DALE SUNDERLIN
Ohio’s popular deer-gun season opens statewide on Monday, Nov. 30, offering hunters a full week to harvest a whitetail.
The upcoming season will again include an extra weekend of gun hunting on Dec. 19-20, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
Deer can be hunted with a legal muzzleloader, handgun or shotgun from one half-hour before sunrise to sunset through December 6 and December 19-20. With a pre-hunting season population estimate of 650,000 white-tailed deer, the ODNR Division of Wildlife anticipates 115,000 to 125,000 deer will be killed during the nine-day season. Approximately 420,000 hunters are expected to participate in this year’s season, including many out-of-state hunters.
The white-tailed deer is the most popular game animal in Ohio, frequently pursued by generations of hunters. Ohio ranks 8th nationally in annual hunting-related sales and 10th in the number of jobs associated with the hunting-related industry.
Each year, hunting has an $859 million economic impact in Ohio through the sale of equipment, fuel, food, lodging and more.
Ohio is divided into three deer hunting zones. Beginning on the opening day of gun season and continuing through December 6 a limit of one deer may be taken in Zone A (20 counties) and two deer in Zone B (30 counties).
A total of six deer may be harvested in eastern and southeastern Ohio’s Zone C (38 counties) through the week long gun season. The antlerless deer permit will be valid for deer-gun week only in Zone C.
Beginning on Dec. 7, the bag limit is three deer in Zone C and antlerless deer permits are no longer valid. Any time a hunter is allowed to take more than one deer, they must purchase an additional permit.
Those hunting in urban units and at Division of Wildlife-authorized controlled hunts will have a six-deer bag limit, and those deer will not count against the hunter’s zone bag limit. Antlerless deer permits can be used for the entire season in urban deer units or Division of Wildlife-authorized controlled hunts. Antlerless deer permits must be purchased by Nov. 29.
Hunters may take only one antlered deer, regardless of zone, hunting method or season. A deer permit is required in addition to a valid Ohio hunting license.
Additional hunting regulations and maps of the state’s deer zones are contained in the 2009-2010 Ohio Hunting & Trapping Regulations. This free publication is available wherever hunting licenses are sold, online at wildohio.com or by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE.
A real Licking
Ohio bow hunters killed 53,959 deer during the first six weeks of the state’s archery season. According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife, this year’s early archery season harvest is 4 percent higher than last year’s kill of 51,976 deer.
Pursuing deer with a bow continues to grow in popularity among Ohio hunters. The season started September 26 and will carry on through Feb. 7, 2010.
Counties reporting the highest numbers of deer brought to check stations were: Licking - 2,334, Holmes - 1,969, Tuscarawas - 1,770, Coshocton - 1,451, Ashtabula - 1,348, Harrison - 1,278, Trumbull - 1,251, Stark - 1,204, Knox - 1,175 and Fairfield - 1,142.
The statewide deer population was estimated to be 650,000 in early October. Approximately 345,000 bow hunters are expected to participate in the statewide deer-archery hunting season. Bow hunters harvested a total of 85,856 deer during last year’s four-month Ohio archery season.
Punderson stocked
Several hundred surplus “brood stock” rainbow and golden-strain rainbow trout will be stocked in Punderson Lake in Geauga County just before the Thanksgiving holiday on Tuesday, Nov. 24.
Fortunate fishermen
According to Phil Hillman, Northeast Ohio’s fish management supervisor for Division of Wildlife, “anglers are very fortunate because these trout are so large making them a lot of fun to catch and an exceptional size to take home. These fish are excess breeders from the London State Fish Hatchery.”
Exceptional size
The trout range from about 16 to 24 inches long and weigh two to ten pounds. They are expected to arrive from the hatchery early in the afternoon.
Anglers should be aware that the stocking will only take place at the campground. Temperature and algae problems have been a problem at the boat ramp. Low oxygen levels near the marina are also a possibility when the water is stagnant.
Anglers are encouraged to bring hip or chest waders to increase fishing opportunity. For information on how to fish for trout and what baits to use go to wildohio.com
Survive the year
Hillman explains that rainbow trout typically do not reproduce naturally in Ohio. “Rainbow trout are a cold water species that in nature spawn in moving water over gravel or cobble substrate.
In Ohio, there are few streams that support natural reproduction and no lakes, so the Division of Wildlife raises and stocks trout in many Ohio waters. In most lakes trout that are stocked usually don’t survive the winter (if stocked in the fall) or the summer (for spring-stocked trout).
Punderson Lake is an exception, however. Trout that have not been captured by anglers within the normal two to three-week period in this lake have been known to survive throughout the year, which is quite unusual.”
‘Da Rules’
Fishing at Punderson Lake is open to people of all ages. The daily bag limit is five trout per angler with no size limits. No snagging is allowed; snagged fish must be released immediately. For anglers ages 16 and older, an Ohio fishing license is required and can be purchased at one of many area license dealers or the Wildlife District Three office. The annual resident license cost $19.00. A one-day fishing license costs $11.00. Please be aware that Punderson Lake allows electric motors only for boating anglers.
Tim’s ‘Titan’
On Nov. 7, Tim Caruthers, member extraordinaire, of Hildy’s Hide-A-Way and Camp Camo Pro Staffer took to the woods with his lovely wife Vicki for a leisurely day in the trees. They left the house early and gave the obligatory “kiss” and “good luck” as they parted ways and headed to their separate stands. Vicki going to her stand that was already set and Tim to an area he had pre-scouted where he was going to use his Summit Goliath climber.
Lumber Jack Timmy
Once there, Tim proceeded up the tree only to determine that he wasn’t high enough. Out came the Gerber hand saw.
Tim had to cut one branch that was hellaciously large, about 15 feet long he said. He said when it hit the ground it sounded like the entire woods fell in around him.
He immediately called Vicki and told her, “It’s ok, it’s only a limb I had to cut to get higher, I’m still in the climber and doin’ fine”.
Scent Lok saves day
Thank goodness for Scent Lok, by now Tim was sweating like a stuck pig. Once he positioned himself and dried off a bit he gave out a sequence of rattles and a few well placed grunts.
He waited 10 minutes and laid down some bleats and a few more grunts. Another 10 minutes went by and he exposed several more bleats to autumn air and again waited.
Tree texting
Somewhat bored, Tim started texting his bud, Rick Hildebrand (who was hunting doe in another area), to let him know Vicki had seen a buck just before daylight but couldn’t get a shot because it was still too dark.
A snap sound came from the ground clutter breaking the silence and Tim’s concentration. As he looked up he could see a buck coming through the ravine, it was a shooter.
Bleat to me, baby!
Tim waited until his “Titan” was parallel along the ravine and he hit his bleat can, the buck stopped. Tim put his bleat behind his back and tipped it once more, the Titan started up the ravine on a collision course with Tim’s tree. Tim watched as he walked 3 feet away from his stand right in front of him.
Clank, oh no!
As the “Titan” of a buck ambled by Tim drew his bow, clank, his bottom cam hit the stand, “Oh god no”. The buck paid no attention, walked a tad further and stopped.
Still no shot, he needed a couple more steps and he’d be in a shooting lane. The Titan began to move again but only a few steps.
Thanks, Tink’s
Mr. Titan had hit Tim’s scent trail, Tink’s # 69 Doe in Heat, he slammed on the brakes and began to flail the air.
Tim pulled back his Matthews DX7 compound bow, settled his pin on the buck’s vitals and squeezed his release. He watched as his Carbon Express Maxima Hunter shaft blew through the top of the deer back, a good hit.
Yeah, I know
Tim watched his Titan disappear into the forest and mentally marked his last sighting; he sat down and called Vicki. “Big buck down”, were his words. Yeah I know, I heard you shoot and I heard him crashing through the woods was her reply somewhat despondent.
Let him lay
Forty minutes later, on the ground, Tim and Vicki decided to go back to their house and give him a couple hours. He called Ricky and another bud, Gary Blevins (who you’ll hear about at a later date) for some tracking help.
Easy tracking... NOT!
Two hours later, when they arrived back at the scene, it wasn’t hard to pick up the trail from Tim’s Trophy Ridge broadhead. It was easy tracking for a while then it dwindled to near nothing. They quartet reverted to following the turned up leaf trail and hoof tracks with a speckle of blood every now and then. They came to the creek, he had jumped it and, yeah baby, he was dumping red when he hit the other side, game on! As they eased along Gary spotted Tim’s downed quarry. “There’ your buck followed by a slap on the back and a high five.
Celebration
Once the celebration and compulsory paperwork along with the field dressing was completed, Tim went for his Yamaha Rhino and headed for Hildy’s Hide-A-Way, it was celebration time and time to call the old man, that’s me!
Tim’s stats
Tim Caruthers nailed his 9-point; main frame 8-point with 1 sticker, “Titan Buck” on Nov. 7 in Hartsgrove Township using a Matthews Compound bow, at 60 pounds pull, flicking Carbon Express Hunter Maxima arrows, headed up with Trophy Ridge Chisel Point fixed 3 bladed broadheads. He hammed his buck at 10 yards and he went another 200 before meeting his demise. Tim was 30 feet up in a Summit Goliath climbing tree stand wearing Realtree AP Scent Lok camo. His scent of choice was Tink’s #69 Doe in Heat and his secret weapon was a Gerber and saw?
Sunderlin is a freelance writer from Geneva. Reach him at djss@roadrunner.com.
