Ohio Wildlife Council Hears 2009-2010 Deer Hunting Regulations Proposal
Monday, February 9th, 2009 at 10:17 AMOhio Wildlife Council Hears 2009-2010 Deer Hunting Regulations Proposal
Reduced-cost deer permits show results.
COLUMBUS, OHIO - -(OutDoorWire.com)- Ohio hunters may again have the opportunity to use reduced-cost deer permits if a proposed regulation is accepted by the Ohio Wildlife Council in April, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
Under the proposal, hunters could again buy antlerless deer permits at reduced prices for hunting in an urban zone, participating in a Division of Wildlife-authorized controlled hunt or hunting during the September 27 to November 30 portion of the deer season. The Division is again proposing the deadline for using the antlerless permit be extended to December 6 for those hunting in Zone C. Cost of the antlerless deer permit remains $15.
“For the second year in a row, the effectiveness of the reduced-cost antlerless deer permit can be seen,” said Dave Risley, who oversees wildlife management and research for the division. “The reduced-cost permit provided an incentive for hunters to take more does during the early portion of the deer season and during the deer gun week in Zone C. This has helped our deer population management plan to reduce the overall deer population.”
As was the requirement last year, hunters must purchase a regular deer permit before purchasing antlerless deer permits. The sale of these permits would cease after November 30, so hunters need to commit early to buying and using the extra reduced-cost opportunity.
The proposed regulations maintain the same deer zones as the last four years. Zone C would cover 38 central, southern, southeastern and southwestern counties. There would be 30 counties of Zone B and 20 northwestern counties in Zone A.
The maximum number of deer that a hunter may take in Zone A is two. Prior to November 30, hunters may take up to two deer in Zone A, one of which may be on a $15 antlerless deer permit. Beginning November 30, hunters may take only one deer in Zone A and antlerless permits may not be used.
The maximum number of deer that a hunter may take in Zone B is four. Prior to November 30, hunters may take up to four deer in Zone B, two of which may be on a $15 antlerless deer permit. Beginning November 30, hunters may take only two deer in Zone B and antlerless permits may not be used.
The maximum number of deer that a hunter may take in Zone C is six. Prior to December 7, hunters may take up to six deer in Zone C, three of which may be on a $15 antlerless deer permit. Beginning December 7, hunters may take only three deer in Zone C and antlerless permits may not be used.
Another proposed change for deer hunters includes those hunting in urban zones and at Division of Wildlife’s authorized controlled hunts would have a six deer bag limit, and those deer would not count against the hunter’s zone bag limit.
A valid hunting license and proper deer permits are required to hunt deer in Ohio. A hunter may take only one buck in Ohio, regardless of zone, hunting method or season.
Archery season would run from Saturday, September 26 through Sunday, February 7, 2010. The popular youth deer-gun season is proposed for Saturday and Sunday, November 21-22. Regular deer-gun season would run Monday, November 30 through Sunday, December 6 and Saturday and Sunday, December 19 -20. Statewide muzzleloader season would run Saturday, January 9 through Tuesday, January 12, 2010. Special area muzzleloader hunts would be open Monday, October 19 through Saturday, October 24 at Salt Fork, Shawneeand Wildcat Hollow. Muzzleloader hunts at these areas will no longer require a special permit. Hunters may use either a deer permit or an antlerless deer permit for this hunt. The bag limit remains at one deer of either sex with any antlered deer harvested counting toward the one-buck yearly limit for the year.
During the youth deer-gun season, zone bag limits would apply to young hunters. Any deer taken would be part of the young hunter’s total season limit.
During the 2008-2009 season, which concluded February 1, hunters bagged a preliminary total of 248,515 deer. Approximately 475,000 people hunted white-tailed deer in Ohio this year.
Open houses will be held on Sunday, March 1 in each of the state’s five wildlife districts to provide the public an opportunity to view and discuss proposed hunting and trapping regulations with state wildlife officials. Directions to the open houses can be obtained by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE or visiting wildohio.com on the Internet.
A statewide hearing on all the proposed rules will be held at 9 a.m., Thursday, March 5 at the wildlife division’s District One Office, located at 1500 Dublin Road in Columbus. After considering public input, the Ohio Wildlife Council will vote on the proposed rules and season dates during its April 2 meeting.
Proposed Deer Hunting Zones
(FOR THE 2009-10 SEASON:)
Zone A — The zone includes 20 counties: Allen, Auglaize, Darke, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Henry, Lucas, Mercer, Miami, Montgomery, Ottawa, Paulding, Preble, Putnam, Sandusky, Shelby, Van Wert, Williams, and Wood.
Zone B — The zone includes 30 counties: Ashland, Ashtabula, Butler, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Fayette, Geauga, Greene, Hancock, Hardin, Huron, Lake, Logan, Lorain, Madison, Mahoning, Marion, Medina, Portage, Seneca, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Union, Warren, Wayne, and Wyandot.
Zone C — The zone includes 38 counties: Adams, Athens, Belmont, Brown, Carroll, Clermont, Columbiana, Coshocton, Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Gallia, Guernsey, Hamilton, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Lawrence, Licking, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Richland, Ross, Scioto, Tuscarawas, Vinton, and Washington.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR web site atwww.ohiodnr.com.
Tags: Deer Hunting, DNR, Fish and Game, Game Permits, Game Tags, Whitetails, WMU
