# Early Muzzleloader Season



## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

Good luck to all that go this weekend. Fingers crossed that the weather will cooperate. I hope to shoot the doe that's eating all our shrubs this weekend.


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## T-180 (Oct 18, 2005)

Good luck with getting her, those shrubs aren't cheap. My brother is in the same situation, so I told him I'd be nice & see if I couldn't take one out of the herd !! No venison left in the freezer, so it'd be nice to fix that.
Good luck to all & be safe


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

Well you will know if my weather cooperates and I will kill one of those pesky doe's


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## Shed Hunter 365 (Dec 3, 2007)

Watch the fog. Good luck with your shrub doe.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Flat tops only!!

Last year there were over 60 bucks checked in during the early statewide antlerless season


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

I'm not surprised. I run into so many people who never read the regulations. They just assume it stays the same every year.


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

Sittin since 7:30. Ain't seen squat! Heard one shot. New area for me. Where I am would be nice if it weren't so green and I had more visibility. Should have brought my climber.


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## the czar (Aug 14, 2008)

Sat from dark till 10.30 saw 2 small 8pts that's it was nice morning heard 5 shots good luck guys

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## Snook (Aug 19, 2008)

Lundy said:


> Flat tops only!!
> 
> Last year there were over 60 bucks checked in during the early statewide antlerless season


Unreal. Saw a guy last year at a restaurant with a small buck hanging off the tailgate so people could see it. Should of saw the expression on his face when people told him it was doe only. Lmao


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

Will go out tomorrow with my bow. With all the leaves on the trees a muzzle loader gives me zero advantage. Dont want to clean the muzzle loader either. Good luck to all.


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

Saw 9 doe this morning. All the big girls had little ones with them so I didn't shoot. Getting soft I guess. Back at it this afternoon. 


Sent from my iPhone using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## FISHIN 2 (Jun 22, 2005)

4 bucks at no more than 75 ft this morning, went back to truck for lunch to a flat trailer tire, spare was good but couldn't get the wing nut off the stud, had the wife bring me a set of tires, changed em both again, shew, at least I had a good day !!Mike


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

Freezers getting low so I took a shot at a mid size doe this morning. She piled up about 5 or 6 yard from an old tractor trail. It doesn't get any better than that. 
I'm going back out tomorrow but I think I'll take my crossbow.
The woods were really quite until after 10:00 this morning, then I saw 5 in the next hour. My buddy had 2 bucks at 40 yards and of course 1 was a shooter.

http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/community/photo_popup.php?e=vB_Editor_QR#


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

bobk said:


> Saw 9 doe this morning. All the big girls had little ones with them so I didn't shoot. Getting soft I guess. Back at it this afternoon.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Ohub Campfire mobile app


Na thats cool and your choice. At least your seeing deer.


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## half pole (Feb 10, 2014)

Took my boy out today. He got a nice button buck around 8:30 am. Nice 1st deer for him. I think I was shaking more than he was. Great day


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## Neo (Jun 29, 2013)

Decided yesterday morning to go out after work. Got setup at 5:15 PM and the Savage ml10 barked at 6:30.









I'll post details in a separate thread.


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## Kenlow1 (Jul 14, 2012)

Neo, that looks like a nice sized doe. Guess you were back in time to go for breakfast. Now the hunt is on for a buck. As Ted Nugent would say, "the beast is down, long live the beast. Back straps for the skillet. Congrats to everyone that was successful. We got a nice frost this morning in Stark Co., would be a nice day to be out. Heading to southern Ohio 2 weeks from this weekend to get after em.


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## Neo (Jun 29, 2013)

Thanks. It was actually in the evening I change the post to clarify the time.


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## Mad-Eye Moody (May 27, 2008)

Heard close to fifty shots yesterday morning. Was really surprised. Saw a guy with Tennessee plates and a buck in the bed of his truck. Took a doe, got her in the fridge.


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## beetlebailey (May 26, 2009)

I took mercuryjoe and a good friend down to the farm. I shot a small doe, my sons happy!!! its my first muzzy deer!! we all had fun nothing better than spending times with friends!!!


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Mad-Eye Moody said:


> Saw a guy with Tennessee plates and a buck in the bed of his truck..


OOPS! 

Maybe he killed it on Friday with a bow.


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## fishintechnician (Jul 20, 2007)

I took my daughter out for the first time with my for deer, have taken her squirrel and rabbit quite a few times but wasn't sure how she would do sitting for longer periods of time. She got a little restless at times but over all she did great. I told her we could leave whenever she was ready, she pushed back the departure time three different times. 

 

And it payed off for us! Shot this girl right at 7 from about 40yds and piled her up! My daughter was so happy you would of thought she shot her! She couldn't wait to tell her mom and Gma! I think she is hooked now. Something I will never forget and don't think she will either.

 

Went out by my self this morn and got another nice one about 8, went about 15 yards an piled up in a thicket. Got the freezer stocked now and I can concentrate on gettin a big one!


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

Saw a nice doe in the flower patch this morning. My wife had cut down the day lilies a month ago and the doe was munching on the new growth. She was only 30 feet from the house and she gave me her broadside to shoot. One of these years I should get a license and reduce the herd. But until then I just use the camera.


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## saugmon (Jun 14, 2006)

The roots on some of those shrubs go 6' deep and can clog up a nearby sewer line.I found out the hard way.

I was invited down to meigs county this weekend and managed a doe this morning. My buddy nailed a doe yesterday just as I had her sighted in. I've never seen deer drop over dead that fast like those 2 did. 250 gr horn SST for me and my buddy used the 250 gr T/c ??.The hole from my SST looked like a 10 guage slug hole in the front shoulder. The heart of my buddy's doe exploded. Beautiful weekend!!


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## mlayers (Aug 22, 2011)

Boy got doe Saturday morning hung it up in my garage and I butcher her up this afternoon meat in the freezer. Tonight dinner fresh back straps nothing better to eat. Good luck to all


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## jray (Jan 20, 2006)

no deer for us but a coyote had a rough morning saturday! ran past me i attempted and failed a running shot then stopped and sat down 50 yards from my dads tree man can that old dude shoot that old side lock lol


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## Hardtop (Nov 24, 2004)

Spent the weekend in the woods near Logan in Perry Co. we only heard 2-3 shots fired between the two days. Hunters in our area have decided the ML's are too much commotion in the woods as bucks are getting ready to play so nobody participates. Grandson did harvest his first deer a nice 120lb doe on Saturday with the crossbow, great weekend.....! HT


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## T-180 (Oct 18, 2005)

Hardtop, tell that grandson congrats on a great doe !! Lots of good eating & he'll remember it forever.
No deer for me, but I had an extremely close encounter with 5 coyotes at 8:30 Sunday morning that showed little or no fear of me ........... until the .50 cal barked and hit the one at 20 feet. Seemed to impress the surviving 4 to back off 50 yards or so & stand there & watch me try to reload as my hands shook. They slowly walked into a thicket & I headed out off the woods. I did at least see a couple deer but no shots.


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

Didn't get to blow any smoke during the muzzy season. I saw a bunch of doe Saturday morning and that evening I never saw a doe but had 5 different bucks come through. When trying to get to my stand I walked up on 2 real nice 8pts smacking antlers for a while. Had a real nice shooter come in but couldn't do anything but watch. 
Ez bite shot a doe Saturday morning. Sunday I didn't go out since I had 4.5 tons of firewood that needed stacked and Tom wouldn't help me.
Congrats to everyone that tagged a deer it was a nice 2 days to hunt.
Couple pics of the big boy. He's all shined up and really dark horned now.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

bobk said:


> . Ez bite shot a doe Saturday morning. Sunday I didn't go out since I had 4.5 tons of firewood that needed stacked and Tom wouldn't help me.


first off, i wasnt the one who kept pulling the jim beam out the night before....

thanks brother for allowing me to hunt your awesome property. i hope you get that big boy i know you were excited when you saw him.


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## The Outdoor Connection (Jan 21, 2012)

We'll have ODNR guru Mike Tonkovich or his understudy Clint McCoy on with us this Saturday morning on our shows, to talk about nothing but deer muzzloader weekend. Numbers are WAY up. For archers too. Enjoy that venison...and thank you, for thinning the herd!


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

*The Outdoor Connection*,

With respect... could you please ask him why we have such an insanely short regular m/l season and report your findings back to us???


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## The Outdoor Connection (Jan 21, 2012)

I'd bet he's going to say that we do get about a week here as it is. Just had the early two day then right after the new year there's another 4 days. Pennsylvania has a week I know, with the difference being theirs is all in a row. I would guess that archery has something to do with it too. But I will let the man say for sure and report back...or you can listen between 5-6 which then re-airs 8-9am this Saturday.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

> Orig. posted by The Outdoor Connection:
> 
> Will do, but
> I'd bet he's going to say that we do get about a week here as it is. Just had the early two day then right after the new year there's another 4 days. Pennsylvania has a week I know, with the difference being theirs is all in a row. I would guess that archery has something to do with it too. But I will let the man say for sure and report back...or you can listen between 5-6 which then re-airs 8-9am this Saturday.


Thanks for asking him. Would love to hear what his response as I was not able to listen to either broadcasts. 
There is a group of us that have lobbied hard with ODNR over the years for a full 7 day, late BP season. With ODNR wanting to get the numbers of the Ohio deer population down, we have not received an answer to the denial of this request that makes much sense. A few of the GW's we've talked to over the years really think it's a good idea as well as far as tagging more deer but were inclined to feel that in the past it was a $ thing for manpower extending the BP season for the amount of extra deer that would be taken. But both of these GW's also feel that in the last few years there has been a significant increase in the interest of BP hunting and today, it would pay off. 

Thanks again for asking and response...


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

fastwater said:


> *The Outdoor Connection*,
> 
> With respect... could you please ask him why we have such an insanely short regular m/l season and report your findings back to us???


Amazing! Last year, about this time, people were on here like crazy claiming that Ohio wanted to kill all the does thus wiping out Ohio's deer herd! 



The Outdoor Connection said:


> I'd bet he's going to say that we do get about a week here as it is. Just had the early two day then right after the new year there's another 4 days. Pennsylvania has a week I know, with the difference being theirs is all in a row. I would guess that archery has something to do with it too. But I will let the man say for sure and report back...or you can listen between 5-6 which then re-airs 8-9am this Saturday.


Also, PA has their late ML season which is flintlock only. And no scopes! Of course, one difference between PA and OH is that, as an archery hunter, I can still harvest an antlered deer during the ML antlerless season. Heading out tomorrow PM, and maybe Thursday!


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Orig. posted by *buckeyebowman*:



> Amazing! Last year, about this time, people were on here like crazy claiming that Ohio wanted to kill all the does thus wiping out Ohio's deer herd!


Don't think ODNR is going to let that happen. Too much $ brought into the state for that. 

If ODNR felt that a full seven day late m/l season would adversely affect the deer herd in Ohio I wish they would just come out and say it. I honestly can't recall ever hearing a solid reason for not having the full week ml season period. When we've brought the topic up about the full week late ml season we hear about the extended shotgun season, the added early doe only ml season. Almost as though no one in ODNR wants to go on record and supply a direct answer the question as to why we don't have the full week but would rather tap dance around it with other things. 
But then, you get different Wardens off to the side or meet them out in the field and bring the topic up and they don't seem to have an issue with it. 

Again, if it's deer herd #'s just say so.


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

Me , personally thinks the early ML doe season is a crock. I don't think its hurting deer numbers or anything but I don't know anyone who hunts it . Most choose to sit out that weekend due to it being antlerless only with any weapon. At first I was worried about added pressure but instead I think overall alot less people are in the woods for the ML weekend.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Fastwater,

I think, based upon statements from the ODNR and printed statements on their website, that the goal is to kill more does and reduce the buck harvest, specifically the button buck harvest. The buttons are still with their mom and pretty easy to identify early in the season.

The primary reason for eliminating the "bonus" 2 day either sex deer season in favor of the statewide early MZ season doe only was to shift the kill to more does and reduce the kill of antlered deer.

During the late MZ season more of the young of the year button bucks are larger and off on their own and more vulnerable plus you have many bucks that have already dropped their antlers and the majority of hunters that can't tell them apart from a doe. I don't think they want to increase the length of the late MZ only because they don't want to increase the buck harvest. How many times have you heard or read, " I thought it was a big doe that I shot" If there was a way for them to exclude the buck harvest and allow for an increase in doe harvest I don't think they would be opposed to increasing the length of the late MZ season.

If the majority of hunters ever understood that if they see a deer by itself there is an extremely high likelihood that it is a male deer and not a female deer maybe the ODNR could manage harvest by sex better without needing to limit duration of seasons.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

Lundy said:


> If the majority of hunters ever understood that if they see a deer by itself there is an extremely high likelihood that it is a male deer and not a female deer maybe the ODNR could manage harvest by sex better without needing to limit duration of seasons.


say WHATT??


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

ezbite said:


> say WHATT??


Mr, Video,

Do you question the veracity of the statement or is it just a revelation to you?


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

You may well be right on your theory *Lundy*. But that theory begs the question as to why bow season would last till Feb. 3 .
I know many a bow hunter that love bow hunting late into the season. Since most I know have already filled their freezer with a doe or two, they are after that buck that eluded them during the rut. 
I am not knocking this practice, I often do it myself. Just hard to accept this as the reason when you know so many that are bow hunting 'buck only' late in a season that again runs till Feb.


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

buckeyebowman said:


> Also, PA has their late ML season which is flintlock only. And no scopes! Of course, one difference between PA and OH is that, as an archery hunter, I can still harvest an antlered deer during the ML antlerless season. Heading out tomorrow PM, and maybe Thursday!


Hey, my flintlock without a scope is pretty darn deadly! I've even considered coming back over to Ohio to hunt with it during their late muzzleloader season once I've filled my tags here in PA!


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Misdirection said:


> Hey, my flintlock without a scope is pretty darn deadly! I've even considered coming back over to Ohio to hunt with it during their late muzzleloader season once I've filled my tags here in PA!


No doubt! So is mine! But, it's not near as deadly as my inline w/scope! Never mind a hang fire, flash in the pan, or drizzly, wet snowy weather which can mess with flintlocks something awful. 

We'll have to see, but it seems that in this part of the state, the early ML doe season has not caught on! My buddy lives "sort of" out in the country, with a 100 acre farm at his back. He didn't hear a gun pop all weekend! Of course, every place around has standing corn 10' tall! There are very few places where you can sit and see anything at all! Add to that tree canopies still intact, plus a lot of understory foliage, and it's hard to see anything anywhere!


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Didn't hear but a few shots off in the distance around here either. And this area gets relatively high hunting pressure.


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## jray (Jan 20, 2006)

im not too sure about the assumption that bucks are the ones by themselves i see lone does more than lone bucks? Saw a doe by herself opening day in fact but Lundys theory is the best ive heard and makes the most sense. My personal theory is the odor has their mind on their money and their money on their mind lol. And saying the season is a crock because i dont know anyone that hunts it?? "say WHATT??"


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