Youth Deer Gun Season Marks First Use of Rifles in Ohio

The early youth deer gun season was less than thirty-minutes old when five-year old Braxton Taylor made Ohio history. Young Taylor was hunting on a family farm in Union County with his step-father Isaac Heyne when he harvested a doe. It was among the early deer taken with one of the new straight-walled cartridge (SWC) rifles. Taylor also has taken two deer with his crossbow this season.

The family resides in Mercer County while the deer was harvested in Union County on 11/22/14 at 7:25AM. The deer and the harvest has been verified through the Ohio Division of Wildlife. The SWC rifle was approved by the Ohio Wildlife Council earlier this year. Mr. Heyne noted that Taylor is using an apprentice youth license even though they were hunting on family farmland. This allows them to hunt other locations, as well as, provide support to the Division of Wildlife.

Mr. Heyne commented, "It is great that the Division of Wildlife passed the rules to allow this type of firearm. He was using a Ruger that is smaller in the .44 magnum caliber. We went to the range all summer long to allow him to practice. He used a tripod from the bench during practice. He was hunting from a tree stand with a shooting rail. The reduced weight and, especially, the light recoil of the .44 magnum in a rifle is perfect for young hunters. It has been an unbelievable deer season for us."

Mercer County Wildlife Officer Ryan Garrison adds, "I know the family and they are absolutely avid about their hunting. They do it the right way with proper supervision of the young hunter. This type of firearm, with reduced recoil, shoots a very accurate load. It is safe for everyone and gives young people an opportunity to hunt with a firearm they can handle. It is a great way to get the kids started. This is why we have and promote the youth seasons."

The Buckeye Firearms Association (BFA) worked for several years with the Division of Wildlife and other constituent groups to pass the SWC regulations. The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation adopted a resolution at their 2013 annual convention supporting the use of SWC in Ohio. A key supporting reason for allowing the use of SWC rifles is the lighter recoil and weight makes many of them a perfect choice for smaller hunters.

The Ohio Division of Wildlife is still verifying some deer checked to determine who actually harvested the first (legal) deer with a rifle in Ohio. That information is not yet officially available. The youth season recorded a total of 6453 deer harvested. That number is slightly below the last year's total of 6640. There were 378 deer taken using the new SWC rifles. There was at least one deer taken with a SWC rifle in every Ohio county. While the number is not large, the use across the state reflects the interest in this new option for Ohio deer hunting.

Congratulations to young Braxton Taylor on his deer. My special thanks to Heyne who is working with Taylor and training him the right way getting him to the range and into the field. Heyne, who has hunted extensively, concluded, "Without a doubt this is the best hunt I've been on. The opportunity to get young people involved and pass along our heritage is simply priceless."

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 and the 2010 National Wild Turkey Federation/ Women in the Outdoors Hunter Education Instructor of the Year.