# Bonus gun or early mz



## hopintocash2 (Aug 14, 2011)

Which is it going to be next year? Maybe neither, maybe both. I would like both, provided they are buck only seasons. I like opportunity, as do most hunters. We spend a lot of money on our toys. Any thoughts?


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

I will guess that 2 day gun will remain and will be deer of either sex as it is now with a maximum of one buck per hunter,per year, no matter the method or season taken.

I don't think we will see the early MZ season again.


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## FISHIN 2 (Jun 22, 2005)

Early muzzy season for does only, thin the herd before game gets goin.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

Keep the 2 day bonus season and add the early mz- loader season but make it buck only.
Good luck and Good hunting !


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

I say open it up. Get rid of bow season, primitive season, and shotgun season. From October 1 until January 31, just call it deer season. Use whatever legal weapon you want. After all, what does it matter which weapon one uses to fill a tag? If I kill two deer with a bow, you kill 1 deer with a gun, and cousin Hubert kills one of each, that's still 5 deer dead. 

I'd rather have someone who isn't really tat comfortable with a bow, kill a deer with a gun in October instead of wounding 4 because that's the only time they can hunt. 

I'd rather have 250,000 gun hunters spread their season out over a few months instead of creating a cluster trying to cram everyone together in one week. 

Focus on enforcing bag limits and proper tagging , and do away with segregated seasons. Maybe not on public lands, but I don't see how it would hurt on private lands.


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## ostbucks98 (Apr 14, 2004)

We sell about 200,000 more tags a year than there are deer not including land owner tags.

I've been saying for several years now that with a stroke of luck we could knock the heard down below 100, 000 in one season.


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## catfishhunterjames (Mar 29, 2010)

I voted to move youth season to October 2nd or 3rd weekend then Muzzleloader 2nd or 3rd weekend in November and no bonus gun season after the normal gun season.


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## ostbucks98 (Apr 14, 2004)

That would be great for the kids. Get a chance to bag a buck before the rest of us have our chance.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

I doubt there will be many changes this season but if you want to give the kids the best shot at a buck move youth season to the first W/E in Nov.
Good luck and Good Hunting !


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## Shaun69007 (Sep 2, 2009)

I'll Have what he's having....











beaver said:


> I say open it up. Get rid of bow season, primitive season, and shotgun season. From October 1 until January 31, just call it deer season. Use whatever legal weapon you want. After all, what does it matter which weapon one uses to fill a tag? If I kill two deer with a bow, you kill 1 deer with a gun, and cousin Hubert kills one of each, that's still 5 deer dead.
> 
> I'd rather have someone who isn't really tat comfortable with a bow, kill a deer with a gun in October instead of wounding 4 because that's the only time they can hunt.
> 
> ...


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

Why not on private land? If I kill 3 deer a year off of my property, why does it matter how they died? 

If they'd let people use whatever weapon they wanted , there would be a lot less wounded deer. I have a small lease that butts into my property. There are 6 guys from out of town that are on it. They are very good people, and I enjoy visiting with them when they're around. However, every year they have at least 5 or 6 "thought it was a good hit, but couldn't find it" stories before gun season. Usually during gun season they kill a few and don't come back until the next bow season. I'd rather them be allowed to shoot a few deer with their guns in October, than wound 5 or 6 with their bows (I've found several carcasses with broken Arrow shafts ) and still kill a few with a gun in December. 

I can see where it wouldn't be a good idea on public land, but I don't see how it would hurt anything on private land.


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## ostbucks98 (Apr 14, 2004)

If the season was only a month long sure why not. 

Success rate would be to high with firearms legal all season.


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

I don't think so. Almost every deer that I've killed with a gun , could have easily been killed with a bow as well. Every deer that I've killed with a bow piled up within eyesight. 

I am just as efficient with a bow as a gun though. Not everyone is that way. I know plenty of people who just can't shoot a bow, but they can shoot the eyeballs out with a gun. 

If someone sticks 5 deer with a bow , but doesn't find any and someone else shoots, finds, and tags 3 deer with a gun, which is worse?


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

beaver said:


> If someone sticks 5 deer with a bow , but doesn't find any and someone else shoots, finds, and tags 3 deer with a gun, which is worse?


If someone sticks 5 deer with a bow and doesn't find any--- he should be shot with the gun


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

I think it happens more than you think. Wether it be from lack of practice, lack of skill, or impatience to wait for the shot or just let it go if there isn't one, some folks just can't do it.


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## floater99 (May 21, 2010)

I would vote for a early muzzy season we hunted wildcat hollow for years and it was buck only for years that was three areas only open more areas for early muzzy and buck only.We bought a piece of property mainly because of location to wildcat hollow.Leave youth season alone.AND IF U STIK 5 DEER AND DONT RECOVER N E !!!! U SHOULD BE STUK.imop,


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## UNCLEMIKE (Jul 23, 2014)

floater99 said:


> I would vote for a early muzzy season we hunted wildcat hollow for years and it was buck only for years that was three areas only open more areas for early muzzy and buck only.We bought a piece of property mainly because of location to wildcat hollow.Leave youth season alone.AND IF U STIK 5 DEER AND DONT RECOVER N E !!!! U SHOULD BE STUK.imop,


I loved the early muzzy as well back when it was buck only. Then it went either sex and the herds in salt fork and wildcat took a major hit.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Deer bag limits are set with an expected participation level and a historical success rate of around 30-35%. If success rates go up, by increasing season length or hunting method,bag limits must go down or the harvest increase would be unsustainable.

I think there is little doubt that with the growing popularity of the bow season and the huge increase in harvest that the by kill has played a significant role in the overall population reduction in some areas.


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## UNCLEMIKE (Jul 23, 2014)

Lundy said:


> Deer bag limits are set with an expected participation level and a historical success rate of around 30-35%. If success rates go up, by increasing season length or hunting method,bag limits must go down or the harvest increase would be unsustainable.
> 
> I think there is little doubt that with the growing popularity of the bow season and the huge increase in harvest that the by kill has played a significant role in the overall population reduction in some areas.


Correct, however all of this could be off set with some reasonable limits on does.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

UNCLEMIKE said:


> Correct, however all of this could be off set with some reasonable limits on does.


What would you define as reasonable?


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## UNCLEMIKE (Jul 23, 2014)

I would define it as what ever it would take to allow for a balance between keeping the herd size at a level that allows for "decent" hunting yet keeps the population in check to avoid the explosion we faced a while back. Clearly these numbers are open to debate. How many are too many how many are too few? Compound this by not being able to know how many deer are really out there and the vast differences in the distribution of deer and hunter access and you have what we have today. I don't have faith that the state has a good handle on what is changing in our deer herd in recent years. They often seem to be a few steps behind what is happening. No dig on them in particular. This is true of all large bureaucracies. The move to more and smaller units that is coming could be good for hunting or could be used to focus more doe kill in the areas that have not been hit as hard. Until I see hard evidence that they have ended the plan to cut back to 1970's level I will remain skeptical. Add to all that the continued lack of effort to manage the public land deer herd and you get a hunter that is disillusioned. Salt fork offered great hunting for over 25 years. It took only a few of the wide open regs. to ruin it.
.


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## Snook (Aug 19, 2008)

I think the state needs to buy as much ground as possible before it's too late. Then manage that ground extremely well. With the leasing of ground in Ohio taking off like "wildfire" soon there will be very limited places for the common man to hunt unless you have deep pockets.

I like the seasons they have now but do believe the bow season runs too long. Never been a fan of the extended 2 day gun season. Maybe make muzzleloader a week long IF no extended gun. Although convienient I dislike the current tagging system - too easy to cheat - but that's a whole other debate. I just go with the flow and feel fortunate for the places I have to hunt. Anymore I just enjoy seeing the deer.


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## gumbygold (Apr 9, 2013)

Snook said:


> I think the state needs to buy as much ground as possible before it's too late. Then mange that ground extremely well. With the leasing of ground in Ohio taking off like "wildfire" soon there will be very limited places for the common man to hunt unless you have deep pockets.
> 
> I like the seasons they have now but do believe the bow season runs too long. Never been a fan of the extended 2 day gun season. Maybe make muzzleloader a week long IF no extended gun. Although convienient I dislike the current tagging system - too easy to cheat - but that's a whole other debate. I just go with the flow and feel fortunate for the places I have to hunt. Anymore I just enjoy seeing the deer.


How much extra tax are you willing to pay for the state to buy land?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## doegirl (Feb 24, 2005)

Early muzzleloader for me. I don't like late season hunting. I would rather be sitting in an ice shanty with a buddy heater keeping me toasty in January.


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

More taxes and mismanagement as well. Not a good thing. I don't trust the state anymore. Too many hands in the cookie jar now. They don't care about the hunters anymore. Corporate money is controlling it all.


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## fishingful (Apr 5, 2004)

I really don't care what the limit is I only shoot 1 per year and it's usually the first one I see. I like to hunt but would rather fish. My deer gets made into jerkey to eat while fishing.

I can bow hunt but would rather gun hunt. I can't eat horns but don't pass up a buck. If a small 6 comes in with a big doe.....I will shoot the larger animal. 

Call me right or call me wrong I am just wanting one for the freezer.


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## ostbucks98 (Apr 14, 2004)

fishingful said:


> I really don't care what the limit is I only shoot 1 per year and it's usually the first one I see. I like to hunt but would rather fish. My deer gets made into jerkey to eat while fishing.
> 
> I can bow hunt but would rather gun hunt. I can't eat horns but don't pass up a buck. If a small 6 comes in with a big doe.....I will shoot the larger animal.
> 
> Call me right or call me wrong I am just wanting one for the freezer.


You and 800, 000 other hunters.


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