COLUMBUS, OH -- The Ohio Wildlife Council voted today to change several wildlife regulations and set zones and seasons for waterfowl hunting this fall, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
Most notable of the proposed changes is a synchronization of the license years for all hunting and fishing licenses, deer permits, turkey permits, wetland habitat stamps, and fur taker permits to March 1 through the last day of February.
Currently, all of these licenses and permits, except fishing licenses, expire each year on August 31 with new licenses and permits being required on September 1.
Fishing licenses will continue to be valid from March 1 through the last day of February, coinciding with the other licenses and permits. This would be phased in with a six-month transition period during which some hunters would be able to use a 2001 green hunting license for a portion of what will be the new 2002 license year with pink licenses.
By having the transition period, we won't be shortchanging anyone and, in the long run, the synchronization of license years will eliminate confusion for license buyers, said Michael Budzik, chief of ODNR's Division of Wildlife.
Turkey Season
Currently turkey hunters can purchase turkey permits for both this falls season and for the spring 2002 turkey season. These permits are considered to be the 2001 license year and are on green license paper. However, turkey hunters who wait until after February 15, 2002 to purchase the spring permit will receive one of the new 2002 license year permits on pink paper. BOTH THE GREEN AND PINK SPRING TURKEY PERMITS WILL BE VALID FOR THE 2002 SPRING TURKEY SEASON. The type of permit and the expiration date is clearly printed on the front of the turkey permits.
ODNR has already eliminated the need to purchase a second "bonus" spring wild turkey permit at the same time the first tag was bought. In the past, if a spring turkey hunter hoped to take two wild turkeys, he or she either bought a bonus permit together with their spring turkey permit, or they paid double to purchase a second permit later in the season.
Hunters told me stories of getting their turkey the first day out, then giving up the hunt rather than spending an additional $40 for a second permit. We'll probably lose a little money by not requiring both permits to be bought at the same time, but we'll be providing a better service and more opportunity to Ohio's hunters, Budzik said.
Waterfowl Seasons
Waterfowl hunting seasons are set 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.
The duck hunting season (except canvasbacks) in the North Zone is October 20 through November 25, with a second split season opening December 1 through December 23. The North Zone season for canvasbacks will open November 6 and run through November 25, only. In the South Zone, duck season (except canvasbacks) is open October 27 through November 11, with a second split season opening December 8 through January 20, 2002. The South Zone season for canvasbacks is December 8 through December 27, only. The daily bag limit for ducks is 6 which may not include more than 4 mallards (only one of which may be female), 1 black duck, 2 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 3 scaup, and 1 pintail. The canvasback limit is 1. Possession limits after the first day are twice the daily bag limit.
In the Lake Erie Canada Goose Zone, the 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 is October 20 through November 25, with a second split season December 1 through January 2. In the South Zone, goose season is October 27 - November 11 with a second split December 8 - January 30.
The daily bag limit for Canada geese is 1 in the Lake Erie Goose Zone, and 2 in the remainder of the state. Light geese (snows, blues, Ross') have a daily bag limit of 10, and white-fronted geese and Brant have a daily bag limit of 2. The possession limit for brant and geese is twice the daily bag limit after the first day.
The Special Late Canada Goose Season is 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.
Waterfowl Zones
Other changes include a significant shift in the waterfowl hunting zones which moved the boundary zone farther north to U.S. Route 30. According to Steve Barry, the state's chief waterfowl biologist, most waterfowl hunters who responded to the Division of Wildlife's 2000 Waterfowl Survey favored relocating the boundary to State Route 30 from Interstate 70.
Based on biological data and an effective survey process, we believe this change will be beneficial for hunters across Ohio, said Barry.
Copies of final approved waterfowl regulations (Publication 295, Waterfowl Hunting Regulations) are available to hunters from ODNR Division of Wildlife district offices in Akron, Athens, Columbus, Findlay, or Xenia, or by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE.
Salmon And Trout Rule Change
Under new regulations, the daily limit for ALL species of salmon and trout taken from Lake Erie and its tributaries will be reduced from five to two during the period of September 1 through May 15. During the period from May 16 through August 31, the daily salmonid limit will still be five. This rule change takes effect March 1, 2001.