 deer in two days. To say there were a lot of deer here then would be accurate, and we enjoyed it to the fullest. "A lot" is relative of course, Fayette's highest kill total is 600, and that was in 1995. We have not seen a herd like that around here since. Many of those old farmers have passed on, many of the others just quit hunting due to age and others due to lack of deer. As far as I can tell, I'm the only one of that group that still hunts deer. We moved deer out of EVERY patch of cover we hunted back then. Certainly not that way now, and I don't even remember any of those farmers complaining about too many deer back then...
I moved 15 miles south in 1996, into northern Highland Co. It didn't take me long to start gaining access to ground close to home, and I live 3 miles from Paint Creek WA. I hunted PC a good bit in 1996. I found a couple of great funnels, and killed a really good buck on PC on Nov. 15th. I had seen 6 before killing him at 8:15 a.m. Now, I wouldn't waste my time hunting that area. There is nothing there. One of the farms I gained access to back then was my neighbor's place. I had met the "Ol Man" when he brought me a deer to process. I just wanted permission to rabbit hunt, and he granted that, as well as deer and turkey. He told me I'd see more deer than rabbits on his place and at the time, he was right! That year, he had shot 12 on crop damage permits, there were 14 killed on opening day of shotgun on his farm. This year, including Mason's last minute buck, there were 5 killed on the property the entire year. Hunting pressure was not as bad as it once was there, but I suspect it has more to do with a far lower deer population than anything else. As good as this property once was, in 1958 the "Old Man" killed his first deer in 1958 in Vinton Co., there were no deer on his farm back then... So the rise and fall is evident on his place.
There are still pockets of decent deer hunting in my area. The difference is there was once great deer hunting most anywhere a person wanted to set up shop. I'm convinced if I were stuck to hunting just one property, I'd be far more frustrated than I currently am with our herd. Luckily, I have enough access to move around a lot when I need to. I am certain most people are not so lucky.
I sure miss hunting the 80s, we had plenty of deer in our area and very few bowhunters.Seen very few stands or blinds.
Sure saw more deer back then compared to what we are seeing today.
Sure saw more deer back then compared to what we are seeing today.
Fullbore
Senior Member
I also miss the late 70's early 80's but not for the deer but for the pheasants. Took my hunting licence to school to get opening day off ok'd. Talk about guys hunting railroad tracks lol. Everybody staring at there watch waiting for it to hit 9:00 (or 8:00) Start time. Not sunrise like today. Everybody hunting rabbits and pheasants as the deer were few and far between back then. It would be easier to find a unicorn in northern wood county now than to find a pheasant. Took up deer hunting when the pheasants were gone and it wasn't the blizzard of 78 that wiped them out but did put a dent in them. Hunted Lake township hunt club lands. Not really a club but 5$ got you a tag that would let you hunt a lot of land in the area also hunted the land that is now maumee bay state park. Yeah i'll take the old days back in a heart beat.
..........and there was NO leasing and a short friendly chat after the sermon Sunday morning to farmer(insert name) lined up all sorts of hunting opportunities!
Earlier a few mentioned that since telechek there are less deer being tagged simply because those who were cheating beforehand are still not checking deer. I tend to disagree. Now with telechek they can tag their poached deer and even past poached bucks by themselves or family members to "make" them "legal". Think about it, they weren't tagging prior to TC in fear of getting caught but now they just have to make a call! Just my opinion or something to consider.
IMO, the main reason that people don't buy a license is because they just plain and simple don't want to spend the money and they poach big deer because they're shitty hunters and have to cheat and want notoriety.
Bigcountry40
Member
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I will say it again leasing did not become a norm until we were labeled a "big buck state" and guys from the south started coming up here and introducing the leasing practice.
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And it's going to get far worse. Mark my words. In 10 years there won't be a woodblock that isn't leased.
After the decimation our deer herd has undergone at the hands of our DNR, people are going to start trying to "manage" deer. They are going to start looking at how they can protect and grow what they have left. The only way they can even begin that process is to lock up some land. Previously people had no reason to "manage" the deer herd. Dear numbers were plentiful and book class deer were being shot all over the place. There was no need or desire to manage deer or hunting lands. Today however the story has changed. Our deer and "trophy" deer population has been decimated and our DNR shows no signs of letting up. The only action left is to lease and manage. The first hurdle will be getting these farmers to understand this is not the Ohio of 10 years ago, your land is not worth $20 an acre anymore.
Tonkovich told me he did not believe the DNR would accomplish its population goals because too many people would quit hunting. As a result the population would rebound and it would backfire on them. I believe some of that will happen as he said. But I think the biggest backfire will be the huge increases in leases and self-management that will happen. And these farmers thought they were in a pickle before. Wait until the farmer that leases the field for crops is bitching at the landowner about deer numbers and threatening to lower his price because of crop damage, and the hunters leasing the property refuse to kill them or threaten breech of lease if someone tries on kill permits.
It was all the fencerows and pasture fields being removed for more farmland. I think the Blizzard more wiped out the quail than anything
Bigcountry40
Member
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I would like to see out state licenses raise to the same price as Illinois's prices. What are they like $500 and charge $100 a tag (like michigan)? I also think that crossbows have made bow hunting in Ohio much more crowded (I don't want to use language that would offend anyone) lol.