Ohio's fall turkey season kill soars on wings of 17-year cicada emergence

Ohio’s fall wild turkey hunters scored gains – and encountered deficits – largely based upon which county encountered an abundant emergence of 17-year cyclic cicadas.

In all, Ohio’s fall wild turkey hunters killed 2,168 birds. This figure is substantially greater than was the number for the 2015 fall wild turkey-hunting season: 1,535 birds.

Where the cicadas popped out of the ground in large numbers that led to fat and healthy poults and even adults, the fall turkey hunting season was exceptional. Where the emergence fizzled so did hunter success.

An example of the former case happening would include Coshocton County. Here, the 2016 Ohio fall turkey-hunting season saw a kill of 94 birds. In 2015 that figure was 43 birds.

The reverse was seen in such traditional fall turkey season leaders such as Ashtabula County where 66 birds were killed this year compared to 77 birds killed during the 2015 fall season.

Yet a decline here or there is relatively meaningless given the general opportunistic nature of many fall wild turkey hunters, says Mark Wiley, a wildlife research biologist with the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

To add meat to that argument, Wiley notes that for this fall season 37 percent of the turkeys were taken by archery tackle. That compared to just 2.4 percent during this past spring season, Wiley says.

“That suggests to me that far more likely it is that archery hunters are killing a bird while they’re deer hunting rather than seeking a turkey deliberately,” Wiley said. “So a fluctuation here or there really won’t be reflected (in a county’s) turkey population.”

An interesting point that caught biologists a little by surprise, says Wiley though, is that the make-up of the kill did not change much even though many counties encountered significant turkey population increases: again thanks to the massive emergence of high protein cicadas that were feasted upon by young and old birds alike.

Wiley said that for the 2015 fall wild turkey-hunting season some 45 percent of the birds taken were adult females. That is also the same number for this fall season, says Wiley.

And for this year’s crop of juvenile female turkeys the harvest make-up consisted of 18 percent; or only three percentage points more than during the 2015 fall season, Wiley says.

Parallel to near mirror comparisons are seen for the adult and juvenile male turkey kills, too. The 2015 fall season saw 28 percent of the harvest consisting of adult gobblers while for this year that figure was 25 percent.

And for jakes – male turkeys born this year – the figures for the 2015 and 2016 fall seasons were identical: 12 percent, Wiley says.

“Essentially while all of the categories saw identical or near identical percentages their respective overall numbers increased, largely as a result of more turkeys on the landscape,” Wiley says. “I would have thought more female and male juveniles as percentages would have been harvested but that wasn’t the case. This may have been a matter of hunters being more selective in choosing larger birds.”

One other item of some noteworthiness, says Wiley, is that the number of fall turkey licenses being issued has been slipping the past several years. In 2015 the Wildlife Division had issued 11,689 fall season wild turkey-hunting permits. For this just concluded season that number had fallen to 11,506 tags.

On the bright side, though, it did mean that the hunter success rate for the fall season increased for 2016; once more thanks to an abundant emergence of the Brood V 17-year cicada – an event that won’t repeat itself until the year 2033.

Note: A list of all wild turkeys checked during the 2016 fall hunting season is shown below. The first number following the county’s name shows the harvest numbers for 2016, and their respective 2015 numbers are in parentheses: Adams: 30 (44); Ashland: 25 (27); Ashtabula: 66 (73); Athens: 63 (31); Belmont: 47 (33); Brown: 20 (26); Butler: 13 (13); Carroll: 30 (21); Clermont: 28 (43); Columbiana: 31 (43); Coshocton: 94 (43); Cuyahoga: 9 (2); Defiance: 26 (18); Delaware: 10 (9); Fairfield: 24 (14); Franklin: 2 (1); Gallia: 57 (50); Geauga: 32 (45); Guernsey: 79 (35); Hamilton: 11 (10); Harrison: 68 (32); Highland: 34 (40); Hocking: 57 (52); Holmes: 74 (27); Huron: 13 (6); Jackson: 50 (43); Jefferson: 39 (30); Knox: 43 (34); Lake: 12 (11); Lawrence: 32 (31); Licking: 54 (36); Lorain: 19 (29); Mahoning: 27 (23); Medina: 28 (22); Meigs: 79 (33); Monroe: 86 (21); Morgan: 52 (13); Morrow: 8 (17); Muskingum: 64 (27); Noble: 74 (35); Perry: 62 (29); Pike: 39 (35); Portage: 31 (38); Richland: 31 (21); Ross: 25 (24); Scioto: 23 (27); Seneca: 11 (6); Stark: 41 (27); Summit: 16 (12); Trumbull: 42 (50); Tuscarawas: 92 (23); Vinton: 47 (35); Warren: 9 (9); Washington: 54 (23); Wayne: 10 (13); Williams: 25 (20); Total: 2,168 (1,535).

Ohio's gun deer opener harvest slips; state wildlife expert expects recovery

Many of Ohio’s deer hunters came up empty handed for the November 28^th general firearms hunting season opener.

Based on data provided by the Ohio Division of Wildlife, Ohio’s deer hunters shot 18,776 animals. That’s a drop of 3,477 animals from the 2015 firearms opener kill of 22,253 deer.

Of Ohio’s 88 counties, only 11 posted gains over their respective 2015 opening day kills while one county recorded identical respective opening day harvest results.

Ohio’s general firearms deer-hunting season continues through Sunday, December 4^th.

Yet the state’s leading deer biologist says Ohio’s deer hunters ought not to panic. The roughly 17 percent decline in Monday’s opening day deer kill almost certainly will not stock when the seven-day season ends, let alone at the conclusion of the yet-to-come bonus two-day gun season (December 17^th and 18^th), the four-day muzzle-loading season (January 7^th through 10^th), and the remainder of the archery season (concludes February 5^th).

Indeed, the Ohio Division of Wildlife continues to anticipate an all-season’ deer kill of around 180,000 head, which is close to the 2014-2015 all-deer kill of 188,335 animals.

“One thing I noticed when I looked at the harvest data through Sunday (November 27^th) and the day before the start of the gun season was the archery harvest was off only 2.3 percent and the total harvest down only 6.3 percent, so we’re really almost where we were at in numbers at this time last year,” said Mike Tonkovich, the Wildlife Division’s deer management biologist.

Tonkovich did acknowledge that the participants during the state’s youth-only gun season “took it in the shorts again” because of the generally poor – make that, miserable – weather but that a turn-around is almost certain.

This is due in some measure to the too-pleasant weather that has blanketed the state during the first two days of the general firearms deer-hunting season.

“Why would any hunter want to move around in the 60-degree-plus weather we’ve been having?” Tonkovich rhetorically asked.

Besides, a survey of Ohio’s deer hunters – and appearing in the agency’s “2015-2016 Ohio Deer Summary” and available at the Wildlife Division’s web site -  is showing a decided and increasing preference to stump sitting and ground blind occupation than stalking or participating in deer drives; the latter two methods sure ways of breaking loose white-tails from thickets and heavy cover.

 “The deer have been under intense pressure from archery hunters for eight weeks,” Tonkovich also said pointing out another capstone that is helping to anchor new deer-hunting strategies.

In the end, consequently, and says Tonkovich, the total deer harvest will likely even out when the last arrow is launched, the last slug and bullet is sent, and the final sabot is propelled.

“That’s why I still believe we’ll see a total deer harvest of around 180,000 animals,” Tonkovich said.

A list of all white-tailed deer checked by hunters during opening day of the 2016 deer-gun hunting season is shown below. The first number following the county’s name shows the harvest numbers for opening day 2016, and the 2015 opening day harvest numbers are in parentheses: Adams: 274 (373); Allen: 58 (116); Ashland: 411 (483); Ashtabula: 701 (771); Athens: 375 (420); Auglaize: 41 (99); Belmont: 407 (429); Brown: 167 (248); Butler: 36 (66); Carroll: 480 (571); Champaign: 70 (104); Clark: 29 (52); Clermont: 81 (154); Clinton: 58 (79); Columbiana: 419 (522); Coshocton: 767 (888); Crawford: 134 (177); Cuyahoga: 8 (7); Darke: 47 (74); Defiance: 179 (316); Delaware: 88 (110); Erie: 50 (66); Fairfield: 182 (219); Fayette: 30 (33); Franklin: 32 (31); Fulton: 79 (140); Gallia: 379 (372); Geauga: 147 (167); Greene: 43 (54); Guernsey: 592 (647); Hamilton: 18 (44); Hancock: 95 (135); Hardin: 94 (149); Harrison: 529 (556); Henry: 67 (125); Highland: 221 (300); Hocking: 431 (521); Holmes: 542 (552); Huron: 342 (367); Jackson: 270 (377); Jefferson: 365 (386); Knox: 651 (619); Lake: 53 (44); Lawrence: 208 (224); Licking: 463 (562); Logan: 155 (249); Lorain: 180 (195); Lucas: 23 (27); Madison: 30 (28); Mahoning: 168 (165); Marion: 96 (120); Medina: 154 (152); Meigs: 392 (418); Mercer: 38 (76); Miami: 28 (52); Monroe: 333 (334); Montgomery: 18 (28); Morgan: 364 (387); Morrow: 158 (184); Muskingum: 696 (722); Noble: 386 (352); Ottawa: 20 (20); Paulding: 75 (157); Perry: 339 (399); Pickaway: 65 (107); Pike: 180 (209); Portage: 155 (157); Preble: 47 (80); Putnam: 60 (90); Richland: 355 (462); Ross: 263 (320); Sandusky: 41 (76); Scioto: 195 (206); Seneca: 203 (273); Shelby: 79 (97); Stark: 208 (248); Summit: 30 (24); Trumbull: 425 (468); Tuscarawas: 645 (658); Union: 67 (97); Van Wert: 31 (63); Vinton: 338 (401); Warren: 34 (61); Washington: 438 (490); Wayne: 206 (211); Williams: 138 (327); Wood: 39 (87); Wyandot: 168 (227).Total: 18,776 (22,253)


- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net

Wicked weather hurts Ohio's youth-only gun deer hunt, leaves more animals for regular season

For the second time in three consecutive years Ohio’s youthful deer hunters were thwarted in their success by the Witch of November that huffed and puffed and blew rain, sleet and snow through the state’s woods and fields.

The weather for this past weekend’s youth-only firearms deer-hunting season was hardly a pleasure to endure. Not with high wind warnings, Lake Effect snow advisories and other weather alerts that inundated the entire state.

Not surprisingly this nasty spate of weather put a damper on the youth deer season kill. In all, the kids shot 5,420 deer – a significant drop of around 18 percent from last year’s tally of 7,223 animals and even less than the 6,453 white-tails that kids shot during the 2014 youth-only season which likewise was plagued by poor weather for hunting.

Even so, after examining the numbers provided by Ohio Division of Wildlife spokesman John Windau one can see that 18 of Ohio’s 88 counties still managed to post gains – albeit very small increases  in some cases – in the number of deer killed by youths than the group posted last year.

Yet the gains were not seen in pockets of contiguous counties ; rather, they were peppered throughout the state, says Clint McCoy, the Wildlife Division biologist in charge of the state’s deer management program.

“No question the weather was the determining factor in the number of youthful hunters afield and the lower number of deer that were harvested,” McCoy said.

McCoy added that had the weather been more conducive to allowing hunters afield the total number of animal taken would have approached the 2015 youth-only season final tally.

“Maybe even a few more,” McCoy said.

However, the youth season shortfall may prove a blessing in disguise for those persons participating in the state’s regular seven-day firearms deer-hunting season which begins November 28^th.

“Those deer that would otherwise have been harvested during the youth-only season will still be around for the regular gun season, yes,” McCoy said who noted the best guess is for a regular firearms deer-hunting season take of 75,000 to 85,000 animal.

That is, if the regular season’s deer hunters don’t have to contend with rain, sleet, snow and gale-force winds of the kind their youthful counterparts encountered November 19^th and 20^th.

Here are the county-by-county results of the just completed 2016 youth-only firearms deer-hunting season with their respective 2015 youth-only season figures in parentheses: Adams - 139 (170); Allen - 37 (44); Ashland - 111 (149); Ashtabula - 108 (147); Athens - 106 (169); Auglaize - 35 (52); Belmont - 147 (167); Brown - 70 (100); Butler - 19 (25); Carroll - 127 (140); Champaign - 36 (47); Clark- 11 (20); Clermont - 56 (65); Clinton - 25 (37); Columbiana - 117 (122); Coshocton - 222 (258); Crawford - 34 (37); Cuyahoga - zero (also zero); Darke - 22 (21); Defiance - 63 (75); Delaware - 26 (42); Erie - 72, and note that 51 of these deer were killed during the special hunt at NASA’s Plum Brook Research Station, thus the actual youth-only hunt tally was 21 animals (17); Fairfield - 53 (79); Fayette - 18 (also 18); Franklin: -6 (8); Fulton - 20 (30); Gallia - 114 (124); Geauga - 41 (39); Greene - 21 (18); Guernsey - 197 (188); Hamilton - 18 (13); Hancock - 40 (50); Hardin - 48 (58); Harrison - 116 (183); Henry -25 (20); Highland - 96 (132); Hocking: -73 (125); Holmes: -145 (203); Huron - 80 (85); Jackson: -108 (135); Jefferson - 98 (117); Knox - 144 (182); Lake - 6 (8); Lawrence - 84 (69); Licking - 138 (182); Logan - 74 (82); Lorain - 62 (56); Lucas - 6 (15); Madison -21 (19); Mahoning - 38 (65); Marion: -36 (31); Medina - 42 (38); Meigs - 152 (171); Mercer - 32 (47); Miami - 25 (29); Monroe - 112 (128); Montgomery - 4 (7); Morgan - 121 (143); Morrow - 38 (52); Muskingum - 162 (200); Noble - 118 (114); Ottawa - 20 (18); Paulding - 44 (49); Perry - 101 (128); Pickaway - 27 (41); Pike - 85 (83); Portage - 32 (104); Preble -22 (43); Putnam - 34 (38); Richland - 99 (116); Ross - 128 (162); Sandusky - 29 (15); Scioto - 72 (127); Seneca - 75 (95); Shelby - 47 (67); Stark - 62 (64); Summit - 6 (9); Trumbull - 79 (81); Tuscarawas -178 (226); Union - 31 (36); Van Wert - 19 (38); Vinton - 87 (102); Warren - 26 (35); Washington - 126 (145); Wayne - 72 (79); Williams: -32 (48); Wood - 30 (28); Wyandot - 52 (79). Total - 5,930 – less the 51 shot at Plum Brook controlled hunt equals 5,420 (7,223).

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn

JFrischk@Ameritech.net

Lake Metroparks (Ohio) likely hooks stellar Grand River steelhead- and muskie-fishing hole

Grand River steelhead and muskies will soon find 2,700 fewer linier feet of protection from anglers.

Lake Metroparks is set to acquire 75 acres of property in Perry Township that includes about one-half mile of Grand River frontage. This parcel lies across the Grand River from the agency’s 409-acre Indian Point Park at the confluence of Paine Creek, which provides the property’s rough half-way point up and down the Lake Erie tributary.

This fishing hole is one of the Grand River’s go-to late fall-winter-spring steelhead fishing sites, too. And more, if truth be told.

“I caught a very nice muskie there this spring,” said Paul Palagyi, Lake Metroparks’ executive director.

Palagyi’s muskie was no fluke, either. Just upstream – and within the sphere of influence of the soon-to-be-added property – exists one of the stream’s mid-section deeper holes that has long been heralded as a productive Grand River muskie-fishing hot zone.

Vince Urbanski is the parks system’s deputy director and he says that his agency will pay $335,000 for the 75-acre parcel. This heavily wooded block extends from the Grand River about one thousand to two thousand feet north to River Road, with a few private in-holdings carving out small niches, Urbanski said.

“Once the Vrooman Road bridge project is completed we should be able to in come in with an entrance from the west,” Urbanski said. “Right now there’s a something of a trail off River Road but it’s pretty steep and it certainly gets your attention when you climb it.”

Even so, the 75-acre property’s expected acquisition – which will cost the agency $335,000 – will help permanently secure the spectacular view that Indian Point visitors see when they reach the top of a ridge along the roughly one-mile long Point Overlook Loop Trail.

“That view is now going to be protected,” Urbanski said, who added that many Indian Point visitors come to the unit in autumn just so they can soak in the view that largely contains the anticipated land purchase.

Urbanski said as well that the parks system will seek to sell a conservation easement to the Western Reserve Land Conservancy for the property. If successful this easement will regenerate $65,000 to $70,000 back into the parks system’s General Fund.

“That will help stretch our dollars a little bit more,” Urbanski said.

If all goes well the land purchase should clear all legal hurdles and successfully navigate the protocols of a public entity buying private property by the end of the year, Urbanski added.

For now Indian Point Park and the expected land parcel are easily accessible from off Seeley Road that bolts from off Vrooman Road; itself available as an exit off Interstate 90.

- By Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net

Ohio's deer hunters playing catch-up but wicked weather could dampen weekend's youth-only gun hunt

On the cusp of Ohio’s two-day youth-only firearms deer-hunting season a lot of animals should be present for the youngsters: Whitetails that hunters have yet to collect.

Ohio’s to-date deer kill – as of November 15^th – stands at 59,908 animals. That figure is 3,118 fewer deer than what was killed for the comparable to-date period last year, as of November 18^th, 2015, or 63,026.

Actually the 3,118 is a narrowing of the gap between the weekly to-date reporting periods. Last week’s gap stood at 7,550 animals.

On the reverse side, this weekend’s youth-only firearms deer-hunting season is projected to bring the nastiest weather thus far this autumn.

In Northeast Ohio Saturday’s temperatures are expected to be mild but a 70-percent of rain showers also is in the forecast along with high winds. By Sunday the temperatures will plummet with highs only in the mid-30s along with snow showers: The first of the season.

Deeper south into central Ohio the weather forecast is even less accommodating. Saturday’s high is expected to range around 40 degrees and a few degrees less on Sunday. Rain will mix with snow on Saturday, changing to all snow on Sunday.

Very high winds are forecast for both days, too.

Only along the Ohio will the weather ease its fury; but not until Sunday and then with highs only near 40 degrees. Rain and snow should prevail on Saturday, as well.

The net likelihood should be enough to discourage more than a few youngsters – as well as their more mature mentors. And this could impact the deer kill, which will appear on the November 22^nd to-date deer kill ledger, available the following day.

In any event, here is a partial county run-down of the to-date deer kill as of the November 15^th reporting date (with their respective 2015 to-date figure in parentheses): Adams – 1,188 (1,477); Ashland – 954 (1,010); Ashtabula – 1,527 (1,625); Athens – 1,084 (1,113); Belmont – 745 (716); Brown – 822 (903); Carroll – 953 (998); Clermont – 950 (1,123); Coshocton – 1,932 (1,708); Crawford – 311 (351); Cuyahoga – 565 (441); Delaware – 698 (770); Erie – 311 (347); Fayette – 111 (104); Franklin – 411 (403); Gallia – 650 (683); Geauga – 727 (807); Guernsey – 1,184 (1,182); Hamilton – 850 (1,103); Harrison – 1,025 (1,095); Henry – 197 (194); Highland – 915 (953); Hocking – 951 (1,065); Holmes – 1,310 (1,350); Huron – 626 (718); Jackson – 922 (935); Jefferson – 739 (705); Knox – 1,463 (1,539); Lake – 432 (463); Licking – 1,841 (1,962); Lorain – 998 (1,064); Lucas – 365 (412); Mahoning – 744 (706); Medina – 766 (776); Meigs – 934 (961); Monroe – 554 (538); Morgan – 822 (840); Morrow – 496 (505); Muskingum – 1,434 (1,346); Noble – 704 (774); Ottawa – 159 (169); Perry – 749 (772); Pickaway – 235 (233); Pike – 726 (768); Portage – 924 (969); Richland – 1,089 (1,152); Ross – 966 (1,101); Scioto – 809 (1,014); Stark – 1,048 (1,101); Summit – 764 (749); Trumbull – 1,440 (1,403); Union – 341 (373); Van Wert – 145 (147); Vinton – 786 (788); Warren – 501 (554); Washington – 790 (770); Wayne – 765 (776); Williams – 625 (665); Wood – 338 (also 338); and Wyandot – 399 (406).

Thus, 12 of Ohio’s 88 counties are experiencing increases in their respective to-date deer kills when compared to their comparable 2015 to-date deer kill numbers.

- By Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net

Ohio's wild turkey hunters are piling up impressive to-date bird kill numbers

Ohio’s fall wild turkey hunters have not exhausted the state’s population of birds but they have put a dent in the species’ numbers.

Indeed, Ohio’s fall turkey hunters have all ready killed more birds to-date than they did during the entire 2015 fall wild turkey-hunting season. And there’s nearly two weeks left in the current season, too.

The to-date tally of wild turkeys killed by Ohio’s fall season hunters stands at 1,715 birds. That figure is a whopping 428 more birds taken than for the same general 2015 to-date figure of 1,228 birds.

In fact, the 1,715 wild turkeys thus far killed by Ohio’s fall season hunters is all ready 180 more than were killed during the entire 2015 fall season; 476 more birds that were killed during the entire 2014 fall season; and 678 more birds than were shot during the entire 2013 fall season.

The 2016 to-date kill likewise is – and so far - the most number of birds taken since the 2009 total fall season wild turkey harvest of 2,255 birds.

Some of the to-date fall season highlights – and lowlights  – include the following (with their 2015 comparable to-date kill numbers in parentheses) – are: Adams County – 25 (35); Ashtabula County – 47 (57); Athens County – 46 (25); Belmont County – 40 (28); Brown County – 18 (24); Carroll County – 22 (15); Clermont County – 18 (34); Columbiana County – 27 (37); Coshocton County – 78 (37); Cuyahoga County – 7 (one); Defiance County – 22 (13); Delaware County – 8 (also 8); Franklin County – 2 (zero); Geauga County – 23 (31); Guernsey County – 69 (29); Hamilton County – 6 (also 6); Harrison County – 52 (28); Holmes County – 65 (21); Huron County – 10 (3); Lake County – 7 (8); Licking County – 43 (25); Lorain County - 18 (24); Meigs County – 69 (26); Monroe County – 64 (14); Morgan County – 44 (9); Muskingum County – 54 (23); Noble County – 59 (32); Perry County – 50 (26); Portage County – 27 (32); Richland County – 25 (18); Ross County – 22 (also 22); Stark County – 32 (23); Trumbull County – 29 (42); Tuscarawas County – 80 (19); Vinton County – 42 (24); Washington County – 43 (16); Wayne County – 5 (10); Williams County – 18 (17).

Previously the Ohio Division of Wildlife attributed this year’s fall season turkey kill success to a good hatch and survival of poults along with the emergence of the 17-year Brood V cicadas. Cicada’s are a much sought-after source of food by wild turkeys and are rich in protein.

However, that emergence was not universal across Ohio, and the Brood V appearance largely mirrors where the fall season turkey harvest numbers are the highest – and lowest.

Ohio’s fall wild turkey-hunting season was first held in 1996 and was opened in 22 of Ohio’s 88 counties. That year hunters shot 1,250 birds and the Ohio Division of Wildlife issued 10,050 fall wild turkey-hunting season permits.

Only twice has Ohio seen the fall season turkey kill exceed 3,000 birds each: 1999 (3,071 birds), and 2001 (3,331 birds).

The largest number of permits issued was in 2002 (15,469 permits) while the smallest number issued was in 1998 (4,804 permits). Final fall turkey season permit issuance figures for 2016 are not yet available since the season runs through November 27^th. Fifty-six of Ohio’s 88 counties are open to the fall season.

Hunting hours during the fall season are 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset, daily. Only one bird of either sex is allowed to be legally killed. Hunters also must buy a separate fall wild turkey-hunting season license as spring season tags are not legal.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net

Cuyahoga County pace-setting Ohio's deer harvest numbers - and why

Urban Cuyahoga County continues to buck the trend and up until the last weekly harvest report had become the one of Ohio’s 88 counties to consistently record steady gains in the number of deer reportedly killed by hunters each week.

Though Cuyahoga County’s deer hunters have seen increases in the numbers of animals taken over the past several years, the to-date tally for the 2016-2017 season has proven itself an eye-opener.

Through the first six reporting periods Cuyahoga County was the only one to record harvest gains when stacked up against their respective near-mirror to-date kill figures. That changed with the November 8th report when Cuyahoga County was joined by Fayette County which showed a to-date kill of 81 deer; up from its equivalent November 10, 2015 kill of 77 deer.

And the wake-up call in no small measure is being attributed to no fewer than six additional Cuyahoga County communities now allowing the taking of deer by state licensed and respective municipally permitted archery hunters. Even more remarkable is that last November voters in each of these communities overwhelming approved allowing carefully controlled archery deer hunting.

Cuyahoga County’s newbies at allowing controlled archery deer hunting include Broadview Heights, Strongsville, Seven Hills, Parma, Parma Heights, and North Royalton.

Just how good can Cuyahoga County’s efforts become? Pretty impressive it would seem as both the weekly to-date deer kill figures highlight and state wildlife biologists testify.

“I do believe that as a whole and when the deer hunting season is over, we’ll see that Cuyahoga County will have a harvest in excess of one thousand animals,” says Jeff Westerfield, the Ohio Division of Wildlife District Three (Northeast Ohio) wildlife management supervisor.

“In North Royalton alone there were 24 deer taken during just the opening weekend. That’s impressive,” Westerfield said.

Indeed, for the archery season’s first four days Cuyahoga County registered a then-to-date kill of 79 animals. That’s more than for such traditionally thought-of deer-hunting focal points as Adams County (72); Athens County (71); Hocking County (62); Morgan County (55); and Tuscarawas County (77).

Presently, says Westerfield also, 54.2 percent of Cuyahoga County has some form of lethal control of deer and which includes culling by sharpshooters. Even so, 39 percent of the county is open to some form of regulated sport hunting, almost exclusively with archery tackle.

What the statistics allude to as well, says Westerfield, is that archery deer hunting has come of age as a deer management tool and strategy; something that wildlife biologists can point to as a workable concept for other communities – and their impacted property owners - weighing it as an option.

Westerfield says too he would not be startled at all if the pace of Cuyahoga County’s deer harvest/kill quickens the deeper into the season the hunting goes. The possible reason for this acceleration is that early on some (or many) hunters may have their long-standing haunts they wish to visit before exploiting the possibilities out their back doors, Westerfield says.

Regardless, for every plus a downside is possible. Where once it was thrilling just see a deer in a park the idea of a buck rubbing its antlers against an expensive ornament tree trunk or seeing a doe chow down on equally treasured landscaping is helping to despoil the white-tail’s “awe, isn’t it cute” former reputation.

“Just like it was for geese which are now being called ‘rats with wings,’ the attitude toward lethal management of deer has changed dramatically,” Westerfield says. “The sad part is that resources like geese and deer may be viewed as being of lesser value than they were before.”

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net

Seventh to-date deer kill tally not lucky number for Ohio's hunters

Taking advantage of the rut, Ohio’s white-tail hunters are working at playing catch-up with the weekly to-date deer kill.

However, the state’s deer hunters remain some 7,550 animals when compared to the close proximity in time last year. The current to-date (as of November 8^th) total deer kill stands at 42,268 animals, of which 19,732 were recorded as being antlered.

Last year for the not-so-rough equivalent-to-date recording period (as of November 11^th) the count was 49,818 animals, of which 23,027 animals were logged as being antlered.

Also, the state now has six counties where at least one-thousand animals each were recorded as being killed. They include in alphabetical order (with their respective 2015 comparable to-date figures in parentheses) are: Ashtabula County – 1,192 (1,409); Coshocton County – 1,371 (1,389); Knox County – 1,067 (1,251); Licking County – 1,324 (1,611); Trumbull County – 1,146 (1,248); Tuscarawas County – 1,000 (1,124).

However, not appearing on the current to-date list with a kill of at least one thousand animals but appearing on the time-comparable 2015 to-date list (with their respective 2015 figures in parentheses) are: Adams County – 811 (1,147); Holmes County – 991 (1,108); and Muskingum County – 926 (1,055).

At least the current ledger is down to just one county with a to-date kill of fewer than one hundred animals. That is Fayette County with a recorded current to-date kill of 81 deer. Last year’s comparable figure for Fayette County was actually less: 77 deer. So Fayette County is enjoying something of a deer-hunting success surge.

Some other random county current to-date deer kill numbers (with their respective 2015 to-date numbers in parentheses) are: Ashland – 721 (816); Athens – 702 (808); Auglaize – 198 (248); Belmont – 430 (518); Brown – 543 (688); Carroll – 680 (794); Champaign – 316 (400); Clermont – 656 (866); Columbiana – 729 (816); Cuyahoga – 461 (373); Delaware – 531 (625); Erie – 235 (236); Fairfield – 396 (516); Franklin – 304 (316); Gallia – 386 (498); Geauga – 559 (683); Guernsey – 773 (921); Hamilton – 916 (675); Harrison – 678 (861); Highland – 618 (703); Hocking – 605 (795); Huron – 465 (572); Jackson – 631 (701); Jefferson – 489 (557); Lake – 340 (386); Lorain – 755 (891); Lucas – 284 (344); Mahoning – 571 (607); Medina – 578 (647); Meigs – 565 (694); Mercer – 181 (202); Morgan – 486 (614); Montgomery – 215 (266); Morrow – 348 (395); Noble – 427 (562); Ottawa – 112 (139); Perry – 500 (574); Pickaway – 159 (174); Pike – 473 (570); Portage – 652 (749); Preble – 232 (304); Richland – 818 (972); Ross – 645 (808); Scioto – 502 (734); Seneca – 434 (501); Stark – 758 (893); Summit – 594 (627); Van Wert – 115 (114); Vinton – 514 (570); Warren – 343 (429); Washington – 494 (560); Williams – 485 (555); and Wyandot – 302 (326).

As noted, the only two counties to post increases for this year’s seventh to-date tally when stacked against its 2015 counterpart are Cuyahoga and Fayette.

- By Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net

A strange and facinating place to catch Ohio's new state record northern pike

When Troy E. Klingler tossed his Texas-rigged Berkley Power Bait “Crazy Legs” crawdad into 15 feet of water at McKarns Lake September 24th he knew there was remote chance he’d hook a northern pike instead of a largemouth bass.

After all the 35-year old from Stryker, Ohio fishes the old quarry lake pretty regularly and has caught a couple of small pike there before. But usually Klingler is sufficiently happy with reeling in some of McKarns Lake’s respectable largemouth bass.

Yet when his 15-minute duel with a big fish of some sort was over and his best fishing buddy – dad Burl – had helped flip the critter unto the bank, Troy’s fishing life took a decided turn toward trophy class success.

“I really didn’t know what I had until I got it in the shallows and said ‘oh, boy,’” Troy Klingler said. “If it wasn’t for my father being there to help me I probably wouldn’t have been able to land the fish, but it was hooked pretty good.”

That “oh, boy” led to a catch that has become Ohio’s newest state record northern pike; a fish verified by the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s District Two (northwest Ohio) fish management section and certified by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio, which maintains Ohio’s state record fish list.

That new state record is certified at 22.73 pounds and measuring 45 inches, besting the previous state record northern pike weighing 22.38 pounds and measuring 43 inches that was taken from Lyre Lake on October 3, 1988 by Chris Campbell. Lyre Lake is a private club lake in southwest Ohio.

(The Outdoor Writers of Ohio employs weight only in determining state record fish but lists lengths as additional comparative information).

McKarns Lake is not private, however, and is a frequent fishing haunt for Klingler and others, though largemouth bass are much more of a target than are northern pike, which are not even stocked there, or least not by the Wildlife Division.

Nor are pike stocked by any human for that matter with the pike planting coming about through the generosity of the St. Joseph River, a river system that wraps around McKarns Lake in an oxbow fashion.

McKarns Lake is tucked away in the extreme northwest Ohio county of Williams and is about 12 miles from Indiana as well as Michigan. It is named after the late Ohio outdoors writer Hob McKarns who championed all things Williams County.

On oddity in many respects, this former limestone quarry has a maximum depth of 75 to 80 feet even though it’s only 40 acres in size with 1.2 miles of shoreline. Boats with unlimited horsepower are permitted here but the speed is regulated to a no-wake crawl with bank fishing every bit as popular as casting from a vessel.

And while bass are the lake’s chief target by anglers pike offer an uncommon and unexpected bonus.

“Pike occur naturally in the St. Joe River and it floods into McKarns Lake once or twice a year so that’s where it gets its pike,” said Michael Wilkerson, Wildlife District Two fish management supervisor.

Close by to McKarns Lake is 19-acre Barton Lake which shares the same natural pike implanting by the St. Joseph River, Wilkerson says as well. Both lakes make up the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s approximately 100-acre St. Joseph River Wildlife Area.

Wilkerson says to that once a pike does make its way into McKarns Lake it finds some very attractive dining possibilities that include an annual stocking of catchable rainbow trout; and such fish species as muskies and northern pike have long had a reputation of relishing such soft-rayed prey as suckers and trout.

“McKarns Lake certainly has the forage to sustain a couple of pike that large,” Wilkerson says.

 Thus the potential exists for someone else – or Klingler – to catch another record northern pike from McKarns Lake, Wilkerson says.

“The lake gets a fair amount of fishing pressure for such a small body of water but it does have some pretty decent bass fishing,” Wilkerson also says.”We have sampled pike in the lake before but none as large as what Mr. Klingler caught, which is a real trophy. I’d like to have known what it would have weighed in the spring just before it spawned; maybe another one or two pounds.”

Yes, indeed on that bass part, agrees Klingler, who says a rough guess suggests he’s made a couple hundred bass fishing trips to McKarns Lake – all done from the bank, too.

“I don’t have access to a boat,” Klingler said, which hardly seems to have bothered him in catching fish.

Among his arrows in his fishing quiver is that Berkley Crazy Legs, which Klingler says he “swears by,” especially since McKarns Lake has regularly yielded bass up to three pounds on the lure.

Klingler also uses 12 pound test Berkley monofilament in part because McKarns Lake has its share of weed beds plus a shoreline that could etch the life out of fishing line.

As for his new state record Klingler said that title hadn’t crossed his mind too much until someone suggested that he did a little research. It was then he determined that the pike – now stored in the freezer for likely a trip to a taxidermist – was the real new Ohio north pike state record deal.

Once Klingler set the certification wheels in motion by having the fish examined by the Wildlife Division and completed the requisite Outdoor Writers of Ohio’s State Record Fish application, the group’s record fish committee was able to complete its task and certify the catch. That allowed Klingler’s pike to supersede the previous 28-year-old record.

And yet Klingler’s still not done. He continues to visit McKarns Lake, casting a Berkley Crazy Legs (though that other one has been retired) and as he does, mulls the possibility that he might eventually break his own record.

“I might even go ice fishing at McKarns Lake,” Klingler said. “I’ve never ice fished before.”

Imagine that for a minute, please;  hauling a new state record pike through the ice, caught by the same angler who simply was spending a couple hours of restful bass fishing on a lake few other Ohio fishers have even heard of.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net

After six weekly reporting sessions Ohio's deer kill continues to limp along

Ohio’s deer hunters have bagged and tagged an additional 7,066 animals during the latest to-date reporting week kill results.

However, the November 1^st to-date reporting tally is still 7,231 fewer deer than was recorded for approximately the same reporting period in 2015.

Last year the-then reporting period ending November 3^rd,  2015 noted a deer kill of 35,633 animals. For comparison the current to-date reporting period shows a deer kill consisting of 28,402 animals.

And for a further step in making comparisons, the previous weekly reporting period ending October 25^th 2016 (this year) noted a kill of 21,336 animals.

Of some statistical significance so far each of the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s 2016 to-date six reporting period tallies have demonstrated marked deer kill declines when stacked up to their roughly parallel 2015 to-date doppelgangers.

Also, last year at this time two counties had reported to-date deer kills exceeding one-thousand animals each: Ashtabula – 1,046; and Licking – 1,166 along with five counties with kills exceeding 800 animals each: Coshocton – 943; Holmes – 818; Knox – 885; Trumbull – 998; and Tuscarawas – 801.

Yet so far in 2016 none of Ohio’s 88 counties have to-date kills in four figures. The closest in alphabetical order are Ashtabula – 853; Coshocton – 912; Licking -881; and Trumbull – 852.

Ohio likewise still has five counties that have yet to inscribe their tallies in triple digits. In alphabetical order these counties are: Fayette – 41; Henry – 97; Madison – 72; Ottawa – 83; Van Wert – also 83. For comparison, for the like-dated tally in 2015 the Wildlife Division reported only the following two counties with deer kills of less than 100 animals each: Fayette – 56; and Van Wert – 78.

Noteworthy counties with their 2016 to-date deer kills (and with their respective 2015 to-date numbers in parentheses) are: Adams – 501 (766); Ashland – 480 (583); Ashtabula – 853 (1,046); Athens – 415 (523); Brown – 339 (449); Carroll – 408 (559); Clermont – 448 (630); Columbiana – 509 (622); Coshocton – 912 (942); Cuyahoga – 362 (287) (Cuyahoga County continues as the only one of Ohio’s 88 counties to record a larger to-date deer kill when compared to its 2015 to-date figure); Darke – 98 (152); Franklin – 226 (242); Geauga – 415 (544); Guernsey – 489 (627); Hamilton – 516 (721); Harrison – 422 (584); Highland – 396 (477); Hocking – 377 (535); Holmes – 677 (818); Jackson – 400 (450); Jefferson – 308 (363); Knox – 688 (885); Lake – 258 (299); Licking – 881 (1,166); Lorain – 562 (713); Lucas – 200 (272); Medina – 421 (493); Meigs – 340 (453); Muskingum – 566 (683); Noble – 279 (375); Perry – 315 (397); Portage – 487 (595); Richland – 583 (727); Ross – 384 (533); Stark – 542 (677); Summit – 326 (433); Trumbull – 852 (998); Tuscarawas – 648 (801); Vinton – 290 (395); Washington – 299 (359); and Williams – 354 (413).

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net