# Crop Damage Permits...



## slaughtereyez (Jul 13, 2009)

Well the other day I get a call from my grandma whose property I hunt in Guernsey Co. approximately 150 acres which has about two or three Amish families that butt up to there property. Also have an uncle who has property to the back of theirs. He was talking to the Amish across the road the other day who then proceeded to show him 6 racks from bucks he had recently shot on his property, one with velvet still on, a couple nice 10 pointers and some other nice ones...and who knows how many doe they've taken....I guess what im getting to, is that this pisses me off to know that they are allowed to shoot these deer out of season and take numerous bucks...and from what I hear, use any method necessary, which explains all the gunshots my grandma and grandpa have but hearing with a lot of them being at night. So on top of being able to take their share of deer during season and having more then one hunter in their family, their allowed to practically take any deer on their property at any time. So when it comes time for me to hunt during gun season what do I have to look forward to?...the small bucks I pass up to let grow can just be shot at free range from the Amish not to mention the bruisers that are down there, the deer have no chance at all. I know there's still a lot of deer to be had down there, as one my uncle shot a 9 point a couple days ago, my other uncle got a 8 point today and my grandpa missed a big 12 today....but if this continues, whats gonna be left?...anyone else have this problem?...or see this as a problem?


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## Papascott (Apr 22, 2004)

If they are trophy hunting with crop damage permits that is not helping to control numbers. Might just call the local warden and ask if its ok to TROPHY hunt with those permits. I thought the racks had to be turned in or something to keep this from happening.


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## mpd5094 (Jun 20, 2005)

I understand that the permits are issued and are only good for a specific time period. I don't think their are any regulations on bucks. It's basically a free-for-all. Part of me understands it from the farmers view. Overall, I disagree with killing all the bucks. It sounds like they were hunting just the bucks if they have that many of them. Yes, I would say it would hurt the hunting on the surrounding property. Most of the deer on the surrounding property are probably traveling to the farms as a food source. I would definitely call your ODNR officer and ask him and tell him what you observed.


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## buckeyeguy (Aug 20, 2006)

I am 90% sure that Papascott is right. A guy I work with is able to hunt unter a crop damage permit on a farm in SE Ohio. We were just talking about it last week. He was saying that on the farm he hunts, they were allowed to take 35 deer this year. If they shot any bucks, they were to turn the racks in to the county's ODNR officer. He was also saying that the permit was only good until sometime at the end of September.

They practice selective harvest while thinning out their herd. He said they will mainly shoot does, but will shoot a older buck with dinky racks. All deer that they shoot is consumed, so their not just out there blasting away and letting them lay.


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## Fishingislife (May 20, 2004)

Call the game warden!


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## buckeye024 (Apr 14, 2006)

I know of an apple orchard in Southern Ohio that got a crop damage permit. They put up a platform stand, about 25 feet tall, in the middle of the orchard. Dang thing looks like a mini fire tower. These guys would be up in the stand at night with high-power rifles and night vision. After a couple weeks, there was no tellin' how many deer they had killed, bucks and does.

A family member of mine spoke with the game warden. Everything they were doing was legal because of the permit, he said. I tried to check on that, but I could never find any information online about these permits, except that they exist. I couldn't even find out how one goes about getting one, let alone what the conditions are.


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

Permits are only valid through a certain period of time. I know once hunting season starts the permit is dissolved and they ore only allowed to shoot around 25 deer during that period of time that the permit provides. I also know for a fact that you have to turn in the heads or antlers of the bucks shot through the permit. They probably got the permit and are using it as a reason to blast as many deer as they want.


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## slaughtereyez (Jul 13, 2009)

thanks for the responses guys. the whole situation just kinda angers me. I in no way am saying there shouldn't be crop damage permits because their put in place for a reason...but to shoot that many deer!! c'mon now...even if their being eaten, thats still too many...it should be regulated more....

i've printed out some papers and sent them to my grandma, there is a game warden that lives not too far away from their property, my grandpa is going to go have a chat with him and see what he has to say. I know for a fact the bucks arent being checked in properly....


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## slaughtereyez (Jul 13, 2009)

...........


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## Fishstix (Aug 16, 2005)

The farmer in our area has only been shooting Does. QDM...We have seen 6 shooter bucks to date (this year). I commend the farmer for being selective because it has really improved out deer heard.

In years past, there were Does all over us. Between 3 guys, we would try to tag out on Doe permits to reduce the herd, but that's easier said than done. It always seemed as if we were hunting for Does rather than bucks because they were the first deer we would see in the morning and would take the shot. This farmer has helped us out a bunch by taking Does out with the crop damage permits. Now we can just sit in the stand and wait for bucks and only shoot Does when we get an itchy trigger finger.


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## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

Unless there was a change in the way this is being regulated, you aren't allowed to take more than one buck the permits are basically like the regular deer permits and use to be regulated the same way, my best friends family owns three tree farms and they are issued permits based on acreage amount of damage and local herd sizes. when a deer is taken they have to be checked in just like a normal deer tag. And these guys who are using rifles are breaking the law, there is no "By any means necessary" rule. I was standing right there when the Carroll county game warden explained the rules on how this works. It use to be you were required to kill the doe's with these permits. now this was like 3 or 4 years ago so the rules may have changed but i highly doubt it. I would contact the local game warden and voice your concern. My stepdad and his neighbors encountered this same kind of problem in Morgan county 2 years ago a local farmer was shooting deer Mostly trophy bucks he was caping the bucks out and leaving the bodies to rot. and the doe's he just shot and left them lay too. Which resulted in and explosion of coyote problems in the area. within 6 months the deer sightings decreased by half or more. this guy eventually was outed by the community and paid heavily for his B.S. I would definitely call and ask some questions. The problem is the Amish think they are above "English" laws.


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## labman (Sep 13, 2008)

I know what you are going through their is a small tree farm beside the farm that i hunt and he use to get the damage permits also and they would be out there with spot lights and rifles shooting deer out of a truck,that really sucks,but the game warden would usually give them unlimited number of permits but they were susposed to turn the racks in off any buck s they killed but when they started leaveing them lay on the property line my buddy who owns the farm called the game warden and raised heck with him about it,and so far 2 years with out him getting damange permits,so much nicer now.


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## Huntinbull (Apr 10, 2004)

My understanding of these damage permits is that the size of the property and the amount of damage being done controls the number of deer allowed to be taken with the permit. I believe you are allowed to use any firearm you choose to "humanely" dispatch the deer taken. I know of farms that use rifles for the purpose and are allowed to do so. I thought that any antlers from bucks taken had to be turned over to either the county sherriff or the DOW.


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