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Gun season to short

DJK Frank 16

Senior Member
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Hardin County
I'm not a big fan of Youth gun being the weekend of the 2nd weekend in November. Guys taking rut vacation for bow hunting are kind of getting shafted this year if you are taking the 2nd week off.

I agree with Joe. Bowhunting is a crap shoot after the first gun season starts, because the patterns never have a chance to get back to normal.
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
25,263
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Ohio had a two week long gun season at one time for a year or two, late 90's??

It did not go over real well, and did not increase the harvest from what I remember. I also think that it might have been prior to Sunday hunting being permitted.

I think the intent was to spread out the hunting pressure and provide more opportunity and of course increase the harvest. I think that farm bureau did not like it at all because of landowner tresspass complaints going on for two weeks instead of just the traditional one week.


I only gun hunt now and I think we have enough days to gun hunt. I also hope that there is no statewide antlerless early MZ season and that they leave the current 4 day MZ season where it is now (where it started originally) in January.

Lundy, you are on the money again! The year was '96 I think, and if I remember right, only 6% of the total number of deer killed were taken in the second week. What is important for the DOW -deer kills- are most affected by the number of "opening days". This is why more seasons (though condensed) kill more deer. Everyone gets excited to get out on opening day, even if a season just closed two week prior.

Ohio's gun season has opened on the Monday after Thanksgiving as long as I can recall. I'd like to see that continue. There are such a flood of people in the woods on that Monday, I'd hate to imagine what it would be like on a Saturday.

The only real change I'd like to see to our gun seasons would be to NOT have Sunday hunting, or the "bonus" weekend in our area (which has been moved to Zone A). I don't like the fact that we have so much opportunity to gun hunt in such a deer-poor area. IMO, those dates show that the DOW paints with too broad of a brush in harvest goals across the State.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Let's face it guys nothing is perfect for everyone. I really enjoy hunting with the grandkids. They really can't hunt muzzleloading season anymore without missing some school. All 3 are in advanced school classes to that's not possible.
I hear it all the time. Just read some of the letters to the Editor in the Ohio News.
If we don't have a special weekend for the Youths then we have less future hunters as most parents are too busy doing nothing to take the kids hunting. The Youths are killing off all the throphys ot the adults are tagging the deer.
Bowhunters don't want the Youths shooting their deer or disturbing the woods during the rut.
The shotgun hunters don't want handgun hunting or rifles with handgun cartridges.
Some hunters object to the early or special muzzleloading seasons or the extended bowhunting season.
We all have heard of bowhunters kill off all the throphys before gun season comes in.
Sorry if I pissed anyone off. But hey nothing is perfect for everyone but overall things aren't bad for everyone.
Think you get my point. Overall we have some great deer hunting in Ohio with some area better than others.
Frank
 

Fluteman

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,096
160
Southeast Ohio
Let's face it guys nothing is perfect for everyone. I really enjoy hunting with the grandkids. They really can't hunt muzzleloading season anymore without missing some school. All 3 are in advanced school classes to that's not possible.
I hear it all the time. Just read some of the letters to the Editor in the Ohio News.
If we don't have a special weekend for the Youths then we have less future hunters as most parents are too busy doing nothing to take the kids hunting. The Youths are killing off all the throphys ot the adults are tagging the deer.
Bowhunters don't want the Youths shooting their deer or disturbing the woods during the rut.
The shotgun hunters don't want handgun hunting or rifles with handgun cartridges.
Some hunters object to the early or special muzzleloading seasons or the extended bowhunting season.
We all have heard of bowhunters kill off all the throphys before gun season comes in.
Sorry if I pissed anyone off. But hey nothing is perfect for everyone but overall things aren't bad for everyone.
Think you get my point. Overall we have some great deer hunting in Ohio with some area better than others.
Frank

I think you're perfect! wink wink
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
40,469
288
Ohio
Good points by many on here. My only issue with "Youth Season" is I hear all these gunshots and then watch ZERO youth going back to their vehicles.
 

badger

*Supporting Member*
Let's face it guys nothing is perfect for everyone. I really enjoy hunting with the grandkids. They really can't hunt muzzleloading season anymore without missing some school. All 3 are in advanced school classes to that's not possible.
I hear it all the time. Just read some of the letters to the Editor in the Ohio News.
If we don't have a special weekend for the Youths then we have less future hunters as most parents are too busy doing nothing to take the kids hunting. The Youths are killing off all the throphys ot the adults are tagging the deer.
Bowhunters don't want the Youths shooting their deer or disturbing the woods during the rut.
The shotgun hunters don't want handgun hunting or rifles with handgun cartridges.
Some hunters object to the early or special muzzleloading seasons or the extended bowhunting season.
We all have heard of bowhunters kill off all the throphys before gun season comes in.
Sorry if I pissed anyone off. But hey nothing is perfect for everyone but overall things aren't bad for everyone.
Think you get my point. Overall we have some great deer hunting in Ohio with some area better than others.
Frank

I agree with Frank.
 

Lundy

Member
1,312
141
Let's face it guys nothing is perfect for everyone. I really enjoy hunting with the grandkids. They really can't hunt muzzleloading season anymore without missing some school. All 3 are in advanced school classes to that's not possible.
Frank

I have no problem with the youth gun season in principal. If there were not so many lawless unethical adults trying to play it to their benefit it would be a great success for all involved. Overall I still like the idea and support it, just some of the adults piss me off, not the kids.

It really isn't fair to say that your grandkids can't MZ hunt without missing school. The season opens on a Saturday. There are 13 days of statewide gun seasons for adults, with 6 of those days being weekend days. There are 15 days of statewide gun seasons for youths with 8 of those days being weekend days.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
I have no problem with the youth gun season in principal. If there were not so many lawless unethical adults trying to play it to their benefit it would be a great success for all involved. Overall I still like the idea and support it, just some of the adults piss me off, not the kids.

It really isn't fair to say that your grandkids can't MZ hunt without missing school. The season opens on a Saturday. There are 13 days of statewide gun seasons for adults, with 6 of those days being weekend days. There are 15 days of statewide gun seasons for youths with 8 of those days being weekend days.

We do gunshows almost every weekend during the hunting season. The grandkids work the shows and love the cash. I am at the Lima show every year the last 3 days of the 1st week of the gun season so bascily only can hunt Mon-Thurs. Then maybe I will be at a show on the split weekend too. So Thanksgiving weekend would be great for me. Then they moved ML back into January when it can be colder than whatever.
So you see the sasons as they are not aren't very good for me.
Thanks guys for not tearing me up on my post. I get heated up at times and nothing was pointed at anyone. I get so pissed when I read some of the Letters to the Editor when my brother brings me copies of his paper Ohio News I think it is.
Most of these near minded guys are only thinking of themselves in protesting all the special hunts should be stopped so it doesn't interfer with their hunting. Really.
As for the Youth Hunt I for one can't really understand how a parent, grandparent, or hunting mentor would teach a Youth how to cheat,lie and basicly steal a deer when not properly done during youth Season.
Reminds me of my son doing a gunshow in Louisville, KY about 18 yrs ago. He had a 31.00 item come out stolen. Then 10 minutes later the thief came back and stole the box for it. He runs down the aisle and catchs the 2 guys and a 10 yr old son. They offer him the 31.00 and keep the item and a extra 100.00 to forget it. No he pressed charges, the kid is crying as his dad is led away in handcuffs. The thief was a Teamster Union Truckdriver and lost his job. We always thought thats tough.
Frank
 
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Lundy

Member
1,312
141
IMO, way too many bucks are killed " hornless " in muzzy season, the way it is now!

How many bucks are killed as antlerless during the MZ season?

And of course every buck killed instead of a doe just helps with the deer population growth the following year. I don't subscribe that prescription to help the reduced population, just stating a fact.

I personally have never understood how anyone could kill a buck, shed or button, and mistake it for a doe. I guess I just hunt differently than some and I have never mistaken a male deer for a female deer, antlers, buttons or not. I guess if you shoot at running deer, or see a single deer and don't realize that ANY single deer, at any time of the year, has an extremely high likelyhood of being a male I could understand better.