Off Topic December Controlled Deer Hunt starts today !

[Old Cut LongPointer]

The December Controlled Deer Hunt starts this morning (Monday) and runs through until Sunday at end of day. If you are planning a walk in the woods I would advise wearing very bright colours , like blaze orange ! It's all the rage this week !

 

[Red Hering]

The December Controlled Deer Hunt starts this morning (Monday) and runs through until Sunday at end of day. If you are planning a walk in the woods I would advise wearing very bright colours , like blaze orange ! It's all the rage this week !

A great tip and a reminder for sure @Old Cut LongPointer and thanks! Me not being a hunter, I was wondering when the Controlled Deer Hunt started. I was going to “google” it to find out. It’s time to change the jacket etc.,from camouflage to a blaze orange. I am just assuming that it involves Huron County as well,( controlled deer hunt ),and I best look it up again,like in previous years,before I went steelheading in Huron County,for I cut through woods here & there,to be able to get to some of the Steelhead spot’s,on some Lake Huron river’s,that I like to fish on. I am looking forward to be steelhead fishing soon,once the river’s drop back down again from our recent rainfall.

 

[GPS]

The controlled deer hunt began in the very early 80's and I have only missed one.

 

[Centerspin]

Thank you for a heads up, Old Cut Long Pointer. Do you know if it happens in Grey County too?

 

[Old Cut LongPointer]

Not sure about Grey or Huron counties but never a bad idea to wear bright colours when in the woods as the Bow Season runs from October to December. Be safe, be seen !

 

[Centerspin]

Not sure about Grey or Huron counties but never a bad idea to wear bright colours when in the woods as the Bow Season runs from October to December. Be safe, be seen !

I spoke with the land owner where I fish a couple of years ago. He said they hunt there Oct -Nov so I am going there only in December. He also acknowledged my orange hat

 

[Caseys Dream]

Be careful with this one. Methinks it's a trick.

 

[Porkpie]

Thank you for a heads up, Old Cut Long Pointer. Do you know if it happens in Grey County too?

There is a black powder rifle hunt this week in Grey county. Wear your orange hat!

 

[Reardrag]

It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if they did away with the controlled hunt and focused on an archery only season. That would show at least an effort towards good deer management in Ontario. If they want a controlled hunt with guns it should be for disabled hunters and veterans only. Just my two cents.

 

[GPS]

Never happen!

 

[Reardrag]

I know you’re right

 

[quackers]

My understanding from years ago was that the controlled hunts were driven in part by the number of deer/vehicle collisions and pushed by insurance carriers. They're not managing to optimize deer numbers but to reduce insurance claims.

 

[PlanB]

I’m pretty sure there use to be only 2 controlled hunts, they added a 3rd years ago and the archery season stated 2 weeks earlier, October 1st instead of the 15th, to give bow hunters some time back. Those first 2 weeks of October aren’t the greatest for bow hunting though! I do both hunts and enjoy them equally! Have noticed lower deer populations over the last few years here in 92A.

 

[Old Cut LongPointer]

It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if they did away with the controlled hunt and focused on an archery only season. That would show at least an effort towards good deer management in Ontario. If they want a controlled hunt with guns it should be for disabled hunters and veterans only. Just my two cents.

Good debate but better move it to "Shots Fired" forum as I know of long time Controlled Hunt guys that didn't get drawn because they think Bow Hunters applied for those time periods.

Some WMU's have a Muzzle-loading Only Controlled Hunt hence they get 3 different weeks.

True; Deer hunts are in part to reduce insurance claims for vehicles and/or occupants plus farmers alike. I've seen huge areas of corn knocked down by feeding deer and in the Spring they love to nibble on fresh soy beans and that's money out of the farmers wallet. So by having these Controlled Hunts the MNR knows based on hunters reports success rate ratio as to allow X number of hunters for X number of days in specific areas... or at least that's the theory behind it.

 

[Wave Runner]

I've seen huge areas of corn knocked down by feeding deer and in the Spring they love to nibble on fresh soy beans and that's money out of the farmers wallet.

I bow hunted deer from tree stands for more than 35 years and have never seen one time deer knocking down corn stalks. However, I have witnessed racoons countless times climbing the corn stalks pulling them down and breaking the stalks to eat the corn. The stalks broken by coons point in multiple directions. Farmers tend to blame deer but in my experience, I believe coons are the #1 culprit damaging the corn. Deer are definitely the #1 culprit in the spring eating the fresh soybeans and other green crops as well. They also don't mind chewing up your garden, oriental shrubs or flowers either.

 

[ch312]

It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if they did away with the controlled hunt and focused on an archery only season. That would show at least an effort towards good deer management in Ontario. If they want a controlled hunt with guns it should be for disabled hunters and veterans only. Just my two cents.

The controlled hunt is intended to control deer populations and is an excellent management tool the ministry uses in an attempt to maintain optimal population density. You’re very mistaken if you believe the intent of the controlled hunt is to just give hunters an easier way to kill deer.

That is why many southern WMU’s with high deer populations have 100% draw success rates with some having extra tags. More deer need to be killed in these areas and limiting hunters to archery only all season would be detrimental to the deer population.

 

[DaveJ]

The controlled hunt is intended to control deer populations and is an excellent management tool the ministry uses in an attempt to maintain optimal population density. You’re very mistaken if you believe the intent of the controlled hunt is to just give hunters an easier way to kill deer.

That is why many southern WMU’s with high deer populations have 100% draw success rates with some having extra tags. More deer need to be killed in these areas and limiting hunters to archery only all season would be detrimental to the deer population.

Exactly..great post.
I just hunted the controlled hunt in 92A up by Ailsa Craig. The 2 of us took 2 deer, and saw ?? 10-15 different deer just within 200 acres. Honestly I dont think the hunts put a dent in the population in some areas. Saying that, I bowhunt and dont like having the 3 hunts take up a lot of November and early Dec. Id like 2 controlled hunts..one in Nov, one in later December, and have extra bow tags more available.

 

[Chipper1]

It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if they did away with the controlled hunt and focused on an archery only season. That would show at least an effort towards good deer management in Ontario. If they want a controlled hunt with guns it should be for disabled hunters and veterans only. Just my two cents.

Do you own your own land that you hunt on? Because I hunt the December hunt with a bunch of farmers… this is the week they get too hunt themselves.. and if a bow Hunter they gave permission too ever said that too them,, they wouldn’t be hunting on their land anymore.

We’re hunting a few farms it’s not uncommon to have 80 plus deer in a field on an afternoon sit,, or do a push and move 120 plus deer out of a property. We hunt 1 farm where 3 large groups(15-20 hunters per group) drive it during the week, and it usually produces 20 plus deer between the 3 groups,, these guys have deer problems and they want numbers controlled.

 

[SilverTip49]

I’m a senior hunter who enjoys the controlled hunt because my co-hunters can do the heavy lifting that allows me to hunt. Basically, it extends my hunting life.

 

[Reardrag]

I used to enjoy the controlled hunt when there were less numbers of hunters but now there are a lot more hunters shooting more advanced firearms and there is too much disrespect for landowners and fellow hunters. The arrival of cell cameras has given big groups of hunters up to the minute info as to deer location. I’ve been deer hunting most of my life and it’s a hell of a lot harder to harvest an animal alone than with a large group. Sorry if I’ve offended or upset anyone. Maybe I’m just getting older