# Negitive experiences of gun season



## Guest (Dec 8, 2004)

I had a long message typed up but I deleted it because it wasnt nessesary.

All I basically have to say is that gun season sure seems to bring out some true idiots, and its those few idiots that can ruin a good hunt for everyone else. I was trying to help my buddy get his first deer this year but thanks to a few people that didnt happen.  Its the same thing every year!  


I sure am glad I got both of my deer before gun season came in.


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

I'll keep it short also - 

I had fewer bad experiences this year, but still encountered some problems. I enjoy the gun season less and less each year. I'm sure eventually that I'll give it up  

This is simply my opinion based on personal experiences during the last 16 seasons.


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## PoleSnatcher (Apr 6, 2004)

do you guys think it would help if gun week was extended to maybe two weeks? I was talking with a buddy and we thik that it would cut down on the number of idiots in the woods at one time.

just a thought, currious to hear others opinions


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## rac123 (May 20, 2004)

I think a 2 week season would be a good thing. at least at the price you pay for a tag, a guy or gal could get in a couple of sat/sun and a couple of days off, maybe generate some more interest?? the same with muzzleloader season,why doesnt the state move the areas around the state instead of the same 3 places year after year???  state says they had a record kill this year so you probaly wont hear any changes for 2005?--125,000 or so I think I read in paper?that figures out to 1 in 4 with 400,000 tags sold?


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## DaleM (Apr 5, 2004)

Years ago the State did have a two week season. I thought it was really a good thing. Why they never continued it, I do not know. Maybe we'll ask the ODNR and try to get an answer. I haven't had any problems in several years but I do hunt in a deselent area and private property too. Just be careful, hunt with people you know and think before you shoot. Never give it up guys, peta and other groups are waiting for that to happen.


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## Guest (Dec 9, 2004)

Thats the thing we were on private land we had permission for, bad thing was is that there were about 5 other people there that did not have permission!  

About having gun season for 2 weeks, I can see where you guys are coming from, but around where I live at and hunt, I think that a 2 week season would result in way to many deer being killed. The deer population is low as it is right now. But I can see how it might cut down on the number of hunters being out there at one time. 

Hopefully as I stated earlier, I will tag out before gun season again next year as I did this year, so I can advoid the orange invasion. Besides, I would trade 1 day bowhunting during the heat of the rut, for 1 week of gun season.


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

Trap, if you only had one week to bowhunt, which week would you chose?


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## Lil' Rob (Apr 11, 2004)

I've only been hunting for eight years now and it amazes me how busy places like Gander Mountain, Dicks, K-Marts, etc. are with people buying their deer tags or even their hunting licence the day before the shotgun opener. There have been three years that I've seen people buying a shotgun and slugs the day before the opener, with one of them asking the clerk if they really needed to sight it in! Scary.


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## Guest (Dec 9, 2004)

Flathunter, I would probably pick the second week in November to try to hunt the pre rut.. The rut is really a hit or miss thing, you just got to be out there and observe the deer, and let them tell you when to hunt. During one day I hunted during the pre rut this year, I saw more bucks in 3 hours that I had the whole entire month before.  

ps.Flathunter, do you plan on doing anymore fishing this year or are you done untill spring?


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

Trap, I may go up to paint spillway a time or two during christmas, I have 8 days off..And try to catch a saugeye..Other than that I am done till spring.


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## Bassnpro1 (Apr 6, 2004)

I heard that they never continued the two week season, because there wasn't much interest in the second week and not many deer were killed in the second week. At least not as many as they had hoped, it still seemed that the woods were packed on the first week


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## PoleSnatcher (Apr 6, 2004)

I don't see the point of them cancelling it because of few deer being killed. I think it would thin out the amount of hunters in the one week period and as a result less accidents among with better hunting


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## Pharley (Apr 11, 2004)

I gave up on gun season on public land 3 years ago, as I literally feared of the idiots in the woods. I enjoy gun hunting, but will onlly go on pvt property these days. Stupidity=Danger.

Speaking of hunts, I got hooked up with our DOW Officer, and am getting set up on a private property damage hunt. Sounds like a great route. Am hoping to go on my hunt mid-January, and the hunts are not regulated. Only by the # of deer that can be taken. Can use any caliber of pistol, slugs, or rifles, and hunt day or night. Sounded too good to be true, but it is just that. Hopefully things pan out and I will get to get out on a hunt in January.
Rob


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## ncraft150 (Apr 5, 2004)

Thank god my sister and brother-in-law have 80 acres in Coshocton. I haven't hunted public land since they got married back in 1995.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

They discontinued the two week season because the deer kill actually went down. Gun season is needed to reduce the deer herd, and that's just the way it is. Hunting in gun season means a change in strategy, and those who don't are often disappointed and frustrated. I'm afraid it's not going to change.


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## beatsworkin (Apr 12, 2004)

There were just not enough people hunting that second week to justify having all the personal manning state check in posts, wardens, etc, etc...even the private check in posts complained about it. Plus it will take 2 weeks out of small game hunting for those who do not pursue deer...I'd like to see the late primative season be run over three 3 day weekends.


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

ncraft150 - you are a lucky man  

M.Magis - you are exactly right, the gun week is simply to reduce the herd and generate $. 

In the areas I hunt I see many more deer during the gun week due to the pressure. It is a shame that most of what I see is hunting them like rabbits at best, rampant use of ATV's and Trucks, lead flying at tails everywhere  

I don't know why the state even bothers to act like they care. You can run them down with your truc, so long as they get the $24 tag fee everything's kosher. 

On Saturday this year I watched a group in my area push some cover. 1 - ATV & 2 walkers. They just walked each side of the cover (no strategy) and jumped a basket racked 8 pointer. There was at least 8-10 shots fired between 3 guys (hard to tell). I could see that the buck was already wounded and only able to run at half speed. He jumped 1 fence and almost fell, but was able to escape the morons. I watched him bed down in a fencerow. 

I went and got my buddy and his brother-in-law. The brother-in-law had never taken a buck and I knew this one had to be put down. We positioned him and drove it to him perfectly. He was thrilled.

Upon inspection it had taken a slug early in the week in the left shoulder. The angled showed the shot was taken with the deer running away from the shooter slightly right. It went in right at the joint and came out the front completly blowing it out. I don't know how this dude was traveling the way he was. 

The season will never change, but I wish there were a better way. I think the state does a really poor job of educating sportmen. I know the responsiblity should be at the individual level, but we all know this never works. 

I know the coyotes in the state love this time of year


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Pharley,

If you do get to go on one of these property damage hunts, PLEASE do not make a bad impression on everyone with it the way I have seen it done around here. I know of more than one place where the same type of hunts take place and it is basically just jumbo groundhog season. These guys plug away on deer of either sex and pile them up on the side of the fields to rot. For the life of me I will never understand the logic of it. I just don't see why they don't offer more hunting tags in the area if they are that much of a problem. Leaving the meat to waste is just a disgrace. I would love to see some sort of program that would use them to feed the hungry or something.


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## Onion (Apr 10, 2004)

I am lucky enough to have a total of 400 acres of private land to hunt in Pike and Clermont counties for gun season. 

I spent the majority of the week on 300 acres in Pike County and actually heard automatic weapon fire more than twice. Plenty of times we heard multiple shots (8+) that may have been a handgun but sounded more like an autoloader shotgun. Lots of rifle fire too.

Some of the best hunting spots on the property are within 100 yards of the property line but we do not hunt within 300 yards of the lines during gun season.


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## AEFISHING (Apr 25, 2004)

I think Ohio should be like Kentucky and extend the muzzeloader season to a couple of weeks. Much safer than shotgun season.


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## rac123 (May 20, 2004)

ncraft--repeat after me  "there are no deer in Coshocton"!  you will forget!!  ---lol! seriously tho, Coshocton was among the top producers!!!------------"there are no deer"


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## Guest (Dec 9, 2004)

I think thats what it is also, if the DNR dont profit from it, it wont happen. One major complaint I have is the lack of game wardens in the area. One game warden per county is just simply not enough to cover that whole county, I mean it would be immposible! Farthermore, of all the times I have seen game wardens driving by and such, they rarley ever get out and actually check for licences or to make sure you have your gun plugged, etc.. The amont of poachers in my area is pathetic. The probably one reason there is so few deer around where I live. The thing that makes me mad also is that I have called in poachers through the TIP hotline, gave them the poachers name, address and all that stuff, and to my knowledge the game warden or anyone else has not even investigated it.


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

Trap -You'd better get used to it or move! 

I watched a guy and his 2 teen age sons put on a deer drive (no permission) with shotguns during bow season last year. They killed a 6 point buck, threw it in the truck and took it home. I followed them to their house. They didn't even try to hide the deer; they drug it in plain view to the side of their house. I called the Police department & County Game Warden. I gave them the man's address, plate #, vehicle description, and NAME! 

Result - Nothing! Saw the same losers tresspassing during gun season.  

I got a call from ODNR officer months later because I had sent in written complaints about the whole situation. He told me over the phone it was nearly impossible to bust anybody. He said they just don't have the $$$ resources and unless they catch somebody in the act; well. 

He apologized to me for the lack of response. I told him there was no need, and that I understood they were doing what they could, but I was frustrated. 

If I spent my time during the gun season reporting every violation I see - I wouldn't even get to hunt! It just amazes me how few "busts" you see, when I can drive down a country road any given day and find trouble in my area. It's like they turn a blind eye.


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## Hardtop (Nov 24, 2004)

Before you go to the trouble of asking the DOW for an extension, look at it from their perspective......they have the whole gang out beating the bushes for violations that week, thats an expensive proposition. They make the lions share of their violation $ that week. If they can keep things as they are, why would they stretch that to two weeks and double their cost for raking in that revenue.


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## fishingful (Apr 5, 2004)

i had a airplane that was orange and white and what looked to be an od&r sticker buzing around noble co during the gun season any ideas what they were dooing??????????????............jim


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## MAINAH (Apr 14, 2004)

Gun season on public land....where to start? For some like me its all we have but the ever increasing number of idiots in the woods is crazy. 

I hunt the public Milan area, on opening day I get out earlyand up in my treestand by 6:30am (keep in mind it was 25 degrees or so) sitting there all nice and quiet. At 8:30 two "hunters" come walking, side by side, talking kinda loudly. One in blaze orange coveralls, the other in a orange vest, blue jeans and rebok high tops. They walk to within 5 yards of my tree, stop and continue to talk about thier "strategy". I listened for a minute or two and finally whistled to them. To see the look on thier faces as they looked up to see me, PRICELESS, they had no idea I was there. To thier credit they did apologize and they did leave. However they moved 100 yards to my right and sat down under a tree. they stayed there for 20 minutes or so, came back to me and they "thought I would like to know they were leaving because they had to go to work." I thought what the @#$%, I was angered....a bit . 

I thought my morning was ruined........30 minutes after they left I filled my tag because some other hunters had pushed deer within range.  

Took a shot at a nice buck....hit a tree (boo hoo) got a doe.

I would love to stop hunting on public land durring gun season, so if any of you guys with all this private land want some company, just let me know. LOL


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## catfish1998 (Jul 8, 2004)

Well we hunt on public land. In Gallia county .On Monday this year we had 49 hunters.Tuesday we had 56.Some drive some sit .From my first day of huntig in 1994 I have never been close to a slug hitting around me.I have heard 123 shots on one hunt.One year we had a group hook up with us there wher 98 hunters. 65 vehicles. The dnr officer drove up checked every one.Not a single violation.I think if you trust the hunters around you. You will be O.K. We have had other hunters come an just run there mouth about thats not the right way of doing it.We stay on the public land. We don't have lights at night looking for deer.We don't have corn on the ground to pick witch deer to kill.We just have alot of hunters . An alot of Full tags.On saturday I let 8 deer run right by me. My dad had 4 by him. I think people think we kill every deer in sight.


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## bigjohn513 (Apr 6, 2004)

im lucky i'll admit...my best friend just got 183 acres in brown co...i also have 47 acres in adams to hunt (with over 370 around it, all of it i have in writing) so i am lucky
the best thing to do is start in the early spring to find places to hunt...offer to help them with chores thru the summer to hunt and keep up on your end of the bargan
the worst thing you can do is to go up to the farmer 2 weeks before deer season and ask to hunt....99% of the time they will tell you no


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

Glad I stayed out of this one for awhile...
The 2 week season was taken away simply beacuse the Farmers Bureau did not want a 2 week season, they were tired of the tresspassing and constent pressure from hunters looking for places to hunt which hampered their ability to work during that time frame...
Sunday huntiing was added with the understanding that fines would be increased along with stricter enforcement of the laws in place...
The Farmers Bureau has alot of power in this state and to read threads that say the current laws are not working, when they are, could backfire when Sunday hunting is taken away and stricter laws are set in place which could make hunting far less enjoyable for us all in the long run.
You will never stop all the scofflaws that give 99% of hunters a bad name but the current laws, fines and punishments after inacted on these law breakers hurt them where it counts in lost firearms, vehicles, mandatory jail time, suspension of hunting rights and restition to the state for the game taken during the crime(s)... There are mandatory fines and jail time now that local judges cannot simply skip over like before... Does anyone remember how many times you'd read about a hunter getting a $20.00 fine for this and that well now they will pay the price when before it was really up to the local judges who had no guidlines to follow... The guidelines are in place now...
I know plenty of landowners and farmers who are sick of the tresspassers on their land and now have the laws in place that help them keep them off their property. 
The laws are working and given time will make it better for us all... The one law we are trying to get changed is that only landowners can turn in and prosecute tresspassers and what a few of us are doing is trying to make it so that anyone who has permission to be on someones property can go to court and testify to prosecute when the landowners cannot be there do to their workload which is pretty much never...
Every year the state has meetings setup to get input from hunters about anything from regulations to game laws and I'd welcome those who have voiced their concerns here to do the same there too...
Together we all can make a difference...
The trouble with hunting public hunting areas is more that when someone chooses an area to hunt he thinks he owns it. You'll have to get use to seeing other hunters and watching them walk through the areas your hunting... Thats a given.
I can't tell you how many times and I have no idea how many deer I have harvested on public land that were kicked out by other hunters walking around... I hear all the time about how the "deer were not moving" from guys who hunt private land... I'm hearing now that there are not enough hunters in some areas to keep the deer moving because many hunters who use to hunt S.E. Ohio now stay closer to home...
Bottom line is there will always be those that don't follow the game laws or hunt unethical by crowding up on you but they are going to get theirs and when they do they will pay hard and heavy...
This was a long type for me so I may have made a mistake here and there and typo or mis-statement... PLEASE accept my sorrow for same I am not intentially trying to cause a ruckus just stating opinions, experiences and facts where I know them to be true...

Onemore thing that has always concerned me is the need, almost reckless need for hunters to have to harvest a deer or game animal to be a succesful hunter... Call it peer pressure or self imposed pressure but the harvesting of a deer or any game animal is such a very small part of the actual hunt that its really the ending of a great adventure, an adventure missed if you don't purely enjoy everything that leads to that moment of truth between you and your game of choice...

HAPPY HUNTING all we live in a great state that offers a vast amount of outdoor activity to be enjoyed by us all


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## Guest (Dec 19, 2004)

The game wardens in our county dont even seem to try to stop poachers or trusspassers.(SP?) I dont know how many times we have had people on our hunting land that did not have permission to be there and we call the game warden and they say they dont have time or by the time they get there the trusspassers are already gone. I guess thats where having more than one warden per county would be very helpful for hunting. One more thing is you mentioned hunting should be fun even if you dont kill anthing. Well that is very true most of the year but gun season its simply not fun having slugs flying all around you and trusspassers everywhere. My opinion gun season Sucks! Dont mean to offend anyone thats just my opion. Good hunting everyone, for me I will stick with a bow.


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## rac123 (May 20, 2004)

looking at the tresspasser problem, you would think it would be a money maker for them!!!maybe they dont want to get out of their trucks?? maybe with all the lead flying yu cant blame them?? but usually govt will go after the bucks?? maybe they could increase tickets like columbus police do to make up the deficit?? maybe keep the price of tags down???just my opinions??


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong here but I don't believe a game warden has the authority to enforce tresspassing laws or write a ticket for a tresspass violation.

It is my understanding that the county sheriff is the guy to call for tresspassing violations and only the owner of the land can make the complaint.

Kim


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Great post atrky!  Lundy, you are right.


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## rac123 (May 20, 2004)

lundy, lets get the law changed so that the warden can do his job.the county where I'm at the response time can be anywhere from 20 min to 1 hr.! most of the rural countys are so up against it they are short of personnel.

last week I had coonhunters that just assume its ok?nobody around so lets just hunt!they shot 5 times within 100 yds of house.it got real quiet when the spotlight came on.I watched from the porch and they did leave rather quickly!!by the time i called sheriff,they said they have a lot of it this time of year!first question--was anybody hurt?? no, well call us if it becomes a problem??nuisance call for them probably???  when you have livestock you get a different attitude ,sorry to say.you can be looking at 1000 bucks in one head of beef if shot or killed.not to add the idiots would sue you and a kissa--s lawyer would take the case. liability ins. is a big cost in business. I just want them to be able to do what they should be able to do --enforce the law! ---ps if they had asked they probably could have gotten permission.


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

> I don't believe a game warden has the authority to enforce tresspassing laws or write a ticket for a tresspass violation.


They cannot come onto anyone's property unless asked and then they can write a ticket for any game law violation or if they see you coming off private property after viewing you hunting they can check to ensure you have on your person written permission and if not they can write a ticket....

Hey rac123 all you need to do is copy down, if you can find it, the vehicle the tresspassers (used/parked) on or near your property license plate, vehicle description and ID number and file a complaint at the local court system and then follow through by pressing charges... You can also ask the state to post no parking signs in the areas where they are parking if these areas are related to your property or ask your nieghbors to ask for the signs too...

All law enforcement agencies are short handed now due to the financial crunch everyone is feeling but there is still a way to get the help you need if you can spend the time to see it through...

Hope this helps someone...


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

Let me ask you if what this Warden did was legal..I was deer hunting my own land 4 years ago...First day of Deer gunseason..I was in the woods appx 100 yds in back of my house..I heard a vehicle pull in my driveway and heard someone shouting at me to come down out of the woods, that they wanted to see my license, and permission slip..So I had to leave my stand on my land and walk out of the woods to keep this guy quite!


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

Wow  

Never heard of that hap'ng before  

Unless of course he simply had the wrong address/directions or misunderstood same while following up a complaint


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## Darwin (Apr 12, 2004)

The Wildlife Officer will enforce tresspass laws as long as the Landowner is willing to press charges. If not then why should the Wildlife Officer waste their time chasing people off of property? They are not baby/property sitters and I know it is not right that people go on any property they feel like. Lets face it, if an officer has complaints from 2 landowners at the same time and one is willing to press charges and one just wants the people off his land, well it only makes sense that an Officer will respond where he will have a chance to fine someone.....


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

flathunter - 

5 or 6 years ago I was hunting my usual area with my regular hunting partner during the gun season. My buddy's stand is on a ditch line 1,000 yards off the road in the middle of some fields that connect 2 woods. About 9am on Monday morning a truck pulls off the road into the field, ignores the lane and drives directly across the middle of the field right to 20 yards from my buddy's stand. 

Sure enough, it's the County Warden. He orders him down and checks his gun, ID, etc... He gives no explainantion at all; he drives my freind back up to my truck.

I saw this happen, so I met him up there. The Warden was gone, but I drove directly to the owner's house (right there at the road). The owner knew nothing of complaints and was not happy that the Warden drove right through his field. (We have to park up front and walk)

I'm not bashing County Wardens or anything, but in my experiences with them I've found out 

a) they are allowed to do what they want to investigate (within reason)
b) they are trying to do a job and sometimes things like above happen

I haven't really had any bad experiences with a Warden first hand. If you are doing what you're suppossed to be; there won't be a problem. I've been checked fishing and hunting and never had any problems. They are just under staffed to handle all the complaints; which is a good reason to give more authority to hunters to help in making complaints and testifying in court. I think that is an excellent idea.


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## longbow (Jul 16, 2004)

Fisf-n-fool, Flathunter, You tell me if I'm wrong. If I had a gamewarden do to me what they did to you. Id raise holy hell with them. And then see if I could press hunter harassment charges against them, I know the hunter harassment would never fly, but it would sure piss me off. There is enough for them to be doing during gun season then to look for an easy target. I have a close friend who is a gamewarden,another close friend who is a retired warden, and a couple that I know pretty well. I'm going to see what they say about it.


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## Guest (Dec 21, 2004)

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong here but I don't believe a game warden has the authority to enforce tresspassing laws or write a ticket for a tresspass violation. That may be true ( im not for sure ) but if the people that were tresspassing were also hunting, I would think the warden would be allowed to ticket the tresspassing hunters if they had the landowners permission to go in and make the citation wouldnt they? I would hope so at least.

As far as the game warden pulling you off of your own property to check your licence, try thinking of it this way, what if you had been hunting somewhere else and it could have been someone else hunting on your land that did not have permission to be hunting? In that case they would have got busted and you would have got some tresspassers off your land.


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## longbow (Jul 16, 2004)

traphunter, I agree with you in lookimg at it the other way around. And it would be a help. Just seems to me that they should be taking care of the phone calls and the group hunters (where they could be checking a bunch of guys) instead of bothering someone behind there house. I know there are all kinds of variables with this. I can even argue with what I have written. I just feel for the guy who has limited time to hunt. And then gets bothered for a chance check.


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