Ohio Deer Hunting: Past success, but future is questionable

The 2014 Ohio deer hunting season is in the bag with 175,745 deer harvested. This compares to 191,455 total harvest for the 2013 season. The 2014 harvest was down overall 8.21%. The numbers are pretty much in line with the predictions of the ODNR Division of Wildlife. Their mission has been to reduce the overall size of Ohio's deer herd. No doubt that effort has been successful as reflected in the numbers but also with the reports hunters are seeing many fewer deer.

While this may be in line with the management goals, hunters are increasingly unhappy. That point was driven home during the recent deer summit meetings across the state. Approximately 30 individuals attended the District 5 southwest Ohio summit with a statewide number of 160. Given over 175,000 successful deer hunters and approximately 400,000 total deer hunters in the state those attending were a pitifully small number. Hunters need to speak out and have their voices heard. Apathy may be the biggest threat facing the Ohio deer herd.

Many hunters wonder how many deer an average hunter harvests in a year or how they compare to other hunters. It is a minority of hunters who actually consistently harvest deer each year. Approximately one third of Ohio’s deer hunters kill a deer in any year. During the 2011-2012 season with liberal bag limits, 157,726 people successfully killed one deer. Of the successful hunters, almost 73%, took just one deer. About 19% killed two deer, followed by 5.4% killing three, 1.8% taking four, 0.57% taking five, and a mere 0.29% harvesting six or more deer. It seems that liberal bags limits, certainly anything above a three deer limit, may not have much management impact.

The ODNR Division of Wildlife is proposing a reduction in bag limits and antlerless permit use, as well as a shift in the youth season during the 2015-2016 hunting seasons. The proposals are as follows: reduced bag limits in the majority of counties; eliminate the early antlerless-only permits in all but 10 urban counties; reduce the total statewide bag limit from nine to six deer; eliminate the antlerless-only early muzzleloader weekend and move the special youth gun season to this weekend; and add two days of deer-gun hunting or a "Holiday Season" on Dec. 26-27, 2015.

The proposals are not without some concerns.

The "Holiday Season" presents something of a dilemma. Students are out of school and many plants are on shutdown, so this provides an additional opportunity for deer hunting. However, I am not convinced the deer herd can stand the additional hunting pressure. The dates come a mere five days before the statewide muzzleloading season of Jan 2 through 5, 2016. When deer are pressured they can go into hiding, become predominately nocturnal and certainly be very skittish to hunt. While the dates present an opportunity that may not be as good as it looks on paper. If the deer herd is to be rebuilt additional hunting pressure is not the answer.

The deer regulations have been trending toward reduced bag limits and restricted use of antlerless permits in recent years. The intent of the Division proposals reducing the bag limits, removing the antlerless-only permits and adjusting hunting seasons is to take the pressure off the doe deer. The goal is to stabilize deer populations. Hunters are not be happy with a stabilized deer population as many are suggesting the Division needs to allow the herd to rebound significantly.

There are other signs of problems with the Ohio deer herd. Coyote predation, especially on the fawns, is a problem. The Division has historically downplayed the coyote predation issue but some recent studies suggest it may be in the 25 to 50% range. If those studies are accurate, that is a huge number. Additionally, sampling of the buck harvest indicates some small reduction in antler size and mass. This may be an indication that there was some overpopulation and competition for available food. It may also be that that bucks with inferior genes are in the breeding pool. The buck breeding population is nearly impossible to control on a statewide basis. Certain areas may make an impact through aggressive management and controlled culling. If these trends continue Ohio could experience a decline in the number of hunters and lose out-of-state hunters who come to pursue the trophy white-tailed deer.

The Division will revised the deer population goals this summer through a random survey of hunters and farmers. This is long overdue piece of management data as the last survey is almost fifteen years old. Participants in the survey will have the opportunity to provide input about the future of deer management in Ohio. It is important that those selected respond to the survey. Apathy will kill the effort and dim the future of Ohio's deer herd.

Finally, the annual open house for public comments regarding hunting, trapping and fishing regulations will be held on Saturday, March 7 from 12:00 pm - 3:00. Open Houses are open and public participation is encouraged. Anyone interested in providing input and participating in Ohio’s professional wildlife management process is welcome. Fish and wildlife biologists along with law enforcement officers will be on hand to answer questions and receive comments.

Open houses will be held at five locations throughout the state:

Central Ohio: Wildlife District One Office
1500 Dublin Road, Columbus

Northwest Ohio: Wildlife District Two Office
952 Lima Ave, Findlay

Northeast Ohio: Wildlife District Three Office
912 Portage Lakes Drive, Akron

Southeast Ohio: Wildlife District Four Office
360 E State St., Athens

Southwest Ohio: Greene County Fish and Game Association Clubhouse
1538 Union Road, Xenia

Ohioans, who are unable to attend an open house, may enter online comments until March 8 at the ODNR website: http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/stay-informed/proposed-rule-changes-csi-review.

Outdoor writer and hunter education instructor Larry S. Moore is a long-time volunteer leader for Buckeye Firearms Foundation and winner of the 2005 USSA Patriot Award, the 2007 League of Ohio Sportsmen/Ohio Wildlife Federation Hunter Educator of the Year, the 2010 National Wild Turkey Federation/ Women in the Outdoors Hunter Education Instructor of the Year and the 2014 Ohio NWTF Outdoor Writer of the Year.