Deer gun week important for controlling herd numbers
Deer gun week, which begins one-half hour before sunrise Monday and runs until one-half hour after sunset next Sunday, might not carry quite the social chops as in days past, but it’s still a big deal. So says wildlife biologist Mike Tonkovich, a deer specialist with the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
“There’s no question the gun season isn’t what it used to be,” he said, “but the gun season is still important. At no other time do we kill so many deer in a day as during gun week.”
From a management perspective, gun week and the bonus weekend gun hunt scheduled Dec. 16-17 contribute significantly to the knocking down of whitetail numbers. Last season, about 76,000 deer were checked during the nine days of gun hunting out of an annual take of about 182,000 whitetails taken between late September and early February.
The almost 6,000 deer killed during last year’s two-day youth season and nearly 16,000 taken during the four-day muzzleloader hunt in January suggest that gun and rifle hunting, short though the seasons be, take a necessary toll on the herd.
“Archery equipment has improved tremendously over the years,” Tonkovich said, “but it’ll never be as efficient as a gun.”
The season as it has unfolded sets up probably a little more opportunity than what’s been typical.
First, the archery hunt began almost a week later than a year ago, leaving bowhunters fewer days to knock down deer. Second, the gun season, which typically begins the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend, is getting off to an early start this year. Third, last weekend’s youth gun hunt didn’t do its usual damage.
Youngsters reported killing 4,958 whitetails Nov. 18-19, almost 1,000 fewer than taken a year ago and the lowest total since the youth hunt was instituted in 2003. Youngsters took 5,208 deer that inaugural year and topped 9,000 in 2012, 2010, 2009 and 2008.
Last weekend’s record-low harvest mostly was “weatherrelated,” Tonkovich said, related to heavy rain in parts of the state on Saturday and cold, windy conditions on Sunday.
Licking led central Ohio counties last weekend with 130 deer checked, eight fewer than a year ago. Fairfield County was next with 60, seven more than a year ago, followed by Pickaway with 30, Union 26, Delaware and Madison, both with 17, and Franklin 11.
A good-size herd remaining in many counties and decent weather predicted for most of the coming week point toward “a terrific gun season,” Tonkovich said. Hunters had checked 67,291 whitetails through Tuesday. That’s about 5,200 fewer deer than the 72,483 checked at about the same point last season.
Tonkovich predicted Ohio’s deer kill would approach 200,000 by season’s end Feb. 4. Hunters checked a season total 182,169 whitetails a year ago.
Elephant rule
After a mid-November announcement by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that a ban on the importation of elephant trophies taken in the African nations of Zimbabwe and Zambia would be relaxed, the Trump administration a few days later put the decision “on hold” after a public outcry related to the killing of threatened animals.
Trophy hunters and their allies expecting something different had to swallow one of the president’s tweets made a few days ago that didn’t bode well for their cause. To quote: “Big-game trophy decision will be announced next week but will be very hard pressed to change my mind that this horror show in any way helps conservation of Elephants or any other animal.”
Parting shots
Antrim Lake in Columbus received an infusion of 9- to 15-inch trout a few days ago. The release of several hundred fish came from surplus stock at Ohio Division of Wildlife hatcheries. … Goose season reopened in the South Zone, which includes central Ohio, on Nov. 23 and continues through Feb. 10, 2018. … Woodcock season ends at sunset today.