Just wanted to let everyone know...they guy who leases the cropland within Kokosing State Park thinks it is okay to drive his gator around the park and collect walnuts and scare all the wildlife away. He said he had every right to do that...but his activity had nothing to do with the cropland he is leasing. And isn't it illegal anyways to harvest things like that from the park? Those walnuts are supposed to be for the wildlife I thought...not humans. Sure...I know there will be some machinery there a few days a year to plant and harvest crops, as well as the managers of the park dealing with their plantings, but I sure didn't expect to see some a-hole bumpkins on a loud gator ruining both my and another guys hunt last Sunday. Also...does anyone know what the horse-riding regulations are at the state parks? I thought it was only allowed at parks that have the designation logo listed for it on the website and signs indicating it is okay at the park. None of those exist at Kokosing State Park from what I have seen, yet the Amish think it is okay to ride their horses around in the park. This park is getting out of control...not one person asserts any rules or laws there...never once have I seen anyone of authority there. This sucks.
A-Holes at Kokosing State Park
- Thread starter Wingman
- Start date
Not to sound like a dick, but you have to take into consideration your in Knox county. A lot of stuff goes on there that shouldn't. The best thing you could do is call your local GW and ask him some questions.
I have already emailed and called DNR...had to leave a voice mail on the GW's phone. We'll see what he says if and when he calls me back. I've only lived in Ohio for a little over a year now, and I can't believe the disparity between the conservation departments here and in Missouri, where I came from. I've been all around this country, and Missouri still, hands down, has one of the most well managed conservation departments I've ever seen in this country. Ohio is crap compared to them...sorry to say. The worst I've seen though is Oregon...where you'd think it would be one of the most well managed states with all the wild areas there...much the opposite though. Seems the more rural or wild you get, the more people neglect nature and manage it very poorly in this country. Pretty sad.
bigten05
*Supporting Member*
go back further off the beaten path i got permission on some farms that but into there and its good hunting some good deer way in the back
Thanks for the advice bigten...although I was actually dove hunting that day, so my hunts are mostly relegated to the fields that are directly off most of those paths at the park. I posted on this thread because i just thought other deer-hunters should be aware of this problem. The guy I ran into was bow-hunting for deer, and he was setup at the edge of the field next to the trail, and was pretty pissed off at the guys in the gator. I would hunt deer but I have had two back surgeries and probably couldn't handle hauling a deer out of anywhere, which is why I typically small-game hunt anymore. I think I will stay away from the park for a few weeks and let the deer hunters have at it...since there are way more deer than dove to manage. The migrating dove haven't even made it down here yet anyways.
Bigcountry40
Member
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My buddy was hunting state land that butted up to corn fields and a small horse pasture towards the front of the corn fields. My buddy was in a blind in very thick cover. He started hearing a bobcat or skid-loader getting closer and closer and all of a sudden he hears branches and trees snapping, as the farmer almost ran him over with his skid-loader dumping horse shit onto state property. My buddy jumped out of the blind and had words with the farmer,reported him to the GW and nothing as ever been done to his or my knowledge. This farmer has manipulated and changed about a football field size amount of state land. I don't know if it is a property dispute or if Erie County GW's are just to concerned with harassing hunters over some the stupidest shit I have ever seen, but my point is it happens everywhere.
yep Ohio wildlife officers love busting somebody with an undersize fish or some hillbilly leaving beer cans in a parking lot.
So I just got off the phone with the GW. He talked to the farmer who leases the land and the farmer not only doesn't own a gator, but didn't even know what a gator was...and lives more than 10 miles away. So basically the guys who were there don't lease the land, were lying to the bow-hunter and I, and were completely breaking the law. Can't believe the ignorance of these people. Also...there is no horseback riding allowed at the park, so the Amish guys were also breaking the law. I guess it's time for me to start taking some photos/videos on my own, since the one GW that manages this entire county can't be there all the time, obviously. They screwed the wrong person...because I don't tolerate shit like this...I don't care if it happens everywhere...doesn't make it okay.
Joel
Senior Member
Our WO for Knox County seems like a really good guy so far. I've talked to him quite a bit on a few different occasions. He has the entire County to cover by himself and isn't supposed to go over 40 hours a week. Last time I saw him he had a list of about 50 different people to call back that left him voicemails while he was off.
Indeed Joel...Brad is a good guy, just overwhelmed. He needs our help...and I am more than happy to do all that I can within my power, just being vigilant and taking photos/videos as much as I can. People need to go with their instincts...when something seems wrong...it most likely is. I think it will be worth quitting my hunt to follow some of these people to see where they live, of course not being too confrontational though since you never know what an ignorant piece of crap hillbilly is going to do. Be smart!
Joel
Senior Member
Who's Brad? Lol... Might have been someone helping out with calls. Our WO is Michael Budd.
I haven't been to kokosing before.
I haven't been to kokosing before.
My bad...you're right. Don't know why I got that mixed up...talked to a lot of people today I guess. I go to Kokosing since it is literally a 5 minute drive for me and has a good amount of land and fields planted for wildlife. The goose hunting is pretty good there too with the lake on the land. Haven't had too much luck with the small game, plenty of squirrels, but not much in the way of doves or rabbit so far, but there are resident doves there for sure. I think the fact that the park is so secluded from the rest of the towns in the county/region is part of the problem. No attention=ignorance by the locals.
Glad to hear you've made some headway wingman. Glad to hear about having a GW that is trying to do his best. It does suck that they can only issue 1 per county.