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Our History and the Future of Ohio's
Fish & Wildlife Resources
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Our Management Principles
Our Strategic Plan 2001-2010
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About the Ohio Division of Wildlife
The Division of Wildlife is a direct descendant of the Ohio Fish Commission, which was created by the General Assembly in 1873 to deal with declining fish populations in Ohio's inland lakes and streams. In 1949 the Division was joined with other state conservation agencies under the mantle of the newly created Department of Natural Resources. By that time the original Fish Commission's duties had expanded to include law enforcement, fish and wildlife management, propagation, research, stream improvement, and pollution investigation. The job has continued to grow. In 1968 the Division became responsible for enforcing Ohio's stream litter law. Its mission was broadened enormously in 1973 by the statutory addition of several hundred more species of wild animals to its care, and two years later by the legal mandate to identify, manage, and protect all endangered species in Ohio.
Land acquisition, harvest regulations, and licensing are fundamental tools in the management of Ohio's wildlife resources. The Division manages or cooperates in managing over three-quarters of a million acres of diverse wildlife lands throughout the state, plus more than 2 1/4 million acres of water. On the basis of biological data and public input, it issues regulations that supplement long-term statutes to protect wildlife and to provide the public with opportunities to benefit from wildlife for recreational, scientific, and other purposes.
Division of Wildlife projects are carried out by a team of nearly 500 trained personnel. Moneys from Ohio sportsmen and women provide 95 of every 100 dollars which pay for all these activities. The Division faces many challenges in the pursuit of its goal to ensure an abundance of high quality wildlife experiences for today's Ohioans and for future generations.
Fish Management
The Division of Wildlife manages the fisheries of 124,000 acres of inland water, 7,000 miles of streams, 2 1/4 million acres of Lake Erie, and Ohio's portion of 481 miles of the Ohio River. For the benefit of approximately 2 million anglers and other resource users, the Division manages water areas by improving spawning habitat, installing fish attractors, stocking, implementing fishing regulations, and incorporating structural features to improve fish habitat. Management also includes monitoring fish populations and angler harvest by conducting electrofishing, netting, and creel censuses. An important service to anglers is the construction and maintenance of facilities such as shoreline fishing areas and boat ramps at piers and parking areas. Efforts are continuing to make these and other facilities available to persons with mobility disabilities. Providing fisheries information to the public through publications, clinics, and personal contact is an important aspect of serving Ohio's anglers.
To maintain a variety of fishing in Ohio, the Division operates five hatcheries which annually propagate up to 30 million fish. Some of the primary species produced are walleye, saugeye, channel catfish, hybrid striped bass, muskellunge, and rainbow trout.
The Division conducts research on Ohio's inland lakes and streams and the Ohio River to develop management practices that will improve the fisheries of these waters. The fisheries of Lake Erie are monitored constantly, in cooperation with the other Lake Erie states and the province of Ontario, as a basis for developing management programs for this heavily fished body of water.
"Fish Ohio" is an annual recognition program for anglers who catch trophy-sized fish in any of 17 categories.
Wildlife Management
Wildlife management consists of projects that affect wildlife populations and wildlife recreational users. These projects usually involve habitat manipulation, management of wildlife populations, land acquisition, research, or the creation of opportunities for people to enjoy wildlife.
Healthy wildlife populations depend on good habitat, so habitat maintenance and improvement receive a lot of emphasis. On private lands, efforts are geared toward incentive programs to improve habitat, especially for agricultural and woodland landowners. Habitat manipulation is practiced more directly on the more than 135,000 acres of public land owned by the Division.
Public lands are important for wildlife production and for recreation, making land acquisition a high priority program for the Division. Some of the best hunting, trapping, and wildlife observation opportunities in Ohio occur on state wildlife areas. Because more than 90 percent of the state's original wetlands have been lost to development, wetlands represent an especially critical habitat type, and receive special attention. The Division manages more wetland acres than any other public or private interest in the state.
Management of wildlife populations is also a vital program area. Biologically based seasons are necessary for both the protection and control of some wildlife populations, and these seasons provide the framework for countless hours of wildlife recreation. Many projects are aimed at restoring natural populations, and recent efforts have involved wild turkeys, bald eagles, river otters, and peregrine falcons.
Wildlife research is part of the foundation for Division programs, and provides the basic information needed for setting seasons, making management decisions, and evaluating the status of wildlife populations. Research projects also pioneer new ways to tackle problems and improve existing programs. Specific information about the Division's four research stations is outlined in the following webpages: Waterloo, Crane Creek, Olentangy, and Old Woman Creek NERR. A significant amount of research is carried out in cooperation with Ohio colleges and universities.
Wildlife Law Enforcement
Wildlife management requires effective enforcement of laws and regulations. Enforcement is a wildlife management tool designed to protect the wildlife resource, ensure fair and equitable use of the resource, protect state property, and enforce the litter and pollution statutes. Wildlife officers in each of Ohio's 88 counties, wildlife agents in the five administrative districts, and wildlife officers at Lake Erie enforce all laws pertaining to wild animals. They also enforce Ohio's stream litter law and state criminal laws on property owned or controlled by the Division of Wildlife. Annually, wildlife officers contact thousands of Ohio sportsmen and women in the field, perform fish and wildlife surveys, work with nuisance wildlife, and teach classes on wildlife management, hunter education, trapping, and fishing. Each year they make approximately 10,000 arrests, with a conviction record of over 98 percent. Since 1964, field investigations by wildlife law officers have led to the recovery of over $100,000 per year in damages to wild animals-mostly fish-killed as result of water pollution.
The Division's TIP, Turn In a Poacher, program is designed to reduce poaching and other wildlife violations. TIP enlists the cooperation of the public in reporting violations to the Division of Wildlife through field offices and the toll-free 1-800-POACHER telephone number. Sources of information may remain anonymous.
Information and Education
People enjoy learning about wildlife. The Division of Wildlife actively participates in a variety of education projects designed to increase the knowledge of all Ohioans who have an interest in wildlife resources.
Wildlife education officers and other personnel conduct many of these education projects statewide. They also work in cooperation with Ohio's news media-radio, newspaper, and television-to explain wildlife management to the public.
Strong emphasis is placed on efforts to educate elementary and secondary students about Ohio's wildlife. The Division is actively involved in bringing Project WILD into schools around Ohio. Project WILD is an environmental conservation education project designed to supplement existing curriculums and to create an awareness and appreciation of the wildlife resource.
A comprehensive Aquatic Resources Education project provides angling instruction for beginners, fishing activities at the Ohio State Fair, a wide variety of fishing clinics, and Aquatic Project WILD that emphasizes the value and function of wetlands and aquatic ecosystems.
Specially trained volunteer instructors also teach hunter safety and trapper education courses to thousands of youths each year. Hunter and trapper education courses are mandatory for first-time hunters and trappers. The courses are designed to instill a code of ethics and responsibility, as well as provide instruction in special skills and equipment, wildlife management, and regulations.
Information on courses is available by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE.
Wild Ohio
Wild Ohio Television Series
The Wild Ohio television series features hunting, fishing, and wildlife interest stories specific to Ohio’s great resources. Each 30-minute episode contains tips and information useful to all wildlife enthusiasts. Popular segments include Basics of Hunting, Basics of Fishing, Backyards for Wildlife, Wild Game Gourmet, Outdoor Education Notebook, and many others! The program currently airs on many public broadcasting outlets throughout the state of Ohio.
The Wild Ohio television series is also available online for viewing on-demand at MyOutdoorTV.com, the world’s largest internet video portal for outdoor television shows, radio, video, and conservation information. The Division of Wildlife has become one of the nation’s first state wildlife agencies to begin offering their weekly television video series to a broader audience as part of a powerful new forum developed to promote hunting, fishing, wildlife watching, and natural resource opportunities across the country. Viewers can search for specific topics included in episodes of Wild Ohio on the MyOutdoorTV.com home page.
Wild Ohio Magazines
The Division of Wildlife’s quarterly magazine, Wild Ohio, has something for everyone interested in Ohio’s wildlife. Readers enjoy a surplus of hunting, fishing, and watchable wildlife related articles. It is published four times a year (March, June, September, and December). A free subscription can be obtained by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE.
Wild Ohio for Kids is published once each year, at the beginning of the school year. Each Wild Ohio for Kids issue is fun and educational, making it a useful tool in educational programs. These magazines can be ordered by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE.
The magazines are also available in a digital format online! Flip the pages just like the real thing as you browse recent and past issues of the Division of Wildlife’s quarterly Wild Ohio and Wild Ohio for Kids magazines.
Wild Ohio eNewsletters (electronic/e-mail newsletters)
The Ohio Division of Wildlife also has two free monthly electronic newsletters; the Wild Ohio eNewsletter and the Wild Ohio Educator eNewsletter.
The Wild Ohio eNewsletter is a permission-based e-mail system that allows readers to set their preferences and customize the information received. Each month, the subscriber receives an email based on only the information they request, whether it be hunting, fishing, birding/backyard habitats, or any combination of the three subject areas. The eNewsletter also includes details about special events, programs, and research, and other current events related to local wildlife and the Division of Wildlife.
The Wild Ohio Educator eNewsletter provides current information about educational resources to formal and informal educators, such as workshops being offered, grant opportunities, and resources for the classroom. It also covers news beyond the Division of Wildlife and includes environmental education content from collaborating organizations.
Sign up for Wild Ohio eNewsletters!
Contacting Us: For information on contacting or visiting the ODNR-Division of Wildlife offices, please refer to the CONTACTS web page or call 1-800-WILDLIFE.
The Ohio Division of Wildlife offers equal opportunity regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, or religious belief. Persons who believe they have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility should contact: The Office for Human Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. 20240; or Ohio Department of Natural Resources, EEO Office, 2045 Morse Rd., Columbus, Ohio 43229
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer - M/F/H
For more Division of Wildlife information visit our other web pages or call 1-800-WILDLIFE.
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