Ohio hunters bagged 39,629 white-tailed deer on the first day of deer-gun season Monday, a slight increase from last year.
Preliminary figures from deer-check stations statewide showed hunters killed 934 more deer than the first day of the 2005 season, wildlife officials said.
The 10 counties yielding the most deer were: Tuscarawas, 1,858; Guernsey, 1,615; Coshocton, 1,503; Washington, 1,451; Holmes, 1,304; Harrison, 1,244; Licking, 1,192; Muskingum, 1,127; Athens, 1,101; and Meigs, 1,054.
In central Ohio, totals reported by the Ohio Division of Wildlife were: Fairfield, 574; Pickaway, 269; Delaware, 232; Franklin, 87; and Madison, 41.
Wildlife officials estimate about 400,000 hunters will kill 115,000 to 120,000 deer during the nine-day deer-gun season.
Is this something to be proud of? Of insecure men toting guns and killing 40,000 innocent animals who are just trying to survive on the land they occupied first? This will be a very sad nine days for Ohio. I will never understand hunting.
One of the most illogical pro-hunting statements I hear and see often is that hunting is a sport.
One definition of “sport” is “an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition.” Where exactly is the competition? Using high-tech equipment to locate and shoot an innocent animal who has no way to defend itself is not competition. Give the deer a gun and then it may be closer to a sport. Until then, you are not a sportsman. You are a violent killer with an ego who is insecure in your masculinity.
Some people hunt for sustenance. That’s fine and I could understand that, that’s how it was for many native settlers in this country. But I’m willing to bet the 40,000 deer killed on Monday were not killed to feed a family.
The claim that hunters take pride in their kills because they respect and admire the beautiful animal is complete crap.
Out of respect you kill it? What kind of fu–ed up logic is that?! So I should kill my whole family and all my friends and hang their heads on my wall? Do hunters know how ridiculous they sound when they say that?
There have already been a couple stories of hunters getting injured or killed, including a highway driver who was shot by a hunter shooting too close. Not that I want anyone to get hurt or killed, but really, times that pain by 120,000 and you’ll see how the deer feel. It’s not fun getting shot is it?
This whole thing is disgusting and overwhelmingly sad for me. It feels like another step back in morality and humanity.
c’mon,do you know how many of these “innocent” animals destroy crops,run out in front of cars?lots of them.it may not be a “sport” in your eyes,but its not MURDER either.the herds need to be thinned out.GET OVER YOURSELF.
They are innocent. They don’t run into cars on purpose, they’re not trying to get crushed on the hood of an SUV. They probably eat crops because they’re hungry and suburban sprawl has destroyed their natural food chain. How many forests and fields have been cleared for MI and Dominion Homes? Native animal species are the Native Americans of the 21st century, bowled over by American greed and development and then blamed for their own demise.
What are the numbers to support hunting as a way to control the population and how are those numbers calculated? And why is killing them the only solution? Are we really that stupid as to not be able to come up with any other solution? Humans are way more overpopulated and we don’t do mass killings for 9 days a year to fix that.
Get over myself? Well I would if this were about me, but it’s not, it’s about the animals. Plus, um, this is my blog.
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on this subject. The animals need more people like yourself to speak on their behalf. And remember, “Human Hunting Season” begins bright and early tomorrow morning. I hope to see you out in the woods!!
Well it was your story about Hocking Hills that got me started (I accidently hit K instead of H when typing that last sentence, but maybe Hocking Kills is more appropriate anyway.)
Yes I will see you soon, I’ve got my bright orange camo outfit on and my semi-automatic ready to go!
P.S. Good to see you’re finally registered on my site, keep commenting!! :-)
This is a great point at which to remove the “Get Over Yourself” insinuations, and try to grasp the reality of our current world.
You have a valid point. According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Whitetail deer population needs to be thinned out, on a yearly basis. This is accomplished through the yearly granting of deer permits to both residents, and non-residents of the state. The short period of hunting is intended to prevent the over hunting of this animal, while at the same time, reducing it’s population to prevent unnecessary starvation and suffering on the remaining “living” animals.
Peacechicken’s point of view remains valid, in that a question still remains, why the slaughter?
Who determines what is a reasonable level of deer population?
What standards do they use to determine this level?
How many deer actually succumb to painful and severe starvation and freezing, due to lack of cover and resources, ei: food and shelter, vs. die from gunshot? What is more humane?
Last but surely not least, given the lawless behavior of many drivers on the road today, how many deer/car collisions could be avoided, if humans would repect the fact that other living creatures exist, and may indeed actually cross the road in search of food or shelter or water. Having realized there is actually a way to drive defensively, could not a majority of the car/deer collisions be avoided?
We as a civilized world, have to realize that our population is continuing to grow, while conversly expanding the territory it feels it needs to live in the style it feels it needs to live. Wildlife being the lesser educated of living species, and hence less able to defend itself, pays the ultimate price. We are seeing this happen now, as our oceans reach the point of losing their ability to reproduce.
The whole point boils down to “Who has the abilty to redirect life?”
Certainly not the deer.
I would like Mr. Blanc, to direct Peacechicken, and myself, to links and resources that validate the use of deer hunting season, as a means to prevent suffering. Both by preventing starvation of deer in winter, and by preventing death of humans in vehicle/deer collisions.
You both have valid points.
Teach me.
well check out the dispatch metro section in todays paper 12-1-06 for a little info(very little being the dispatch)
Hi Robert,
I only saw an article about hunting in the metro parks and one about car crashes. Did I miss another one that gave more info? If so could you post the link or the title of the article?
I really would like to try and understand the other side of this some more, I think it’s important whenever two people have completely and opposing views, if agreement can’t be reached, at least there could be a bit of understanding, no?
no p.c. there were no other items.the thinning of the herds,is a needed thing to prevent the diseases that over population harbors,like a strain of t.b. and a wasting disease that spreads rather rapidly.both of which are more cruel than somebody taking a shot at you.
if i find something i will be sure to share it with you,and i take back my rude “get over yourself” comment.
I know I’m a little behind in commenting and new to the blog but, I would like to say on behalf of those of us who have grown up hunting, fishing, camping hiking etc that we were always taught conservation. Sort of a keeping things in balance attitude.
I agree with robertblanc on thinning the herds etc. I have to say that I know of parts of the country where there are so many deer that you have to keep your garden and flowerbeds fenced.
Sure there are those as with any group or organization that tend to give the group as a whole a bad name and those should be taken with a grain of salt. We don’t condone their actions as representation of the whole.
The majority of the sportsmen and women I have been associated with over the years are not those kind of men or women for that fact. We do like catching the big fish and looking for that trophy that would go in the record books. But wholesale slaughter is not what its about.
Thanks for listening.
http://www.downthebarrell.com
First of all you have idots in every aspect of society. Are there plenty of people who should not be hunting ? Sure… My family owns a piece of land in a rural area of Alabama. It has been managed and groomed to hunt whitetail deer and turkey…. A good hunter should know how to manage his deer population to keep it physically healthy and the population still abundant. Taking whitetail bucks that are under 4 years of age is generally not a good idea unless there are noticable genitic flaws on the animal. Killing an old or middle age doe (breeding doe’s) to me is not a smart idea. These animal’s live in their society much like we do. Unfortunatley (and much more so in a few weeks) we as people are somewhat managed by the government. A healthy deer population needs to be managed… In hard winter’s there is not food to feed thousand’s of whitetail deer (not to mention other animals). What happend’s when you have an over populated heard ? Diease, famine (no food), interbreeding and a whacked out doe to buck ratio. I know this is hard for someone sitting in Los Angeles or New York City to understand but these deer do not have boy friends and girlfriends and husband’s and wive’s. When they go into rut (get horny. only takes place once a year for a few weeks) male deer breed as many female deer they as they can get to. It completley consumes these male’s universe for those few weeks. They dont drink, they dont eat, they dont sleep. They run doe’s (they dont like getting bred 55 times a day). If you have 35 buck trying to breed 450 doe’s what happend’s ? They litterally run themselves to death.. And it is then a product of a unmanaged heard.. No one love’s and cares more for the whitetail population than a true hunter who understands what makes the deer work. I personally do not know what Ohio’s situation is but it must be VERY abundant and borderline out of control for the Ohio Game and Fish Commision to allow such numbers of these deer to be taken… So sit back and relax, adopt a whale on tv for a quarter a month, and let outdoor organazations and conservation groups all over this country take care of these animals. The only danger these animals are in (not to mention the whole world) are from people (JUST LIKE YOU) who do not understand what it takes for them to live in a healthy habitat with plenty of nutrition, a balanced male to female ratio to maintain the balance of the North American Whitetail.
all of you who think that these animals are nnocent and don’t hurt anyone are a bunch of fools. me and my friend was walking home from the store one day and when we turnded a corner we saw a deer, i like hunting but my friend did not want to “hurt” the animals. well me and him tried to pass it and walk a few feet down the woods road to a ditch and watch the deer( it was a buck make a rub on the tree). once i walked by him my friend tried to cross by him, i was not paying attention to him and then all of a sudden he just let out a scream and i turned around and found my 200 lb friend on the ground getting attacked by the buck. so i ran adn tackled the deer and proceeded to beet guts out of the buck. my friend called his dad and his dad came and gutted the deer and we ate alot of deer meat for the next 2 weeks.
ytou people make me sick . . . you are reasl nice to the families that have had loved ones killed or severely injured in car accidents with deer. Pus if it wasnt foe hunters then you probably would not be her. 100 years ago that was the main way of loife in Ohio. just keep in mind that hunters started this nation, im pretty sure that the first settlers and native americans were not vegans! so get over you cry for attention cause that is the only reason you do this, to be different. your pathetic. join the right movement to live off of what god has provided for us. your probably one of those helpless little atheists too. you are a sad excuse for a human. like it or not we are the top of the food chain so deal with it !
who ever is posted this article is an idiot there is a deer problem in Ohio we need to kill more for the GREATER good of all animals. Its called conservation. Pick up your gun and grab yourself a buck!
Hey you democratic dumb asses have you ever heard of winter kill? Mabe you should think about what would happen if the deer were never cut down some. Its called they would get over populated and starve to death. Oh and by the way my dad is a record hunter in the state of ohio and he still every week in the winter puts food out for the deer. By the way thats not where we hunt either, and its after the season is over. I hate pattsie ass dicks like you guys that dont know anything about what your talking about. And i bet anything that most hunters do 100 times as much to help the deer than any of you ass holes. You all can kiss my ass!
i loved the website you should do more
I just love sitting and ready all the poor sad stories the bunny huggers leave. I just want everyone to know that my hunting groupe contributed to about 15 of the 39,629 on the first day. all bunny huggers need to move into the city and leave us country boys alone. we will take care of our problems out here so we can stay safe with our familys on the road.
I’m actually working on a paper right now on this exact subject in college, though the best way to explain it is through reading this and the articles/books cited. The Delights and Dilemmas of Hunting: The Hunting vs. Anti Hunting Debate is another good one to read that presents both sides. I hope you can understand the “good” hunter someday and we can work together to protect the same thing we DO both LOVE-nature, animals.
http://wrt-intertext.syr.edu/i2/saunders.html
First, for the pro-hunters on here, ridiculing the author and other anti-hunters only helps make their case that hunters are heartless and ignorant. I assure you this is not the case for the majority, but like all populations hunters definitely have their bad apples too, likewise, they’re typically the ones the opposition uses against us.
Ethical hunting (not murder as you call it) is the BEST means of population control, as it can be controlled, and offers benefits for both the deer population and the public.
Did any of your articles mention that in 2010 alone, over 100,000 lbs of venison was donated to food banks across Ohio? Accounting for over 400,000 lean healthy meals for the homeless and others in need?
http://ohiodnr.com/home_page/NewsReleases/tabid/18276/EntryId/2050/104-100-Pounds-of-Venison-Donated-During-Hunting-Season-so-far.aspx
I am an ethical hunter from a family of hunters. I always eat what I kill, and when I harvest more meat than my family will eat, I give it to friends and family, or donate to food banks.
Fees and taxes on hunting and fishing licenses fund the DNR which maintains the parks and reserves that other non hunters enjoy as well. They in turn study the deer (and fish, and all game animals) population to determine a healthy sustainable population based on a number of things, mainly available food, living area, natural predators, etc.
please do some research on sustainable population, and population density. animals, as well as humans, have a critical population. A critical population is one that can be maintained in a given environment without adversely impacting the environment or the quality of life of the members of that population. I’ve seen many problems with white tailed deer in overpopulation areas including malnutrition, wide spread disease (google chronic wasting disease CWD), destruction of property and their own environment, premature deaths due to winter exposure, and excessive numbers of traffic accidents. I’ve seen entire fields praries farms and woodland wiped out due to excessive population of deer.
Deer in these regions are short on food supply so they venture out more in search of food, that coupled with the shear numbers leads to more car/deer accidents.
Malnurished animals are weaker and if disease doesn’t kill them, exposure in harsh winter often does, as the whole population weakens, their number drop. It may sound counter intuitive, but culling the population (ethical hunting as I call it, or murder as you do) is intended to help sustain a healthy larger population.
In my opinion a bullet or an arrow is a much cleaner death than starvation and exposure.
Finally for numbers you asked, in the early 1900′s whitetail deer population was estimated around 300,000 across the entire US. Due to conservation efforts, intelligent population control, and research by the DNR (funded by sportsmen) the population has frown to an estimated 30 million today. These numbers can be confirmed by numerous sources, and are cited (with references) on Wikipedia as well.
Obviously your post has a following, as its still drug attention years later, but I urge you to do some research to the other side of the story to form an educated decision. Obviously your entitled to your opinion, but I think there is a lot more out there that you’re ignorant of.
Thank you for the post above, it really irritated me reading all the other posts that the authors allowed their emotions to become too involved, and not base them on logic or reason, which are necessary for a valid argument. But here’s the thing…nobody hunts because they want to manage the population, that isn;t what drives you to keep doing it. It’s something deeper within, the aspect of participating in nature as opposed to just observing. (Obviously it’s just because I’m an ignorant, barbaric, heartless asshole.) In participating, it can be understood more fully. There’s a reason it’s so hard to explain, maybe it’s just how an experience of awe and cannot be done justice by attaching human language to it.
And I just happened to stumble upon this while doing a research paper on hunting, didn’t even notice it was years old.
Thanks for the chance to say this, though. I just hope to be able to change some peoples’ opinion on hunters (the “good” hunters, so to speak) and hunting (real hunting).
This article is the total opposite of what hunting is really about. The reason you don’t understand hunting is because you are too ignorant to understand the real connection of hunting. The overpopulation of deer in Ohio is a danger to our ecosystems and the human population. Of course they don’t run into cars on purpose but i rather pick a deer dying over me hitting a deer and having to pay $3,000 to fix my SUV and possibly getting killed. Stop being close-minded about hunting and try to understand it is a part of some people’s cultures.
Over-population issue? Please consider this: http://www.smmcroberts.net/ethics/animals/bldsprts/part06.html
If there was no hunting season,then there would be an overpopulation of deer. Which would result in more car accidents and there wouldn’t be enough food for all of these deer to eat. In which case they would die from starvation,is that really what you want? By hunting we help prevent having a car accident with a deer everyday,which can sometimes kill innocent people. It’s not cruel,unless they’re poaching or just killing. That’s why it’s called hunting and not killing. And it’s not like we waste the deer just for a trophy,plenty of people that hunt use them for food as well. Hunting helps keep the population down. And hunting is a sport,that’s why there are rules you have to abide by. Basically you’re being hypocritical for saying that people who hunt are killers because you’re no better if you let them starve.
Pat, I’m sorry but you’ve failed to come up with anything in response to me. I never claimed to do it because population control is my goal. It has more to do with something you don’t understand, and maybe aren’t meant to fully understand, though I try my best. Can you say that I don’t love animals? That I am heartless, barbaric, demented? You sure wouldn’t say that if you knew me. And I don;t think anybody could logically say the same about Thoreau or Leopold (among other hunter-naturalists). I have yet to meet someone whose opinion on hunting I haven’t influenced. I have no problem with you criticizing and trying to change what happens with hunting as far as slob hunters. But don’t stereotype me with them. That’s all I ask. There’s more to it than killing for sure, in fact I’ve been just as happy at the end of an unsuccessful hunt as after a successful one. I take pride in what I do, and make sure I only do what is reasonably within my means. I won’t bowhunt right now, because I’m not good enough of a marksman with a bow and arrow. Something does need to be done to keep people out of the woods who only shoot a gun when they’re shooting at a living animal. I’ll agree with you on that. I don’t need to prove my sincerety on the subject to anybody…I have not and will not ever make my personal decisions based on what someone else ‘thinks.’ I have personally struggled and searched within myself about hunting and come to my own conclusions. Just keep in mind that not everybody is the same.