3/12/13 Leasing county land for hunts controversial, ODNR official says
By Nick Sabo
March 12, 2013
359
SUMMARY: County home lease under consideration
Leasing county land for hunting remains a controversial practice even after a decade, according to an Ohio Department of Natural Resources official.
Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife law enforcement program administrator Ken Fitz said deer herd maintenance can suffer under hunting lease agreements.
Leasing is controversial and fairly new, Fitz said. It can shut out hunters who, if successful, are reducing the deer herd.
The Holmes County Commissioners are looking at offering 60 acres of land at the county home for a competitive bid hunting lease. County Home director Leslee Mast has expressed concerns that hunters paying for a lease would target trophy bucks only, leaving does and young bucks that will continue to let the deer population grow.
The county home also leases a good portion of its land for agricultural purposes, and an unchecked deer population could cause significant crop damage.
Mast allows 10 hunters per year on the property. Because the Holmes County Trail cuts the property, Mast allows only bow-hunting for safety reasons.
The hunters obtain permission on a first-come, first served basis. Mast also allows a few trappers on the property.
Previously, hunters came and went, with dozens on the property at any given time, according to Mast.
Masts addressing the deer herd through restricted hunts is perfectly acceptable under state law, Fitz said. Though the county home is run by the board of county commissioners, it is considered private for hunting purposes. Like any other private property, hunters must have written permission before entering, Fitz said.
Fitz said there are several public entities in the state that allow limited access for hunting.
They have a lot of control over what they do with the property, Fitz said. There are county metro parks, county homes, a lot of places that do this.
Fitz said the only public land that is open for hunting is designated wildlife areas.
The proposed lease is under review by Holmes County Prosecuting Attorney Sean Warner, who is a hunter himself. Warner said he was surprised to learn that hunters were on the property without permission before Mast limited access.
I guess, just growing up in the (hunting) culture, where Im used to looking up designated areas and double checking them, it is a surprise, Warner said.
Warner said he is currently looking into concerns with liability that may be associated with a lease. Warner said Mast is looking into other county homes that have hunting leases in place.
The hunting lease idea was floated earlier this year after county commissioner Joe Miller said he received complaints about the restricted hunting, rather than opening the property to all.
