I'd rather hear the gunshot vs the silence of not knowing what's going on. If u are concerned if they are over harvesting.
Muzzleloader season length
- Thread starter md1
- Start date
No. I am as well for the most part with Ohio seasons but wouldnt mind an option to my favorite season alittle longer.....
Stressless
Well-Known Member
Where's the vote to put it back Where it belongs, day after Xmas thru New Years day?
Loved that window.
Loved that window.
I would like to see the season extended to at least a week. Also, extend the use of deer management permits through the entire deer season.
Haters always gonna hate.Wonder what the flintlock shooters thought of the guys using percussion caps when they first showed up?
Probably what the matchlock guys thought too.Wonder what the flintlock shooters thought of the guys using percussion caps when they first showed up?
Personally I just try to have my tags filled before muzzleloader season starts. I kinda would like it back starting on the 27th as kids and most people are on vacation anyways.
Two years in a row I had to fill a tag during muzzie season. Before that it has been almost a decade since I had to do that.
Personally, I love each season for seasonal environment it offers. Early bow is the most beautiful time to be sitting in the woods but carrying my flintlock in the winter months of NE Ohio feeds my mountain man fantasy of a past life.
I'd like to know if these dates were established long ago when whitetail hunting was just getting going with only small populations in the north and stronger in the southeast. Does the shorter season continue today just because of hunting traditions we so strongly uphold that reflected a small but growing number of whitetails?, nothing like present day. We certainly have the populations to support a week season minus ehd devestion areas. Lack of participation due to technology advancement of crossbows causing the shift in whitetail harvests, is there any argument not to break the tradition that we seem to hold so strongly because thats what we've always done? I'd think the only argument could be animal stress of a longer season and more work for dnr employees but Ohio and Illinois having a 3 and 4 days seems off compared to the rest of the US is a week or way more with our current deer populations.
I'm with Jim I love each season for different reasons. The later muzzleloader season (as compared to around new years like it used to be) gives more of the mountain main vibe even though it limits my kids because they aren't already off .
However the rationale i always have heard was that bow season was longer due to the additional challenge. Depending on the goals for the season the newer technology can make the additional days of opportunity unbalanced across weapon systems.
However the rationale i always have heard was that bow season was longer due to the additional challenge. Depending on the goals for the season the newer technology can make the additional days of opportunity unbalanced across weapon systems.
So with that to take into account shouldn't the length of bow season be limited based on new technology has advanced beyond our traditional laws that is unless it remains the same only because we are reaching the numbers the dnr wants? But what if a majority of ohio license holders want additional or fewer season dates to be amended that meet the same harvest goals shouldn't change happen? With all effective weapons now used in Ohio, I'm guessing only a small amount of hunters from year to year don't not reach their harvest goal. I doubt much will happen if we would d switch things up a bit.......I just like change. I'm extremely happy with Ohios laws and actually the management of our herd, even though our management seems they throw darts at a maps look at liscense sales and guess sometimes. Overall in my lifetime the only large mistake was the herd reduction plan early 2000s that basically added a double kill number in portions of the state. Hunter recruitment has trended downward I doubt it's going to rebound. tweaks and changes to laws that could benefit the majority don't happen often enough. Hunting on Sundays changed, I would now argue giving a half day on a Sunday or just no hunting days after a holiday for dnr officers to have more time off would be beneficial but no way now the majority would be on board for that. If nobody says anything and nothing changes we will never in our lives know if it could be better. Adding or redacting a few days to different seasons could be beneficial to businesses and overall hunter approval but we will never know without voting or trying to change.
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whitetailjunky3
Junior Member
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Hunter numbers are trending down due to lack of places to hunt. The recent harvest numbers show that of the 40,000 non resident tags that were sold only 15 percent harvested a deer on public land that means that’s 85 percent of deer were taken off private land. I know of at least one spot I use to hunt that somebody came in and offered 5000 to have sole access to it, meaning I’m kicked off and my kids are as well. We and by we I mean the residents of ohio that live here day in and day out and pay all our taxes here shouldn’t have to worry about having access to quality hunting ground. I If that trend continues in my opinion dnr is going to have a real problem especially when most of these out of state hunters aren’t harvesting a doe.
I believe we have an allocated amount of days to firearm hunt. That is why early MLer and bonus gun filp flopped.
If this is true, it would mean that extending MLer season would take away from another season.
Again, this is going off an old memory of a conversation had.
I've been through pretty much all the rules in the OAC on hunting and trapping and I don't recall seeing anything like that. It's possible there's something in the ORC but I doubt it. I can definitely believe it if it was for migratory birds because of the fed issues.
Maybe it was for crows then. I specifically remember being told there was a limit on how many days. I thought it was deer firearms. Because ive always been a big supporter of using them. People should carry what they are most comfortable with and not be limited (within reason).
Two questions out of staters always ask is why are your gun seasons so short and why the hell does it start on a Monday......I think adding extra days to muzzleloader the only thing that could possibly change in the future so i brought this up.
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I hunted all 4 evenings and 2 of the morning of the 4 day muzzleloader season. Never heard a single shot in all 6 sits.
The migratory birds treaty specifies that no more than 124 days for hunting crows is permitted.
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