[UNCLEMIKE]

Good luck finding decent public land deer hunting anytime soon. I have watched and complained about the decline over the past five or more years. AEP lands are just like Woodbury and most other public areas. The state was unable or unwilling to manage these lands so now we have what we have. Our options are to keep hunting harder, there are pockets of good public hunting out there if you have the time too find them, or you can take up squirrel hunting or perhaps fall fishing.

 

[UNCLEMIKE]

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Its only going to get worse as more and more guys are pushed onto public land. Areas are hunted hard from the getgo of bow season.

The DNR has utterly failed in managing its public land, which is incredible considering Ohio doesnt have much public to worry about.

Ohio is one of the hardest hunted states in the country, about 11 hunters PSM. Not to mention we roll out the red carpet for out of staters, only compounding the problems. With the incredible and worsening access problem, you can expect public ground to be basically be unhuntable for the average hunter in coming years.

Ive seen a place like WNF go from 40-50 deer PSM to about 3-4 deer PSM in just 15 years. I mushroom hunt many of the public grounds in NE, SE and central ohio...I know woodbury, trivalley, parts of AEP, powelson, WNF, Dillon, and most of the MWCD lake areas. Its same all over, extreme deer population loss with more and more hunters.

Why do you think the state has done this?

 

[UNCLEMIKE]

The DNR isnt cconcered with the quality of deer hunting.

They are concerned with the task of making alot of money(funding themselves), keeping those political groups happy who are beholding to the governor(farm and insurance).

Private whitetail management is responisble for most of Ohios quality hunting.

The DNR doesnt care if theres 100 hunters PSM and 15 deer PSM, as long as tags and licenses are being sold.

Obviously there are some in the DNR and DOW who do care about Ohios hunting. But the people actually calling the shots in the end dont care, and too many times the people who do care cave into those political pressures.

Which is why things that would help public land hunting arent going to be done. Limiting non-res hunters(cost DNR license money)(hurt lease prices for farmers).

And reducing public bag limit to 1 deer(cost DNR tag money).

I feel your right. That's what happens when those that foot the bill (hunters) have no recourse to those that have the control. You would have thought they could have found a middle ground. Guess there was nothing in it for them to do so.