# Crop Damage/ Nusence permit



## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

Does a deer have to be taken to a check in station when it is killed under a crop damge permit?

The reason I am asking is this..I have been contacted by a farmer I know...He has asked me to come to his farm and shoot deer and use his crop damage permits..He wants me to try and shoot a bunch, but I will only take a couple for the meat...He said I can use a shotgun even tho it is not shotgun season?..I dont know if I have to have them checked in?..Or if I can legally take them to a proccesor, if they dont have to be checked in?


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## Guest (Jan 2, 2005)

You still need to check them in at the check stations. He should give you the damage tags. Thats good that you said you will only take what you need because we used to hunt a place that had damage tags and now there are practically no deer at all from all the deer people went in there and killed. I think they issue way to many of the tags myself.  Good luck though


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

Check them in Jack...
Also they need to keep the antlers if its a buck so make sure they take them... 
I know your distain for game wardens and you wouldn't want one stopping by to pickup the antlers...
Hey you can use anything to hunt them you want.. spot light ...rifle.. you get the picture...


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

I did not harvest a deer this year, so I do want some venison.....But some how this just does not feel right to me...I will be hunting them just as I would during gun season, but it is not gun season......The farmer who has 2000 acres told me the deer are taking over his farm, and sees herds of over 40 deer at a time  ..I guess I am to ethical???..Because something about it seems unethical to me.


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2005)

Jack I dont think you are to ethical. I think you feel as a true hunter should feel. 

Going out there "spotlighting" deer is not hunting, its simply killing. Even if it is legal.  

I would just aim for does if I were you, because even if you shoot a buck you cant legally keep the antlers.


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

That farmer is trying to make a living and there is nothing unethical about doing the right thing and thinning his herd for him...
Worse case he could not make ends meet and sales the farm and... you now the rest of the story  
Ask if you can bring a few friends and put on some drives... have some fun HUNTING and fill your freezer or donate the meat to those who are in need... 
If he really has it that bad then help him out...
I know a few farmers who have become real good friends because we helped him thin his herd and it needed it too...
You'll feel great if you do the latter


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

These guys are right that you need to check the deer in. Otherwise the state has no record of the kill nor do you have proper proof of legal harvest when taking the deer to the meat locker.

I am not sure how all of the crop damage permits work but I know some guys around us that have the crop damage permits that are used within the season and by legal means. I also know of others that have the permits which allow them to kill deer at any time and by any means. I have always been told by farmers (at least those who killed them in season and legal means) that you could only harvest does on those permits. I would check and make sure whether that is the case or not. The permits are for controlling the population and killing the does will accomplish that much more effectively than killing bucks.


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2005)

I just was saying I know of several different farms that we used to hunt that are now void of deer because of all the extra damage permits issued. It seems like practically everybody here in Highland county has damage permits. Maybe thats why we see so few deer around here.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Traphunter,

Evidently somewhere in the county has a slew of deer because Highland county ranked number one in the southwest region (1,943). I know it is not anywhere near the numbers from the top counties in the state but that seems to be a pretty good population of deer.


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2005)

Your right, there are some places of the county that have more deer thatn others but it is definently isnt where I hunt at. I usually hunt right on the highland/clinton county border. 

Highland county has some awsome deer habitat, and its capable of holding alot more deer than what it has. For some reason there just seems to be a lack of them around.


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

I'll try to clear up any misconceptions about taking does or bucks because the law states deer which of course includes both male and female... Hers is a little touch of the law as written:
When other techniques are ineffective or impractical and the need to remove deer is urgent, the Division has a program that permits the lethal removal of deer from the problem area. After an examination of the situation, the wildlife officer may issue a permit that allows for the out-of-season culling of a limited number of deer. Landowners experiencing crop damage should consult with their county wildlife officer or contact the nearest district office for assistance.

Thus even though it is more practical to cull does from the population bucks may also be taken with a damage permit...
It is rare but not uncommon when a farmer can get an out of season permit but most game wardens will work with them to find the right solution for their particular problem...
When I owned my guide service we used more then a few deer damage permits each year during the season and very single one issued for out of season permits simply because if not used its very hard to justify getting them again in the future... We always offered the meat. after butchered and packaged, to the farmer which opens many more doors down the road....


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

> It is rare but not uncommon when a farmer can get an out of season permit but most game wardens will work with them to find the right solution for their particular problem...


 I know of three in my county so I am not sure how rare it really is. I know of one farm that supposedly had around 90 shot during the year and most were left to rot. Granted if they were able to shoot that many then there was probably a population problem, but I don't like the idea of leaving them to rot like varmints.

So is there a different title for the in-season permits versus the ones for any time of the year? I guess I always heard them referred to as crop damage tags but I would think if they were issuing two classifications of permits that they would name them differently.


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

WOW that is a ton of wasted deer  
Seems they could be put to some good use at a local food bank  
SORRY to hear about that  
Here is a link that may help you find answers to most questions: 
http://www.dnr.ohio.gov/wildlife/Hunting/pub138/pub138.htm
They pretty much leave it up to the local wildlife officer on who gets the permits and who does not... I am not sure if there are diff names for them or not...

I had this one landowner who asked the warden to stop by because he wanted turkey damage permits... He said he had filmed turkey jumping on his corn plants knocking them down so they could then eat the corn...
Well here we are walking out his corn field and the warden would point out the damage and what caused same such as... that was a **** that was a deer more **** then more **** then maybe another deer but never a turkey. So the farmer said well where is the turkey damage I have video showing them doing damage!!!
Off we went where we watched his film that showed 2 hens simply going at it fighting like crazy in his corn field LOL...  
The farmer was a little red but lived through it and also rec'd a few deer damage permits and the number of a couple local trappers who would take care of as many **** as they could...


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

I have also heard a few farmers complain about the damage that turkeys can do to their crops. I have never heard of crop damage tags issued for them though.


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

The only damage I've known them to do is scratch up seed corn when planted but I've also watched squirrels do the same...


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

I have heard claims that they knock the corn down to get to the ears but I have never witnessed it.


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

Some farmers see turkey in their fields and assume they are doing damage but according to the game warden in Morgan Co he says they are more beneficial for crops because they tend to eat the very bugs that do far more damage then the turkey ever could...
A wild turkey or any turkey for that matter is more suited for scratching out food sources in woodlots and fields then for jumping on corn stalks... Even if they did knock down a few stalks of corn most likely they would give up trying to peck through the husk to get at the corn... They'd use too much energy attempting to get at the food source (corn) then they would get from it... At the time of year that corn becomes a good food source the woods would normally be full of acorns and other food sources more readily available then the corn itself.
During the spring when farmers spread manure on their fields its not uncommon to see turkey out scratching for what is called waste seed and also in the fall after a field is harvested turkey will again look for corn that the machines did not pickup or dropped in the process...


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

That explanation makes sense. Thanks for the info!


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## Hoss5355 (Apr 9, 2004)

I know people that have used the crop damage permits at a couple different orchards that I hunt at, and most of the time they really are needed. Way too many deer, and lots of damage being done to the trees and crops. 
There are different types of permits, and some are used in season, legally, and other ones can be used with rifles/spotlighting. I think it depends on the amount of damage, and the warden in the area. A few years back he was there in the spotlighting, and made sure that does are shot, and not bucks. He would say ya or na on the deer. That meat was taken somewhere, but rumor was, they didn't like getting the meat because they had to pay for processing. I also had tried to donate a deer one year, and the people I had talked to said I needed to pay to get it cut and wrapped....which didn't seem right. I just paid for the $20.00 tag, plus cutting and wrapping...you would think that someone else could donate something like that. Ended up giving it to a neighbor, but still, it seems like they make it too difficult to make a deer donation. Anybody else ever donate deer to a shelter?? 

Kevin


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

> it seems like they make it too difficult to make a deer donation.


 I agree with that. I am not sure how other states do it but I have read that some have programs set up where I believe the state picks up the processing charge for the meat lockers. It does not seem that it would be a difficult program for the government to create but for some reason it has never been pursued.

I have never donated to a shelter myself either as we have always made use of the deer that we get ourselves or by giving it away to friends and family.


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

There is a program for dontaing deer but I must leave now and won't be back for a day or two... I look it up then...


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

I am not sure if this is what atrkyhntr is referring to or not.

*Sportsmen Against Hunger: *
Deer hunters wishing to help fight hunger and homelessness may donate venison to Ohio food pantries by telephoning *1-800-WILDLIFE*. Deer meat will be accepted during any of the Ohio deer hunting seasons: *October 2, 2004-January 31, 2005*, and the meat must be commercially ground and wrapped in two- or four-pound packages at the hunters expense. 

This came from the following web page.

http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/Hunting/huntregs/ataglance.htm

The problem with this program is that it is "at the hunter's expense". I do believe that some other states have programs where the state picks up the packaging expense.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Here is a link to Wisconsin's program. Theirs appears to be government funded.

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/wildlife/Damage/donation/


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## Hoss5355 (Apr 9, 2004)

See, that was what I was talking about. I didn't check up on it this year, but I know when I went to donate it last time, that was my problem. I cut up a lot of deer myself, and wrap it, but they won't accept that. I guess I wouldn't have a problem donating my time to cutting it up as much as I would the $50.00 fee, or whatever amount they charge to cut and wrap one now. It just seems like it comes back and bites ya when you are trying to do something good. I know a lot of people around here that take them off of my hands, but I figured I would try something new that year. 

I also wondered if they could ever populate a list where needy families could put their names on a list, and you could contact them directly. That would give them the opportunity to either cut it up themselves and freeze it, or they could take it and get it processed on their own, since someone already put out the money to tag the deer in the first place, they maybe willing to shell out a little on their own, depending on their situation. I would imagine that a lot of people could either cut it up, or work with you to help cut it up. 

IMO, I think deer are, and even more so, turkeys, pretty expensive meats....think about it. By the time you spend money on License, Tags, Gas to get to and from, all the toys we think we need, food plots in my case, and processing if you go that route...you could be talking atleast 2.50 a lb for deer meat, and 4.00 a lb for a turkey. I know that I do it for the enjoyment of being outdoors, and spending time with friends and family, which is priceless, but man, you can go buy beef burger for just about that much, and turkeys are a lot cheaper. I just think they could make it cheaper if you were donating and trying to help a cause. We are already donating the deer itself, and other costs that we bring on ourselves to make our days in the field more enjoyable....


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

That is along the same lines as the program I was thinking of except there were butcher chops who excepted the deer and they did all the work on their own... Not sure how to find it... Maybe contact DNR see what thye say...THANKS Brian
I think the last study completed on how much money is spent per lb or venison a hunter places in his freezer after a harvest was around $55.00...


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

> I think the last study completed on how much money is spent per lb or venison a hunter places in his freezer after a harvest was around $55.00...


 I really did not need to hear that. Or better yet, make sure my wife does not get ahold of that fact.


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

hahahahaa


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