i do bow hunt and it is my picky buck time and i let alot walk but i would rather have gun season as the last season of the year with muzzleloader before it but hey i know a rut muzzleloader will never happen but its something to wish for

I prefer the January ML season myself. Gives the Deer a chance to settle down.

I know it's not during the rut, but Kansas has an early muzzleloading season which is the last week of Sept and first week of October. That coupled with the Missouri rifle season starting the second Saturday of November (lasting 2 weeks) and the Missouri muzzleloading season being 2 weeks long at the end of December should keep my Accura plenty busy next year!

All I can say to you my friend is welcome to Virginia!!! Our Rut and BP season are usually one and the same. It doesn't stop the Rut or have it go noctunal. I have enjoyed many days in the woods in my stand and watching the bucks chase the does. I have also watched bucks work scrapes and made rubs. And as far as the bow hunters, and I am one, they have a chance at an early Rut if that happens.

And how about the bow hunters in the woods when the deer are strolling around with no pressures from anyone??? They get a distinct advantage of being in the woods for a month before our ML season starts. ;)

And if you like the idea of being in the woods during ML season, you have a personal invite for next year to come on down.

Work keeps me away during the archery season. I'd rather bowhunt when i go to Ohio. Muzzleloader season helps make the most of my Ohio hunt. Maybe its just luck, but I've taken some really nice deer during the old muzzy season, it hooked me for sure.

I live in Missouri and when I go out to hunt its to visit my parents. So I have to make a family trip of it (my wife is off during Christmas break).

I few friends from Ohio said they saw a few deer missing an antler, I dont have any trail cam pics yet either.

I would like to see Ohio have a early Muzzy season. I dont think its going to happen though.

I do agree that it gives the deer more time to settle down. But during the old muzzy season I never had a problem with skittish deer.

I've heard a rumor that the state has thought about opening the firearms season on that Saturday after Thanksgiving.

I though the change was stupid and I refused to hunt during the MZ season this year. I've complained several times with email...

I think we should have the early season MZ hunt in October made statewide. Currently it is only on three state hunting areas.

Doug

bad news
 

well I doubt the season will get changed back to Dec. now:

Hunters Take 24,078 White-tailed Deer During
Statewide Muzzleloader Season

Its all about the numbers.


The weather was good for hunting (snow) is what I've heard. I wonder how much of a difference that made.

I think the later season STUNK it was way too cold and alot of hunters that i know stayed home till the last day when it got alittle warmer outside. i personally hunted on sunday...monday and tuesday and didnt see a deer till tuesday when i hunted a small 2 acre piece of woods behind my parents house that NOONE hunts on and then i took a small doe just to fill my tag..............every where that i hunted the deer were really herded up and bedded down tight in the biggest thickets that they could find and they were not moving at all .............id definitely prefer that they move the season back to december next year again !!



honestly IF ohio is serious about thinning the herd down in some of the severely over populated areas (Tuscarawas County for one) like they say they are they should consider a DOE ONLY SEASON for gun and then they could thin down the herd of does.............THAT WILL PROBABLY NEVER HAPPEN theres too many RACK ONLY HUNTERS in Ohio and i think that is exactly why the deer numbers are so out of control in Tusc County...........i know on one farm that i hunt the land owner will give permits to just about anyone to hunt and he was telling he that he had 23 deer taken off of his ground that he knows of and 15 of them were BUCKS............he said he is getting pretty ticked off that NOONE wants to shoot any does the week after muzzle loader season he was seeing herds of deer in the fields 15-20 at a time digging in the snow for food and he didnt see ANY WITH RACKS..........he is actually talking about only allowing people to hunt his farm that will take at least ONE DOE before they kill any bucks but hes not sure how he can enforce that rule ??