Whitetails Unlimited Supports Innovative Ohio Project Looking to Connect Hunters and Farmers
Web-based plan will allow farmers to select hunters to help reduce crop damage.
Ohio –-(AmmoLand.com)- An innovative project in Ohio, supported in part by Whitetails Unlimited, will use the internet this fall to match up hunters looking for places to hunt with farmers who want to reduce the deer population on their land.
The new program is designed as a mechanism for farmers to reduce the number of deer on their land, because the deer are damaging their crops. The plan is to have hunters fill out an online questionnaire of their hunting preferences, such as whether the hunter is willing to shoot does, which season the hunter prefers, what days of the week the hunter will hunt, and the hunter’s choice of hunting implement. The farmer will then be able to review those hunter preferences and initiate contact with specific hunters.
“The program will give hunters the chance at new hunting areas, but still enable farmers to control who is hunting on their land,” said Ohio WTU Field Director Denny Malloy. “Farmers said that they didn’t want a constant stream of calls, and the survey will give them the information they need to be able preselect hunters who will fit into their needs, such as when the hunts occur and whether the hunters will be using firearms or archery.”
A pilot program is being implemented this year in four of Ohio’s 88 counties – Harrison, Jefferson, Tuscarawas and Carroll, all of which produce impressive numbers of deer.
Hunters interested in participating can fill out the questionnaire at www.huntohiofarms.com.
The program is a joint venture of the Ohio Division of Wildlife and the Ohio Farm Bureau, with additional support being provided by Whitetails Unlimited and the Quality Deer Management Association.
“This seems like a great idea,” said Malloy, “and we’re watching this program closely to see how it actually works out. This could be a model for other places in the country, and even for other game species. Anytime you can open access to land for responsible hunters it’s good not only for the hunters, but also for landowners and wildlife.”
For more information on the Hunt Ohio Farms project, visit www.huntohiofarms.com.
For more information on Whitetails Unlimited’s existing hunter-landowner Project POLITE, or other programs offered by WTU, such as Kids on Target, My First Deer, Whitetail Watch, or Comprehensive Deer Management program, visit www.whitetailsunlimited.com.
About:
Founded in 1982, Whitetails Unlimited is a national nonprofit conservation organization. Our mission is to raise funds in support of education, habitat enhancement and acquisition, and the preservation of the hunting tradition for the benefit of the white-tailed deer and other wildlife. When it comes to the whitetail and its environment, WTU’s degree of professionalism and dedication has earned us the reputation of being the nation’s premier whitetail organization.