# to many deer and not enough hunters



## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

i am just relaying a story, so dont get mad at me.

3 years ago my wife worked with a guy whose family had a huge farm.

they farmed 3000 acres mostly corn.

my wife said he would complain daily about the deer damge to his crops, and the large numbers of deer on his land.

so my wife asked him if he would allow me to hunt his land for deer, she said the guy got mad and hell no, we dont allow or like hunters.

now i understnd why some farmers have had bad experience with hunters, or slobs i should say.

but maybe i am looking at this the wrong way, if i was a farmer and loseing lots of money to deer damage, i would think i would invite hunters to come in and kill the deer.

he also said he had crop damge permits but him and his family could not kill them fast enough.

my view is he has no rite to complain, when he could allow dozens of hunters to come in and drastically reduce the herd..your thoughts


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## wave warrior (Oct 2, 2005)

his land his choice and HIS LOSS!!


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## falcon2082 (Jun 16, 2008)

I was reading an article about 2 or 3 weeks ago in either Ohio Outdoor News or Ohio Game and Fish and they were talking about the ODNR working with the Ohio Farm Bureau where they sent out all these surveys to get feedback from farmers about the DNR's desire to start a program to pair farmers up with hunters. Very few of the surveys were returned and many of the ones that were returned didn't like the idea of the ODNR being involved in the process and the idea in general of a "stranger" being on thier land. I understand that the farm land is thier private land and many people don't want to take the risk. But in the meantime what is the remedy for all the crop damage that our farmers are having to deal with and the money that it is taking out of their pockets? I feel that all it takes is a little conversation on what the farmers expectations and rules are governing their land and they, the farmer, would be able to meet their desire to help eliminate the crop damage they incure on a yearly basis. I would be more then happy to help out any local farmer who is having a deer overpopulation issue on thier land. Many of the farmers that I have talked to about getting hunting priveledges (it is a *priveledge* to be able to hunt on someones land) to thier land are just not receptive to the idea of a "stranger" being on their land. There has to be a way of opening these doors so as everyone can be satisfied in the end.


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## CRAPPIE LOVER (Feb 11, 2007)

...Your rite guys ..I have a neighbor farmer ...NO HUNTING...and I can see where they are comming from...Don't cry to me about crop damage...These Farmers will have to suck it up and take the loss......C.L...


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

wave warrior said:


> his land his choice and HIS LOSS!!


Exactly my thoughts on it.


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## Buck36 (Apr 10, 2008)

It sounds like the farmer has had some bad experiences in the past.....a few bad apples. This summer you may want to offer a hand when they are busy. If they do any hay, then they could always use a hand. It may go a long way to help getting access. It would definitely be worth a couple of days of sweat to be the only one hunting 3,000 acres of land.

That same note my Uncle laid down the law this year on their farm. Every hunter had to shoot a doe before they shot at a buck. He was getting sick of the amount of trophy hunting. Best way to get him going is to talk about passing on shooting a deer......walking rats.


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## Bonemann (Jan 28, 2008)

I'm glad the state is making an attempt at getting farmers and others to open up their land. I think it would be a win-win situation.

But there are allot of farmers and land owners that will never give in for what ever reason they have.Years back they all were afraid about liability,so the state made it very clear that with permission given no liability was had. And that seamed to change a few minds but not all.

Around here in Jefferson County there are more coal lands than there are large farms and most owners here will not give permission. Most farmers realize that when we hunt their farms the deer run off on to the coal companies land and come back to eat at the farm. (the fields will be loaded with deer at night)

It may all come down to money, maybe tax breaks or even the state leasing lands for public hunting is the answer, I hope they can figure something out.


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## Bigun (Jun 20, 2006)

I think the DNR has the right idea but is approaching it from the wrong angle. My thought would be to establish a list of hunters who are willing to help farmers. design some sort of qualification (A short class, plus a shooting qualification, maybe an hour and a half total) tht all the hunters must pass. then just advertise it to the farmers. If they want someone to hunt their land they call the DNR, the DNR selects the hunter (Some sort of selection method would have to be set up) contacts them and gives them the farmers contact information. 

THe nice thing about this method is that the farmers who are interested can find hunters, and those that aren't don't have to. Also the farmers know that the person they are letting on their land isn't a total yahoo. At anytime the farmer or the hunter can pull the plug and end the arrangement.


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## Angler ss (May 15, 2008)

Maybe he don't own the farm just farms it and the family member who owns it likes to hunt. My dad new an older guy he was always complaing about ground hogs eating his soy beans. We set up to hunt his fields two times only seen one ground hog looked for holes or eaten crops not much of anything.Some people just like to complain!
Angler ss


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

I have to agree somewhat with angler ss, I think the amount of crop damage from animals in general and deer in particular, is very OVER-BLOWN by farmers(IMHO). I live in an area with several farms and have walked the edges of my property and observed the corn, bean, or hay fields. I see an occasional empty corn ear, or a few bean plants that have been knocked over but it's not like row upon row is decimated.(Just my observations.) In any case, aren't there "government subsidies" available for (proven) reduced production available to every farmer for whatever reason?(I have no idea how subsidies work, just what I have heard/read about poor weather, drought, etc.)


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## falcon2082 (Jun 16, 2008)

Bigun said:


> I think the DNR has the right idea but is approaching it from the wrong angle. My thought would be to establish a list of hunters who are willing to help farmers. design some sort of qualification (A short class, plus a shooting qualification, maybe an hour and a half total) tht all the hunters must pass. then just advertise it to the farmers. If they want someone to hunt their land they call the DNR, the DNR selects the hunter (Some sort of selection method would have to be set up) contacts them and gives them the farmers contact information.
> 
> THe nice thing about this method is that the farmers who are interested can find hunters, and those that aren't don't have to. Also the farmers know that the person they are letting on their land isn't a total yahoo. At anytime the farmer or the hunter can pull the plug and end the arrangement.


The article I was talking about in my post above was just that, minus the class. The DNR was looking at compiling a list of hunters so they could pair them up with farmers and was looking for input with these surveys and very few farmers replied so the entire survery was not very productive. I do hope one day the farm bureau's and DNR can come up with a workable solution.


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## Toolman (Jun 8, 2004)

Flathunters original post mentioned a farmer who farmed 3000 acres. My hunch is that he didn't own all that land. If that is the case he wouldn't have the right to grant hunting privledges to others anyway. Even if he owned 300 of those acres, most people couldn't fathom the property tax (not to mention upkeep of fences, mowing, trimming trees, and general upkeep, etc.) involved with property ownership. 

IMO most hunters that ask for permission offer nothing in return to the landowner, other than the potential for the harvest of a deer or two from the resident herd. Chances are also, the landowner has had some bad experience previously with a so-called hunter (often called slobs). Unfortunately a few bad apples can spoil the barrel. I just saw this post on Craigslist. Here is a guy that is offering to do something in return for the hunting/fishing privleges.

http://columbus.craigslist.org/bar/976255400.html


Trading firewood (or any other good or service) is one way to get your foot in the door to hunt private lands. How many of you reading this who hunt on others land come back afterwards to express thanks to the landowner? A return visit with a couple of steaks or a roll of trail bologna as a "Christmas present" after the hunt will nearly guarantee not only a return invite, but the possiblility of extending the invite to a friend or two. Instead of complaining about property owners who are hesitant or unwilling to allow hunting, offer something both in advance (like the guy on Craigslist) and in return, and I can almost guarantee it will go a long way towards opening up your hunting opportunities.

There's my $.02


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

This past Tuesday, the last day of MZ season, some guys were driving one piece of adjoining property that the owner allows just about anyone to hunt.

I was listening to their drive on the portable radios long before I saw any of them or heard the first shot taken.

Over the radio one guy said he had killed a doe but there was no way to get a 4 wheeler to it because of a cross fence. Another guy in the group tells him to just run over the fence with his 4-wheeler, that there is no sense in dragging that b*itch that far to get it out.

I realize that many and maybe most hunters are respectful of an owners property, but I sure see a lot every year that are not.

I don't blame landowners for ANY decisions they make, they do after all OWN the property.


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## shorebound (Apr 26, 2008)

You know what they say plaint and acre for you and an acre for the wildlife... i am aloud to hunt on two farms and both farms i do hunt i help out when hay season comes around. on the other hand i asked to hunt another farm out by me and the owner handed me a stack of papers that listed all his rules and stipulations. most of them i could understand some where off the wall but i think that was to keep the slobs off the property. the one farm i do hunt i can take you to spots in the corn fields that the turkeys have made what look like 20 foot crop circles. i think some can come to a agreement and others want no part of people hunting


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## Fish-N-Fool (Apr 12, 2004)

Off topic, but related...

Farmers that complain of deer damage to crops in most areas would be better off allowing a good trapper on their property than a deer hunter. In most areas the ***** & squirrels do more damage to the grain than the deer.
Get a good trapper and a steady squirrel hunter and the damage goes down 50% or better. 

I hate to admit it because I LOVE deer hunting, but as in Lundy's example there are just too many disrespectful hunters out there. Unfortunately the number seems to swell year after year. I am disgusted by some of the firsthand stories I have listened to from farmers 

I am lucky enough to have some private ground to hunt and I do my best to ensure I retain that permission (each property owner is different). I have however come to the conclusion that until I purchase my own land I must live by the landowners rules.

And I grew up on a 1,100 acre farm and know a few farmers - I ain't met one yet that doesn't complain to some degree about wildlife eating their crops


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## Snook (Aug 19, 2008)

Sounds like it to me that he would'nt let you hunt even if you knew him??? So I have no remorse if the deer eat all his corn. Letting some people hunt would be to his advantage. As the landowner he calls all the shots-when,how,where etc... Most hunters are courteous and respectful. It always sickens me when the state issues these "crop damage" tags to farmers who don't allow any hunting. Many times the deer are "gut" shot or lay in the field to rot which is another disgrace. We buy our hunting license to help promote our natural resources and I feel that the state should'nt issue any "crop damage" tags unless the farmer allows some hunting.


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## Fishstix (Aug 16, 2005)

There isn't too much complaining in the area I hunt in. In the summers, the farmers slaughter the deer with damage permits. A couple years back, we found 14 deer that were shot and rotten on the opening of bow season. The farmers would shoot the deer and they would jump the fence onto our property. Every year, if you walk the creek at the base of our hill, you are sure to find a couple dead deer. One year we found a massive eight point. He would have looked great on the wall. We only found 3 this year. Two Does and a spike.

BTW...these farmers do allow people to hunt their property also. They are all about reducing the deer herd.


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## Taco (Jan 4, 2009)

Im a landowner/farmer with about 1700 acres in Ohio and Indiana. Although I dont hunt myself I have no opposition to hunting or hunters in general. Actually, I used to hunt until I turned about 20 and just kind of got away from it and never got back in. That said, I can give several reasons farmers may not allow hunting. However, my primary concern is not for my land, but more for my equipment. Unfortunately, farm equipment is both expensive and a pretty easy target for vandalism. Further, the nature of the business often means leaving equipment unattended in a field overnight. If it comes to choosing between the deer damaging my corn or giving permission to someone to be on my land unaccompaniedwell, Ill take my chances with the deer. A neighbor of mine recently had his combine vandalized, shut him down for weeks and did literally over a hundred thousand dollars in damage. NO ONE is claiming it was hunters, most likely it wasnt, but the reality is there is generally too much at stake simply for the sake of a couple bushels of grain or being a good neighbor. Even something as simple as a tire can put a combine down for a couple days, and the thought of a stray shot or even just a broken broadhead or broken arrow can be the culpritnothing intentional, but its happened before.

As for damage permits, I can't imagine a scenerio where the deer are causing so much damage that a farmer could justify slaughtering deer and leaving them. Even if he had an entire acre completely wiped out of a 100 acre field, that still leaves 99%...he'll lose that much through his combine alone, or by planting too soon, or when its too wet, or waiting too long to harvest, or because he has a tile broken down, etc. My point is, there are a lot of things in farming you can control, or you can just complain about the things you can't (like deer or the weather). The value of the meat for those three deer would be worth what the deer cost him in crop damage if he really cared, sounds more like a guy who rather blame someone (something) else than actually work a little harder or plan a little better.

Now, groundhogs...that's another matter!


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## Fishstix (Aug 16, 2005)

I work with a guy that farms and he says that squirrels and ***** do more damage to crops than deer do. Just so everyone knows, I don't hold anything against the farmer. It makes me sick when I find them dead below his field, but there isn't anything I can do about it. I tend to only worry about things I can control. It's his land, so he can do what he wants if the deer are in his fields.

I just know that the guy hates deer. He always stops down to chat with us when were eating lunch at our trucks. Asks what we've seen and why we didn't shoot them. His famous saying..."shoot all them SOB's." Don't know what it is, but some deer must have rubbed him the wrong way in the past...LOL.


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## Snook (Aug 19, 2008)

Taco...do you allow any hunting???


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## Taco (Jan 4, 2009)

Snook said:


> Taco...do you allow any hunting???


My land isn't the best for hunting...out of 1750 acres probably 1720 is farmable. Thats not an exegeration. Any land we buy that has much timber on itis usually sold off if possible to whoever approaches us/me first. I have some neighbors who have stands on their property and they can shoot on mine, but no one really "hunts" it. Aside from those neighbors, not too many people ever express too much interest...my guess is the featurless land doesn't provide oppertunity to get reliably close. I see plenty of deer each fall, but you never know where you're gonna see them.


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## wildman (Sep 3, 2008)

If you ever need some one to hunt any of it would gladly hunt it. Wether it's deer or If you ever allow duck and goose hunting that would be even better. I love to hunt fields. If so P.M. me.


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