Controversy over the Division-Proposed Move of the Deer Statewide Muzzle Loading Season

Editors Note: District Open Houses on Sunday March 1 provide an opportunity to give feedback on proposed moves. For all the regulation changes and Open House information click here.

By Larry S. Moore

The Ohio Division of Wildlife is proposing moving the muzzle loading season for deer. It is good to question the status quo. I enjoy a good debate and applaud the Division biologists for examining alternatives. But I believe the Division is missing the opportunity to leave muzzle loading season alone, for some very valid reasons.

The muzzle loading season has been between Christmas and New Year's Day for many years. It was the first full weekend of January before moving to the current schedule.

I wrote at least one of the original resolutions presented at the League of Ohio Sportsmen convention requesting the Division to move the muzzle loading season from early January to between Christmas and New Year’s. The logic was fairly simple. We had encountered several years of severely cold and bad weather. I wanted to promote the change as an opportunity for young people to deer hunt during the school Christmas break. A number of manufacturing plants are closed so it would bolster the opportunity for more adults to hunt.

Dave Risley presented the arguments for moving the season to January to the Ohio Wildlife Council. The reasons include the harvest numbers for the muzzle loading season have declined; the number of young people taking deer during this time period is pretty much identical to the number of youth checking deer during the regular gun week; the opportunity to always include weekend dates and the concern that deer have no opportunity to settle back into a pattern. Risley also pointed out the sociological factor that there are many conflicting events, primarily parties, in December.

I am glad that, unlike Risley and the Division, I do not have to manage the sociology of all hunters. While I want to offer as much opportunity as possible, I also want to preserve my opportunity. I am one who has time between Christmas and New Year’s readily available. My sons also have this time off from their jobs. After the first of the year I have very little, if any, leave time accumulated. Should the Division move the muzzle loading season from December to January, our family hunting time will likely diminish from three or four days to one or two days.

Despite the presentations, I think the Division is moving the wrong season. The added bonus weekend for gun hunting is what should be moved. This is the season that was recently interjected into the mix causing the deer to remain pushed throughout December.

The Division proposal will move muzzle loading but it would still remain a four day season, with the difference being the guarantee of a weekend. Leaving muzzle loading season as-is allows four days of opportunity, although not always on a weekend. Still, schools are out, colleges are out and plants are often shut down. This is still providing four days of prime deer hunting opportunity. College students are not counted in the youth numbers.

I propose moving the bonus gun weekend to the same day as Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. Make it five days to include the Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. This year that was January 16 through 20. Federal employees, banks, many schools and some factories observe the holiday. This provides the opportunity to have at least a three day "weekend" season.

Let both seasons be a gun season so hunters can use their muzzle loaders or, if they prefer, the slug guns or handguns could also be used. If the opportunity to hunt is considered it seems this offers the most people the most opportunity. Those of us who want a traditional muzzle loading hunt can have one. Those who don't own a muzzleloader can join the fun and possibly help toward the increased harvest goals.

The Division of Wildlife annual open houses will occur in each division on Sunday March 1. This is your opportunity to hear all the proposed changes and voice your opinion.

A statewide hearing on all of the proposed rules will be held at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 5 at the wildlife division's District One Office, located at 1500 Dublin Road in Columbus. After considering public input, the Ohio Wildlife Council will vote on the proposed rules during its April 1 meeting.

For complete hunting proposals and changes go to the ODNR website at http://www.ohiodnr.com/.

Outdoor writer and hunter education instructor Larry S. Moore is a long-time volunteer leader for Buckeye Firearms Association and winner of the 2005 USSA Patriot Award and 2007 League of Ohio Sportsmen/Ohio Wildlife Federation Hunter Educator of the Year.

March 1st Open House Location Information

Central Ohio
Wildlife District One Office, 1500 Dublin Road, Columbus
(614) 644-3925

Northwest Ohio
Wildlife District Two Office, 952 Lima Avenue, Findlay
(419) 424-5000

Northeast Ohio
Wildlife District Three Office, 912 Portage Lakes Drive, Akron
(330) 644-2293

Southeast Ohio
Wildlife District Four Office, 360 E State Street, Athens
(740) 589-9930

Southwest Ohio
Greene County Fish and Game Club, 1538 Union Road, Xenia
(937) 372-9261