News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 17, 2000

WILDLIFE AGENCY TO SIMPLIFY DEER PERMIT SYSTEM

COLUMBUS, OH -- Deer hunters will find a few changes in this year's proposed deer hunting regulations, including a less complex permitting system, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

In presenting deer season regulation proposals to the Ohio Wildlife Council, Division of Wildlife officials said they hope to simplify the rules by eliminating the special management antlerless deer permit, referred to as a doe permit by many hunters, and will instead have only two types of deer permits. A regular deer permit would now be used to take either a buck or doe. The urban deer permit would be used only to take antlerless deer within any of the five urban deer zones and during special controlled hunts.

Hunters wishing to take two deer, while hunting in a zone where a second deer is allowed, would simply purchase two special deer permits. Only one of the permits would be used to take an antlered buck, regardless of zone, season and type of hunting implement used to hunt deer. With two regular deer permits a hunter would take one buck and one antlerless deer, or two antlerless deer.

“The similarity of the terms special management antlerless deer permit and special deer permit has been confusing to many hunters so we are trying to make things less complicated,” said Pat Ruble, executive administrator of wildlife management and research for the Division of Wildlife.

Under the proposed rules, Ohio would again be divided into three deer management zones, but these have been significantly restructured since last deer season. Hunters would be able to take one deer in Zones A or B, and a second deer in Zone C, or two deer in Zone C. Hunters would not take one deer in Zone A and one in Zone B. For Zones A and B, the total limit would be one deer even if both zones are hunted.

Hunters would be able to take up to four additional antlerless deer with urban permits in the urban zones. The urban deer permits are sold for $10 each. Urban deer zone boundaries would remain unchanged from last year.

The statewide archery deer season is proposed to be open October 7 through January 31. The statewide primitive deer season would be open December 27 - 30, and the special bucks-only primitive hunts would be October 23 - 28 on the Salt Fork, Shawnee and Wildcat Hollow public hunting areas. The statewide deer gun season would be open November 27 through December 3 in all three deer zones. Under the proposed regulations, deer of either sex may be taken in zones B and C during the entire deer gun season. Deer of either sex would be taken only during the first two days of the deer gun season in Zone A, followed by bucks-only during the remaining five days of the gun season in Zone A.

Legal hunting hours would 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 seasons.

The Division of Wildlife will hold regional open house meetings on March 5 to allow for public comment. A statewide fish and game hearing will be held in Columbus on March 16. The Wildlife Council is scheduled to vote on all proposed hunting season dates and regulations on April 12.

The new deer hunting zones would be as follows:

Zone A: Includes the counties of Wood, Hancock, Henry, Putnam, Paulding, Van Wert, Mercer, Darke, Preble, Auglaize, Shelby, Ashtabula and Trumbull.

Zone B: Includes the counties of Williams, Defiance, Fulton, Lucas, Allen, Hardin, Ottawa, Sandusky, Erie, Seneca, Huron, Lorain, Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, Portage, Summit, Medina, Carroll, Columbiana, Mahoning, Stark, Wayne, Ashland, Richland, Knox, Morrow, Crawford, Wyandot, Marion, Delaware, Union, Logan, Champaign, Madison, Clark, Miami, Montgomery, Greene, Fayette, Highland, Adams, Brown, Clinton, Warren, Clermont, Hamilton and Butler.

Zone C: Includes the counties of Franklin, Pickaway, Ross, Pike, Scioto, Lawrence, Gallia, Jackson, Vinton, Hocking, Fairfield, Perry, Licking, Meigs, Athens, Washington, Morgan, Monroe, Noble, Muskingum, Coshocton, Holmes, Tuscarawas, Guernsey, Harrison, Jefferson and Belmont.

Click for map of Year 2000 Ohio Deer Hunting Zones

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For Further Information Contact:
John Wisse, Vicki Mountz, Pat Ruble
ODNR Division of Wildlife
(614) 265-6300