Ohio....Changes on the way

[Multidigits]

Ohio's swelling herd.....Wildlife officials aim to thin deer

Rules would let hunters shoot multiple does

Thursday, February 7, 2008 3:36 AM
By Dave Golowenski

Ohio's deer herd swelled to an estimated 675,000 last summer, and state officials say that's enough.

"No later than two years from now, we plan on effectively stopping the growth of the deer population," said Dave Risley, executive administrator of wildlife management and research for the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

In fact, the goal is to reduce the herd considerably.

"We're going to come up with a new (population) target level," Risley said. "It probably isn't going to be 250,000. That's not realistic. But it definitely won't be 700,000."

The Ohio Farm Bureau, citing increasing crop damage, publicly called in late 2006 for a herd of about 250,000, a number reached about two decades ago. The population has numbered more than 600,000 for at least several years, prompting the state's orchardists also to press for a reduction.

Last night, the division, in what will be construed by some as its response to the farm community, offered regulations for the 2008-09 season that appear to increase efforts to control herd size by hunting. If the eight-member Ohio Wildlife Council approves, hunters in deer-heavy counties for the first time will be able to use special antlerless permits during the week of the gun season to take multiple does.

"The key to controlling deer populations is controlling the number of does," Risley said.

During the recently completed deer season, the use of special antlerless permits, previously known as urban zone permits, was extended to the entire state during the first part of the archery season. They allowed bow hunters to take one, two or three extra does, depending on the zone in which they hunt.

The permits encouraging the killing of does are sold for $15; regular permits go for $24. If the division's latest proposal is approved, the use of the antlerless permits will be restricted to Zone C during gun season, scheduled for Dec. 1-7.

What it means is that in Zone C, which covers much of southern, eastern and central Ohio, including Franklin, Delaware, Fairfield, Pickaway and Licking counties, hunters with regular permits would be able to bag three deer, only one of them a buck. Bow hunters and gun hunters with special antlerless permits could take as many as three additional deer.

The archery antlerless permit system appears to have worked well enough to extend to gun hunters in counties where deer are thick, Risley said.

"We don't have all the numbers yet," he said, "but it appears the buck harvest was down quite a bit. However, the doe harvest was up."

Hunters must buy at least one regular permit to use the discounted antlerless permits. The only extra catch for gun hunters is that the antlerless permits must be purchased by Nov. 30.

"The rationale is that we want hunters to commit early to killing a doe," Risley said.

Hunters killed a record 237,000 deer during the 2006-07 season but didn't halt the growth of the herd. Despite the further liberalization of regulations to increase the harvest during the 2007-08 hunt, this year's count will come to about 230,000.

The special antlerless permits also can be used to take multiple does during the entire archery season in designated urban deer zones. Franklin County and southern Delaware County make up such a zone.

After collecting public comment during March, the Wildlife Council is scheduled to vote in early April on the 2008-09 hunting regulations.

[trader rob]

one of the draw backs to managing anything until it gets to the nuisance stage. severe cut backs. i would say we are heading there also.

[Willie]

BUT, BUT, BUT….

Don Mulligan in his article says that a short season is the way too go in controlling the herd numbers……


http://www.kentuckyhunting.net/forums/showthread.php?t=57791&highlight=mulligan

Though he declined to comment on Indiana’s deer management plan, Mike Tonkovich, Ohio’s top deer biologist, had a lot to say about long, drawn-out deer gun seasons. And none of it was good.

“If the goal is to cull more deer from the herd, there is no question that short, separated seasons is the way to go,” he said.

Even with two additional days last year, Ohio allowed only 13 days of combined firearms deer hunting in 2007. They also didn’t open gun season until November 26, more than a week later than Indiana.

“We experimented with a longer gun season in Ohio in 1995 and 1996. The additional days only accounted for two percent of the harvest,” Tonkovich revealed. “It was not worth the effort, and didn’t help us control the herd in any way.”

I guess the change will be to shorten the season even more? ant kill enouigh? Lop some hunting days off....;)

He added that over the past several years, not a single hunter survey has been returned with a request to lengthen Ohio’s deer season.

AMAZING!! What woudl be the odds on every deer hunter in KY or IN 100% agreeing on any deer related subject?

[thunderchicken09]

I thaught that Ohio would have more deer than that. Doesnt Kentucky have close to 1million or somthin?

[Shelbyhunter]

What I find interesting is that Ohio hunters killed 230,000 deer last year and 273,000 the year before that! With a population of 675,000, I would say that they are effectively controlling the population.

We kill about 115,000 deer a year not including poachers and auto accidents and natural death.

I guess we better start whacking 500,000 a year, or we are in trouble!:cool:

[Multidigits]

Ohio is a larger area mass than Ky. and has more deer hunters. It also has more urban and larger urban areas than Ky.

[Fat Tony]

FWIW, I used to hunt Ohio every year after the KY gun season ended. Only do it for the late ML season in Ohio anymore. From my experience, the foks I run into in Ohio are fine with the one week season and just scratch their heads when the topic of multiple weeks in KY comes up. I've never had a conversation with a hunter in Ohio where someon complained about the length of the season or being a shotgun state for that matter.

[huntmadd]

I hunted there last year and for out of state hunter is as cheep as anywhere but i would like to see you get more than one deer per tag. I gess thats how Ohio makes up the money difference by charging you per deer. I think more people would kill at least one doe if you got two tags at a time.I also don't no why the muzzleloader season and gun season has to start on a Monday either because Ohio does hunt on Sun. now well except some wmas.This would help there deer harvest some I would think if all gun seasons would start on a Sat.

[Fat Tony]

Ohio is a larger area mass than Ky. and has more deer hunters. It also has more urban and larger urban areas than Ky.

Useless fun fact....subtract out total surface water area and KY and Ohio are right next to each other in ranking in the 50 states in terms of square miles of land mass at #35 and #36 nationally out of the 50 states.

http://www.netstate.com/states/tables/st_size.htm

[Valley Station]

The humanoid population is much denser in Ohio than in Kentucky, except, during the summer weekends, when the fleet piles in at Lake Cumberland and Dale Hollow.
About 10 million more Buckeyes livin' on 1000 sq miles more of "habitat" than Ky..
Some call that "progress".

[thunderchicken09]

I have noticed that too. Why do they go all the way down to cumberland?

[Multidigits]

The humanoid population is much denser in Ohio than in Kentucky, except, during the summer weekends, when the fleet piles in at Lake Cumberland and Dale Hollow.
About 10 million more Buckeyes livin' on 1000 sq miles more of "habitat" than Ky..
Some call that "progress".


Except for the 2 mile long corn fields and huge soy bean fields that make up the heartland. Most of the huminoids are in urban areas.

[Chimpy]

I hunt in Ohio, and it's not uncommon for me to see 10-20 does on a half day hunt. I don't see the rational behind only being allowed to shoot 2 deer a day. Also, why not allow more bow hunting permits for does? A person can only get a certain number of weekend days off to gun hunt. I don't think they do a very good job of herd management, but maybe I'm just used to killing so many deer each year in Ky.

[Multidigits]

Deer populations in Ohio are growing exponentially
Dick Martin


Back in my early days of Ohio deer hunting it was considered terribly unsportsmanlike to kill a doe. Bucks were the target almost every time and even when it was legal to take one of the female gender, those who did were looked down on as little more than poachers. "Save the females to reproduce more deer" was the motto. But that's definitely changed now with deer populations at an all-time high and the Division of Wildlife taking near desperate measures to reduce the herd.

There was an estimated population of 675,000 animals before last year's seasons began, up 25,000 despite a record kill in 2006 of 237,316. And next year there will likely be more. Even ordinary citizens are becoming unhappy with the growing population. My sister lives in a Cincinnati suburb well inside the urban zone there, and in a recent phone call said, "They're everywhere down here. Last night just before dark more than a dozen came walking across our backyard, and there were three this morning at the end of our driveway. We can't plant flower beds or shrubs because they eat them. I wish somebody would do something."

The Division of Wildlife is trying to do something, but it's a juggling act. According to Dave Risley, executive administrator for wildlife research, the problem is not a magic statewide number for the population, but setting proper habitat-based deer densities by region or state. "It depends on what the landscape will support," he said. He noted widespread complaints of deer thathave become so abundant that they're regarded as little more than rats with hooves by many home and landowners. On the other hand, hunters and wildlife watchers want to see deer almost on demand, and making that too hard because too few deer creates an opposite problem from having too many. The early bonus tags last year helped a little with hunters killing 12,000 more does using the bonus tags, and bow hunters bagged a total of 40,588, well up from the previous season's kill of 28,280.
The DoW is trying several possible solutions, among them three $15 doe tags in Zone C, then they could take three more on $24 dollar tags, including one antlered buck. That's a total of six deer in one year, a lot of venison for those who want it. Non-deer hunters might wonder why so many does can be taken, but only one buck. The answer is simple. Bucks aren't important to herd size. One buck can breed a dozen does or more, but each doe usually has two fawns, which can boost the population in a hurry.

The various areas have to be fine tuned, too. In deer rich counties like Muskingum, Tuscarawas, and Licking, taking six deer wouldn't hurt at all. But in deer poor counties like those in Zone A along the west side, it would be a disaster. This year the DoW is asking that the $15 tag be allowed in deer-rich Zone C during the regular gun season as well as statewide during the first phase of the archery hunting season just like last year. That will help.

But the regulations are still a little confusing. For example, the $15 tag can be used in an urban deer zone, but only if purchased the Sunday before the start of the general deer firearms hunting season. Hopefully, this will all be worked out eventually with a deer population stabilized enough so that hunters will be happy, and so will land and home owners, motorists, and others that have to share Ohio with whitetail deer. Hopefully.

Hooks & Bullets:

Legislation raising the restitution value of wildlife taken illegally took effect recently, according to the Division of Wildlife. "The new standard reflects the present day value of Ohio's wildlife," said Jim Lehman, law enforcement administrator. "The monetary value of most of our wildlife can range anywhere from $20 to nearly $2,500, depending on criteria and weighting factors. Trophy deer are an exception, their value can range much higher." Some examples include trumpeter swan - $2,500 (formerly $1,000), wild turkey - $500 ($300), antlered deer - $500 ($400) and walleye - $50 ($10). A recent survey found that slightly more than half of shooting parks expect to expand their facilities in the next five years, up from 46 percent in 1997. But like most other consumer services, prices have gone up. The average cost per round of trap or skeet shooting has increased from $4.54 in 2005 to $4.86 in 2007, for sporting clays $20.78 in 2005 to $25.27 in 2007, and for rifle/pistol outdoor shooting $8.39 in 2005 down to $7.82 in 2007. The Division of Wildlife invites anglers to provide imput regarding fishing regulations for Ohio's public inland lakes and reservoirs by visiting ohiodnr.com/creel. The online angler survey solicits opinions on length and creel limits for several species,including large and smallmouth bass, crappie, walleye and saugeye.

[NonTyp]

I have a friend that lives in west Muskingham Co and they are infested with deer. It is common to see 40 head in an evening. I can see why people are complaining in that area. When I visit him it is like going to the deer hunting promiseland.

[HalfBass]

I live in Warren Co. Ohio, in the city limits of Lebanon. There is a lot of forest and huge numbers of deer in my area but most of it is inaccessable to hunters because it is city property that is off limits to hunting. This is a problem all over this part of the Cincinnati area. There are thousands of acres and thousands of deer that are in the Ohio Urban Deer Units outlined by the DNR. The problem is you cant hunt anywhere in those area's because of hunting restrictions imposed by local officials. I can't find any applications or anyone to give the OK to hunt city property! Most people in the city limits are restricted to their back yards and an acre or two. You just can't put a broadhead in a deer and expect it to fall on your property, hell it would probably run a couple hundred yards and drop dead on somebody's patio, then you'd make the evening news for sure. I want a legal way to hunt city property in these Urban Deer Zones.

I recently met some bowhunters from New Jersey, they live in a heavily populated area of both people and deer. They told me that in thier town they fill out a city hunting application and are assigned a "zone" to hunt. They hunt city parks and forest but in thier zone only so they don't have a run in with other hunters. They say it works great and are making good progress in thining the population to a reasonable number. I know Hamilton county parks (Cincinnati) has done similar things, but from what I understand they use police sharpshooters and not regular bowhunters.

I have my farm in Kentucky and I'll keep comming back home to hunt. Kentucky's seasons are longer and allow for more animals in most zones.