GREAT OUTDOORS: Popular deer archery season begins

While some of the migratory bird and squirrel hunting seasons have been underway since the beginning of the month, Saturday marks the opening day of Ohio's deer archery season. There are a wide range of behavioral routines seen over the course of this four-month season that extends to February 6, 2022. Summer feeding patterns, the fall shuffle in response to crop harvests, the various stages of the rut, and winter food & shelter usage are among the things that impact hunting strategies. Once restricted to a small subset of hunters, Ohio Division of Wildlife surveys showed that 156,211 hunters used archery equipment at least once in 2020, averaging 19.4 days afield. Archery equipment now accounts for a substantial percentage of Ohio's annual deer harvest. In 2020, more than 93,500 deer – approximately 47% of the deer that were tagged by Ohio hunters – fell to archery gear, with the lion's share (69%) being crossbows, the easiest stringed armament to master. Crossbows have led the archery harvests since 1989, with the gap between them and vertical bows widening significantly since 2010. Older and younger hunters who can't pull back or hold the string on vertical bows can participate in archery due to cocking assistance devices available for some crossbows. Ohio has allowed crossbows during the general archery season for decades. Crossbows are banned entirely in Oregon while nearly half of the other states still limit their use respectively to private property; certain portions of the gun or archery season; have minimum age restrictions; or only allow them by hunters with physical limitations that prevents them from using other types of bows. The next most common archery tool used to harvest deer are compound bows, which are built with cables and pulleys to aid with drawing the string back, then letting off tension until the arrow is released. With each considered to be a traditional weapon, straight-limbed longbows are more primitive, with newer recurve bows having outward curling tips that provide increased power and arrow speed. Outdoor recreational activities such as fishing, kayaking, hunting and camping had higher participation rates last year, in part due to COVID restricting indoor leisure activities. For those looking to join the popular "locavore movement" of harvesting, preparing and consuming locally grown plants, free-range livestock and wild fish & game, there are many resources to consult for guidance. Would-be archers can begin by reading through the tutorials that the Ohio Division of Wildlife has assembled on its "Wild Ohio Harvest Community" web site. It has links to a wide variety of topics, depending upon specific interest, current experience, and skill level. Specifically, the "Introduction to Archery" module takes viewers through a series of slides that defines the equipment, teaches shooting safety guidelines, lists public shooting ranges and hunting opportunities, hunting equipment and regulations. The "Wild Ohio Harvest Cookbook" link on YouTube has 26 recipes to date using deer (venison), wild turkey, fish, pheasant, rabbit and frog legs highlighting wild game as table fare. I process each deer that I harvest into roasts, steaks and burger. Due to the difference in tenderness, the steaks are further labeled as backstrap or leg steaks. Some of it gets commercially processed into summer sausage. I will share some of my favorite uses for venison in future articles. By law, only one antlered buck may be taken per hunter in a season in Ohio, which allows many bucks to grow larger and develop trophy antlers. This attracts thousands of non-resident hunters -- more than 38,000 last year, especially to the southeastern counties where the largest public hunting areas are located. The 2020 deer harvest was the highest in eight years, with 197,721 deer tagged by hunters statewide. The tally included 83,332 antlered bucks, 94,763 does and 19,626 button bucks. Some of the local harvests by county last year included Erie (996), Huron (2,579), Lucas (831), Ottawa (617), Sandusky (1,153), Seneca (2,072), and Wood (1,142). Always consult the current hunting regulations guide before heading afield. ----- Hageman wins writing award Register outdoors writer John Hageman was recognized for his outstanding work at the 65th annual meeting of the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers (AGLOW) held in Gaylord, Michigan, earlier this month. Hageman was awarded 2nd place in the Best of Newspaper: Boat, Travel & Camping category for his piece titled "When boats take on water, quick thinking is a must" that appeared in the April 3-4, 2021 Register Sports section. Hageman's award was sponsored by Ducks Unlimited and Crosman and was presented at the AGLOW Awards in Craft Ceremony during the Toyota Scholarship Dinner held Sept. 14 in Gaylord. AGLOW, founded in 1956, has more than 400 members. The association stretches far beyond the Great Lakes region with membership from 36 states and two Canadian provinces.