Robert Loewendick - Deer Hunting in Ohio: History, Legends and Trophies

Ohios turnaround of its white-tailed deer herd is remarkable. It would be interesting to hear what the people who had the vision of bringing back deer to the Buckeye State in the 1920s and 1930s would have to say today. I bet they would find it hard to believe that the few deer they rounded up and delivered to southern Ohio in crates would become a major factor in growing a deer herd of more than 600,000. Many lessons have been taken from the century of evolving deer management goals and practices, some of which are still considered in modern wildlife management planning.

Ohios deer are no longer a sight for hunters to see while searching deep forests and remote meadows. In many municipalities, deer have become a nuisance. Because of this, special hunts are implemented to reduce the deers presence to an acceptable level. Again, can you imagine what the earliest wildlife managers would think about the deer herd infiltrating towns and villages on a regular basis? Although, on the other side of that coin are the faces of thousands of wildlife enthusiasts who get some pleasure from having the deer so easily available for viewing.

Deer have been the source of storytelling in North America for centuries. Ohio has a deer legacy that is worth telling about well into the future. Hunting deer with my father was a treasured time in my life, especially now that he is no longer living. My deer hunting now usually involves time with my children. The cycle of hunting traditions continues for thousands of hunters, just as it has for centuries. Although Ohios deer have had population-affecting events causing their disappearance and then their return, Ohios deer hunters have maintained their celebrated deer hunting heritage, which will continue into the future.

Buckeye Big Buck Club. www.buckeyebigbuckclub.org/home.html.

Carskadden, Jeff, and James Morton. Where the Frolics and War Dances are Held. Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, Inc., 1997.

Nagel, James, and Richard Helwig. The Ohio Hunter. 1866. Farmland News, Archbold, Ohio. The frontier life of Samuel E. Edwards and the columns that appeared in Farmland News were compiled and annotated by James Nagel and Richard Helwig.

Ohio Historical Society. www.ohiohistorycentral.org.

Ohio Department of Natural Resources. www.ohiodnr.com.

Putnam County Historical Society. Reproduction of Putnam County Pioneer Reminiscences. Number One 1878 and Number Two 1887. Kalida, OH: Whipporwill Publications. 1981.

Reynolds, Mike. The Theodore Roosevelt Game PreserveOhios first public hunting area. Wild Ohio Magazine (Fall 2004). ODNRs Division of Wildlife.

Robert Loewendick is a freelance outdoor writer with work regularly published in magazines, newspapers and on the Internet, both in the United States and worldwide. His award-winning writing has earned him active memberships in Outdoor Writers Association of America and Outdoor Writers of Ohio. Along with Roberts passion for the outdoors is his enthusiasm for writing and photographing the outdoors. Robert believes that if one person, especially a child, is encouraged to spend a day in the outdoors because of his writing, his work will have been successful. While growing up in east-central Ohio, Robert was introduced to the benefits and privileges found in the forests, fields and on the water by his father. For nearly four decades, Robert has traveled the United States and been involved in outdoor pursuits, but the hundreds of days focused on hunting the white-tailed deer were experienced in the Buckeye State.

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The Native American teenager ran hard, skirting the small creek as his cousin matched his pace on the other side of the creek. The deer they were pursuing was headed for the river. It had to either swim or turn broadside to offer a shot to either of the two young bowmen. The smell of the fresh soil and covering vegetation being kicked up by the running hunters followed in the air wake turning in the turbulence caused by the hunters. Each time the hunters paused, both to listen for the deer and to catch a refueling breath, the aroma of the summer woodlands early morning came over them. To be alive and strong this day was respected, as was the possibility of bringing home fresh venison for their tribe.

The boys paused once more, kneeling and listening intently for a sign to advise their next move. Moments passed before one of the hunters saw a brown and then a white patch of hair slowly moving through the heavy brush skirting the rivers edge. The arrow being pulled back was as silent as the deer attempting to make an escape unnoticed. The accompanying hunter watched his relative from the corner of his eye, remaining rock still, but inside he was jumping with excitement. The deer stepped into a small clearing of the brush. The arrow was released.

The deer leaped forward and was once again running full speed. But only for a couple of seconds, before the arrows penetration performed its duty. The flint arrowhead led the exit of life from the swift, prudent and treasured white-tailed deer lying before the two young hunters. They offered thanks to the power above and hurriedly went to work on preparing the kill for presentation to the tribe. Surely the elders would approve; the experienced warriors, the sustaining hunters of their village and their direct family members would also be proud and thankful for the gift of nourishment. As the boys carried the deer within sight of the village, several small children came running and yelling with excitement. Two older hunters met them and inspected the result of their sunrise hunt. The young hunters received a couple of assuring smiles and positive head nods. The deer was delivered to the elders.

Ohios early settlers found the white-tailed deer to be a valuable resource for food and trade. Tom Cross.

The white-tailed deer has been a valuable asset to the people living in the Ohio region for centuries. As the various Indian tribes interacted with one another, the whitetail was involved in many daily needs and ceremonial practices. Modern archaeological research revealed many deer bones throughout digs across the state, proving that the deer was highly valued for many reasons and for many centuries. Showing appreciation for the numerous uses that one deer provided for several people, deer were an honored creature, as were most wildlife. Although wild game was abundant in the Ohio region for most of the years of the past twenty centuries, the deer was the most sought after, for sustainment of the people and also for commercial advancements and profits into the late 1700s. Many historical tales of the Ohio region include herds of elk and an abundant population of black bears, but the reality is that the deer was the plentiful and popular game animal of those times.

Throughout the Ohio region, but typically more so in the southern half of Ohio, archaeologists have discovered that the admiration for and uses of the deer were the common thread of the Indian culture as early as three thousand years ago. During the exploration of a Hopewell Indian mound in southern Ohio, several deer-themed items were found, one impressive item being an antler effigy made from sheet copper and representing a deer head with antlers. The deer was such an important resource to the early people that the animal was praised during spiritual ceremonies. Similar items honoring the deer also were created and used from 1000 BC to AD 400.