Ohio Deer Hunters Prepare for Statewide Muzzleloader Season, January 9-12
January 3, 2010
COLUMBUS, OH – Ohio's popular muzzleloader deer season is set to open statewide January 9-12 according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife. Last year, hunters checked 20,659 white-tailed deer during the statewide hunt.
A total of 227,748 deer have been harvested so far this season when combining the adult and youth gun seasons, early muzzleloader season, gun weekend, and the first nine weeks of the archery season. That compares to a total of 218,890 killed last year during the same time period. Hunters took a total of 252,017 deer during all of last year's hunting seasons.
Prior to the start of the hunting season, Ohio's deer population was estimated at 650,000. The Division of Wildlife expects as many as 210,000 hunters will hunt deer during the muzzleloader season.
Ohio deer hunters must possess the proper permits. Regardless of zone, method of taking or season, hunters may take only one antlered deer during the 2009-2010 deer hunting season.
Legal hunting hours during the statewide muzzleloader deer season are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Deer must be checked by 8 p.m. on the day after harvest, except those killed on January 12, which must be brought to a deer check station by 8 p.m. that day.
Ohio's small game, furbearer and waterfowl seasons also will be open during the muzzleloader season. During those overlapping four days, small game hunters and deer hunters must visibly wear a coat, jacket, vest or coveralls that are either solid hunter orange or camouflage hunter orange in color.
Hunters have been encouraged to kill more does this season and donate extra venison to organizations assisting Ohioans in need. The division is collaborating with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry to help pay for the processing of donated venison. Hunters who give their deer to a food bank are not required to pay the processing cost as long as the deer are taken to a participating processor and funding for the effort lasts. Counties being served by this program can be found online at www.fhfh.org.
The white-tailed deer is the most popular game animal in Ohio, frequently pursued by generations of hunters. Ohio ranks 6th nationally in annual hunting-related sales and 4th in the number of jobs associated with the hunting-related industry. Each year, hunting has a $1.5 billion economic impact in Ohio. Hunting related retail sales in Ohio total more than $700 million.
Additional hunting regulations and maps of deer zones are contained in the 2009-2010 Ohio Hunting Regulations. This free publication is available where hunting licenses are sold and from the Division of Wildlife by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE or on the Internet at wildohio.com.
The 2009-2010 licenses will not be printed on weatherproof paper. Sportsmen and women should protect their licenses and permits from the elements by carrying them in a protective pouch or wallet.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR web site at www.ohiodnr.com.
via ODNR News Releases.
Program will help deer hunters – Morning Journal
September 7, 2009
By JEFF FRISCHKORN
jfrischkorn@MorningJournal.com
An innovative match made possible only through the Internet is destined to tie the knot between prospective hunters and farmers eager to reduce deer on their property.
Spearheading the new web-based initiative as match-makers are the Ohio Division of Wildlife along with the Ohio Farm Bureau, Whitetails Unlimited and the Quality Deer Management Association.
Hunters have the opportunity to go online and answer 17 questions about themselves and their hunting patterns and desires.
Farmers can access some of the basic information, mull over the replies and then dig a little deeper, ultimately making e-mail contact and then telephone contact for a final going over. After that the two parties can come to terms on hunting deer.
The program is an off-shoot of a questionnaire conducted by the Wildlife Division earlier this year. That survey was designed to assess hunter willingness to participate in such a program, given the profile they’d have to complete.
More than 2,600 responses were received, encouraging the Wildlife Division to proceed with the project.
The program was developed by a private firm and will cost the Wildlife Division about $25,000 to administer in the first year, says Mike Tonkovich, the agency’s chief deer biologist.
“It’s a comprehensive program and one that I don’t think any other state has done as a web-based system,” Tonkovich said.
This new pilot program is being organized in four of Ohio’s 88 counties: Harrison, Jefferson, Tuscarawas and Carroll. All are among the top-ranked in the state for producing numbers of deer.
Importantly the program is not just intended to find a place on private property for hunters to hunt deer but also as a mechanism to help reduce crop damage through the removal of antlerless deer, state officials say.
“I have no idea how many hunters will sign up nor how many farmers will participate but the (Ohio) Farm Bureau will be conducting a marketing campaign, especially for farmers suffering from crop damage because of deer,” said Luke Miller, a Wildlife Division assistant program administrator.
“I like to refer to it as ‘deerharmony-dot-com.’ ”
Miller said the online questionnaire will pose a series of questions to be completed by a hunter. Such questions as choice of hunting implement, whether one is willing to shoot does, which season the hunter desires to participate in, and the like are asked.
A farmer then refines the search, first seeing if any hunter desires to travel to a certain county. Then the farmer can see if a hunter is only interested in participating in the firearms season or whether the hunter can hunt on weekdays or weekends and is agreeable to the taking of does, for example.
At the refined point the farmer can access the hunter’s name and e-mail address and make the initial contact.
Of critical concern, says Miller, the information is confidential. Hunters cannot directly access farmers while farmers must follow protocol.
“One of things we’ve found is that farmers don’t want to be on a list and be bothered by calls. Under this system the farmer is the one who begins further discussions,” Miller said.
Miller said also that the Wildlife Division has liberalized hunting seasons about as much as the agency possibly can. Now it wants to provide a way for responsible hunters to connect with land owners who want to see more antlerless deer taken.
“It’s a pilot program. Maybe we’ll expand it other species like Canada geese and coyotes,” Miller also said.
To participate in the program, a hunter can access the program at huntohiofarms.com and complete the questionnaire.
While on the subject of deer hunting access, the Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves will conduct a random drawing in order to select hunters for a special controlled at the agency’s Lake Katherine State Nature Preserve in Jackson County.
The hunt will be during the first two days of the general deer firearms hunting season, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. Successful applicants will receive a permit good for two hunters.
To participate in the drawing, submit a 3×5 post card with your printed name, complete address and daytime telephone number along with the caption “Lake Katherine Gun Hunt” and a $5 check or money order, non-refundable processing fee. Entries should be sent to: ODNR Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, 2045 Morse Road, Bldg. F-1, Columbus, Ohio 43229 by Oct. 10.
Also, the Ohio Division of Wildlife anticipates posting on its web site starting Sept. 4 the results of the various controlled deer hunt drawings and Sept. 11 for the various controlled waterfowl hunts.
The web site can be accessed at www.wildohio.com, then click on controlled hunts.
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