Ohio Deer-Gun Season Opens Monday, Dec. 2, with More Hunting Time after Sunset

COLUMBUS, OH - Deer-gun season, one of Ohio’s most revered hunting traditions, begins Monday, Dec. 2, with 30 more minutes of prime hunting time each day, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Ohio’s deer-gun season is open through Sunday, Dec. 8.

Hunting time is extended 30 minutes for all deer-gun seasons. Hunters were already allowed to hunt deer 30 minutes before sunrise, and this year an additional 30 minutes has been added after sunset for gun seasons.

“We are eager to increase opportunities for Ohio’s sportsmen and women,” said ODNR Director James Zehringer. “Ohio is a top 10 whitetail hunting destination, and the extra half-hour after sunset will give hunters more opportunities to bag a deer.”

Deer hunting in Ohio continues to be a popular activity for many who enjoy the outdoors. The ODNR Division of Wildlife anticipates 80,000-90,000 deer will be harvested during the weeklong hunt. Approximately 420,000 hunters are expected to participate in this year's season, including many out-of-state hunters. Hunters checked 86,964 deer in the 2012 weeklong deer-gun season.

Deer can be hunted with a plugged shotgun capable of holding no more than three slugs, a muzzleloader .38 caliber or larger, a handgun .357 caliber or larger and bows during deer-gun week.

“Hunters are reminded to use safety precautions while hunting, including wearing required hunter orange clothing, using a safety harness while in a tree stand and safe handling of firearms,” said Scott Zody, chief of the ODNR Division of Wildlife.

Deer bag limits are now determined by county. The statewide bag limit is nine deer, but a hunter cannot exceed an individual county bag limit. Hunters may harvest only one antlered deer, regardless of hunting method or season. A valid deer permit is required in addition to a valid Ohio hunting license. Hunters must purchase an additional deer permit to hunt more than one deer. Antlerless deer permits will not be sold after Sunday, Dec. 1, and these permits are not valid after that date unless used for an ODNR Division of

Wildlife authorized controlled hunt.

A new tagging procedure administered by the ODNR Division of Wildlife requires hunters to make their own game tag to attach to a deer. Game tags can be made of any material (cardboard, plastic, paper, etc.) as long as it contains the hunter’s name, date, time and county of kill. Go to the Deer Hunting Resources page at wildohio.com for more information on changes to the game check process.

More deer hunting information can be found in the 2013-14 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations and at wildohio.com. Hunters can share photos by clicking on the Photo Gallery tab online.

Hunters are encouraged to harvest more antlerless deer in some areas of Ohio this season to help the needy in their area and also manage deer populations. The ODNR Division of Wildlife is working with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH) to help pay for the processing of donated venison. Hunters who donate a deer to a food bank are not required to pay the processing cost as long as funding for the effort is available. More information about this program can be found online at fhfh.org. Hunters can also donate venison through Safari Club International’s Sportsmen Against Hunger program by learning more at safariclubfoundation.org. Whitetails Unlimited chapters also use local funds for programs such as venison donation. Go to whitetailsunlimited.com to find a local chapter and make a donation.

Ohio ranks fifth nationally in resident hunters and 11th in the number of jobs associated with hunting-related industries. Hunting has a more than $853 million economic impact in Ohio through the sale of equipment, fuel, food, lodging and more, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Hunting in America: An Economic Force for Conservation publication.

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Hunters Have More Opportunity to Hunt Public Land in Central Ohio

 The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife is pleased to announce that

central Ohio hunters will have additional public land hunting opportunities at the Big Island Wildlife Area in Marion County this fall.

The Division of Wildlife recently took possession of two properties totaling 100 acres adjacent to the Big Island Wildlife Area.  The previous landowners had enrolled both properties in the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) prior to acquisition.  The properties came to the Division of Wildlife with 26 acres of wetlands and 65 acres of warm season grassland already established.  This addition brings the total acreage of the Big Island Wildlife Area to 5,972 acres.

The Big Island Wildlife Area is located five miles west of Marion on State Route 95 and lies within the former Sandusky Plains, one of the larger prairies that existed in Ohio at the time of settlement.  Most of the once expansive tall grass prairie was converted to farmland.  The Division of Wildlife began purchasing land for the Big Island Wildlife Area in 1958 and since then has restored grasslands and wetlands in an effort to improve the area for the wildlife species that depend on these habitats for survival.

The wealth of wildlife found in the abundant wetlands and grasslands at Big Island Wildlife Area make it a popular place for hunters and wildlife watchers alike.

Visit the ODNR Division of Wildlife website at willdohio.com to find a map of the Big Island Wildlife Area or to find more public hunting opportunities in your area.

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ODNR Offers New Antlerless-Only Deer Muzzleloader Hunt Oct. 12-13

COLUMBUS, OH – Ohio hunters may participate in a new antlerless-only deer muzzleloader season

Oct. 12-13, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

“October is a great time to hunt deer in Ohio. This new antlerless muzzleloader weekend is a chance for Ohio hunters to enjoy the outdoors and help manage the state’s deer herd,” said Scott Zody, chief of the ODNR Division of Wildlife. “Hunters should be aware that no antlered deer may be killed during this weekend, regardless of hunting implement.”

In addition to this added antlerless season, an extra half hour of prime hunting time after sunset was added to all gun seasons this year to give hunters more golden opportunities in the field. Hunting hours are now 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.

It is legal to hunt antlerless deer statewide with a muzzleloader or bow during this two-day season. No antlered deer may be harvested regardless of hunting implement. Antlerless deer include deer without antlers and deer with antlers less than three inches in length. All hunters, excluding waterfowl hunters, are required to wear a vest, coat, jacket or coveralls that are either solid hunter orange or camouflage hunter orange.

Hunters will be able to use antlerless permits and either-sex permits during this two-day season.  A new tagging procedure administered by the ODNR Division of Wildlife requires hunters to make their own game tag to attach to a deer. Game tags can be made of any material (cardboard, plastic, paper, etc.) as long as it contains the hunter’s name, date, time and county of the kill. Go to the Deer Hunting Resources page at wildohio.com for more information on changes to the game check process.

All hunters must report their deer harvest using the automated game-check system. Hunters have three options to complete the game check:

• Online at ohiogamecheck.com;
• Call 877-TAG-ITOH (824-4864);
• Visit a license agent. A list of agents can be found at wildohio.com or by calling 800-WILDLIFE.

Game-check transactions are available online seven days a week, including holidays. Landowners exempt from purchasing a deer permit, and other people not required to purchase a deer permit, cannot use the 877-TAG-ITOH option.

The ODNR Division of Wildlife remains committed to properly managing Ohio’s deer populations through a combination of regulatory and programmatic changes. Progress toward reducing locally abundant herds can be expected. Strides have been made to reduce deer herds in many counties closer to target levels.

Ohio hunters are encouraged to hunt more does this season to help the needy in their area. The ODNR Division of Wildlife is working with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH) to help pay for the processing of donated venison. Hunters who donate their deer to a food bank are not required to pay the processing cost as long as funding for the effort lasts. More information about this program can be found online at fhfh.org.

Deer hunting in Ohio continues to be a popular activity for many who enjoy the outdoors. Ohio hunters checked 218,910 deer during the 2012-2013 season. Ohio ranks fifth nationally in resident hunters and 11th in the number of jobs associated with hunting-related industries. Hunting has a more than $853 million economic impact in Ohio through the sale of equipment, fuel, food, lodging and more, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Hunting in America: An Economic Force for Conservation publication.

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HuntOhioFarms.com Website to be Discontinued

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COLUMBUS, OH – The HuntOhioFarms.com website will be discontinued due to lower than anticipated participation from Ohio’s farming community, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife.

The HuntOhioFarms.com website was launched in August 2009 in order to educate Ohioans on crop damage by deer, while at the same time increasing awareness of hunting opportunities. This was a joint effort between the Ohio Farm Bureau (OFB) and the ODNR Division of Wildlife. 

After the first year, more than 9,000 hunters had enrolled with 83 landowners signing on in the four-county test area. The OFB and the Division of Wildlife agreed to expand the program to 38 counties across southeast Ohio in 2010. Despite direct mailings by the Division of Wildlife and marketing efforts by the OFB, an insufficient number of landowners signed up for the program. At the end of year two, an additional 5,000 hunters had enrolled with only 40 additional farms.

Access to private lands for hunting is integral to managing local deer populations and minimizing agricultural damage. The Division of Wildlife will continue to work with the OFB, as in the past, to find practical solutions to deer crop damage using deer hunting and other means as needed.

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Hunters Reminded to Confirm Their Favorite Spots in Southeast Ohio

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Don’t get caught trespassing due to changes to public areas

ATHENS, OH – Access to some popular public hunting lands in southeast Ohio has changed, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

April 14, 2011 marked the end of a five-year agreement between the Southern Ohio Scioto Land Company and the ODNR Division of Wildlife which provided approximately 18,000 acres of public access to hunters in southeast Ohio.

“Many of the former Southern Ohio Scioto Land Company agreement properties were purchased by the ODNR Division of Wildlife over the past several years,” said Mark Hemming, District Manager for Wildlife District 4.  “Hunters are reminded that these 20,000 acres are permanently open to public access for sportsmen and women.”

In 2007, The ODNR Division of Wildlife purchased 4,879 acres in Jackson and Ross Counties.  Broken ARO Wildlife Area in eastern Jackson County provides excellent habitat for white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and other forest wildlife species.  Coalton Wildlife Area in northern Jackson County provides good habitat for white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and squirrels.  Because of select timbering, the area should provide good ruffed grouse habitat in upcoming years.  Kinnikinnick Wildlife area on the northern edge of Ross County provides excellent fishing in the Scioto River as well as good hunting opportunities.  Several species of spring wildflowers can be found on the area, and the corridor has excellent potential for observing Bald Eagles and other migratory bird species.

In 2010 the Ohio Department of Natural Resources finalized purchase of 15,494 acres in Vinton County, now known as the Vinton Furnace State Experimental Forest and the Vinton Furnace State Wildlife Area.  This land, formerly known as the Raccoon Ecological Management Area, or REMA, remains permanently open for public hunting, fishing, hiking, and wildlife observation.

Information on any of these areas can be found at www.wildohio.com or by calling the Wildlife District 4 Office in southeastern Ohio at 740-589-9930. 

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