The difficulty of obtaining access to hunting ground is increasingly given as a reason fewer hunters are going afield each year. Rumors of badly-behaved hunters and liability concerns are increasingly given as a reason fewer farmers are willing to give permission, even though Ohio's deer herd causes millions of dollars in damage to farmers' crops each year in the Buckeye state.

The Ohio Division of Wildlife and Ohio Farm Bureau are teaming up to do something about it, and they need hunters' help.

Last week, the Ohio Division of Wildlife announced that it was teaming up with the Ohio Farm Bureau to consider a pilot program that will help manage local deer herds and expand hunter access. A survey was made available at wildohio.com to help determine deer hunters' interest in participating in such a program (the survey is now closed).

This week, Toledo Blade outdoors writer Steve Pollick has weighed in on the subject, and our own outdoor writer, Larry S. Moore, has some thoughts of his own.

The (Wooster) Daily Record is reporting that two proud fathers recently joined with their children on successful turkey hunts.

Wes Martin's son, Dylan, 7, and Scott Ries' daughter, Abby, 6, each harvested a jake early in the 2009 season.