belleville mines closed for good!!!!!!!!!

[danny vansickle]

well,if findin running grounds wasnt hard enough,now we beaglers here in southern ohio have lost the best runnin grounds in the area,belleville mines has been shut down,no vehicles are allowed in the mines,wayne national forest bought the mines,then donated them to be turned into a giant atv park and all hunting will eventually be banned........

as of now,we can run at the gate,but with state rt 93 just over the hill,our dogs are in danger of being hit,not to mention,it is a 30 minute drive for me,longer for most,and if ya get out there and some a$$hole wont let you turn out and run wwith him,you have wasted gas and time and then have to go home or elswhere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this is goin to change a lot,look at how many big hunt winners have ran and conditioned in these mines,the running there is like nowhere else,and now,it is gone............

i say to hell with the atv riders,they already have miles and miles of triales maintained by the state in wayne national,telligraph hill trailhead is only 5 miles from belleville,why take these grounds too???????????

all beaglers from this area and others need to ban together and write or call the governor or someone and raise cain,i know not everyone on here runs there but whats next,deer creek,ceaser creek,aep land ect.?????????????????

[J.C. Blair]

Hate to hear that Danny, the Belleville mine land has some great running on it. A lot of farms around here are getting split up and developed into subdivisions. Ive lost a few spots in the last few years down here due to increasing development. Seems like anymore I gotta drive at least 30 minutes or more to get into good running. One of these days its gonna come down to if you dont have 50 plus or more acres or a running pen, then you aren't gonna have anywhere to run a dog.

[khensler01]

Danny what makes you think they won't allow you to still hunt there?I have run many times on tellagrafe and bellville. They close a.t.v. riders in oct.I think?I think also they will patrol it and not let you run in summer but I would say you can walk in starting in sept.like all state land.It will hurt alot of big time trailers no doubt.I emailed them early this summer and asked if they would open for dog trainning they told me to go to ceaser creek.We are not the only one losing running ground think of where we all could run 10 years ago.slowly a little at a time hunting is dieing not a dang think we can do. farmer selling farms or spitting them up can't make a living anymore.Most people thinks it's crazy to even want to hunt.How many of you remember when small game season came in people was stopped all over hunting taking kids and enjoying outdoors.Now first day I hardly see anyone.My boys could care less about hunting and I tried to get them in,wanted play station or computer games. Enough venting but makes me sick.Ken

[danny vansickle]

i heard a rumor that when they do turn it into a atv park they are not goin to let anyone hunt in their because of the atv riders,how true,i dnt know,but it is 100 percent true about not being alowed to drive in,a buddy of mine just got a $225 ticket tonight,and they told him that they have game cameras takin picks of trucks goin in and will serve the tickets like warrents using tag numbers............

[khensler01]

Danny theres another way in besides up at the cable.You have to go up past Blackfork by old brick yard.Ask tom or wags or bobbie Q they know where it is. it will take you out at the back of sand rd.4 wheel drive a must but hear its not bad.Good luck Ken

[danny vansickle]

they put a gate there too,they did fix the road in with a dozer,but ya can't drive on it,last night i ran at the gate,from 5 pm till after dark a plane kept flyin over real low,so,even if someone finds a way to slip in they will get ya,only way in is to walk your dogs in,then when they hit a big rabbit and drop back in the bowl,ya cant get them out cause they cant hear ya yelling...................

i think it is a bunch of bs,everyone needs to write or call ted strickland and raise cain,i did....

my uncle is a big whig at the democratic party,he runs there too,he is talkin to strickland and others to try and get somethin done,but he said it doesn't look good.......

[astro]

I GET THE OHIO OUTDOOR NEWS AND IN THE AUGUST 29 EDITION THE PAPER COMES EVERY 2 WEEKS THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW THE DNR IS WANTING TO PURCHASE MORE LAND FOR THE ATV RIDERS AND AT THE INAUGUAL MEETING OF THE RECREATIONAL TRAILS PLAN STEERING COMMITEE THEY ANNOUCED THEIR INTENTIONS TO HOLD 14 REGIONAL PUBLIC FORUMS AROUND OHIO BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR FOR PEOPLES INPUT ON ISSUES SURROUNDING THE USE OF ATVS MOST OF THESES MEETINGS WILL TAKE PLACE AT ATV DEALERSHIPS AND WILL BE FOCUSED IN AREAS WITH HEAVIEST CONCENTRATION OF REGISTRATION MAYBE FIND ONE DEALERSHIP AND TAKE A COUPLE OF GUYSTO VOICE YOUR CONCERNS I DONT THINK YOU WILL BE VERY POPULAR THERE YOU MIGHT WANT TO GET A HOLD OF A GUY DAMEYON SHIPLEY HE IS RECREATION SERVICES ADMINISTRATOR AT THE DNR. HOPE THIS HELP.

[rnbrunton]

Danny ODNR will be having their open house this Sat Sept 13th.Call1800 wildlife for info.