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Hunting a hit with youth in Ohio
AUSTINTOWN
Curtis Wagner and his son, Chase, enjoy tossing around the football in their backyard and shooting hoops in the driveway.
The Austintown family gets its kicks playing soccer, too, but around this time of year they head to the woods.
“We’re hunters,” Curtis said.
It’s been a tradition for many years since Curtis was a youngster, himself. Now, he shares the passion with 12-year old Chase.
“When I was growing up. we didn’t have video games or anything like that,” Curtis said. “My dad, grandpa and uncles would go out on weekends in the fall and take me with them.
“Those were some great times and I’m glad I can share them with my son, now.”
On Nov. 17-18, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources held the 10th annual two-day youth deer-gun season. In that two-day span, youth hunters collected 9,178 white-tailed deer — a 5.7 percent increase from 2011.
“This excellent youth deer-gun season is a tribute to our young hunters as well as the non-hunting adults who accompanied them this weekend,” ODNR Director James Zehringer said in a press release.
Zehinger agrees with the Wagners and says the event, and hunting as a whole, is a time for family bonding.
“Offering special hunting seasons encourages families to spend time together outdoors,” he said. “We are glad so many young Ohioans participated this year.”
In Columbiana County, 147 deer were checked, Mahoning County had 76 and Trumbull recorded 109.
With 280, Muskingum County, near the central part of the state, recorded the highest total of white-tailed deer for the second-straight year.
The youth deer-gun season is one of four special youth-only hunting seasons designed to offer a safe and excellent early hunting experience for young hunters. Special seasons are also set aside for upland game, wild turkey and waterfowl hunting.
White-tailed deer season opens in Ohio for all hunters on Monday.
“We’re looking forward to it,” Curtis said. “We’ve only been out once this year for turkeys, but we always look forward to deer season.”
Archery season for deer began at the end of September and muzzleloader season started in mid-October. Gun season will last until Dec. 2 and also occurs Dec. 15-16.
“We usually go out for six or seven hours at a time,” Curtis said.
There are 36 designated wildlife areas in Northeast Ohio including the 40-acre Warren Wildlife Area in Weathersfield Township, Berlin Lake Wildlife Area in Deerfield and the West Branch State Park, also in Portage County.
According to a Ducks Unlimited survey, 67 percent of citizens approve of hunting in the United States. However, just 11-percent of the population actually hunt.
In this area, the number is considerably smaller, so events like the early season for youth hunters is a recruitment tool for a potential life-long pastime.
Youth hunters are required to take a hunter education course or qualify for a youth apprentice licence. Classroom courses are provided in all 88 of Ohio’s counties throughout the year.
More information can be found at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us.