COLUMBUS, OH -- Waterfowl hunting seasons are scheduled to open October 20 in Ohio's North Zone and October 27 in the South Zone and young hunters will have their own special season statewide October 13 and 14, if approved by the Ohio Wildlife Council on September 21.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife will present to the Ohio Wildlife Council on September 5 proposals for waterfowl hunting dates and a change from three to two hunting zones, including a move for the boundary of the North Zone.
The opening of duck hunting (except canvasbacks) in the North Zone would be October 20 through November 25, with a second split season opening December 1 through December 23. The North Zone season for canvasbacks would be open November 6 and run through November 25, only. In the South Zone, duck season (except canvasbacks) would be open October 27 through November 11, with a second split season opening December 8 through January 20, 2002. The South Zone season for canvasbacks would be December 8 through December 27, only.
In the Lake Erie Canada Goose Zone, the proposed goose season is October 20 through October 28, with a second split season opening December 8 and running through January 2. The Lake Erie Canada Goose Zone applies only to Canada geese and brant. Hunters may harvest light geese (snows, blues, Ross' and white fronts) within the Lake Erie Canada Goose Zone during the dates of the open goose season for the remainder of the North Zone. The goose season for the remainder of the North Zone would be October 20 through November 25, with a second split season December 1 through January 2. In the South Zone, goose season is expected to be October 27 - November 11 with a second split December 8 - January 30.
The Special Late Canada Goose Season would open January 12 through January 30. Areas open to the Special Late Canada Goose Season will include all of Fulton, Henry, Seneca and Huron counties; those portions of Wood and Lucas counties west and south of I-80 at the Wood/Ottawa county line, along I-80 west to I-280, north to I-75 north to the Ohio/Michigan border; those portions of Sandusky, Erie, and Summit counties south of I-80; those portions of Allen and Stark counties north of U.S. Route 30; and those portions of Ashtabula, Lake, and Geauga counties north of U.S. 6. Hunters must obtain a free permit in order to hunt in the special season.
Recommended proposals include a significant change in waterfowl hunting "zones." The wildlife division has proposed to move the boundary between the north and south waterfowl hunting zones within the state. The proposal is based on the results of the 2000 Waterfowl Hunter Survey conducted last year.
To be fair to all of Ohio's hunters, it is important to conduct hunter surveys to gather information that is representative of hunter opinions from across the state, said state waterfowl biologist Steve Barry.
If approved, the proposal would move the boundary zone farther north to U.S. Route 30. According to Barry, most hunters responding to the survey favored relocating the boundary to State Route 30 from Interstate 70.
We want to provide as much opportunity for successful hunts to as many people as possible, said Barry. We do this by balancing biological data with the desires of the hunting public, all within guidelines required by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Copies of final approved waterfowl regulations (Publication 295, Waterfowl Hunting Regulations) will be available to hunters on September 22 after the Ohio Wildlife Council establishes the final season dates.