# So anyone still at it



## fishforfun (Apr 9, 2005)

So anyone still bowhunting a lot of guys stop after gun. I am still going have a tag to burn like to shoot another doe.


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## wis2ohio (Jan 20, 2012)

I will be at it until I shoot a deer. Figured I will start hunting again this week in hopes to bag something


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## turkeyt (Apr 13, 2006)

Start at again this coming week. Secondary rut coming this next week. Only problem is, most of those bucks will be doing it at night. Just hope to catch one who did not get the message. Last year I had 5 or 6 bucks after gun season on cams. All were in the dark time hours.


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## Bluefinn (Jan 26, 2007)

Hunted today the last few hours, didn't see any. But driving home from work last night I saw 4, & one was a nice one. I agree the second rut should be in, but I didn't really see much with the first one. I just enjoy being out there. I'll be back in the morning. I always feel good after sitting in the woods, even when I don't see any. The hunt continues. Good luck to you guys still out there.


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## Scum_Frog (Apr 3, 2009)

I'm unfortunately still at it....been a really hard year for me this year....put in more time this year than I have any other year and it just hasn't worked out for me yet....new hunters on the property across the creek from me has really ruined the area....Ive never met more people with the lack of hunting that are out there....it really stinks to have my hours upon hours upon hours of prep be ruined by idiots on the attached property. Ive had this guy multiple times walking down the creek with a bow and binocs like he is going to put a stalk on a buck when the ground is covered with big maple leaves and you can hear every step from 400 yards away....nothing like taking all the steps to be scent free and getting no sleep to be up and out early and for it to be ruined by some idiot....ahhhhh!!!!!! 

2014 Marks "The year of frustration" LOL.....least the giant ive been chasing is still out there and made it through gun season but knowing my luck Mr. Idiot himself will put a stalk on him....LOL jk! Goodluck to everyone else still out there trying to get it done!


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## mar8152 (Sep 22, 2014)

Will be heading out Thursday, I still have a tag to fill. I figure it's an excuse to get out of the house and in the woods. 


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

I'm still at it but half heartedly. I've tagged a buck and a doe so far so I really don't need another. My partner is looking for a doe so I keep going to help him out if needed. 
To change things up I've been hunting on the ground checking out potential new spots for next year.
I may try to get my friend to hunt my normal stand. It's usually pretty hot this time of year and I'm sure he could fill a tag there. We may hold back until ML season.


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## SelfTaught (Mar 27, 2014)

crappiedude said:


> I'm still at it but half heartedly. .


Same here, since gun season I've just been back in the rivers hard chasing steelhead. Went and picked up a couple new arrows since I went 2/2 on my arrows breaking on the 2 deer I shot this year already. 

Still lookin to fill that buck tag...


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

I need 2 doe's so I'll be back out sometime, been cutting and splitting firewood while the buck hung for a week.....working on next years supply of wood, this years is running low being down there more then ever in the past, still plenty to do there besides the wood .....replenished the feeder and set a camera to see what, if anything is visiting but the neighbors dogs


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## Weekend Woodsmen (Aug 12, 2013)

fishforfun said:


> So anyone still bowhunting a lot of guys stop after gun. I am still going have a tag to burn like to shoot another doe.


We don't quit until we are tagged out or the season is over...typically the latter! We are going to spend a little more time duck and goose hunting this year though.


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

Over here in PA we still have the late Flintlock season. So I'm gonna pull out the old smoke pole instead of the bow for the late season!


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## beetlebailey (May 26, 2009)

ya im done!


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

I've got mine in the freezer, but I always get an extra tag for the late season!


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## free67 (Apr 26, 2005)

you guys amaze me. Most here complain about the deer population being down, but just read the replys here. There is a reason it is down.


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

free67 said:


> you guys amaze me. Most here complain about the deer population being down, but just read the replys here. There is a reason it is down.


I own my property. Along with my neighbor we aggressively manage it to preserve a healthy population. My friend a couple miles down the road is a farmer with a serious deer problem that loves his sweet corn. At his request I hunt at his place in the late season to reduce the deer down there...


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## Scum_Frog (Apr 3, 2009)

Just got even better news.....some punks killed a sheep and a ram at the property I hunt with a rifle at night....so now the owner wants everyone off his property for the rest of the season.....so now all my time and money ive spent for the last 5 years has come too an end because of some idiot punks. At a loss of words.


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## hopintocash2 (Aug 14, 2011)

i'll be at it til mz season, then i'm done.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Sorry to hear the bad news *Scum_Frog*. 

Got cut out of about 80acres years ago when the property owner found one of his horses dead. Looked like it was shot with a high powered rifle. He was so mad he shut his property off to all hunting including his s-n-l. 
A few years later I did get exclusive access to rabbit hunt there as a return favor for working on his dozer. 



> So anyone still bowhunting a lot of guys stop after gun.


Shot one opening day of shotgun. Between wife and I, we are eligible for 5 more. Would like to have another but like *free67* eluded to, the deer herd is down so we are done.

We have some venison in the freezer, dog has plenty of scraps...no since in gettin greedy. Besides, need to get back on the out of control yotes.


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## ostbucks98 (Apr 14, 2004)

So your trapping yotes?


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

> Orig. posted by *ostbucks98* :
> 
> 
> 
> > So your trapping yotes?


No sir. I know that's the most efficient way. But as this point, just hunting them.


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

free67 said:


> you guys amaze me. Most here complain about the deer population being down, but just read the replys here. There is a reason it is down.


I guess that all depends on where you hunt.
I'm not complaining about the herd being down. We've been killing 4-6 deer off of these 2 properties for as long as I can remember until the last 3 or 4 years. Now we kill 2-4 deer. I just can't use all the meat. 
There used to be 6-9 guys hunting on these farms years ago and now we are down to 2 or 3. Some of the neighboring farms had 3 or 4 guys and now you hardly ever see anyone on those farms. Some of the neighboring properties have been closed to hunting all together.


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

hopintocash2 said:


> i'll be at it til mz season, then i'm done.


That's usually my late season cut off date. I just like being out during late season. I may hunt a day or 2 after ML season but I have plenty of meat now.
I just hope the ice stays off the lakes so I can keep getting the boat out after I set the bow down.


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## mar8152 (Sep 22, 2014)

Was out this morning in SW ohio. Jumped a nice buck heading out to my spot. He ran about 30 yards and laid down. It was still 40mins before sun raise and I was waiting for better lite to take a shot. I could see him moving for about 20mins and once there was enough lite to see clearly he was gone. Saw one other deer by lunch but out if shooting range. I figure I will get out once more and call it a season. 


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## supercanoe (Jun 12, 2006)

I am going to start back up today. I need a doe. And I need to sit in the woods to stay sane.


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## supercanoe (Jun 12, 2006)

I had a good time yesterday. I hunted a spot about 5 miles down the road. I saw 5 does and a 1 buck. Everything seemed to be back to normal from gun season.


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

I am hoping to see good things on my camera I set out at the feeder since last week, haven't had one out at all this year....hopefully see something other then the neighbors dogs....seems the second rut might be on, and we are headed down for Christmas at the sister-in-laws and staying in the cabin,

I might stay once the rest goes back home and do some bow hunting and more fire wood cutting and splitting for the up coming years, still need to do some stuff around the cabin too(insulating the floor and back gutter install) maybe check the sights on the muzzle loaders too, before the season hits



ostbucks98 said:


> So your trapping yotes?



I have thought of this , but most likely would only trap the neighbors starving dogs....and unless there I wouldn't have any trap set anyway.....I have material and plans for a Large trap for yotes or wild boar ....but most like just dogs so it never got built yet


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Scum_Frog said:


> Just got even better news.....some punks killed a sheep and a ram at the property I hunt with a rifle at night....so now the owner wants everyone off his property for the rest of the season.....so now all my time and money ive spent for the last 5 years has come too an end because of some idiot punks. At a loss of words.


I think maybe that I'd have to write the guy a respectfully worded letter, after he gets a chance to cool down, and point out that it wasn't you! After all, you don't hunt at night! In fact, it may not have been anyone who hunts the property with permission, just some random poachers. Hope it works out.

Anyway, my buddy's mechanic has a bunch of nice buck mounts on the walls of his business. Claims he got them all during the late, late season! Mid-January, the tertiary rut! The bucks are running out of targets real fast at that time. I swear I see more deer late then early! And it doesn't take more than 3-4 days after gun for the deer to settle down.


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## idontknow316 (Mar 21, 2008)

I'm still at it, I shot a buck, but would like a doe. But I'm starting to get on board with the whole the deer numbers are way down claim. I've never seen so few in the few years I've been hunting and may reconsider shooting another one this season


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

> Orig posted by *idontknow316*:
> 
> I'm still at it, I shot a buck, but would like a doe. But I'm starting to get on board with the whole the deer numbers are way down claim. I've never seen so few in the few years I've been hunting and may reconsider shooting another one this season


Kudo's to ya for your reconsideration *idontknow316*.

I'm in the same boat. Used my buck tag and sure could use a nice fat doe for the freezer. Especially since I just invested about $450 on a new grinder, meat grind bags, casings, seasonings etc. 
But I just know that if us hunters don't start monitoring our bag limits on our own, we will be facing some very bleak hunting seasons in the future.


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

Still at it. Froze yesterday from 1pm til dark. I had a small basket rack 8 point come in under my stand at 10 yards. It was a rush as it always is with any deer, but I already have taken my buck for the year as well and I'm still after a doe.


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## Bowhunter57 (Feb 9, 2011)

I stopped shooting does, over 3 years ago, but the population keeps dropping. Last year, I started being more aggressive hunting coyotes and that has seemed to help the losses. Just the same, it's going to take a few years for the deer to bounce back from such losses.

I seen 2 deer during the entire Deer Gun Season. 

I'm waiting for harsh weather conditions to drive the "want-to-be" hunters, back inside. Snow on the ground and bitter cold temps will put the deer on a constant feed cycle and with no hunting pressure, it will be a simpler method of hunting.

I've given serious thought to hunting geese, next year. 

Bowhunter57


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## SelfTaught (Mar 27, 2014)

I'll be out for ML have been seeing quite a few does moving around at last light lately. Last night cruising around the block in Wakeman Ohio saw about 50+ does out in one field chowing down on some freshly on a freshly planted Hay field. Pretty crazy, I've never seen that many deer in one field in these parts my entire life. - Field was all does, stopped and put my binoculars on em and couldn't spot any horns. Haven't seen a buck since Tuesday of Gun season...


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## ford guy (Mar 28, 2009)

Sick to my stomach. Finally got back out Sunday evening with the bow. Had a beautiful buck come in broadside at 25 yards. Hit him high in the shoulder. Let him go all night. Came back in the morning. Found the arrow about 50 yards from where he was standing. Only about 3 inches broken off. Found a few spots of blood and searched the whole area. Pretty sure caught the shoulder blade...


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

That's a bad feeling *ford guy*. 

Unfortunately, as we all know, if we hunt hard enough and long enough, losing one at some point will most likely happen. And when it does, it haunts us for a very long time. If it doesn't, we need to hang up our hunting clothes.
All we can do is practice as much as we can, shoot and stay within our known personal limits. Again, even doing that, we can make a bad hit.

Hopefully you will find him


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## Josh h (Aug 14, 2011)

ironman172 said:


> I am hoping to see good things on my camera I set out at the feeder since last week, haven't had one out at all this year....hopefully see something other then the neighbors dogs....seems the second rut might be on, and we are headed down for Christmas at the sister-in-laws and staying in the cabin,
> 
> 
> Do us all a favor and force the neighbor to contain the dogs. The deer sightings on my small property have grown 4x since I got the neighbors to keep their dogs off my property.


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

Suddenly with social media and its widespread use now everyone believes that the deer population is down. I question whether those that spread this information really stay in the woods that long? Do they scout and have trail cams to gauge the deer in the area that they hunt? I get the feeling that most are armchair biologists who just need to learn how to hunt better.


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## BassCatcher12 (Jun 24, 2005)

Find his sheds? And get on him next year? I'm thinking that's what I may do.. And take a doe for the freeZer. He's only 3 1/2. The deer on the left.


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

kayak1979 said:


> Suddenly with social media and its widespread use now everyone believes that the deer population is down. I question whether those that spread this information really stay in the woods that long? Do they scout and have trail cams to gauge the deer in the area that they hunt? I get the feeling that most are armchair biologists who just need to learn how to hunt better.


Good stuff


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

> Orig. posted by *kayak1979*:
> 
> 
> 
> > I question whether those that spread this information really stay in the woods that long? Do they scout and have trail cams to gauge the deer in the area that they hunt? I get the feeling that most are armchair biologists who just need to learn how to hunt better.


I bet you one thing *kayak1979*...I bet you I spend as much time in the woods year round then most, if not all ODNR employees. I live in the middle of the woods and am out in the woods everyday. Too, most everyone I get my info. from in different counties do just as I do. They are not weekend warriors that get to the country just on the weekends to enjoy the woods. They live there as well.

But obviously, there will always be those that continually refuse to believe what people that actually live in hunting areas and have actually seen the drastic decline in the deer population are saying. 
And it seems that it doesn't even really matter to these doubters that in the past 6-8years yearly deer harvest has declined further proving the decline in deer population.

What will convince these people is when they eventually end up hunting all season long seeing maybe one or two deer like it was back in the late 60's and early 70's. Some of us remember those days.

But I digress... there seems to be many hunting today that have been spoiled by the deer herd we've enjoyed the last 15-20yrs and think those times will continue forever because ODNR still has outrageous deer bag limits so things must be just dandy. They simply chose to not think about the fact that for the last 20+yrs that ODNR has been very open about their goals in drastically reducing the herd. Lastly, these same people usually don't have a clue about how many total deer are actually killed or die every year by not only hunters and vehicles but coyotes as well. Especially the fawn population.

They've never killed multiple coyote's in their yard, they've never enjoyed the experience of being in their yard and hearing a fawn bawling cause some yotes have it down chewing on it. They don't find the carcasses year round in their suburban yards. They've never been awaken in the night cause yotes are around their yard barking and they cannot step out on the deck every night and hear the packs of yotes talking to each other from ridge top to ridge top 
Why...cause they don't live there.

And if someone that does live there tries to explain this to them, they think the person is just a wanna-be biologist that never steps foot in the woods and does nothing but sit on the computer spreading rumors cause he/she has nothing better to do.

One last thought, for those that live in the city and surrounding suburbs that do not allow hunting that always see deer in your neighborhoods, don't automatically think that just cause you have plenty of deer in your 'no hunting' area that the rural areas are still as blessed. Just remember that the rural 'hunting' areas are where all the deer have been taken from to achieve ODNR's reduced 'targeted' deer numbers from.


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

Yesterday I was thinking it would be interesting if odnr could use drones with thermal imaging to capture a good estimate on the population.


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