ODNR proposed dates for Deer & Turkey Seasons

[Bowhunter57]

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Proposed hunting seasons that begin in the fall of 2021 for white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and small game were presented to the Ohio Wildlife Council on Wednesday, Feb. 10, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Hunting season dates and limits are proposed by Division of Wildlife biologists.
Only one deer may be antlered, regardless of where or how it is taken, and a hunter cannot exceed a county bag limit. All county bag limits are proposed to remain identical to last season. This link will open in a new window The proposed deer hunting season dates for 2021-2022 include:
Deer archery: Sept. 25, 2021-Feb. 6, 2022.
Youth deer gun: Nov. 20-21, 2021.
Deer gun: Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 2021; Dec. 18-19, 2021.
Deer muzzleloader: Jan. 8-11, 2022.
Hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
A proposal will allow antlerless deer to be taken from all public hunting areas from Sept. 25, 2021 to Feb. 6, 2022, provided that a hunter takes only one antlerless deer from these lands per license year. Ohio’s public land deer regulations have resulted in improved hunter satisfaction on public hunting areas. Expanding the antlerless deer dates provides additional opportunities to public land hunters.
It was further proposed to expand deer management permits to all 88 Ohio counties from Sept. 25 to Nov. 28, 2021. Hunters can use the deer management permit up to the county bag limit. The proposal does not include public hunting areas, except Lake La Su An Wildlife Area, Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area, and during controlled hunts. Only antlerless deer may be harvested with a deer management permit. An antlerless deer in Ohio is defined as any deer without antlers, or a deer with antlers less than 3 inches long.
Deer populations in Ohio have shown increased growth over the last several years. Expanding the use of deer management permits statewide on private lands helps keep populations near targeted numbers while also maintaining a healthy and robust deer population on public lands. This proposal also simplifies the use of these permits and allows for more targeted harvest in counties where necessary.
A complete list of proposed rule changes
https://ohiodnr.gov/.../proposed.../wildlife-proposed-rules
Proposed hunting and trapping season dates for 2021-2022 are available at the link below
https://ohiodnr.gov/.../021121_hunting_seasons_chart.pdf
Also find additional info at wildohio.gov
2022 wild turkey hunting seasons
Ohio’s wild turkey hunting seasons for 2022 were also proposed to the Ohio Wildlife Council on Wednesday night. These proposed dates maintain a 30-day spring turkey season in the south zone and northeast zone, with opening days on Saturdays.
The proposed spring turkey dates and hours for 2022:
Youth season: April 9-10, 2022, 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.
South zone:
April 23-May 1, 2022, 30 minutes before sunrise to noon.
May 2-22, 2022, 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.
Northeast zone:
April 30-May 8, 2022, 30 minutes before sunrise to noon.
May 9-29, 2022, 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.
A proposal calls for a limit of one bearded wild turkey during the spring season on public hunting lands. The statewide limit during the spring remains at two bearded birds. This proposal is in response to several below average reproductive years, and is designed to maintain healthy wild turkey populations on public lands.

Bowhunter57

 

[cspot]

I do like the change to the antlerless on public land keeping it 1 per year, but opening up to include all seasons. I miss being able to muzzleloader hunt the late season for them.

I do not like the new public land spring gobbler proposal. Harvest of male turkeys has no effect on turkey populations.

 

[Jackalope]

I like the limit of 1 doe on public land across all seasons. I worry however that it may lead to people checking them in as shot on private land so they can keep hunting public.

Not a huge fan of opening turkey on a Saturday. That's a shitload of people that will hit the woods on opening day and turkey hunting is already inherently dangerous. Also because I'm selfish and enjoy being able to take the week off and hit birds before the weekend guys flood the woods. I think their dates may be wrong also. The 23rd is a Friday.

 

[cspot]

I like the limit of 1 doe on public land across all seasons. I worry however that it may lead to people checking them in as shot on private land so they can keep hunting public.

Not a huge fan of opening turkey on a Saturday. That's a shitload of people that will hit the woods on opening day and turkey hunting is already inherently dangerous. Also because I'm selfish and enjoy being able to take the week off and hit birds before the weekend guys flood the woods. I think their dates may be wrong also. The 23rd is a Friday.

The 23rd is right. Remember that is in 2022. You were probably looking at 2021. This year it opens on the 24th.

I like the Monday opener even though I don't hunt during the week. I like it as by the weekend it cuts down on the pressure especially on Sunday from what I have seen.

 

[Bigcountry40]

I do like the change to the antlerless on public land keeping it 1 per year, but opening up to include all seasons. I miss being able to muzzleloader hunt the late season for them.

I do not like the new public land spring gobbler proposal. Harvest of male turkeys has no effect on turkey populations.

Correct me if I am wrong but this past year a hunter could only take one deer total on state land- so if a hunter shot a doe the opening day he was done hunting state land right?

 

[cspot]

Correct me if I am wrong but this past year a hunter could only take one deer total on state land- so if a hunter shot a doe the opening day he was done hunting state land right?

Correct. It has been like that for the last 3 seasons I believe. However you couldn't take a doe after the regular gun season. Not an issue really as you already had alot of time. However now I will save that tag just so I can go in the late muzzleloader season. I just like that season.

 

[LonewolfNopack]

The philosophy of reducing harvest on public land to build deer populations and achieving that goal, only to then go back and try to reduce them again is one that I will never understand. Must be a suite and tie kind of thing.

Also old research at one time suggested male turkey harvest did not impact overall population, but that is only true to a certain extent. Our public lands are definitely over hunted for turkey, among most other species. Besides do we all really need to "limit out" every year to feel accomplished? I will give the ODNR props for this one. They have a new turkey biologist and he is good.

 

[jagermeister]

Correct me if I am wrong but this past year a hunter could only take one deer total on state land- so if a hunter shot a doe the opening day he was done hunting state land right?

Correct. It has been like that for the last 3 seasons I believe. However you couldn't take a doe after the regular gun season. Not an issue really as you already had alot of time. However now I will save that tag just so I can go in the late muzzleloader season. I just like that season.

Wrong.

You could only shoot one doe on public land... and you couldn’t shoot a doe after gun season. But you COULD shoot a buck on public land all season long, regardless of whether you killed a doe or not.

So if you shot a doe on public, but still had a buck tag in your pocket, you could hunt public for a buck all you wanted.

If you shot a doe on public, and you already killed a buck, then yes you were done hunting on public land.

 

[Floki]

I say fire everyone that votes on these issues. They never show how they vote.

One of them started crying this year on another forum about public land Turkey. One who votes but the last three years in a fuggin row he also bragged about killing 35 40 turkeys off public land with his friends..

This year that didn’t happen now the laws change.. Look and you will see.


Bigger subject to me is show how they vote ...

Other than that back to my cave. Cheers fellas!

 

[Jackalope]

Also old research at one time suggested male turkey harvest did not impact overall population, but that is only true to a certain extent. Our public lands are definitely over hunted for turkey, among most other species.

I can tell you from experience it happens. We hunted a place that only had a tom and two Jake's with about a dozen hens. Isolated pocket with no other birds for a long long way. We always managed them pretty well and the place was good to us. One season the tom and jakes were with the hens and about a week later the jakes disappeared. The tom must have run them off but we were sure they were there somewhere hanging out waiting for their scraps. We shot the tom. For the next couple of weeks we checked in to see if another tom moved in on that territory and we never saw a male turkey with those hens. The jakes were still gone. Every day the hens were out there putting around. Sometime late into the morning. I firmly believe those hens did not get bred that year. Usually, a tom will breed his available hens then as they stop showing up he strikes out on his own to find more receptive hens. Another tom not the Jakes ever showed. The next year the hens didn't show back up as usual. Maybe half returned from the winter flock to this location. I think they viewed the previous year as a failed breeding season and sought out a more productive area.

 

[jagermeister]

The philosophy of reducing harvest on public land to build deer populations and achieving that goal, only to then go back and try to reduce them again is one that I will never understand. Must be a suite and tie kind of thing.

Also old research at one time suggested male turkey harvest did not impact overall population, but that is only true to a certain extent. Our public lands are definitely over hunted for turkey, among most other species. Besides do we all really need to "limit out" every year to feel accomplished? I will give the ODNR props for this one. They have a new turkey biologist and he is good.

The “new” research is quite to the contrary. Look up Mike Chamberlain, PhD. One of the most knowledgeable wild turkey biologists in the country. One interesting thing I learned is that, when you kill a dominant Tom, another bird doesn’t just move in and start breeding hens right away. Those turkeys spent all winter and all spring establishing a pecking order. When the dominant bird gets taken out, that whole pecking order process usually starts over. It could take weeks, or even months. And until that’s sorted out, breeding of the hens is inconsistent or non-existent. Dr. Chamberlain has some really eye opening data and findings. He was in the Meateater podcast once or twice too. I highly recommend listening to that episode.

 

[Floki]

Bigger issue to me are the people voting on these issues Look them up... Tell me that they put boots on the ground in public lands.

Most have a farm or leases land: All okay ..Etc etc...

But they don’t tell you how they vote.. Even tho you pay your hard earned money in to the system. To buy tags and play buy their rules..

Look them up you tell me why we don’t know how they vote for these rules ?
Not acceptable in my book. That’s the bigger story!

 

[Floki]

The “new” research is quite to the contrary. Look up Mike Chamberlain, PhD. One of the most knowledgeable wild turkey biologists in the country. One interesting thing I learned is that, when you kill a dominant Tom, another bird doesn’t just move in and start breeding hens right away. Those turkeys spent all winter and all spring establishing a pecking order. When the dominant bird gets taken out, that whole pecking order process usually starts over. It could take weeks, or even months. And until that’s sorted out, breeding of the hens is inconsistent or non-existent. Dr. Chamberlain has some really eye opening data and findings. He was in the Meateater podcast once or twice too. I highly recommend listening to that episode.

I own a few chickens. No different than turkeys or elk a satellite bull etc. The hens will be bred.

Anyone else have chickens that can say the hens will be breed?

 

[Jackalope]

The “new” research is quite to the contrary. Look up Mike Chamberlain, PhD. One of the most knowledgeable wild turkey biologists in the country. One interesting thing I learned is that, when you kill a dominant Tom, another bird doesn’t just move in and start breeding hens right away. Those turkeys spent all winter and all spring establishing a pecking order. When the dominant bird gets taken out, that whole pecking order process usually starts over. It could take weeks, or even months. And until that’s sorted out, breeding of the hens is inconsistent or non-existent. Dr. Chamberlain has some really eye opening data and findings. He was in the Meateater podcast once or twice too. I highly recommend listening to that episode.

That was our experience that I posted about above. We learned a lesson that year about common beliefs and reality. We knew those birds like a man would know his flock of chickens in his back yard. We screwed them up and paid for it the next year.

 

[Jackalope]

I own a few chickens. No different than turkeys or elk a satellite bull etc. The hens will be bred.

Anyone else have chickens that can say the hens will be breed?

I think it's more like if you only have one rooster and lose it, your neighbors rooster 1/2 mile away isn't going to leave his flock to come bang your hens.

 

[Floki]

I think it's more like if you only have one rooster and lose it, your neighbors rooster 1/2 mile away isn't going to leave his flock to come bang your hens.

I can agree with that. But I’d leave them lol
Makes sense but flocks are raised evey year there’s never going to be just one Tom.
A hen will bow down to a freshman just like a sophomore.
Doesn’t take a senior. Pecking order of a flock is never stable.

 

[Floki]

No different than deer they all get bred.

 

[Floki]

Personally in the animal kingdom they are no different than us. If there’s an itch there’s a scratch. It’s how evolution takes place.

Never been in a bar when one Tom mated every female while patrons with a hard on watched and waited.
Just doesn’t work that way.

 

[Floki]

Jeffrey Epstein didn’t kill himslef.

Back to my cave. Love all yin’s.

 

[jagermeister]

I own a few chickens. No different than turkeys or elk a satellite bull etc. The hens will be bred.

Anyone else have chickens that can say the hens will be breed?

Sooooo you’re comparing domestic chickens to wild turkeys? And I’m supposed to believe your backyard anecdotal evidence instead of the research from a guy who literally dedicates his life to studying wild turkey behavior?