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Ohio's
Deer-Archery Season Begins Sept. 27
COLUMBUS, OH - Hunters will have their first opportunity to pursue
Ohio’s top big-game animal, the white-tailed deer, when archery season
opens Saturday, Sept. 27, according to the Ohio Department of Natural
Resources (ODNR).
Ohio’s 2014-2015 deer seasons include:
• Archery: Sept. 27-Feb. 1, 2015.
• Antlerless muzzleloader: Oct. 11-12.
• Youth gun: Nov. 22-23.
• Gun: Dec. 1-7.
• Muzzleloader: Jan. 2-5, 2015.
All deer hunters are required to have a valid Ohio hunting license and
a valid deer permit. Details about deer hunting rules are contained in
the 2014-2015 Ohio Hunting Regulations, available where licenses are
sold, or at wildohio.gov.
Antlerless permit use was changed for the upcoming deer hunting
seasons, and these permits are no longer valid in some counties (see
bag limit map). Antlerless permits will be valid in the remaining
counties until Nov. 30, the Sunday before the deer-gun season. Only one
antlerless permit may be used per county, regardless of the bag limit.
Deer bag limits are determined by county (see bag limit map), but no
more than nine deer may be taken from all counties combined. The
statewide bag limit is nine deer, but a hunter cannot exceed a county
bag limit. Additional ODNR Division of Wildlife authorized controlled
hunting opportunities do not count against statewide or county bag
limits. Hunters may harvest only one buck in Ohio, regardless of method
of take or location.
Ohio is again offering an antlerless deer muzzleloader hunting season
Oct. 11-12. It is legal to bowhunt during this weekend, but no bucks
may be killed regardless of hunting implement during these two days.
Archers hunting during the statewide gun, youth gun and muzzleloader
seasons must meet the hunter orange requirement. Deer hunting hours are
30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes past sunset for all deer
seasons. This includes gun and muzzleloader seasons.
New this year, specific straight-walled cartridge rifles are now legal
for use during the deer-gun and youth deer-gun seasons. These specific
straight-walled cartridge rifles are legal for deer hunting: .357
Magnum, .357 Maximum, .38 Special, .375 Super Magnum, .375 Winchester,
.38-55, .41 Long Colt, .41 Magnum, .44 Special, .44 Magnum, .444
Marlin, .45 ACP, .45 Colt, .45 Long Colt, .45 Winchester Magnum, .45
Smith & Wesson, .454 Casull, .460 Smith & Wesson, .45-70,
.45-90, .45-110, .475 Linebaugh, .50-70, .50-90, .50-100, .50-110 and
.500 Smith & Wesson. Shotguns and straight-walled cartridge rifles
may have no more than three shells in the magazine and chamber combined
while deer hunting.
Also, hunters can search historical records of Ohio’s top-scoring deer
in a partnership between the ODNR Division of Wildlife and the Buckeye
Big Buck Club. A complete database of top deer scores, complete with
rankings, hunter’s name, county of the kill and more, is available at
wildohio.gov. Ohio ranks No. 7 nationally for the number of trophy deer
as compiled by the Boone and Crockett Club through 2011.
Hunters are required to make their own game tag to attach to a deer.
Game tags can be made of any material (cardboard, plastic, paper, etc.)
as long as it contains the hunter’s name, date, time and county of the
kill. Go to the Deer Hunting Resources page at wildohio.gov for more
information about the game check process.
All hunters must report their deer harvest using the automated
game-check system. Game-check transactions are available online and by
phone seven days a week, including holidays. Hunters with a deer permit
have three options to complete the game check:
• Online at ohiogamecheck.com;
• Call 877-TAG-ITOH (824-4864); or
• Visit a license agent. A list of agents can be
found at wildohio.gov or by calling 800-WILDLIFE (945-3543).
Landowners exempt from purchasing a deer permit, and others not
required to purchase a deer permit, cannot use the 877-TAG-ITOH option.
Landowners and others not required to obtain a permit have the
following game-check options:
• Online at ohiogamecheck.com;
• Visit a license agent; or
• Call 866-703-1928 for operator assisted landowner
game-check (a convenience fee of $5.50 applies).
Hunting is the best and most effective management tool for maintaining
Ohio’s healthy deer population. During the 2013-2014 season, Ohio
hunters checked 191,459 deer. Ohio ranks fifth nationally in resident
hunters and 11th in the number of jobs associated with hunting-related
industries. Hunting has a more than $853 million economic impact in
Ohio through the sale of equipment, fuel, food, lodging and more,
according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Hunting in
America: An Economic Force for Conservation publication.
The ODNR Division of Wildlife remains committed to properly managing
Ohio’s deer populations through a combination of regulatory and
programmatic changes. The goal of Ohio’s Deer Management Program is to
provide a deer population that maximizes recreational opportunities,
while minimizing conflicts with landowners and motorists. This ensures
that Ohio’s deer herd is maintained at a level that is both acceptable
to most, and biologically sound.
Until recently, the populations in nearly all of Ohio’s counties were
well above their target numbers. In the last few years, through
increased harvests, dramatic strides have been made in many counties to
bring those populations closer toward their goal. Once a county’s deer
population is near goal, harvest regulations are adjusted to maintain
the population.
ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural
resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.
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