# How can the State improve our hunting opportunities



## fakebait (Jun 18, 2006)

My thread so I will lead with my thoughts. I would like to see clear cutting on these games lands to help bring back the king of upland hunting the Ruffle grouse. The state says it is because of two much old age woodlands and not enough new growth areas. I say instead of telling us about it, get off your butts and do something. Start selling off lumber rights, create some good habitat and make some money for the operational budget at the same time.
All I hear is what the problems are and never any action taken to resolve the problem. Just do not see any effort by the state to think outside the box to fix known issues. I do not fault any wildlife officers, I fault the desk jockeys and bean counters at the DNR. They wonder why the numbers of license sales keep dropping. You have to have something everyone wants, when you give nothing you receive nothing. At least that my opinion on what I have seen in northeastern Ohio. Maybe all the money gets spent in all the counties in the Columbus Area. If it is not DEER or TURKEY they do not care. Because of NTF we have Turkey and because of mother nature we got the deer. These two programs make them the most money without much overhead cost.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Logging is a great idea, and would benefit everyone and the wildlife. But, just think of the outcry. A lot of people don&#8217;t understand the benefits of proper logging. To be fair, the Ohio DNR had the biggest part in the healthy recovery of whitetail deer in Ohio. Surrounding states are proof of that. Deer and turkey provide the bulk of the available money, so it&#8217;s understandable that they get the most attention. I think that proper management of the funds generated from hunting and fishing would be a big step. I think too much makes its way to other areas of the government.


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## Sharp Charge (Jun 24, 2009)

It would be nice if they allowed off road vehicles onto public land. There's a few places I hunt down in the AEP areas that have nice access roads that get way back in to the area but right at the parking area is a big yellow no vehicles beyond this point sign. It would be great if we could legally run a quad back in there while packing in a climber or bringing out a big deer.


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## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

Select logging would be a win win for all involved. The DNR could sell the timber and roll those funds back into their budget. I think the deer and turkey are in a stable enough position that the DNR could start working on rehabilitating other game species. I remember not even ten years ago I could flush 10 to 12 grouse a hunt and that's not even using a dog now I'm lucky to see just one a season. Grouse aren't the only problem species either. Pheasants use to be abundant but now you either have to brave the gauntlet of weekend warriors on the public lands where they release them or pay to hunt them on a game farm. Start working on getting proper habitat for both the grouse and pheasants.

One other problem is the fact that some of the most prime hunting areas are on privately owned tracts of land such as farms or land owned by private companies. 95% of which are un-accessible the DNR/DOW had their program with farmers allowing access to their lands to hunters but It hasn't panned out.
Not everyone is a deer or turkey hunter or walleye or smallmouth fisherman, I think the ODNR/DOW are selling themselves short by only focusing on the big money making species. There is definite room for improvement in many areas.


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## Toxic (May 13, 2006)

I haven't seen a covey of quail in Northern Ohio since the big blizzard we had in 77 (I think that was the year). Sure would be nice to have them back again.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

Sharp Charge said:


> It would be nice if they allowed off road vehicles onto public land.


I disagree 100% with this. I see enough destruction and littering to public land by those on foot.

I think the state does a pretty good job. I know they've been mowing the fields of the wildlife areas where I hunt. Makes it much easier to walk in when it's dark and your legs stay dry.


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## Walleye 3 (Jul 2, 2005)

There is a problem with logging. If the DNR makes profit from such things like logging, farming out planting, and the like the money goes to the states general fund not there own funds. I also disagree with off road vehicles. There is enough pressure on the state lands that I hunt and it would take away from my hunt. I don't need to here them racing around as you know there are some out there that would use this the wrong way. I hope that they move more quail up north but they have tried to get them going on Highlandtown and it seems they are surviving. I don't think they will be a huntable population but it is nice to see them and hear them in the spring while chasing turkey. I used to hunt grouse in Pa where I grew up and 60 flushes a day was normal. Now it is the same as here it is hard to flush 5 birds a day. They do a lot of cutting and it has helped but we are talking about a lot bigger pieces of property. There is more to do but I think our State is trying much more than Pa. Ask Pa hunters as they are coming here in droves.

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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

fakebait said:


> Because of NTF we have Turkey *and because of mother nature we got the deer. *These two programs make them the most money without much overhead cost.


HUH?, The *deer* and the turkeys *were stocked*. I believe the deer were transplaned from back in maybe the 50's or 60's 
I'd like to see some habitat improvement for the grouse though. They don't have to clear cut the whole state, just cut some good patches.


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## fakebait (Jun 18, 2006)

The turkeys were being pen raised and stocked was a waste of money and time. Not until the NTF got involved with the state in partnership trapping birds and transporting them to different areas of the state and seeding the state did the population grow to what it is now. So really the state did some but the NTF was the main reason we have what we have. You can Not trap deer like turkey and move them around to seed different areas. If the state transplanted deer other than pen raised almost domesticated breed, I would like to know how they did it. Anything I ever read says that deer will stress out and die if captured and relocated. So how did the state achieve this feat when all the experts says it can not be done. I have heard this statement over and over said by some old-timer that this is what the state did. So please enlighten us with how this was accomplished.


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## chadwimc (Jun 27, 2007)

fakebait said:


> The turkeys were being pen raised and stocked was a waste of money and time. Not until the NTF got involved with the state in partnership trapping birds and transporting them to different areas of the state and seeding the state did the population grow to what it is now. So really the state did some but the NTF was the main reason we have what we have. You can Not trap deer like turkey and move them around to seed different areas. If the state transplanted deer other than pen raised almost domesticated breed, I would like to know how they did it. Anything I ever read says that deer will stress out and die if captured and relocated. So how did the state achieve this feat when all the experts says it can not be done. I have heard this statement over and over said by some old-timer that this is what the state did. So please enlighten us with how this was accomplished.


\\

This guy covered it pretty good for a college paper...

http://www.ohiosportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33165


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Would like to see clear cutting and actual meaningful plantings of wildlife food lots/plots. Of course, I would also love to see more opportunities in Central Ohio. Plently of land south of Columbus along the Scioto that would be great and relatively inexpensive to purchase.


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## mjeberst (Jun 18, 2007)

fakebait said:


> If the state transplanted deer other than pen raised almost domesticated breed, I would like to know how they did it. Anything I ever read says that deer will stress out and die if captured and relocated. So how did the state achieve this feat when all the experts says it can not be done. I have heard this statement over and over said by some old-timer that this is what the state did. So please enlighten us with how this was accomplished.


This is from the DNR website. "By the early 1900s white-tailed deer were extremely rare in the state. Between the 1920s and 1930s, limited stocking combined with the natural movement of deer from neighboring states into Ohio, and the establishment and strict enforcement of hunting laws allowed the development of a herd that today occupies all 88 counties."

Doesn't say if they were pen raised or not I suppose. 

Take a look at the Division of Forestry website. Timber is harvested off our state lands periodically. Particularly the state forest lands (not wildlife areas) which mostly are open to public hunting. Zaleski state forest in vinton county has a grouse management area where they have been clear cutting sections of it over the years. Are they going to clear cut sections of every wildlife area? No. I'm sure that would be met with a lot of opposition from uniformed citizens who dont understand the benefit of early succession forest.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

fakebait said:


> The turkeys were being pen raised and stocked was a waste of money and time. Not until the NTF got involved with the state in partnership trapping birds and transporting them to different areas of the state and seeding the state did the population grow to what it is now. So really the state did some but the NTF was the main reason we have what we have. You can Not trap deer like turkey and move them around to seed different areas. If the state transplanted deer other than pen raised almost domesticated breed, I would like to know how they did it. Anything I ever read says that deer will stress out and die if captured and relocated. So how did the state achieve this feat when all the experts says it can not be done. I have heard this statement over and over said by some old-timer that this is what the state did. So please enlighten us with how this was accomplished.


Youve been given some really bad information. Deer were trapped and relocated, just like the turkeys. The State had everything to do with the whitetail deer population. And not to discount what the NWTF has done, but they havent spent *nearly* the hours or dollars that the State has to bring the wild turkey back.


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## fakebait (Jun 18, 2006)

I guess the state did more than what I was told. But with all that being said, I would like to see more done with these gamelands to open up opportunities for the whole hunting public just not Deer and Turkey. Pen raised pheasants are just like pen raised trout, just not much of a challenge. A species needs to raised in the wide open outdoors to learn their survival skills. The programs in place satisfy the general mass of hunters that only go a few times a year. I do not go out to kill now in my later years, I go out to experience the chance to see and be a part of the game of man against animal. I rather shoot my camera than my gun at game. It is the hunt not the kill and allways has been.


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## walleye machine (Apr 27, 2004)

I would like for them to let me stick one in my backyard. Feed them all winter. Biggest bucks i ever seen live


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