Why are trophy whitetail Ohio bucks different? Why do they look different, smell different heck they even walk differently to me. Is there something in the water? When I hear people say there is something in the water there might just be some truth to that. In the southern parts of the state there are alot of mineral and oil wells all over. So there might just be something in the ground there. A bucks antlers are almost entirely made of minerals. Mineral rich soil could help bucks antlers grow a lot better than another state without such dirt. There are certain companies that sell minerals you can spread that are supposed to do just that.
The hills where Ohio starts to meet the appellation mountains are great for the whitetail deer and good bucks can hide there good. In 1988 the whitetail deer became Ohio's official state mammal. It has been very important to Ohio's history. Heck the state tree is the Ohio buckeye based on the native american word “hetuck”, meaning bucks eye. White tail deer have been in Ohio since the last ice age. And the quality shows for sure.
Ive hunted spots near Stone creek ohio. This spot has been good for me. It's out in the country and surrounded by amish and very secluded. Like I said, I've hunted here many times before and I know the bucks are there. Back home in Michigan the deer are pressured but here it's a whole new level. Just look at the amount of licenses sold in Ohio vs surrounding states. But yet there seems to always still be giants. Also something I have noticed is that the rifle restrictions may have an effect on it. You cannot use your grandpa's 300 win mag in ohio. Much like lower michigan there are restrictions as to what you can use for a rifle. Until recent years I'm sure most guys in Ohio were using shotguns. Well if you're using a shotgun your accuracy is limited out past 100 yards or so. Has this made an impact? Do the trophy whitetails of Ohio know this and make sure they steer clear because of this? I don't know about all that but I have to believe it might have an effect on it. With the new 350 legend and 450 bushmaster cartridges I'm sure Ohio is happy. They can use these cartridges and get a lot more bang for their buck out of it. I wonder if in 10 years we will see a difference in the size of mature bucks because of this. Are more people getting a shot at those big ones that before they would have missed or just not shot at because of the distance that buck was ? i don't know. As far as i can tell the last time I looked it up no one was talking about it.
There's a man named Abe Miller. He's an Amish guy from ohio. He actually helped start the deer farm industry in ohio. He bought two deer in 1974 and the first one sold for 75 dollars. The second one however because of its nontypical rack sold for 7500 dollars. In 1983 it all started going up for miller. He was selling his fawns to neighbors and people that loved watching deer and actually keeping them as pets for 75 dollars. But 1983 came and that all changed. He had a buck born and named it patric. Patric would go on to have 12 pints as just a yearling. A buck of this age in Michigan would only be a button buck and at best a spike. In 1987 he sold patric to a guy in texas who wanted to mix the big midwestern deer blood with the thinner blood of the texas whitetail. That's the deer he sold for 7500 dollars.
Miller is no longer involved in deer farming but there are more than 500 deer farms around the state of Ohio just like his back in the day. There are quite a few Amish that own these places. It's just another way for them to make ends meet. Some Amish even take the antlers and make pens and knives out of them. When you look into it, it's a thriving business for them all in ohio.
These ranches are a great place to score a trophy Ohio whitetail deer. Many people frown upon them but then there are many people that love them. If you live in a suburban area and dont have property to hunt it's a great place to enjoy the outdoors and score a giant buck. I have a close friend of mine that did just that. He has his deer mounted in his living room above the fireplace and he tells the story quite often. Find a good ranch that has plenty of acreage and they will take you on a good hunt. You won't be disappointed.
Trophy whitetails of Ohio are a thing of legends. I have friends that hunt them every year. From ranches to state land to getting permission to hunt on private land. I don't think Ohio can be beat for the versatile hunter.