# Opening day numbers were down 39%



## Header (Apr 14, 2004)

Of course the nummbers were down, not many hunters out on that rain soaked Monday. If they were, the deer were all triing to stay dry and not moving. Deer population est over 750,000 head, I thought it was more like 600,000.

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/New...ailed-Deer-Hunters-Challenged-by-Weather.aspx


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

It rained like crazy in Hocking county most of Tuesday also. Then the wind kicked up bad. From late Wednesday until Sunday I saw an average of 10-15 deer a day that I could have shot. An odd gun season for sure.


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## Huntinbull (Apr 10, 2004)

Toughed out the rain on Monday and Tuesday, but just couldn't find the deer. Only saw three, and I hunted hard every day except Sunday.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Not sure if you saw this yet or not but here are the numbers for the whole week.

http://www.ohiodnr.com/home_page/Ne...octon-County-Leads-2011-Deer-gun-Harvest.aspx

The numbers are still down for the whole week by over 14%. I am sure some of it is weather related but at least around my place there was some pretty nice weather to hunt at the tail end of the week, albeit not the real cold weather that may trigger more natural movement but still enough to help. My county (Knox) was down 20% from last year. The county's numbers have been on a decline every year lately and it is actually down over 30% from the 2008/2009 season when it peaked. That year coincides with the new bag limit revision that took it up to 6 deer. At the time I didn't think it would have much impact on the overall harvest because very few would go that high on their kill total but now I am beginning to wonder.


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## Hetfieldinn (May 17, 2004)

I wonder if the new check-in system has anything to do with the numbers. I'll admit, I hate the check-in by phone. I could have driven to the old check in station and checked in ten deer by the time I did one with the phone.


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

Het, what was the problem with the check-in system? I have heard good things about it.


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## Seaturd (Apr 14, 2004)

I did the on-line check-in from the landowners house and it went off without a hitch.


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## Hetfieldinn (May 17, 2004)

bobk said:


> Het, what was the problem with the check-in system? I have heard good things about it.


The main problem was the call kept getting dropped. After the second time it was dropped, I called a few buddies from the same spot, and talked for a very long time with a strong signal. None of those calls were dropped. I immediately tried to check in the deer again, and got dropped three more times. Finally, I drove a couple miles from camp, and checked the deer in. The questionaire on the phone was a little extensive. Put in your tag number. Put in your birthdate. Say the name of the county. Was it a buck or doe, hit #1 for buck, #2 for doe. What weapon did you use. How many points if it was a buck. How many dogs do you have? Are you married? Do you urinate more than five times a day. Are you regular, ect......

It was a hassle. I can see where people will not bother with checking deer in with this new system. From what I understand, if you go to a (former) deer check station, they hand you a phone.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Online check is way easier!


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## floater99 (May 21, 2010)

I checked both my deer in on my cell in Morgan Cty once I got a connection,no problem.


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## BigV (Nov 11, 2004)

Where we hunt the nearest check in station is 15 miles away. I thought the check by phone method was fast and painless. It's about time the Ohio DNR gets in to the technology age!!

The only thing I didn't like was all the tags... temporary tag...permanent tag...tag for the carcass/meat...


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## LEfriend (Jun 14, 2009)

I liked the phone check too. Worked slick, and easy. But I did use the land line where we were staying, because I know cell coverage is unreliable down there. Didn't mind the questions at all, no more than were asked of you at the old check stations. 

Also liked buying and printing the tag over the internet. Biggest drawback is keeping the tag dry but a plastic luggage holder did the trick.


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## TomC (Aug 14, 2007)

Worked great for me too! Im just tired of hearing all the people ragging and complaining about it. If you dont like what has to be done, dont hunt and you wont have to worry about it!


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## BuckeyeHunter (Nov 5, 2008)

I loved the new system. Previously if I shot one in the morning during the week I was fine, other than that the 2 check stations that were easy to get to closed at 5 and weren't open on the weekend which left only Buckeye Outdoors, which is closed on Monday and was 20 minutes the wrong direction. Then after getting to the station I frequently waited in line to check the deer which added another 20-30 minutes. Now I called it in and was done with it. I will admit that the questions seemed to keep coming, but in all it took maybe 3-4 minutes, much quicker than driving to a station.


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## lang99 (Mar 6, 2009)

the reason for low numbers this season

-weather 
(it is what it is, rain and warm weather reduced deer movement, thus reducing kills)

-new check in system
(poachers will be poachers, but this system makes it easier to get away with it, btw i like the new system) 

-to many deer tags 
(6 deer tags is to many and there are hunters who will use them all just cause they can. i would like to go back to the way it was years ago, 3 deer tags at the most)

-lower deer population compared to other years
(the exteneded season's along with more deer tags has hurt the deer population. Solution, reduce tags and get rid of extended gun season?)

-out of state hunters 
(good for economy, but they swarm to this state because of low non-resident tag prices compared to other states. solution, out of state lottery system? Increase tag prices compared to other big buck states?) 

I don't have all the answers or even the correct answers. I know the ODNR wants the deer population reduced. I believe this is fueled by the farmers bureau and insurance companies.


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## jmciw17 (Sep 4, 2007)

I personally still have to go to the checking station because I only hunt on my own property.The small store in Guernsey County that I go to said they were very slow and that gun season was allways a nice boost for there business.I think the new system is breaking the tradition of everyone going to checking station and seeing all the big bucks,we would go for a ride even if we didnt have one to check in,and then buy some stuff while we were there.


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## littleking (Jun 25, 2005)

i attribute what I've seen to the 3" of standing water in my woods.


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## lomssl (Mar 25, 2006)

:! I agree with what lang 99 said


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## Kableguy (Apr 23, 2009)

In my opinion the ODNR method of whitetail management is to maximize revenue (license sales) and will keep selling more licenses until the population decreases enough that hunters stop buying licenses and revenues go down. Then they will scale back license sales ( bag limits) for a couple of years until deer numbers rebound and they can ramp up license sales again. In the areas we have hunted (ashtabula county and Washington county) we have been seeing less and less deer, and have been hunting hard. I don't need to get five deer every year, but would like one after hunting hard for a week. Again, just my opinion, but the deer are being managed as a source of revenue and not a natural resource.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

lang99 said:


> -lower deer population compared to other years
> (the exteneded season's along with more deer tags has hurt the deer population. Solution, reduce tags and get rid of extended gun season


Deer gun hunters only have a total of 13 days a year to hunt deer, and 4 of those require the use of a Muzzleloader.

The archery harvest has increased from 60,000 deer 5 years ago to between 85,000 and 90,000 a year the last two years. This is the largest growing segment of the deer harvest or any method. The gun harvest rates and numbers have stayed fairly static over the same 5 year period. The archery season is 4 months long.

So before I would like to see a reduction in the number of days permitted to hunt with a firearm I would rather look at reducing the archery harvest if a reduction in overall harvest is the solution to an as of yet unproven deer population reduction


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## Roadkil (Mar 11, 2011)

I think the answer is simple; the liberal bag limits in certain areas is having the desired effect that the DNR wants. I can see the bag limit decreasing if not next year than two or three down the road.

Just my observations in the field; I still see deer when in the woods for the most part; however, I am not seeing the same numbers as I have a couple of years ago.


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