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ANYONE THINKING ?

After reading a couple of posts, What Happened to this site ? along with Kick Starting and due to the limited response's to those posts I became curious to ask the following question's ?

DOES ANYONE STILL BOW HUNT IN OHIO ? IS ANYONE, thinking about the upcoming Bow Season as much as I am ?

I'll be 75 years young in a few weeks and I do believe I am as excited about the upcoming season as I was my very first year of bow hunting :^}

Now I don't care what type of implement you use to hunt with as long as it is legal. Nor do I care if / or what organization or association you may or may not belong to. If you have sour thoughts on my or other folks equipment, on how or where I / we hunt, then I guess you need to drink more sweet tea !

I would like to know however if you are thinking about the new season ?

Where will I hunt, where will I place my stand, is my location / set up good ? Can I out wit (not to be confused with, out dumb wit) that deer :^}

Are you looking forward to those warm early season days, the crisp morning's, cool evenings of mid season, "THE RUT", the cold sits of the late season ?

Have you decided on new gear ? On when you will be scouting ? Or will you rely on past experience to get you to and though this next season ? Oh so many things to think about. Somehow, someway, it makes the all of the preparation, the anticipation, the joy of drawing on past experience to ready me for this new season worth it.

Ah, to have all of my plans come together for the opportunity to be successful. What a grand feeling it is.

Now all I need to do is start practicing with my bow. You see I'm not as quick of foot, fast of hand nor have the stamina I once did, my eyes aren't quiet as good as they once were and I am sometimes forgetful, so I need to get an early start on the upcoming season.

I sure would hate to miss it !

:^}

I'm 68 and have a great enthusiasm for hunting. I can still pull my 63# recurve and just ordered another dozen arrows for the coming season. Saturday was spent changing some straps on a few tree stands as well as moving some to more favorable positions. Its still a thrill to out wit those deer. I don't use climbers or hang-ons anymore ladder stands have become the norm. I'm not a big rack nut, I still beleive any deer is a trophy and don't make excuses about it. I love being out in the woods 365.

I’m thinking about Turkey currently and going to take the bow only. Deer are always on the mind just a little less this time of the year. Hope I’m lucky enough to still be hitting the woods at 75 years young. My dad turned 70 last year and still gets out with me often which I’m truly blessed to still have teaching me along the way.

I certainly have been thinking about both the up coming turkey season and the next deer season. I have made 4 trips in the last 2 weeks to scout for deer and have chosen 4 potential new stand locations based on what I have found. I retired in December so I plan to be well prepared for all future seasons. I enjoy and of the scouting and planning. The actual systems have so much more fun when the anticipation levels are high.

I am also looking at putting in more access lanes to allow me to better hunt the property in the various wind conditions now that time is not as big of an issue. Plus I have fletched a couple of dozen shafts and I am working on my shooting form. Turned my bow down for turkey season and will tune it in the next day or so. The snow fall last night will slow down my scouting for a day or so.

Jerry,

I do believe you have it right.

I still use lock-on's, and occasionally my climber.

:^}

Yep, I'm jacked up. Just got back from a whitetail seminar and can't wait to do some spring scouting. From a gear perspective, I'm buying an additional hinge release to combat target panic. I already have 2 but am going to throw a 3rd identical one in the mix similar to the approach John Dudley and Aron Snyder use to hone their shooting form/pin float in the off-season. It really helped me last year and can't wait to start practicing at long ranges again. Also likely going to change up my fletchings in an effort to further reduce arrow flight noise, excited to test out a few different setups and fletch more of my own arrows.

I got a couple bows I'm switching to a single pin this year.going to set at twenty,and that should cover my shots.thirty is my absolute max.

I have been in N.E. Ohio for 7 years now and up till this year, my hunting has been nearly the worst that I have ever encountered in my life. I would say that the counties where I live have no more deer (per. square mile) then Northern Maine, where I come from originally. Been depressing to say the least. I blame the poor deer hunting on the Amish. But this year, my wife and I have bit the bullet and leased land, far away from the Amish and this gives me great hope. I have spent one day each week on this lease since acquiring it and we are very stoked by what we are seeing.

I had to abandon my recurves last year (due to failing joints) and so I am now back to a compound, which adds another element to it all. Very much looking forward to this coming season!

Lever Action,

Surprising to hear (lack of deer) about the NE corner of the state. I have many friends who have been quite successful up there over a long period of time. They have / did express some of the same concerns you express over the past several years. I took it all in stride, just thinking to myself they just were't successful that season.

One thing to think about is, "when you hunt the same area over a period of time you will experience both peak and lean seasons of deer in that area" for various reasons.

I go to the Orthopedic Doctor, tomorrow to review my MRI. I either have a "frozen shoulder" or a muscle tear in my left shoulder. In 75 years I have never experienced anything like this. I hope it is more minor than a tear and that a cortisone, shot will take care of it ? It would be a shame to miss the up coming season over this silly medical issue.

Good luck to you and the Ms', on your new lease and for the upcoming season. The transition to a compound bow should not be a problem for you.

Treerat... True. I have already had a run in with Amish on this new property. They had camera's set up and corn spread out. I found the rear hoofs from a freshly killed deer as well. Mind you, this is well after deer season and on posted land. The local wardens wont do anything. I got a picture on a camera that I took from the property, where both men were facing the camera and a solid lead on where these two men could be found. The warden refused to follow up, saying he couldn't identify the men in the video footage.

I have found this same attitude with wardens in Trumble county. Three years ago, I reported an illegal stand location and bait pile on public land. Amish guy was sitting that stand. The chief flat out told me that they left the Amish alone. That stand and bait pile remained there all season and that Amish guy sat it on and off for a few months, as I witnessed him there over that time period.

Basically, IMO this is why the Amish are so destructive. They are a protected class around here.

Lever Action, "Just Wondering Out Loud Here"

If all game violators claimed they were Amish, would the "Chief" and the ODNR, (Game Warden) just leave the violator alone and do nothing ?

A Poacher, is still a Poacher, I would report the so called law enforcement officer for dereliction of his duties.

Sad, sad situation when you are being ethical in reporting a game violation and an officer of the law is to lazy to enforce the law and the citizen's he took an oath to protect.

We can include the Game Warden, who is also in dereliction of his duties. I believe if he were reported to the Director of the ODNR, he might have a different attitude.

If you still have the pictures I would make quality copies and try to set up an appointment with your State Representative to voice your frustration with both the local Law enforcement and the Game Warden.

Good Luck with a bad and a sad situation.

I was an avid bowhunter for 30 years. Then I had a cardiac arrest and was lucky to live through it. So I gave up bowhunting but will still gun hunt from my stand on my land. Took 5 grandsons out to get there first deer with a gun but can't seem to get them interested in bowhunting. My one son in law was a big bowhunter but now he is so busy with his children in sports and other school activities, he quit hunting for now.

Sorry to hear about your limitations due to health issues.

Very happy for you to still be out there in the "Woods" no better place to be IMHO.

Good luck and perhaps just perhaps one of those 5 grandson's will get the fire for a Bow

:^}

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