Photo by Janelle Patterson Tom Richards, of Parkersburg, grabs a lemon meringue pie while stopping for lunch at the Cutler Community Center Wednesday between morning and afternoon hunting in Cutler.

CUTLER–Taking refuge from biting winds and low temperatures, deer hunters filed into the Cutler Community Center Wednesday.

“Oh, the ladies have done this for years,” smiled Kate Harris, of Cutler, a member of the Cutler Ladies Aid Society. “It started in the church kitchen, but now we have a very nice and large dining room.”

The daily luncheon for hunters is hosted in the former Cutler Elementary School building on Two Mile Run Road every day of gun season each year, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with whole meals running attendees $5-10, including a drink and dessert.

“We come every day and get something different each time,” said Shane Hafer, of Cutler, as he sat with family and friends warming up over a bowl of homemade soup.

The soups offered Wednesday included hamburger, bean, noodle, corn chowder, cream of broccoli, and vegetable, all lined in crockpots with local residents also bringing in their own mason jars to fill up for the winter.

Meanwhile, hunters like Hafer’s nephew Austin Hafer, 24, of Cutler, and Dustin Tabler, 40, also of Cutler, discussed both the challenges thus far this week and what animals they’ve seen.

“I saw two does, and he saw bobcats,” said Austin. “The adrenaline kicks the cold, its a rush when you see a deer.”

But Tabler said he’s worried about the future of deer hunting in Ohio, as more landowners restrict hunting on their properties.

“When I first started, and people used to traditionally hunt for their meat you go cover more land,” he explained. “But now it’s about money and trophies… I’m worried hunting will just die out in the younger generations.”

According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, this year’s harvest as of Tuesday, including those deers bagged by archers is lower than last year:

• Monroe County: 1,336 (1,799 same time in 2018).

• Morgan County: 1,725 (2,335 same time in 2018).

• Noble County: 1,688 (2,329 same time in 2018).

• Washington County: 1,788 (2,423 same time in 2018).

Father-son duo Tom Richards ,63, of Parkersburg, and Tommy Richards, 37, of Ripley, W.Va., weren’t as disheartened mid-week, though they agreed that younger generations of hunters aren’t as visible in local forests in recent years.

On Wednesday they were both hoping to see the older bucks they had spied on camera pre-gun season.

“On our trail cameras, we saw a lot of nice bucks, but as it got closer to season, the big ones have disappeared,” explained Tom.

“I think the deer get smarter and smarter year after year,” added Tommy. “They learn (hunters) patterns too.”

The pair explained that while the temperatures this year are much better for hunting, Wednesday’s winds did them no favors.

“Deer don’t like to move in the wind because they can’t hear,” Tom explained.

But the pair still have hope for the remainder of the week, noting they had spied several younger bucks on the property they’re hunting this year.

“It’s what we’ve done since he was little, I taught him how to hunt,” said Tom.

Ohio’s gun season runs through Sunday and then picks up again Dec. 21-22.

Janelle Patterson can be reached at jpatterson@mariettatimes.com.

If you go:

• The Cutler Ladies Aid Society will continue to host its annual Hunting Season Luncheon from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Saturday.

• The lunch is held daily at the Cutler Community Center, 4550 Two Mile Run Road.

• The menu includes homemade soups, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, fries, onion rings, desserts and drinks, and daily specials.

• All proceeds benefit the Ladies Aid mission in support of their neighbors in need.

Source: Cutler Ladies Aid Society.