Is baiting legal in Ohio?
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Would YOU shoot this deer?
- Thread starter toobaroque
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I hunt for food primarily and he looks tasty!
Let him go another year or 2
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That is NEVER a 'simple' question. But I'll give you a simple answer "If I wanted to."
There's so many things that come into play in the 'shoot/don't shoot' hunting decision for me.
1). Is it bigger than anything I've shot before?
2) Do I have a perfect shot?
3) Is it bigger than anything I've ever shot with THIS type weapon I currently have?
4) What time of day is it (I've passed on last light shots before that I will take at first light).
5) How's my freezer looking?
6) Is it one my son, or someone else who would appreciate it more, has a reasonable chance to shoot?
7) What are my realistic chances to see him bigger next year?
8) Do I feel like messing with it? (That one comes into play on every single opportunity.
)Etc...
BOOM, there is my answer.
Yes, all forms of baiting are legal in Ohio. You can hunt over bait also, but I rarely do as the bucks will usually only feed during the dark of night. They do hang around the area, however, and I usually set up within 100 yds. or so from the food source.
Of course, all this changes when the ground is covered by a bunch of snow. Snow and cold change a lot of things, both for the hunter and the hunted.
As per Ohio regulations, a hunter CAN:
- Hunt deer over bait, except on public land. See General Information section for restrictions.
- Leave a deer or deer parts with a taxidermist, fur buyer, cold storage, locker plant, or meat processing plant as long as the confirmation number is attached to the animal and all of its separate parts. Persons..."
That is NEVER a 'simple' question. But I'll give you a simple answer "If I wanted to."
There's so many things that come into play in the 'shoot/don't shoot' hunting decision for me.
1). Is it bigger than anything I've shot before? Absolutely NOT
2) Do I have a perfect shot? No, but it's an easy shot.
3) Is it bigger than anything I've ever shot with THIS type weapon I currently have? No
4) What time of day is it (I've passed on last light shots before that I will take at first light). Getting darker by the minute
5) How's my freezer looking? Totally empty, and I'm cold
6) Is it one my son, or someone else who would appreciate it more, has a reasonable chance to shoot? No, my Dad would like to shoot it, but he can't get around well enough any more to hunt this area.
7) What are my realistic chances to see him bigger next year? 50/50 or maybe better.
8) Do I feel like messing with it? (That one comes into play on every single opportunity.
Etc...
Because of number 5 he would have been shot at!
Like others have said, if you are positive he can make it until next year let him grow. A problem you might get into depending on how urban you are: your neighbors may suddenly want to start hunting as they have a decent sized buck in the backyard which will require no extra work or they'll call a BIL/Cousin/Uncle/etc..
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