NEW REGULATIONS EXPAND HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES IN OHIO
Thirty-eight counties to have three-deer limit
12 more than last season
| 2005-2006 HUNTING SEASON DATES |
| Species |
Opening date |
Closing date |
|
Squirrel
|
September 1
|
January 31
|
|
Mourning dove
|
September 1
|
To Be Announced
|
|
Geese
|
September 1
|
To Be Announced
|
|
White-tailed deer - Archery season |
October 1
|
January 31
|
White-tailed deer - Special-area
muzzleloader season |
October 24
|
October 29
|
|
White-tailed deer - Youth gun season |
November 19
|
November 20
|
| White-tailed deer - Gun season |
November 28
|
December 4
|
White-tailed deer - Statewide
muzzleloader season |
December 27
|
December 30
|
|
Ruffed grouse
|
October 8
|
February 28
|
|
Wild turkey - Fall season |
October 8
|
October 23
|
|
Wild turkey - Fall archery only |
October 24
|
November 27
|
Cottontail rabbit, ringneck pheasant,
bobwhite quail - Youth upland season |
October 22 and 23 and
October 29 and 30 |
|
Cottontail rabbit
|
November 4
|
February 28
|
|
Ringneck pheasant
|
November 4
|
January 2
|
|
Bobwhite quail
|
November 4
|
November 27
|
|
Fox, raccoon, skunk, opossum, weasel
|
November 10
|
January 31
|
|
COLUMBUS, OH -
Regulations and season dates have been set by the Ohio Wildlife Council for the 2005-06 hunting season. Ohio hunters will have expanded deer hunting opportunities this fall, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
A three-deer limit in Zone C will be expanded this year to cover 38 eastern and southern Ohio counties, 12 more than last year. The 30 counties of Zone B will have a two-deer limit. Zone A consists of 20 northwestern Ohio counties, and will have a one-deer limit.
“Last season, Ohio hunters had a record kill of 216,443 deer,” said Steven A. Gray, chief of the Division of Wildlife. “With even more liberal regulations in the coming season; Ohio hunters can look forward to another great deer season this fall.”
The extremely popular youth deer-gun season is scheduled for Saturday, November 19, and Sunday, November 20. The regular deer-gun season will begin on Monday, November 28, and run through Sunday, December 4. The archery season will run from October 1 through January 31, 2006. The statewide muzzleloader season will open on Monday, December 27, and run four days through Thursday, December 30.
New this year, the early muzzleloader deer hunt at Salt Fork, Shawnee and Wildcat Hollow will be by permit only. Hunters interested in participating will need to submit a controlled hunt application during the application period, June 1 July 31, 2005. A specific number permits will be issued. The permit issued will designate whether the hunter can kill an antlered or antlerless deer. This hunt previously was for bucks only. The early muzzleloader deer hunt is October 24 - 29.
Hunters may take only one buck in Ohio, regardless of zone, hunting method or season.
Additional hunting regulations and season dates approved by the wildlife council including Morrow County being added to the counties open for fall turkey hunting and a season on river otter trapping in which trappers will be able to take a limited number of otters within a very conservative framework in 43 counties.
September 1 will again mark the kick-off date for the state’s fall hunting seasons - with the opening of squirrel, dove, Canada goose, rail, moorhen and snipe hunting.
Migratory waterfowl hunting rules and season dates will be set in August within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2005-06 framework, which will be supplied later this summer.
APPROVED HUNTING AND TRAPPING REGULATIONS, 2005-06
(SIGNIFICANT CHANGES ARE IN BOLD PRINT)
DEER: Hunters may take only one antlered deer, regardless of zone, hunting method or season.
Archery season: October 1, 2005 through January 31, 2006. Hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset daily.
Early Muzzleloader Deer hunt: Will now be by special permit. All hunters interested in participating will need to fill out a controlled hunt application (June 1 through July 31, 2005) for the October 24 29 hunts at Salt Fort, Shawnee and Wildcat Hollow. Hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset daily.
Youth Deer season: November 19 and 20, 2005. Hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset daily. Only one deer per young hunter may be taken during this season.
Deer-Gun season: November 28 through December 4, 2005. Hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset daily.
Statewide Muzzleloader season: December 27 30, 2005. Hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset daily.
Zone A -- Hunters could take only one deer during the 2005-06 seasons, which could be a deer of either sex. Twenty counties, including Allen, Auglaize, Darke, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Henry, Lucas, Mercer, Miami, Montgomery, Ottawa, Paulding, Preble, Putnam, Sandusky, Shelby, Van Wert, Williams, Wood.
Zone B -- Hunters could take only two deer during the 2005-06 seasons, which could be a deer of either sex. Thirty counties, including: 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, Wyandot.
Zone C -- Hunters could take no more than three deer during the 2005-06 seasons, of which only one could be an antlered deer. Thirty-eight counties, including: 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, Washington
SQUIRREL: September 1 through January 31. Hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Daily bag limit 6.
GROUSE: Open second Saturday in October (8) through February 28. Hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Daily bag limit 3.
YOUNG HUNTERS’ UPLAND SEASON: Open the two Saturdays and Sundays immediately before the regular opening date (October 22, 23, 29 and 30) statewide (public and private lands). Rabbit, pheasant, and all other legal game that is in season may be taken. Counties open to quail hunting are Adams, Athens, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Preble, Highland, Jackson, Meigs, Montgomery, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Vinton, and Warren. Daily bag limits same as during the regular hunting seasons.
FALL WILD TURKEY: Open second Saturday in October (8) through the third following Sunday, October 23 for hunters using a shotgun with shot, a longbow or a crossbow and through the Sunday after Thanksgiving, November 27, for hunters using a longbow or a crossbow. Counties open to hunting are Adams, Ashland, Ashtabula, Athens, Belmont, Brown, Carroll, Clermont, Columbiana, Coshocton, Gallia, Geauga, Guernsey, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Lawrence, Licking, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pike, Richland, Ross, Scioto, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Vinton, and Washington counties. Limit one turkey of either sex per fall season. Hours are one half hour before sunrise to sunset from October 8 through October 23 and one half hour before sunrise to one half hour after sunset from October 24 through November 27.
RABBIT: Open first Friday in November (4) through February 28. Hours are sunrise to sunset. Daily bag limit 4.
PHEASANT: Open first Friday in November (4) through January 2. Hours are sunrise to sunset. Daily bag limit 2. Roosters only.
QUAIL: Open first Friday in November (4) through November 27. Hours are sunrise to sunset. Counties open to hunting are Adams, Athens, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Preble, Highland, Jackson, Meigs, Montgomery, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Vinton, and Warren. Bag limit 4.
FOX, OPOSSUM, WEASEL, AND SKUNK TRAPPING: Open November 10 through January 31. No restriction on hours. No daily bag limit.
FOX HUNTING: Open November 10 through January 31. Daytime hunting of fox closed during deer gun season. No other restriction on hours. No daily bag limit.
RACCOON TRAPPING: Open November 10 through January 31. Season extends through March 15 in Erie, Ottawa, and Sandusky counties and Lucas County east of the Maumee River. No restriction on hours. No daily bag limits.
RACCOON AND OPOSSUM HUNTING: Open November 10 through January 31. No daily bag limit.
MINK AND MUSKRAT TRAPPING: Open November 10 through February 28. Season extends through March 15 in Erie, Ottawa, and Sandusky counties and Lucas County east of the Maumee River. No restriction on hours. No daily bag limit.
BEAVER TRAPPING: Opens statewide December 26, 2005 through February 28, 2006. Beaver trapping on state public hunting areas without a special beaver trapping permit from the Ohio Division of Wildlife is prohibited.
RIVER OTTER TRAPPING: Opens statewide December 26, 2005 through February 28, 2006. Otter trapping on state public hunting areas without a special beaver/otter trapping permit from the Ohio Division of Wildlife is prohibited. Trappers are required to personally present skinned river otter pelts and carcasses to a Division of Wildlife representative for mandatory CITES tagging within 72 hr of take.
Zone A -- This zone is closed to river otter trapping in these forty- five counties, including Allen, Auglaize, Brown, Butler, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Crawford, Darke, Defiance, Erie, Fayette, Fulton, Green, Hamilton, Hardin, Hancock, Henry, Highland, Huron, Logan, Lorain, Lucas, Madison, Marion, Medina, Mercer, Miami, Montgomery, Ottawa, Paulding, Preble, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Shelby, Summit, Union, Van Wert, Warren, Williams, Wood and Wyandot.
Zone B -- Trappers can take only one river otter during the 2005-06 season in these twelve counties, including Adams, Ashland, Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, -Knox, Licking, Morrow, Pickaway, Pike, Richland, and Ross.
Zone C Trappers can take up to three river otter during the 2005-06 season in these thirty-one counties, including Athens, Ashtabula, Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Coshocton, Gallia, Geauga, Guernsey, Harrison, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lake, Lawrence, Mahoning, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Portage, Scioto, Stark, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Vinton, Washington, and Wayne.
YOUNG HUNTERS’ SPRING WILD TURKEY: Open statewide to youth hunters (17 years old and younger) for turkey hunting on the Saturday and Sunday immediately prior to the regular spring wild turkey season (April 22 & 23, 2006). Hours for youth hunts will be ½ hour before sunrise to sunset. Limit 2 bearded turkeys per hunter per spring season, of which only 1 may be taken during the young hunters’ season.
SPRING WILD TURKEY: Open statewide (except on designated youth hunting areas) on Monday April 24, 2006 through Sunday, May 21, 2006. Hours are one-half hour before sunrise to noon. Limit 2 bearded turkeys per hunter per spring season.
CROW: Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from June 10, 2005 through March 19, 2006 and Friday, Saturday and Sunday June 9, 2006 through March 18, 2007. Hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. No daily bag limit.
DOVES, DUCKS, GEESE, COOTS, AND MERGANSERS: Hunting days and bag limits will be set within the framework which will be provided by the US Fish and Wildlife Service later this summer. Assuming the framework is similar to the 2004-05 season, dove season and the early goose season will open September 1.
FALCONRY: Seasons for all non-migratory small game species will open on September 1 and extend through March 10, 2006.