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Deer Regs

8K views 64 replies 13 participants last post by  Drm50 
#1 ·
Has anyone heard they legalized more cartridges for deer hunting...rumors abound! Any info appreciated.
 
#2 ·
Haven't heard anything Drm50...but I sure wish they would. And include the 30/30.
Have been considering trading a LNIB Magnum Research BFR 475/480 Linebaugh for a 44mag Marlin lever gun or a Ruger 44 carbine but just can't find one local.
Would much rather have a 30/30 and I know, just as soon as I make a trade on a 44, they will make the 30/30 legal. That's just my luck.:rolleyes:
 
#3 ·
Don't feel bad, I sold 2 Ruger 44 carbines( old model) for $350@ right before they announced the new regs.
Post pic of BFR, I have mint 1894 JM saddle ring carbine I'm going to trade off & 375 Marlin. Will be using
#3 Ruger/ 375 this year. Was hoping for 30/30-32-35 to be legal.
 
#4 · (Edited)
That's to bad about the Rugers. Have always liked that rifle cause it handles a lot like the 30cal. Carbine.
Would post pics of the BFR but it being a revolver, didn't think they would let me here on OGF.
It's LNIB. Was bought new and has exactly 20rds through it. I love the feel and superb smooth action of the revolver. Just can't handle heavy cal. handgun recoil much over 44sp. anymore due to arthritis in hands.
I too look for ODNR to add more legal cals. to deer hunt with. Like you, just kinda sitting back waiting.
 
#7 ·
I have been thinning my hunting rifles. I haven't been out of state for 5 years. Use to do a week deer out of
State, spring Bear in Canada, and a week on whatever crew wanted to do. Now I am the crew. Got rid of
all my Magnum rifles and most of the Varmit rifles. Going to thin shotguns too, not much to use them on anymore.
 
#8 ·
Having a hard time in the shotgun dept. as far as giving them up. Over the years have collected some older Brownings, Ithaca 37's and a few Rem. 1100's each in different gauges that I can't seem to part with. Especially the sets of Brownings and Ithaca's. Don't shoot them much anymore and if I turkey, squirrel or rabbit hunt, I always seem to grab one of the field guns.
Seems the black powder long gun bug has had me for the last 10+ yrs.
Love to experiment with them.
 
#9 ·
The only Black Powder bug that bit me are originals. I have a couple T/C Hawkins, that were gifts or I would have offed them long ago. I bought a set of special edition books, Ohio Gunsmiths and Allied Tradesmen for
$200. Best investment I've ever made. You kick out a signed rifle, by a documented old smith and you are in
the tall cotton. Actually more becoming out, new generation have no scruples about selling family heirlooms.
 
#10 ·
The only Black Powder bug that bit me are originals. I have a couple T/C Hawkins, that were gifts or I would have offed them long ago. I bought a set of special edition books, Ohio Gunsmiths and Allied Tradesmen for
$200. Best investment I've ever made. You kick out a signed rifle, by a documented old smith and you are in
the tall cotton. Actually more becoming out, new generation have no scruples about selling family heirlooms.

I think you are spot on about this.
And this makes gifting family heirlooms to different family members very difficult. Have 'tested the waters' so to speak in this area by giving to family members smaller things that were past down in the family. Some of these family members,many years later, still have these items. They enjoy having them as well as the stories behind them. Wouldn't get rid of them for anything.

Sadly, a few of the family members didn't know where the items were a week after the item was given to them.
 
#11 ·
I wouldn't be surprised at any new regs passed. I remember when handgun season was a rumor, there were guys saying you will never see it, as it was going through. Just like the rifle season, l am still running into guys
who weren't aware of it. Like the silencer deal, not very well publicized. Most people don't think that should have
be legalized for taking game animals. These new In-Lines, loaded with smokeless powder, have higher velocities
than the legal CF rifles. To start with they need a person to advise them on cartridges. The laws are geared to
have calibres that are not going to cause problems by "over travel", especially in the 3/4ths of Ohio that is basically flat and has the densest population. So with the enhanced Muzzel loaders, and all the advances in
slugs with sabots & riflings, the old classic deer guns in 30 to 38 cals., that are in the 2000 to 2300 fps should
be reasonable. The bottle neck, tapered, or rimless case should not be the determining factor. By just using
the cartridges as basis, most legal rifle cartridges can be hand loaded to equal or exceed the 30/30, 32, or 35.
 
#13 ·
To start with they need a person to advise them on cartridges. ................. The bottle neck, tapered, or rimless case should not be the determining factor..
They have multiple people, outside the ODNR, advising them. That is how the rifle regulations came to be. It is was through the efforts of a organized group that worked very hard for a lot of years that these rifle calibers are legal today. One to the key people in this effort is a member here and could do a better job of explaining the long process than I can. To believe that the ODNR doesn't understand the difference in rifle calibers is really silly.

In every negotiation you don't always end up where you would like to be but you gain ground towards that end. The regulation to legalize rifles with HANDGUN calibers that were already legal for hunting in Ohio was the only viable path to the new laws. This process is much more involved that just convincing the ODNR to move this forward. The Farm Bureau also had to be convinced and I'm sure other groups before the rifle regulation changes could move forward.

Because this was a compromise, middle ground reached, I doubt you will see any bottle neck cartridges legalized anytime soon. That would serve to undermine the entire premise for the compromise that was agreed to. It doesn't imply that it was right or wrong on legal caliber selection based upon velocity or performance, but that the only way to move this forward at all was to adopt already legal calibers.

Legal caliber comparisons for varmint hunting versus deer hunting is an apples and oranges comparison. The hunter density during deer gun season as compared to varmint hunting are not even remotely close.

I assure you that the process is far more complicated than a casual observer on the outside might imagine. If you would like to get involved in change for the future I'm sure that your efforts and participation would be welcomed by those that have been involved for many years in moving this forward.
 
#12 ·
Agree 100%.

Can't use a bottle necked cartridge to deer hunt with....but you can to varmint hunt with.
Here's another that doesn't make since...we're allowed to squirrel hunt with a .22. Lol! One of the most known cartridges for ricochetting ever made...go figure.
 
#14 ·
I can't claim to know anybody on the inside of the Rifle Regs, but I know exactly how system works. I was one
of many guys who collected petitions for Handgun. And at the time new some wheels at DNR. I'm from SE Ohio
and we don't get much bang for our hunting lincense buck. You probaly herd of us, we are the "Other Ohio".
I have very little faith in our DNR and it irritates me to be talked down to by people from other 3/4 of the state.
 
#15 ·
As far as my comments goes...having spent 33 yrs as a public servant, I am very well aware of how the system works and the politics played therein. Especially on the state and city levels.
Though I'm very disappointed with many of the areas the ODNR is involved in that Im familiar with, there are those areas Im happy with and a few areas I'm not familiar with. Ohios deer hunting is an area I'm familiar with and one that, IMO, is not going well for the sportsman. And in turn, will ultimately deal a fatal blow to an already severely financially strapped ODNR.
I know there are private agencies such as insurance companies(and we all know the clout they carry), Farm Bureau, as will as other government intities(city,county etc.) that the ODNR has to deal with. Then theres PETA , all the anti hunting/gun orgs. lobbying money against them when it comes to hunting. Finally, they have to appease the hunting/non hunting general public as well.

I said all that to say this...while I may not agree with many things ODNR as a whole has done over the yrs. , especially when it comes to deer hunting/laws/bags limits, I have the utmost respect for most of the ODNR people I know. Most of which are retired now and have many of the same views that I have.
I have the utmost respect for all those that have volunteered their time for the sake of what we currently have.

Not to be confused, my comments were in no way implying that I'm not greatful for their efforts and hard work.

My comments were agreeing with Drm50 in that our current gun caliber laws, taking everything into consideration, are ridiculous as they currently stand. Hopefully some day maybe this state will look at a few of the similar surrounding states with comparable terrain and less stringent long gun hunting caliber laws and compare their long gun hunting fatality/Injury stats to ours and see how they compare.
 
#16 ·
My intention was to talk deer rifles anyway. Might be a dead dog, by the time coyotes get done with us down
here, there won't be any left to hunt. I just came back from up in Belmont Cnty., I saw my first groundhog this
year. It was in a well kept lawn in St. Clairsville limits. 10 yrs ago in that 35 mi stretch you would have seen
50-100 Ghogs.
 
#17 ·
Same here...along with the depleting deer and turkey.
The yotes are crazy thick here and a neighbor fella and I are whacking them the best we can. I've been saving some fish carcasses to hunt over shortly with my trusty 243.
Ironically was just talking to a neighbor farmer a couple days ago about the depleting wildlife around here. He is a very active,outdoors, 79yr.old and has lived/farmed the same 150ac. farm most of his adult life. I've hunted his land about the last 20yrs. and now hunt his and my small 33ac. place My house/property sets about 1/4mi. Inside a huge,deep woods that goes for miles into Hocking Co. Also have hunting access to the neighboring 200ac farm and another attaching 30ac. Parcel.
Anyways, we were talking about how badly the deer/turkey herd has dropped. Especially in the last 7-8yrs. Used to be, every evening, it was nothing to look out into some of the pastures and see 20-30 deer or turkey grazing. Now , there are many evenings we don't see any. When we do see them, there may be 2-6 deer and only a handful of turkey. Walk the land is there is clearly far less sign of either then there used to be.
I spoke of this in another thread here some time ago that had to do with excessive deer bag limits. A few of the responses to me as well as others that have noticed the depletion was 'hunt a little harder' or 'spend more time in the woods'.
I considered the sources of these responses due to the fact that the responders clearly missed the whole point of what I and a few others were saying. Which was ODNR needed to reduce the bag limits in certain counties due to the rapid depletion. ODNR reduced this county from 3 to 2.
At any rate, as it stands, I'll take my 200yd capable inline out in the woods and kill a deer or two for the freezer every year as always. And keep my 270 parked in the safe. Hopefully will get them in bow season and can keep all the firearms in the safe. ;)
 
#18 ·
The only way to get rid of the coyotes is a state bounty, never happen in today's world. Believe me if it involves
money the Coyotes would be gone in a short time. My pet peeve has always been Buck poaching. Some one
taking a doe to eat never bothered me. But we have these young guys coming in here and riding the back
roads, after big bucks. They shoot them at night with a rifle.
 
#19 ·
Sounds like you and I may be neighbors.
Poaching period bothers me. But if a family was hard up against it and without meat, I'd have to turn my head on that one. For sure, regardless of law, my family will never go hungry if I can help it. But with all the assistance out there today, just don't see that situation happening to anyone.
Like you, what gets me is the 2-3 incidents every late summer or early fall when people find big bucks around here with their antlers cut off and the back straps cut out. Usually a farmer finds them in his fields just off the road with exit holes the size of a basketball.
Between a virtually unchecked yote population, poaching and excessive bag limits, how much pressure can a herd withstand?
 
#20 ·
Know for the $6400 question: How did the Coyotes get here. See if you can get a straight answer on that from
any DNR types. The answer is going to be one of those Pee on my back and tell me it's raining type. I had one
tell me they have always been here, you just didn't see them!
 
#23 ·
They've extended their range and eventually ended up here. Simple as that. I'm sure you're implying that the odnr released them. You probably also believe they released rattle snakes from helicopters like everyone else down here in SE Ohio.

We get the short end of the stick down here, but sometimes we ask for it...
 
#25 ·
I'm another one that believes someone had something to do with bringing them east of the Mississippi. we went for yrs and yrs and never had a problem. then out of nowhere the whole eastern part of the country was full of them. I just don't believe enough of them crossed the Mississippi to stock the whole eastern part of the country. just like Michigan stocking wolves and elk, and the rest of the country stocking turkey. I think the federal goverment stocked parts of the country on the down low. but it might have been a federal thing instead of the local dnr. but I believe someone Is to blame.
sherman
 
#28 ·
Our interstate system provided corridors for coyotes to travel and expand their territory . They've been around longer than alot of people realize in Ohio . I remember my uncle shooting one during ML season in southern tusc county in the late 80s .
I also don't think coyotes are the end of deer on a property . They kill a few deer , but not many . They'll definitely take fawns . But a coyote , or for that matter several average size coyotes are gonna have their paws full trying to take down a healthy deer
 
#29 ·
Carpn, what you say is true, but 80s is not a long time ago. While also true that coyotes don't take full grown
deer, they work the fawns, to death. We will never know for sure how coyotes got here, or for what reason.
The one thing I do know they have wiped out small game to point of extinction in some spieces. Deer herd
is on the decline. Why weren't they here before? Where's the reason for them to be here? Who profits from
coyote invasion ? I can't answer these questions anymore than you can. A lot of us are in the boonies every
day, we live here. Any answer to coyote problem at this point, is just opinion. Anybody that tells you different
is a lair.
 
#30 ·
Not gonna disagree that coyote take their fair share of small game ...but my opinion is land use has had the greatest effect . Farming practices and timbering is done alot different now than yrs past . Seems like to a farmers that fencerows , trees , briars , and brush are a plague and they do whatever they can to eliminate them .
 
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