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News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 12, 2001

OHIO WILDLIFE COUNCIL APPROVES FALL HUNTING, TRAPPING SEASONS
Antlered deer description changed from five to three inches

COLUMBUS, OH -- Ohio deer hunting regulations for the 2001 season will be similar to last year's, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The Ohio Wildlife Council has approved deer regulations for this year, and established fall hunting and trapping seasons.

The most notable change approved by the wildlife council involves the reduction in standard antler length used for determining an antlered deer.

This year, the length will be reduced from 5 to 3 inches. The change was made due to increased numbers of 1-1/2 year-old bucks with antlers less than 5 inches. With this change, the wildlife division will be able to more precisely register antlered bucks, making population models even more accurate.

Ohio will continue to be separated into three deer hunting zones.

Zone A Hunters can take one deer, which could be a deer of either sex, during the first two days of the gun season or a buck only during the last five days.
Zone B Hunters can take a deer of either sex during the seven days, with a bag limit of one deer.
Zone C Hunters can take a deer of either sex during the seven days, with a two-deer limit, only one of which could be a buck.

Regardless of zone or season, a hunter may take only one antlered deer. Seventy-four of the 88 counties will remain in the same zone as last year, ten counties move from Zone B to Zone C, three counties move from Zone A to Zone B, and one county moves from Zone B to Zone A.

The deer archery season will run from October 6, 2001 through January 31, 2002 and the statewide gun season from November 26 through December 2, 2001.

Deer permits will continue to cost $20 and can be used to tag either an antlered or antlerless deer during any season or at a special controlled hunt anywhere in the state. Urban permits remain $10 and can be used to tag only antlerless deer taken in designated urban units or at special controlled hunts. Hunters must purchase a regular deer permit before they can purchase and use an urban permit. All urban unit boundaries and bag limits of four additional antlerless deer remain unchanged.

Legal hunting hours remain from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset during the archery season, and from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset during the deer gun and primitive deer hunting seasons.

The statewide primitive weapon season will open Thursday, December 27 and run through Sunday, December 30 for deer or either sex. A special area primitive hunt will be open October 22 through October 27 at Salt Fork, Shawnee and Wildcat Hollow state wildlife areas for antlered deer only.

Hunting coyotes between sunset and one-half hour before sunrise is prohibited during the deer gun season and the statewide primitive season. All daylight hunting except for deer, coyote, wild boar and waterfowl is prohibited during deer gun season and on special areas (Salt Fork, Shawnee and Wildcat Hollow) during the early primitive hunts.

New Deer Hunting Zones are as follows, (those in bold are changes from last year):

Zone A Henry, Wood, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Hancock, Van Wert, Mercer, Auglaize, Darke, and Shelby.
Zone B Williams, Fulton, Lucas, Defiance, Sandusky, Erie, Lorain, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Ashtabula, Trumbull, Seneca, Huron, Medina, Summit, Portage, Wyandot, Crawford, Richland, Ashland, Wayne, Stark, Mahoning, Columbiana, Carroll, Allen, Hardin, Marion, Morrow, Logan, Union, Delaware, Miami, Champaign, Madison, Fayette, Clark, Preble, and Montgomery.
Zone C Knox, Holmes, Tuscarawas, Harrison, Jefferson, Coshocton, Licking, Muskingum, Guernsey, Belmont, Franklin, Fairfield, Perry, Morgan, Noble, Monroe, Pickaway, Ross, Hocking, Washington, Athens, Vinton, Meigs, Gallia, Jackson, Lawrence, Pike, Scioto, Greene, Butler, Warren, Clinton, Highland, Hamilton, Clermont, Brown, and Adams.

Most of the remaining hunting and trapping season dates and regulations are little changed from a year ago. Among other changes:

The horsepower limit on American Electric Power lakes has been increased from six to 10.

Ohio's dove hunting season will again begin September 1 (assuming there are no changes in the federal guidelines). Legal hunting hours on public wildlife areas are from noon to sunset during the first 10 days of the season. On private lands, the hours remain sunrise to sunset.

Fall wild turkey hunting season opens Saturday, October 13 and runs through Sunday, October 28. Ashtabula, Geauga, Licking, and Trumbull counties have been added to the 28 counties that were open last year.

EDITORS NOTE: ATTACHED IS A LIST OF 2001-2002 HUNTING AND TRAPPING SEASON DATES AND REGULATIONS

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For Further Information Contact:
Vicki Mountz, ODNR Division of Wildlife
(614) 265-6393
-or-
Andy Ware, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6882

OHIO'S HUNTING AND TRAPPING SEASONS AND REGULATIONS, 2001-02
(NOTABLE CHANGES ARE IN BOLD PRINT)
SQUIRREL Open August 18, 2001 through January 31, 2002.Hours one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Daily bag limit of four.
DOVE Hunting days and bag limits will be set within the framework provided by the federal government. If the federal framework is approved similar to the 2000 season, opening day will be September 1. Hunting season hours on public hunting areas will be noon to sunset for the first 10 days of September.
GROUSE Opens Saturday, October 13 and runs through February 28, 2002.Hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset on private property and sunrise to sunset on public hunting areas.

DUCKS, GEESE, COOTS, AND MERGANSERS

 Hunting days and bag limits will be set within the framework provided by the federal government. Assuming the framework is similar to the 2000 season, the early goose season and the special teal season will open September 1. The regular duck and goose seasons for all zones will be announced at a later date.
YOUNG HUNTERS SEASON Open on October 20, 21, 27, and 28, 2001 on all hunting areas. A special youth turkey season will be open on April 20 and 21, 2002 on public hunting areas only.
FALL WILD TURKEY Open Saturday, October 13 through Sunday, October 28, 2001. Ashtabula, Geauga, Licking, and Trumbull counties are added to the existing list of 28 counties open to fall turkey hunting. Limit one turkey of either sex per fall season. Hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Dogs may be used to hunt turkeys in the fall season.
RABBIT Open Friday, November 2, 2001 through February 28, 2002, except in portions of Geauga and Ashtabula in an area bounded on the north by U.S. Route 6, and on the west by State Route 528, and on the south by U.S. Route 322, and on the east by State Route 534 where the season shall be December 4 through February 28, 2002. Hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Daily bag limit is four.

PHEASANT

 Open Friday, November 2 through January 1, 2002. Hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset on private lands; sunrise to sunset on public hunting areas. Daily bag limit is two. Only male pheasants may be taken.
QUAIL Open Friday, November 2 through November 25, 2001. Hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Daily bag limit is four. Gallia and Hamilton counties have been removed from the list of counties open to quail hunting.
FOX, OPOSSUM, SKUNK, AND WEASEL TRAPPING Open November 10, 2001 through January 31, 2002. No restriction on hours. No daily bag limit.
FOX HUNTING Open November 10, 2001 through January 31, 2002. Daytime hunting of fox is closed during deer gun season. No other restriction on hours and no daily bag limit.

RACCOON TRAPPING

 Open November 10, 2001 through January 31, 2002. Season extends through March 15 in Erie, Ottawa, and Sandusky counties and Lucas County east of the Maumee River. No restriction on hours and no daily bag limits.
RACCOON AND OPOSSUM HUNTING Opens November 10, 2001 through January 31, 2002. No restrictions on hours and no daily bag limit.
MINK AND MUSKRAT TRAPPING Opens November 15, 2001 through February 28, 2002. Season extends through March 15, 2002 in Erie, Ottawa, and Sandusky counties and Lucas County east of the Maumee River. No restriction on hours and no daily bag limit.

BEAVER TRAPPING

 Opens in the north zone (the area north of Interstate 76 and east of Interstate 77) January 12 through February 28, 2002. The south zone (includes the rest of the state) opens December 26, 2001 through February 28, 2002.
SPRING WILD TURKEY Opens Monday, April 22, 2002 through Sunday, May 19. Hours are one-half hour before sunrise to noon daily. Limit two bearded turkeys per hunter, per spring season. Only one turkey may be taken per day.

CROW

 Open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only from June 15 through March 24, 2002. Hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. No daily bag limit.
FALCONRY SEASONS The season for quail will be from November 2, 2001 through January 14, 2002; for squirrel August 18, 2001 through February 28, 2002; for pheasants, November 2, 2001 through January 14, 2002; for rabbits, from August 18, 2001 through February 28, 2002; and for grouse, from August 18, 2001 through February 28, 2002.