# WHAT ABOUT THIS OPTION FOR PUBLIC LAND DEER REGS.



## UNCLEMIKE (Jul 23, 2014)

The state did a survey last year seeking input regarding the possibility of special deer regs. on public land. The results were that there was not support from hunters for the options that were offered in the survey. These were things such as limiting access or shortening seasons. The state seems to have taken this to mean public land hunters do not support changes. This can be thought to be the case as again this year there seems to be no proposals for special deer regs. on public lands. I think they just have not offered the right changes.

Not sure if it was this site or on another but someone proposed what I think is the best option perhaps. ALLOW JUST ONE DOE FROM PUBLIC LANDS PERIOD PER SEASON. IF YOU TAKE A DOE ON PRIVATE FIRST THEN NO DOES AFTER ON PUBLIC LAND. Buck and antlerless regs. remain unchanged on private land. This would not eliminate anyone from hunting public land and would not allow for a population explosion quickly. Give it a season or two and see the results. Anyone for this, anyone see a major flaw?


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## squid_1 (Jun 2, 2005)

I don't see why they separate the methods. If the bag limits are the numbers they are using to help control the herd then let gun/bow/muzzy's hunters hunt all season. When you limit out your done. This might also reduce the overcrowding of some of the public areas during a 1 week season.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Bag limits are NOT set expecting everyone to fill their tags, quite the opposite.

33% average historical hunter success rate. If that were to up bag limits would have to be reduced


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Uncle Mike,

I like your proposal, many won't, but I do but I would add that drives would be not permitted on public lands


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## SmallieKing (Apr 11, 2007)

I believe a shortened season like Ohio has really pressures the deer more than anything. People feel the need to shoot whatever as to get their tag filled. I believe the longer gun seasons like KY and IN allow the pressure to be spread out better. My personal experience shows the deer to still be skittish in t hi one states after gun, but not like here in Ohio. Guys need to realize to that the herd needs to be managed for overall health and not horn size. I hunted a property in November and seen 82 deer while a guy on an adjacent property didn't even see a dozen. Regulations need to be made as an umbrella for both public and private. Go back to a 3 deer limit statewide.


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## Ripley (May 10, 2010)

I like the idea of a gun season in late September/October. Another about a month later in October/November. Instead of the week and a weekend. I also like a 3 limit... 1 buck and 2 doe. I also stated in another thread, that I like the idea of shortening the season to end it the first full week after New Years, for example, if the first is on a Saturday or Sunday hunt to the following Sunday. Or if the first is on a Monday thru Thursday hunt for a the rest of the week and the following week.

Drives should not be allowed. I've seen drives that are stupid. A whole bunch show up with young'uns carrying pots, pans, spoons, and anything else they can bang on. The best shooters are down at the far end. This group of young'uns spread way out in a long line and start banging, hootin, hollerin, making a big ruckus. There are some with guns in this group. The sharpshooters on the other end take out as many deer as they can. Screws up everyones hunt. Then they load up everything in the vans and head out.... or... worse yet do it again the next day somewhere.

To me... 2-4 guys walking thru the woods isn't a drive. Most of the time they are walking together and peel off to go to their stands. If a deer kicks up that's just bad luck on the deer's part.

So what would be considered a drive?

I also don't think separating public land with different rules is a good thing either. Keep them equal.

Now after all things are send and done. We come down to the problem of not enough wildlife officers to enforce things. That's the problem that should be fixed first.


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## bigwayned (Jul 7, 2015)

Let's take our frustration out on the hunters that have limited access to begin with. Are you serious? I'm all for shorter seasons and a 1 buck 1 doe bag limit but to make those restrictions just for public land hunters is a little bit one sided.
Hunting is already moving in the direction of very limited access unless your leasing land or have the good fortune of owning your own. If we are cutting opportunity away from the public land hunters ,maybe private land hunters should pay more for their tags. How many private land owners/hunters drive the public lands early in gun week and then move to their own property to take stands and hunt the rest of the week? 
I'm not in favor of segregating any group of hunters in the state regarding public or private, I was just making a point as to how ridiculous that would be.


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## doegirl (Feb 24, 2005)

UNCLEMIKE said:


> The state did a survey last year seeking input regarding the possibility of special deer regs. on public land. The results were that there was not support from hunters for the options that were offered in the survey. These were things such as limiting access or shortening seasons. The state seems to have taken this to mean public land hunters do not support changes. This can be thought to be the case as again this year there seems to be no proposals for special deer regs. on public lands. I think they just have not offered the right changes.
> 
> Not sure if it was this site or on another but someone proposed what I think is the best option perhaps. ALLOW JUST ONE DOE FROM PUBLIC LANDS PERIOD PER SEASON. IF YOU TAKE A DOE ON PRIVATE FIRST THEN NO DOES AFTER ON PUBLIC LAND. Buck and antlerless regs. remain unchanged on private land. This would not eliminate anyone from hunting public land and would not allow for a population explosion quickly. Give it a season or two and see the results. Anyone for this, anyone see a major flaw?


Reasonable, however, the vast majority of hunters only take one deer in the season. How about one deer, regardless of sex, per season on public land? Many hunters will think twice of dropping the string opening day on a doe if that means they can't go after Mr.Big in November.


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## Shad Rap (Nov 10, 2010)

Yeah majority of hunters kill one and you definitely shouldnt be able to kill 2 doe a year...personally I think gun season should come in saturday after thanksgiving(scrap the bonus weekend)...agree that there was no need to raise bag limits in counties where the kill was down...not really sure of the point there...just to make more money with people buying more tags I guess...no deer drives on public land is a good idea...one deer on public land is also a good one.


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## Krt1911 (Mar 30, 2014)

Due to certain circumstances I had 6 weeks off in October and November this past season. I am a decent hunter and am usually done well before gun season. I hunted public land in 6 counties this past season and saw a grand total of 11 deer. 8 bucks and 3 doe to be exact. (yes, i did harvest a buck and quit hunting for the year) There were days of walking/scouting in which I didn't even come across a deer track. Something has to be done on public land in ohio. The deer population is way down from what I see.
I propose having separate buck and doe tags. Buck tags can be bought like normal and have a limit of one per person. Doe tags are limited by wildlife unit and are a drawing. No cost to enter drawing unless a tag is received. These tags would be for public land only. Private land can use land owner tags and shoot whatever the landowner feels they want shot. Set system up so tags outside of the actual current landowner rules still have to be purchased. Wouldn't want the state rainy day fund to go dry lol.

It's going to take a good 2 to 3 years to see a change, but something needs to be done.


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## Snook (Aug 19, 2008)

I don't think you will ever have a problem with herd size on public ground. If there is get the word out and it will be handled in 1 yr. IMOP .. if a person sees deer ... even if he/she can't shoot them they will be back.


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

I don't understand why any regulations would separate public from private land ....? 100% of my hunting is on public land… And I have never hunted public land that does not have private land boundaries or signs within a mile or so of it . So any bag limit regulations proposed need to include everyone, public and private .


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

9Left said:


> I don't understand why any regulations would separate public from private land ....? 100% of my hunting is on public land… And I have never hunted public land that does not have private land boundaries or signs within a mile or so of it . So any bag limit regulations proposed need to include everyone, public and private .


I guess it depends on the size of the private land. I know guys who own 10 acres and think they "manage their herd". They're just feeding deer from everywhere else. 

I also know people that have control of 800+ acres. Those deer aren't leaving their property. Those deer are for all intents and purposes "their deer". I know the law states that the deer belong to the state, but the point is that deer on a tract that large generally stay on that tract. Therefore they can control the population. You can't do that on smaller tracts of land.


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## ostbucks98 (Apr 14, 2004)

800 acres is just a little over a square mile. I wouldn't consider anything less than 3500 acres to start thinking "my deer". My brother in law lives 5 miles from me and on several occasion have the same deer on cams.


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

You'll have roaming bucks looking for love, but we're not talking trophy populations here. We're talking population levels in general. I highly doubt you have the same young bucks and does traveling from his place 5 miles away to your camera, unless you have the only food source within that 5 miles. Your brother in law shooting extra does on his place probably isn't going to have an effect on the amount of deer you see on your place in my opinion. 

I thought that at one point there was a stipulation in the laws requiring you to own a certain amount of acreage to qualify for Sunday hunting and the use of landowner permits? It's been 20 plus years ago at least , but if so, why couldn't the same logic be used for this application? 

It really doesn't matter to me. I've pretty well given up on deer hunting the past few years because it just doesn't appeal to me like it used to. However, I've decided after watching how fast my family consumed the last deer I shot this past season, that I'll fill however many tags they allow me to fill this coming season because the land I hunt can handle that and more. If the land I hunted seemed to be struggling with keeping a healthy population, I wouldn't shoot any does from that property. 

I don't personally know anyone who tags out on public land. I know plenty of people who hunt public. Most shoot one deer. The majority of the people I know who fill more than one tag per household , do it on private lands. This is just my experience and I realize it isn't everyone's. 

On a side note, I spoke with the GW the other day and he said he was surprised to see that we had a lot of Amish from way up north travel down here to hunt public land. He said he checked several van loads of them from Ashtabula county area. I'd imagine they shot whatever the could get away with.


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## ostbucks98 (Apr 14, 2004)

#1 problem with public land is landowners will travel to local public land to kill a doe but then protect their own deer population. I see it all the time.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

ostbucks98 said:


> #1 problem with public land is landowners will travel to local public land to kill a doe but then protect their own deer population. I see it all the time.


 Are you saying that landowners have no right to kill a deer on public land ??


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## ldrjay (Apr 2, 2009)

I wonder how many do as I do... if I get time, if... I'll buy a tag I don't care if it's a wall hanger or a yearling, I'm just out to put one in the freezer. public or private which I do both. ne Ohio has enough for me. again I can't eat antlers so I couldn't care less about the let it grow thing. I ONLY hunt to eat it. nothing will ever change that. past few years I haven't bothered to hunt due to no time. we get road kill at my grandma's enough if we want them. this past season I got picked for plumbrook I bought a tag and filled it. I guess my mentality is the problem you guys have. I just don't have the time I used to to pass on them when they walk by. save a few bucks at the store (hahaha I said bucks) I'm all for it. by the way these posts are very amusing to pass the time.


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