I'd like to see demographics of the successful crossbow hunters in the state. I know one lives with me and she killed 2 deer, making her among a the minority of "tag outs" in the state.
Harvest statistics
- Thread starter Ohiosam
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at1010
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That is a good idea Dave but I am not sure it helps me out buddy. I think that there are far to many variables and not enough years of track record to see the impacts of the doe increase efforts on public ground. Due to the increase license sales, global pandemic, etc. It would be odd if the harvest numbers on public ground didn't increase slightly, regardless of the new doe rules.
What we are unable to measure (unless I am missing something) is how many deer are getting shot on public during the late season, that are bucks - now that that same hunter cannot legally shoot a doe. Also what % of those hunters would have rather shot a doe, vs. the buck harvest, if it was legal or would have shot the first doe they saw, but waiting for an antlered deer regardless of size, to fill a tag.
I don't have a dog in the fight but it is just interesting to think about. I am curious if in 3-5 years if we will see a trend complaining about a lack of does on public ground.
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If only Ohio had a system like Kentucky where every animal checked is a public record and searchable online.
Asking ODNR for honest input is no different than asking a politician for honest input. Not going to get it.
No does on public after certain dates. . .Makes me curious if BB or antlered less than 3" check ins increased after said date? Not saying all hunters would do this but there is a small percentage who would. (Same for above sentences: small percentage of dishonest ODNR.)
No does on public after certain dates. . .Makes me curious if BB or antlered less than 3" check ins increased after said date? Not saying all hunters would do this but there is a small percentage who would. (Same for above sentences: small percentage of dishonest ODNR.)
Hunter II
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I believe the verbiage for tags requires antlers or no antlers. Same reason you can't shoot 6 bucks a year identifying as does. (Those trail cam pics of funny bucks)
at1010
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Yes, but even with that data, I think it is hard to understand how the hunter decides on what/when to harvest, once these stipulations are put into place.
A similar example is the with the state up north.
They have 2 buck tags, and the arguemnt for maintaining two buck tags - is often because a very small percentage of the hunting populas fills both buck tags. I have always felt that this argument totally negates the fact that a hunter will be more likely to shoot a smaller buck, because they know they have another tag that can be used to chase a larger buck. This same situation in Ohio would be vastly different, as the hunter knows once he/she pulls the trigger on a buck, the season is over - specific to buck hunting.
So with that being said, now with public land is not allowing does to be harvested after gun - do we think that more hunters will shoot the first legal buck?
Personally, if i was only hunting public land, it was late season, and I still had a buck tag (now I cant shoot does) - I would be shooting the first legal buck every single time. Whereas in the past, I would have tried to find a place to kill a doe on public.
I am getting somewhat into the semantics of the hunters physche but I do think it is valid for the ODNR to consider how X decision will impact various other decisions. It is not as easy, in my opinion, as it is presented - no more does=more deer. Possibly that is the case, but I suspect more immature buck mortality as well.
All speculation but a fun to discuss.
Big_Holla
Senior Member
Keep in mind this up north state has absolutely no mandatory deer check in period. They send out surveys to a small portion of the hunters and base their 2nd buck tag being filled on estimates and statistics. Every...single...person I know that hunts Michigan kills the first decent buck they see (most often 1 1/2 year old) and then waits to fill their second buck tag with a good one or settle on a decent one at the end of their season. This past year was the first year in I believe 6-7 years that I actually bought my hunting licenses for Michigan. What an absolute waste of money. Hunted both public and private and barely saw deer, let alone a buck over 1 1/2. Although I had plans to hunt more than I did, due to covid infecting us, I feel what we did get to do wasn't any different than when I decided to stop hunting Michigan a while ago. The one thing they did do this year that I find is good, both buck tags could also be used to tag an antlerless deer (in the lower peninsula). Problem is the state land is so over hunted it is a chore to see deer in most places, that is where the MiDNR fails IMO.
It was posted on a Facebook Ohio deer hunting thread. I went this morning to find it an it was gone. After posting the tread started to degrade into NR bashing and I think that’s why it was deleted.
at1010
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100% Chuck, that is my point. I have been on a few Michigan threads in the past where guys say "well it doesnt matter we have 2 bucks tags, because most dont fill the second tag" - they are missing the point. The point is that the first tag is filled with a 1.5 year old. Which is fine, not slamming shooting younger bucks. I just think that if guys only had one tag in MI, the likilhood of pulling the trigger on the first young deer, well it would at a minimum be suppresed. That is my guess anyhow.