COLUMBUS, OH - More than 300 permits are available to hunters wishing to hunt ducks and geese from a blind at an Ohio State Park this waterfowl hunting season. A lottery drawing for the permits will be held at 17 state parks the morning of Saturday, August 16.

Interested applicants must appear in person at a participating state park office with proof of a 2008 Ohio hunting license, state wetlands stamp endorsement in the applicant’s name, and a signed 2008 or 2007 federal duck stamp. Applicants under the age of 18 are encouraged to have a parent or legal guardian present to sign the permit contract.

Participating state parks include Portage Lakes and West Branch in northeast Ohio, along with the Mosquito Creek Wildlife Area; East Harbor and Lake Loramie in northwest Ohio; Buck Creek, Caesar Creek, Cowan Lake, East Fork, Hueston Woods, Kiser Lake and Rocky Fork in southwest Ohio; and Alum Creek, A.W. Marion, Buckeye Lake, Deer Creek, Delaware and Indian Lake in central Ohio.

Applications will be taken beginning at 7:30 a.m. at most parks, with the lottery drawings at 8 a.m. at the park office, unless otherwise noted in the listing below.

Each hunter can apply for only one duck blind permit and no one can apply or draw for another person. There is a $50 non-refundable permit fee for the state park lottery winners. Lottery winners have 45 days to construct their blinds and all blinds must be dismantled by March 15, 2009.

The dates of the 2008 fall waterfowl hunting season have not yet been determined by the Ohio Wildlife Council, but generally fall in the later part of October. For information about hunting seasons, call 1-800-WILDLIFE or visit ohiodnr.com online.

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EDITORS NOTE: A list of park addresses and telephone numbers, along with the number of duck blinds available at each participating park, is below.

For Further Information Contact:
Jean Backs, Ohio State Parks
(614) 265-7077