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Any one else heard this?

I was at a local hunter's fish fry last night and a fellow there was saying that he heard ODOW is considering making season changes in the CWD counties. He said that they are considering having an early gun season and also starting archery season September 1st in Hardon, Wyandot, and Marion Counties. He was all psyched up about having the opportunity to shoot a buck still in velvet. This is the first I've heard of this. Has anyone else heard anything?

First I've heard of it. I sure hate that CWD has made its way to Ohio. I know its been here a couple years in a very small context. I don't know if has spread out any from its original location or not.

ODNR weekly newsletter has no mention yet of deer season changes, but next month they usually publish any considered game regulations changes prior to the public game hearing "A statewide hearing on all proposed rules will be held on Thursday, March 24, 2022 at 9:00 a.m."

This in the latest newsletter:

Hunters in Wyandot, Marion, and Hardin Counties Asked to Submit Deer for CWD Testing Additional deer samples are needed in response to recent CWD positive cases, and to better understand CWD in Ohio. Samples of deer harvested from all townships in Wyandot, Hardin, and Marion counties are requested, which is a slight expansion from the current disease surveillance area. ohiodnr.gov/cwd

Going back a few newsletters:

OHIO’S PROPOSED FALL 2022 WILD TURKEY HUNTING SEASON REDUCED BY THREE WEEKS January 13, 2022 Ohio’s Proposed Fall 2022 Wild Turkey Hunting Season Reduced by Three Weeks COLUMBUS, Ohio – Biologists with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife recommended a major reduction to the 2022 fall wild turkey hunting season during the Ohio Wildlife Council’s regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 12. Under the proposal received Wednesday, Ohio’s fall wild turkey season would begin on Saturday, Oct. 15 and conclude on Sunday, Nov. 13, a reduction of three weeks when compared to the 2021 fall season.

The fall turkey hunting proposal was part of a larger package of season dates that were presented to the Ohio Wildlife Council, and includes small game, waterfowl, and furbearers.

Wild turkey populations have declined throughout Ohio following several years of below average reproductive success. The proposed reduction in the fall hunting season length goes along with a reduced limit for the spring season. Ohio hunters harvested 695 wild turkeys during the 2021 fall season that was open in 70 of 88 counties. The average harvest during the three previous years (2018 to 2020) was 1,079 birds.

Further hunting season proposals

Additional 2022-23 hunting seasons dates that were proposed Wednesday include small game, furbearers, and waterfowl. Proposals include the traditional start dates of squirrel and mourning dove on Thursday, Sept. 1, furbearer hunting and trapping on Thursday, Nov. 10, and rabbit and pheasant on Friday, Nov. 4.

Waterfowl hunting dates in the Lake Erie marsh zone were proposed to begin on Saturday, Oct. 15. The north zone and south zone waterfowl openers were proposed for Saturday, Oct. 22.

White-tailed deer hunting seasons will be presented to the Ohio Wildlife Council on Wednesday, Feb. 9.

Ohio Wildlife Council

The Ohio Wildlife Council is an eight-member board that approves all Ohio Division of Wildlife proposed rules and regulations. Council meetings are held virtually and open to the public. Individuals interested in providing comments are asked to call 614-265-6304 at least two days prior to the meeting to register. All comments are required to be three minutes or less.

A statewide hearing on all proposed rules will be held on Thursday, March 24, 2022 at 9:00 a.m.

I scoured the web and message boards and saw nothing about this proposal. I sure hope it's just a rumor and nothing more. I'd hate for them to overreact to CWD like they have in other states. Hell, I'm more afraid of EHD than CWD from the science I've read about it.

Thanks for the info Zbone.

This is something that may happen for sure. I can’t say how or who, but several good sources have indicated that it is in fact being talked about, and there is a good probability of this taking place, as early as this upcoming season.

I hope they don’t do this, but there seems to be more for than against at this point.

Thinking about the early season rumer for Hardon, Wyandot, and Marion Counties and kinda reading between the lines of the timeline published newsletters, the rumers might be for real:

"White-tailed deer hunting seasons will be presented to the Ohio Wildlife Council on Wednesday, Feb. 9."

Then in the most recent newsletter:

"Hunters in Wyandot, Marion, and Hardin Counties Asked to Submit Deer for CWD Testing Additional deer samples are needed in response to recent CWD positive cases, and to better understand CWD in Ohio"

Well, we'll know in about a month....

God help the local hunters and the deer herd if this goes through.

Good call Old Reb, rumer is true:

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/about-ODNR/news/Deer-Hunting-Proposals

Go about 6 paragraphs down:

" 2022-23 DEER HUNTING PROPOSALS PRESENTED TO OHIO WILDLIFE COUNCIL

A disease surveillance area was established following the discovery in 2020 of two CWD-positive deer in Wyandot County. Further testing revealed eight more CWD-positive deer in 2021. The Division of Wildlife has proposed additional measures to increase the deer harvest, decrease the possibility of disease transmission, and limit the spread of CWD in Hardin, Marion, and Wyandot counties. CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer and other similar species.

Proposed deer seasons in the disease surveillance area include a longer archery season that opens Sept. 1, and an early gun season during three days in early October.

Deer archery: Sept. 1, 2022-Feb. 5, 2023. Early deer gun: Oct. 8-10, 2022. Youth deer gun: Nov. 19-20, 2022. Deer gun: Nov. 28-Dec. 4, 2022; Dec. 17-18, 2022. Deer muzzleloader: Jan. 7-10, 2023. Hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.

"

If they were truly serious about this, they would make these early seasons antlerless only. That's how you reduce deer numbers, not by shooting bucks. All this will do is allow the guys to shoot their target bucks early. I feel for the guys who hunt those three counties.

Pat, they aren’t concerned about the deer numbers per se in those counties. It’s all about the CWD there, and eliminating it. They aren’t trying to preserve the herd.

I agree molsonarcher, their intent is to kill every deer in those 3 counties, to eradicate the whole herd, which would be impossible to do so don't even know why they would attempt it, doesn't make sense to me, but then a lot of things they do doesn't make sense...

I do like the idea of a September 1 archery season for a chance at killing a velvet buck, but want no part of a firearm season in October.... Years ago when the population was at its peak they tried a short statewide antlerless firearm season (I think it was muzzleloader only) a few days in early October (maybe it was a week, can't remember) but anyhow I think it only lasted a season or two before public outcry mainly from hunters convinced them to stop... Man, I'm getting old and can't remember like I used too...

Thanks for the rumor verification Zbone. I'm going to have to sign up to receive that ODNR news letter. That early antlerless season was a muzzle loader season and I believe it lasted 3 days.

"That early antlerless season was a muzzle loader season and I believe it lasted 3 days."

Yeah Old Reb, I think you're right...

Son andstate i went to illinois deer show in Peoria last weekend and heard about cwd control in Illinois If cwd is found in an area the state sends in it's sharp shooter teams and kill every deer there.That's how they try to keep it from spreading.

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