DALE SUNDERLIN
With spring just around the corner, crappie anglers are reminded that new size and bag limits went into effect on March 1, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife.
A total of 38 lakes were added to the six lakes that already had a 9-inch minimum size limit on crappies. A bag limit of 30 for crappies will also be in effect for all 44 lakes with a 9-inch size limit.
Alum Creek, Caesar Creek, Deer Creek, Seneca and Tappan Lakes have had the 9-inch minimum regulations since 2001, with Delaware Reservoir having the limit since 1997. Catches from these lakes indicate the numbers of large crappies have increased and both black and white crappies have maintained good growth rates.
A 2008 on-line angler survey indicates 81 percent of crappie anglers favor the 9-inch length limits. An on-the-water creel survey from the spring of 2009 lends solid support for daily crappie limits, with 80 percent of the anglers favoring a daily bag restriction.
The 38 new reservoirs are Acton (Butler and Preble counties), Atwood (Carroll and Tuscarawas counties), Berlin (Stark, Mahoning and Portage counties), Buckeye (Fairfield, Licking and Perry counties), C.J. Brown (Clark County), Clear Fork (Morrow and Richland counties), Clendening (Harrison County), Dillon (Muskingum County), East Fork (Clermont County), Ferguson (Allen County), Grand Lake St. Marys (Auglaize and Mercer counties), Griggs (Franklin County), Hargus (Pickaway County), Hoover (Delaware and Franklin counties), Indian (Logan County), Kiser (Champaign County), Knox (Knox County), Loramie (Auglaize and Shelby counties), Milton (Mahoning County), Leesville (Carroll County), Madison (Madison County), Mosquito (Trumbull County), Nimisila (Summit County), O’Shaughnessy (Delaware County), Portage Lakes: East, Long, North, Turkeyfoot and West (Summit County), Paint Creek (Highland and Ross counties), Piedmont (Belmont, Guernsey and Harrison counties), Pleasant Hill (Ashland and Richland counties), Rocky Fork (Highland County), Rush Creek (Fairfield and Perry counties), Salt Fork (Guernsey County), Springfield (Summit County), Veterans Memorial (Hancock County) and West Branch (Portage County).
Bobcat sightings
Increased evidence of bobcats living in Ohio’s southeastern counties continues with the confirmation of 92 sightings by state wildlife officials during 2009, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The reports show an increase from the 65 verified sightings in 2008.
The bobcat was found throughout Ohio during early settlement, but as land was converted for crops and communities the bobcat’s population declined. By 1850, the animal could no longer be found living in the state. A handful of unverified sightings in the 1960s marked the bobcat’s unofficial return to Ohio. Since 1970, state wildlife biologists have verified 359 bobcat sightings in 31 counties.
Verification of the elusive bobcat includes photographs of the animal and its tracks; encounters through incidental trapping, from which animals are later released; recovery of road kill and sightings by Division of Wildlife personnel. The majority of the 2009 verified reports occurred in Noble County and the immediate surrounding counties.
In an effort to further clarify estimated populations, ongoing Division of Wildlife research is currently utilizing scent stations and remote cameras for observation in several locations throughout southeast Ohio.
These efforts have been supported by the Wildlife Diversity and Endangered Species fund, which receives donations from Ohioans through the state income tax checkoff program and by the purchase of cardinal license plates. Individuals wanting to donate can also make an online contribution at www.wildohio.com. A quick footnote: the bobcat is listed as an endangered species in Ohio and protected by state law.
Black bear sightings
One hundred-nineteen black bear sightings were reported in Ohio last year, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Of that number, state wildlife personnel confirmed 51 of those sightings, an increase compared to the 38 confirmed sightings in 2008.
The confirmed sightings of 2009 occurred in 21 different counties and involved an estimated 31 different black bears, the Division of Wildlife reported.
Sightings occurred in every month of 2009 except January. The majority of bears were reported May through August, which is the peak of black bear breeding and dispersal of young male bears.
Forty-five of the 119 sightings involved damage or nuisance behavior, such as damage to bird feeders, beehives, and garbage containers. An estimated 25 individual bears were involved in these cases.
Most of the reported bear sightings were in northeastern and south-central counties. Ashtabula County led the state reporting 27 sightings.
Across the state there, were four reported sightings of sows with cubs and two sightings of lone cubs.
For comparison, in 2008 state wildlife officials confirmed 38 of a total 105 black bear sightings. The confirmed sightings were in 11 counties and involved about 29 different black bears. A record 165 bear sightings were reported in 2002.
The Division of Wildlife began formally keeping records of black bear observations in 1993. Since that time, bears have been confirmed in 50 of Ohio’s 88 counties.
Efforts to monitor the black bear have been supported by the Wildlife Diversity and Endangered Species fund, which receives donations from Ohioans through the state income tax check-off program and by the purchase of cardinal license plates. Individuals wanting to donate to the fund can also donate online at www.wildohio.com. Note: The black bear is listed as endangered in Ohio and protected by state law.
Again... thievery
Dale,
My name is Brian Gaines, and I live in Rome Township. I enjoy reading all or the great stories in your column.
Sorry, but I don’t have a great hunting story like the ones I have read about. My story is about shooting pictures with my game cam. I have enjoyed looking at pictures that I had taken with the game cam. I have watched a set of twins grow up and also a set of triplets, even as I was bow hunting. I am a very selective hunter as not to harvest anything small (a man among men, in my book).
My enjoyment came to the picture taking end as someone in my neighborhood actually came onto my property and stole my game cam. I guess the flashing of the camera at night must have annoyed someone or they just wanted a free game cam. I guess this guy, meaning me, should have had a lock on it. On the other hand one never expects someone, especially another hunter or nature lover, to come onto ones property and steal a game cam.
Hopefully, this person who took the game cam reads your column and has a change of heart and puts my game cam back, no questions asked. Put it back on the tree where it was taken.
Dale, again love the column.
Brian Gaines
Brian,
Again with the thievery and again I feel you pain, disappointment and disgust. I hate to say it, but it more than likely was another hunter, if you want to call them that.
This past year, I put in two food plots and put a trail cam out at both of them to see what was coming in. But… because of past history on our hunting grounds, I only left them out for a short while, until gun season, then pulled them. I was afraid they’d steel them too. It’s a sad state of affairs when we steal from our own kind. I wish I could give you some sort of recourse but unfortunately all I can do is sympathize with you from being victimized myself. Take care my friend and good luck in the future.
More bad news
Hi, Dale,
I’m going to share a story with you, if you don’t mind. First, let me say I had never hunted. About 12 years ago at the age of 5, my son started going into the woods with his grandfather. They would just take a packed lunch, sit, relax, watch for animals and his Papa would do some target shooting.
As my son got older (now almost 17), he would go with his Papa more and more. I could see I eventually would have to come into the picture as Papa is getting older and not able to breathe and walk like he used to. Papa still has the will to hunt but just found it hard to do.
Well I found a piece of private property pretty close to where we live and got permission to hunt it. My son and I put up a two man tree stand and hunted there a couple times. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed being with him and learning from him what his Papa had taught him. A couple months after deer season had ended, we checked on the stand. Gone! Someone had stolen it. Needless to say, we were both seriously disappointed that someone would actually do this.
Undaunted by the incident, we decided what we would do would be to build a permanent stand, something all three of us could use. I built what we call “the condo,” a comfortable place we could all sit in and hunt from. Believe me, Papa is in seventh heaven. We can take Papa right to the stand on the 4-wheeler. All he has to do is maneuver the steps and we are ready to hunt. There are times we sit up in the stand and just watch, even without a firearm. (My kind of guys) It’s so cool to watch nature and be undetected.
Ultimately, we decided to buy a couple of cameras we could mount on the trees nearby. We all enjoyed the pictures that were taken, especially Papa. Well, needless to say, we entered the woods got in the stand and looked to where our cameras were mounted. GONE! Someone, probably the same inconsiderate son of a B that took our stand a year before, had stolen them. What a shame, to invade someone’s private property and ruin the enjoyment of others. I would venture to say that these thieves are not hunters, just thieves.
Nonetheless, thanks for listening, Dale…I just need to vent to someone who understands our plight.
Thanks,
Bob Roseburg
My call
My answer to Bob was about the same as the other distress letters I’ve received so there was no need to go over my troubles and woes. What I will say is this, what is it with you guys? It is that old adage, “What’s mine is mine and what’s yours is mine, too.”
My father and I as well as Janie and my mother (when she was alive) we lucky enough to purchase our hunting land close to 15 years ago so we wouldn’t have to worry about a place to hunt. It’s ours and no one else’s. We made the payments on it and we pay the taxes on it. We made all the improvements on it and enhanced it as best we could to make it conducive to wildlife. No one, or at least only a few, have offered to assist us in our endeavor or help with the expenses. With that said, only a select few have permission to hunt our land.
It’s been a constant battle since Day 1 keeping trespassers, poachers and thieves at bay. The same goes for butt-headed 4-wheelers and dirt bikers. Some people just don’t respect other people’s property and all you put into it.
From the messages I’ve gotten, it seems to be getting worse .So to all you ethical hunters, beware and take precautions. In the end, if I had my way I’d... wel, let’s just say they’d never do it again to anyone else if I was to catch them in the act.
Remember, pass it on or it will surely pass on... but do it in an ethical manner with respect for other hunters and their property along with the landowner.
Sunderlin is a freelance writer from Geneva. Reach him at djss@roadrunner.com.
