Hunting has been a part of our nation’s history, dating back long before it was settled by European colonists, as Indigenous Americans relied on hunting for food, clothing, tools and making weapons. This continued during the early days of America's evolution and is still a major sport and means for food for many, even in the 21st century.
Tying hunting into this week and the holiday weekend, according to Smithsonian Magazine, while turkey was on the menu at the first Thanksgiving shared between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indigenous Americans, it was not the only type of food or the most prominent. Historians believe that goose or duck was actually the wildfowl of choice, or even swan and passenger pigeons due to their abundance. Fish played a major role as well, and one meal that was almost certainly served was venison, as the Wampanoag reportedly brought an offering of five deer to that first feast.
The U.S. has deer all across its landscape, with an estimate of 30 million whitetail deer to go along with an additional 4 million mule deer, blacktail and other species, according to stepoutside.org.
While turkey hunting isn’t in the cards for Thanksgiving weekend, as the turkey season ended earlier this month, hunters can still hit the outdoors in search of deer, small game and wild fowl. Locally, archery deer hunting runs from Sept.24 to Feb. 5 and deer hunting with firearms runs from Nov. 28 to Dec. 4, and Dec. 17 to Dec. 18. Muzzleloader hunting runs from Jan. 7 to Jan.10. In Knox County, a hunter can harvest up to three deer. Deer hunting hours run from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
Hunters must have a valid Ohio hunting license and also an either-sex deer permit or deer management permit. Either-sex deer permits are valid from Sept. 24 to Feb. 5. The deer management permit is valid from Sept. 24 to Nov. 27.
There are various types of guns used depending on the type of hunting. For deer hunting, the most common guns to use are shotguns or rifles, according to stepoutside.org.
The meateater.com recommends that every hunter should have and use a 12-gauge shotgun, due to its diversity. This weapon can be used for birds, small game and large game. The guns are considered to be inexpensive with ample ammunition available.
A deer rifle can reportedly take down a 250-pound deer from 300 yards out. Stepoutside.org recommends that for a first deer rifle, hunters should consider a .25/06 Remington, .270 Winchester, a .30/06 or a .308 Winchester. There are a wide variety of types of bullets to use. The ammunition needs to be matched to the weapon and be at least 120 grains. Hunters should also use a simple yet durable scope, and they should also be equipped with binoculars and a rangefinder to place the shot.
Another recommended gun is a .22 long rifle of any action. This weapon has been used for small game hunting since 1857, when introduced by Smith and Wesson. It is one of the most popular guns currently in use.
For medium- to large-sized animals, a 6.5 Creedmor was recommended by themeateater.com.
For archery, there are four main categories of bow, according to ohiodnr.gov, which includes traditional, recurve, compound and a crossbow. These vary depending on the intended use, and practice is recommended. Compound and crossbows tend to have sights, while recurve and traditional bows do not.
In and around Knox County, there are a large number of hunter preserves. Several popular preserves include the Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area in Fredericktown, Elsaan Outfitting in Walhondling and Alum Creek Hunting Area in Galena. According to the Walhondling Woods website walhondlingwoods.com, they offer hunting packages to book, in addition to other area and hunting information. Knox Lake Wildlife Area is also a popular spot to hunt waterfowl. A quick Google search of hunting preserves near Knox County brings up more than a dozen results.
According to stepoutside.org, hunting is permitted statewide in Ohio, but to hunt on private land you must have written permission by the landowner, or there is a risk of a $500 fine. Public land controlled by the Division of Wildlife can be hunted on, as well. Some areas require additional permits and it is recommended that hunters check before getting started.
There are also various wild fowl, such as geese and ducks, that can be hunted in Ohio. For a complete list of the hunting season dates for all animals permitted, log onto ohiodnr.gov.
