COLUMBUS, OH -- Ohio deer hunters may have the opportunity to take an additional deer in some counties this year, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The proposed 2002 deer hunting regulations were presented last night in Columbus to the Ohio Wildlife Council.
As proposed, a fourth deer hunting zone (Zone R) would be added this year to allow for better management of deer populations on a regional basis.
We try to keep deer populations from going above established target levels. Ohio's geography is so widely diverse that you can't manage a northwestern county the same as you'd manage a southeastern county, said Mike Budzik, chief of ODNR's Division of Wildlife. The addition of a new zone, and increasing the deer limit from two to three in Zone C will help us manage on a more localized level, he said.
Proposals include:
Zone R -- (new zone) Hunters could take only one deer during the 2002-03 deer seasons, which could be a deer of either sex during archery or primitive seasons, or during the first two days of the statewide gun season or a buck only during the last five days of the gun season.
Zone A -- Hunters could take only one deer during the 2002-03 seasons, which could be a deer of either sex.
Zone B -- Hunters could take no more than two deer during the 2002-03 seasons, of which only one could be an antlered deer.
Zone C -- Hunters could take no more than three deer during the 2002-03 seasons, of which only one could be an antlered deer.
Deer hunters must possess the proper permits and regardless of zone, method of taking or season, hunters may take only one antlered deer.
If the proposals are accepted, Zone R would contain 10 counties, Zone A would consist of 35 counties, Zone B would have 19 counties, and Zone C would contain 24 counties.
The proposed deer archery season would run from October 5, 2002 through January 31, 2003, and the statewide gun season from December 2 through December 8, 2002.
Special deer permits cost $20 and can be used to tag either an antlered or antlerless deer during any season or at a controlled hunt anywhere in the state. Urban deer permits cost $10 and can be used to tag only antlerless deer taken in urban units or at special controlled hunts.
Hunters must purchase a special deer permit before they can purchase and use an urban deer permit.
Urban deer units will remain the same and the bag limit of four additional deer will be unchanged.
The statewide primitive weapon season would open December 27 and run through December 30 for deer of either sex. A special area primitive hunt will be open October 21 - 26 at Salt Fork, Shawnee and Wildcat Hollow state wildlife areas for antlered deer only.
Hunting for coyotes and wild boar between sunset and one-half hour before sunrise would be prohibited during the deer gun season and the statewide primitive season. All daylight hunting except for deer, coyote, wild boar and waterfowl would be prohibited during deer gun season and on the special areas during the early primitive hunts. The one exception would be deer hunting on private lands within Wildcat Hollow Primitive Weapons Area in Perry and Morgan counties during the Special Area Primitive Weapon Season would be discontinued to allow for fall turkey hunting at these sites.
ODNR's Division of Wildlife will hold regional open house meetings on March 3 to allow for public comment on the proposals. A statewide fish and game hearing will be held on March 14 in Columbus. The Ohio Wildlife Council is scheduled to vote on all proposals and regulations on April 10.
New Deer Hunting Zones would be as follows (those in bold are changes from last year).
Zone R: Auglaize, Darke, Henry, Mercer, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Shelby, Van Wert, Wood.
Zone A: Allen, Ashland, Ashtabula, Carroll, Columbiana, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Defiance, Erie, Fayette, Fulton, Geauga, Hancock, Hardin, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Lucas, Madison, Mahoning, Marion, Medina, Miami, Montgomery, Portage, Preble, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Wayne, Williams, Wyandot.
Zone B: Adams, Brown, Butler, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Delaware, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Highland, Logan, Morrow, Pickaway, Pike, Ross, Union, Warren.
Zone C: Athens, Belmont, Coshocton, Fairfield, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Licking, Knox, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Scioto, Tuscarawas, Vinton, Washington.