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Post by Woody Williams on Nov 17, 2014 8:29:59 GMT -5
"Slow"?
As GS1 can tell you the area that I hunt is now controlled by fewer and fewer and fewer hunters. Ownership has changed and leasing is prevalent. The old coal mine ground behind me used to be hunted by half of Evansville. It was a parade going back there every opening weekend. Now it is leased by a political individual and maybe 8 to 10 hunt there and they don't even hunt half the time. 400 acres down the road are controlled by a dad and two sons. The 80 acres east of me has a big shooting party on opening weekend and I never see or hear them at any other time.
The non-resident owners of the 80 acres south of me put a stop to all unauthorized hunting.. which means only the two of them. They gated off the access..but fortunately for me they gave me the combination so I could look after the place and park on them to hunt my place.
Maybe tags sales are up, but I think hunter numbers are down due to a deer hunter having a pretty tough time finding a place to hunt unless he has cash. Even then he has to outbid someone else..
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Post by drs on Nov 17, 2014 9:57:25 GMT -5
"Slow"? As GS1 can tell you the area that I hunt is now controlled by fewer and fewer and fewer hunters. Ownership has changed and leasing is prevalent. The old coal mine ground behind me used to be hunted by half of Evansville. It was a parade going back there every opening weekend. Now it is leased by a political individual and maybe 8 to 10 hunt there and they don't even hunt half the time. 400 acres down the road are controlled by a dad and two sons. The 80 acres east of me has a big shooting party on opening weekend and I never see or hear them at any other time. The non-resident owners of the 80 acres south of me put a stop to all unauthorized hunting.. which means only the two of them. They gated off the access..but fortunately for me they gave me the combination so I could look after the place and park on them to hunt my place. Maybe tags sales are up, but I think hunter numbers are down due to a deer hunter having a pretty tough time finding a place to hunt unless he has cash. Even then he has to outbid someone else.. I agree, Woody. It is getting very hard for Indiana Deer Hunters to find a good hunting spot. When I began Deer hunting back in the early 1970's, my main Deer hunting spot was north of Loogootee as the Owner wife was a patient of my Dad. I also had a good place east of Oakland City, but the owner died and his Daughter's Husband leased the area out to some Hunting club. This is when I started to do my Deer Hunting in Kentucky & Colorado, but still had a small area in Vanderburgh County where I could hunt Deer. My advice is to insure of having a hunting spot is to BUY your own hunting ground. I believe, as time goes by, Deer Hunters & also other Hunters will have a very hard time finding a place to hunt.
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Post by bigbuckd on Nov 17, 2014 10:17:37 GMT -5
Indiana has predominantly succeeded in increasing deer harvest and public land access for hunters. The one buck rule has turned Indiana into a top whitetail hunting state. I understand the access argument and am a prime example of someone who has struggled with access to private ground. Through hard work and ingenuity I have found solid public land spots and made a few friends that allow me to hunt their private land. I harvest deer every year with this combination and a trophy every now and then. There is a lot of public land that is not overpressured if you are willing to work to find it, most hunters are not going to share their secret spots that they worked hard to find. However, I am giving in and doing a direct lease next year so that I can have a property that I control and can invite others to hunt with me. I am not paying Base Camp prices but it isn't cheap either. Knocking on doors with a bit of cash in hand can lead to open doors in a high demand land area.
The weather definitely played the major factor in keeping the "weekend warrior hunter" on the couch. Warmbag kept me toasty most of the day!
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Post by squirrelhunter on Nov 17, 2014 12:14:32 GMT -5
Yes I live in Jay county which mainly crops and small tracts of woods and it was really slow here yesterday and today not sure what the problem is but I have had the same problem this year as the other hunter very few does and yearlings being seen mainly bucks I guess I would like to see the number of doe tags given out at least in this county cut way back. Good luck to everyone How about that,I'm in Jay County too. Small world .
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Post by beermanbrian on Nov 17, 2014 15:00:27 GMT -5
Well over 100 shots heard here this morning. Wife and I have seen 13 deer between us...11 were does. Things in this little corner of the state are pretty standard.
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Post by beermanbrian on Nov 17, 2014 15:13:26 GMT -5
I would agree with metamorahunter. I heard afair number of shots and saw roughly 20 deer opening morning. I strictly hunt central Indiana so I can't speak for what is going on statewide. I think as the deer numbers go down, (which has been the goal over the last few years with liberal doe tags) it becomes more important for hunters to adjust their tactics. The same old routine can't be used on educated deer. I hunt an 80 acre tract and only hunt the edges during bow season. Once opening weekend rolls around I get right in the middle and the patience and discipline pays off as I have taken 2 nice bucks the past 2 opening weekends. Good luck to everyone.
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Post by lawrencecountyhunter on Nov 17, 2014 15:48:00 GMT -5
I've been seeing good deer numbers all season, often 10 + deer per sit. I have not, however, seen a buck older than 2.5 years old. I know they are around, have trail cam photos to prove it, just haven't been in the right place at the right time yet.
I heard probably 30 shots Saturday, many of which sounded like they came from the same spots over and over. I usually hear over 100.
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