[Bill Metzger]

I have always thought that Ohio should have a restriction on killing button bucks, forks, 4 pointers. In other words try to grow some dandy bucks instead of killing them before they get to there potential. What is your two cents worth on this ? Bill

 

[[email protected]]

Button's no. Mistakes can be easily made.

Basket racks yes, but I think the a point restriction wouldn't work.

What happens when you have that P&Y six point staring at you and you can't shoot him because he doesn't have the extra two points? If they went with a minium width, say as wide as the ears, then I think it would work better.

Thunderflight

 

[Ðe§perado™]

It's good management of the deer , but the only real management is mostly on Private owned proprety. ODNR only looks at it as it's a buck, no matter the size, and thats a doe.

 

[lureboy98]

I know a few people who kill the smaller deer because the meat is better.

 

[Nut]

Minimum width doesnt work for me. It is kinda hard to have one stay still long enough for me to measure it

If..and that is a BIG if Ohio went to antler restrictions. (Which at this time I am not for,will explain) It would have to be determined on a county to county basis on what restriction there is just like Pa. Lots of factors would have to be determined. Would we all then have to enter a drawing for a deer tag? Lots of things could happen if we did.


Right now I wouldnt be for antler restrictions. I like it the way it is now. I still have a wife and 2 boys to get their first deer. I would like for them to have a chance to take the deer. I wouldnt want to be the one to tell them that they cant shoot. Specially my wife

 

[flathunter]

Personally I would not like that idea, we have to many deer now and it would cut down on the harvest, I hunt deer just for meat, not the rack..But I can understand your point of view

 

[Lundy43123]

I have access to around 800 acres in Athens County. We have been hunting this property for the last 7 years. We have kindof established a minumum antler size for shooting the deer.

We have over the years I believe benifited from these restrictions. We have killed some very nice bucks. It is not a sure thing because the surrounding properties are heavily hunted and to them a deer is a deer, which is fine. I do know for a fact that if you elect to harvest a young buck that it can never grow up to be a old buck.

We do get to watch many of these bucks day after day during the gun seasons. I saw more nice bucks during this past muzzleloader season than I have ever seen in past years. Of the 12 bucks that I saw on Friday of ML season 7 were bucks I had seen during the gun season. If these deer stay on the property next year will provide some multiple great opportunities at 140+ deer for us and all of the surrounding properties.

On Friday morning of ML season my son was trying to take a 10 point that we had seen numerous times in one specific super thick area. A 9:00 am he see the 10 point coming out with 3 does, he is preparing to shoot and the largest buck he has ever seen steps out behind them, between the shaking and who knows what else he misses the shot. He is a very seasoned 23 year old hunter that has been hunting with me since he was 8. He is usally very calm, but this buck got to him badly.

My point to this story is that I wonder if this buck was from somewhere else or had been living on this property for years. Had we had a chance to shoot him when he was a smaller buck and eleminate the chance to see him in his maginicant prime, who knows. For us we enjoy the hunting experience trying to harvest the largest deer we can. If we don't have the opportunity at a mature buck then we harvest a couple of does for meat and let the younger bucks grow up some more. We do not settle on smaller bucks just so we can say we got a buck.

To each his own, but we let them grow,

Kim

 

[Ohio Bill]

restrictions sound good

I also think you should have a restriction of at least 6 or 8 points....for about 5 years then see what happens

 

[gamegetter1]

I would be for it...

I would be for antler restrictions... I hunt in Georgia, and in the county I hunt there is QDM of four on one side. Up until this year I had seen one buck there, a small four point. That is with 4 years of hunting there. This year I saw bucks everytime out. This is only the second year for QDM, but I saw a button, a spike, a four point, two nice six points and a nice 8pt. I would have to say that it was working for them. Honest mistakes can be made with button bucks, but I think that the basket rack deer should live for the next season. Even if you do hunt for meat, does are numerous, and wouldn't you like to seet big trophy deer walking around your hunting area next season?

David

 

[george tinkham]

The odnr must be real careful not to present the image of running a trophy hunter operation.Non hunters are by far opposed to trophy hunting and may turn against hunting.The anti hunters would be elated to see this change.It could be the beginning of the end for hunting.as a hunter I see nothing wrong with trophy hunting as long as it is done according to the game laws.But we have to be careful about the image we present whether we like it or not.

 

[flathunter]

Very true George, well said!

 

[Stacker]

What George said! Also the fact that Ohio hunters are limited to one buck per year serves to maintain a steady population throughout the state. Naming spikes as "antlerless" will only get them tagged as such, it won't save them for a season. Many hunters would shoot a spike over a doe simply for reasons of bravado. The double edged sword strikes once more. Also, i saw a tremendous forkhorn 3-4 times this fall while bowhunting (18-19" spread, high and heavy, no brow tines) and would have taken it in a heartbeat if I'd had a shot and been pissed if I couldn't legally. This case is rare but I wonder if Pa. considered it when they made the change?

 

[Troph-E-Hunter]

management

Good management will eliminate some of those basket racks because of age and weight considerations. You can tell a lot more about a deer's age and health without his rack. Putting rack restrictions into place would corrupt the whole system. If someone shoots a doe and it turns out to be a button buck....come on...mistakes happen...plus the doe population would skyrocket. Buck management needs to be in the minds of hunters if they choose to hunt "big", not for dinner, yet 'dinner' hunters can do it as well.
- shoot the old does
- shoot the bucks with inferior genes
One can still hunt for meat and be a manager of a heard!

 

[Bill Metzger]

Thanks everyone on your thoughts about antler restrictions. I guess in a way I'm to soft I personally think that a animal has to live at least a year. To be born in the spring and get killed in the fall just dosen't set well with me. Don't get me wrong I have kill ton of *****, muskrat and other critters not knowing how old they were. But something about getting older you look at life so much different. Thanks again on your opinions Bill

 

[Aimrite]

It would be smart to put minimal restrictions on Button Bucks, forkhorns and spikes.
It would Improve buck to doe ratio and make healthier herd in the long term.
I also agree with George, we need to seperate and distance ourselves for trophy management,hunting and concentrate healthy herd.