News Release

COLUMBUS, OH -- A statewide hearing to discuss proposed changes to Ohio's hunting and fishing regulations will be held Thursday, March 18 in Columbus. The hearing will begin at 9 a.m. at the Ohio Division of Wildlife's District One office at 1500 Dublin Road.

The statewide hearing provides another opportunity for Ohio sportsmen to voice opinions on the state's proposed hunting and trapping regulations, including changes to the popular fall deer hunting season.

A series of open houses, held on March 7 at various locations around the state, offered sportsman an initial forum to discuss the proposals. These earlier open houses provided opportunities for one-on-one discussions between Division of Wildlife managers and the public, with all commentary on the proposals being recorded for review by the division and the Ohio Wildlife Council.

According to the Division of Wildlife, all changes to the state's wildlife regulations go through several months of consideration and discussion before being voted on by the eight-member Ohio Wildlife Council, which will meet April 7 in Columbus.

General regulation changes are traditionally presented to the Wildlife Council each January, while changes to deer hunting regulations are proposed each February to allow for collection and study of the previous year's data.

The statewide public hearing on March 18 will give participants an opportunity to testify for or against any proposal. The proceedings will be recorded for presentation to the Ohio Wildlife Council, along with any letters concerning the proposals which have been sent to the division. Historically, the Ohio Division of Wildlife has made changes to its original proposals in light of comments made during the public review process.