LAW
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Ohio Laws and Rules
(A) Season dates
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or take wild turkeys at any time except in accordance with this rule or any provisions of this rule:
(a) Spring wild turkey season is open statewide from April 20, 2009 through May 17, 2009.
(b) Youth spring wild turkey season is open on April 18 and 19, 2009 for persons seventeen years of age or younger. All spring wild turkey season rules apply to these dates with the following exceptions:
(i) It shall be unlawful for any youth to hunt or take more than one wild turkey.
(ii) It shall be unlawful for any youth, regardless of age, who participates in the youth spring wild turkey season to hunt if they are not accompanied by a non-hunting adult eighteen years of age or older.
(iii) It shall be unlawful for more than two youths to be accompanied by one non-hunting adult eighteen years of age or older.
(iv) It shall be unlawful for any non-hunting adult eighteen years of age or older who is accompanying any youth to hunt or possess any hunting implements.
(c) Fall wild turkey season is open from the second Saturday of October through the last Sunday of November in the following counties: Adams, Ashland, Ashtabula, Athens, Belmont, Brown, Carroll, Clermont, Columbiana, Coshocton, Cuyahoga, Gallia, Geauga, Guernsey, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Lawrence, Licking, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pike, Portage, Richland, Ross, Scioto, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Vinton, Washington and Wayne counties.
(B) Bag limits
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to take or possess a wild turkey during the spring wild turkey season that does not have a visible beard.
(2) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt, take or possess more than one wild turkey per day.
(3) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt , take or possess more than two bearded wild turkeys during the spring wild turkey season.
(4) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt , take or possess more than one wild turkey of either sex during the fall wild turkey season.
(C) Hunting implements
(1) Archery:
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or take a wild turkey with any archery equipment except:
(i) A longbow and arrow.
(ii) A crossbow and arrow. Cocking levers and other cocking devices may be used on crossbows.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt wild turkey while being in possession of, or take a wild turkey with, explosive or poisoned arrows.
(c) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or take wild turkey with a longbow having a draw weight less than forty pounds, or with a crossbow having a draw weight less than seventy-five pounds.
(d) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or take a wild turkey with a broadhead having less than two cutting edges measuring less than three quarters inch wide.
(2) Firearms:
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or take wild turkeys with any firearm except:
A shotgun using shot.
(3) It shall be unlawful for any person to possess more than one firearm, longbow or crossbow while hunting wild turkey.
(D) Hunting methods and hours
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person during the spring wild turkey season to hunt or take a wild turkey at any time other than from one half hour before sunrise to twelve p.m.
(2) It shall be unlawful for any person during the spring youth wild turkey season to hunt or take a wild turkey at any time other than from one half hour before sunrise to sunset.
(3) It shall be unlawful for any person during the fall wild turkey season to hunt or take a wild turkey at any time other than from one half hour before sunrise to sunset.
(4) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or take a wild turkey by the aid of baiting or on or over any baited area.
(5) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or take a wild turkey by the use or aid of live birds as decoys.
(6) It shall be unlawful for any person to possess or use any electronic calling device capable of producing recorded turkey or other wild animal calls or sounds, or recorded and/or electronically amplified imitations of turkey or other wild animal calls or sounds, while hunting wild turkey.
(7) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or take, a wild turkey when it is in a tree.
(8) It shall be unlawful for any person during the spring wild turkey season to hunt or take a wild turkey with the aid of a dog, except wounded wild turkeys may be tracked using a dog that is leashed.
(E) Permits
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or take a wild turkey during the spring wild turkey season without possessing a valid spring wild turkey permit.
(2) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or take a wild turkey during the fall turkey season without possessing a valid fall wild turkey permit.
(3) It shall be unlawful for any person to possess or use a spring wild turkey permit or a fall wild turkey permit of another while hunting wild turkey.
(4) It shall be unlawful for any person, during the spring wild turkey season, to hunt or take wild turkey or aid another person in the hunting or taking of wild turkey, while having in their possession a hunting implement, while being solely in possession of a spring wild turkey permit from which the temporary turkey tag has been detached.
(5) It shall be unlawful for any person, during the fall wild turkey season, to hunt or take wild turkey or aid another person in the hunting or taking of wild turkey, while having in their possession a hunting implement, while being solely in possession of a fall wild turkey permit from which the temporary turkey tag has been detached.
(F) Tagging and traditional game check
(1) Each person who kills a wild turkey shall immediately attach a temporary tag bearing his name, address and the date and time killed to the turkey at the place where it fell and such tag shall remain attached until permanent tagging at an official wild turkey checking station or a wildlife officer. A hunter possessing a spring wild turkey permit, or a fall wild turkey permit shall immediately detach his temporary tag from his permit and attach the temporary tag to his turkey at the place where it fell.
(2) Each person who obtained their spring or fall wild turkey permit(s) on the Internet and kills a wild turkey shall immediately fill in the date, time of harvest and county of harvest on their spring or fall wild turkey permit and also immediately attach a temporary tag bearing their name, address, date and time of harvest to the turkey at the place where it fell.
(3) It shall be unlawful for any person to attach a temporary tag to any wild turkey which was taken by another person.
(4) It shall be unlawful to attach the temporary tag from a spring wild turkey permit to a wild turkey taken during the fall wild turkey season.
(5) It shall be unlawful to attach the temporary tag from a fall wild turkey permit to a wild turkey taken during the spring wild turkey season.
(6) Each person who kills a wild turkey shall deliver the carcass with feet, beard and feathers attached, to a division of wildlife checking station for inspection and tagging by two p.m. on the same day the wild turkey is killed during the spring wild turkey season. Provided further, any wild turkey taken during the fall wild turkey season shall be delivered to an official division of wildlife checking station in the county where the turkey was killed, for inspection and permanent tagging by eight p.m. on the same day the wild turkey is taken.
(7) No person shall possess a wild turkey during the spring wild turkey season after two p.m. on the day the turkey was taken that does not have a division of wildlife permanent tag attached.
(8) It shall be unlawful for any person to possess a wild turkey or parts thereof unless such person has a tag, seal, certificate, or license showing the turkey or parts thereof were taken or acquired legally.
(9) It shall be unlawful to provide any false information to any person completing a wild turkey harvest record form for the issuance of a permanent wild turkey tag.
(10) It shall be unlawful for any person other than the person who shoots or takes a wild turkey to present the wild turkey to any wildlife officer or check station for permanent tagging.
(11) It shall be unlawful at any time to possess a wild turkey or wild turkey parts that were taken in violation of any Administrative Code rule or the Ohio Revised Code.
(12) It shall be unlawful for any person to possess a dead wild turkey, or any part thereof, unless such wild turkey, or parts thereof, are accompanied by an attached valid tag, seal, certificate of legal ownership, statement or receipt. For the purposes of this section a valid tag, seal, certificate for legal ownership, statement or receipt for any wild turkey, or part thereof, is any one or more of the following:
(a) A valid Ohio division of wildlife temporary wild turkey tag, permanent wild turkey tag or permanent wild turkey tag number.
(b) An Ohio division of wildlife tag or seal issued under the authority of section 1533.74 of the Revised Code if the wild turkey or parts thereof were sold for food.
(c) A signed statement or receipt, legible in the English language, which states the previous owners name, address and phone number and the valid commercial propagation permit number if the wild turkey or parts thereof were sold or given away under the authority of section 1533.71 of the Revised Code.
(d) A tag or certificate as described in section 1533.731 of the Revised Code.
(e) A signed statement or receipt, legible in the English language, which lists the owner or previous owners name, address and phone number, the state and county of kill, the date of kill and the assigned permanent wild turkey tag number, if applicable.
(f) An official tag, seal or other official documentation to show legal ownership and an accompanying valid hunting license issued by another state or province if the wild turkey was killed outside of Ohio.
(g) A certificate for legal ownership issued by an Ohio division of wildlife officer.
(h) A valid tag, seal, certificate for legal ownership, statement or receipt for the purposes of this rule is considered attached if it is physically affixed to the wild turkey, or parts thereof, in the following manner:
(i) The valid tag, seal, certificate for legal ownership, statement or receipt must remain attached to the wild turkey until the wild turkey has been processed into a taxidermy product. At this time the valid tag, seal, certificate for legal ownership, statement or receipt may be removed from the wild turkey and placed in another location on the taxidermy product which allows for visual inspection. However the tag, seal, certificate for legal ownership, statement or receipt must remain affixed permanently to the taxidermy product.
(ii) If through the butchering process one or more packages of meat are produced the assigned tag, seal, certificate for legal ownership or permit number, if applicable, shall be written legibly, in permanent ink by the owner of the wild turkey, on all packages from the wild turkey. However, the tag, seal, certificate for legal ownership, statement or receipt shall be maintained and available for inspection until the entire wild turkey is consumed.
(13) It shall be unlawful for any person to place or leave a wild turkey, or any part thereof, in the custody of another person for the purpose of skinning, processing, taxidermy, transportation, shipping, storage, including temporary storage, or any other reason, unless such wild turkey or parts thereof are accompanied by an attached valid tag, seal, certificate for legal ownership, statement or receipt.
(G) Sales of turkey parts
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to buy, sell or offer for sale any wild turkey, or part thereof, taken from the wild, except:
(a) Legally acquired and possessed turkey feathers, bones, spurs, feet, skin and beards may be bought and sold at any time individually or as a wildlife ornamental product by the legal owner.
(b) Wild turkey taxidermy products may be bought or sold at any time. At the time of the purchase or sale the taxidermy product must be accompanied by a signed statement or receipt, legible in the English language, which lists the previous owner’s name, address and phone number, the state of kill(s) and the assigned tag, seal, certificate for legal ownership or permit number(s), if applicable, and the number of wild turkey, from which the said wild turkey parts originated, that were sold during the transaction. This information must remain with the taxidermy product unless said product(s) are disassembled and manufactured into a wildlife ornamental product(s).
(H) Special areas
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person eighteen years of age or older to hunt or take a wild turkey during the spring or fall wild turkey season on any area designated youth hunting only.
(I) All definitions set forth in rule 1501:31-1-02 of the Administrative Code shall apply to this rule.
Replaces: 1501:31-15-10
Effective: 07/01/2008
R.C. 119.032 review dates: 07/01/2013
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 1531.06, 1531.08, 1531.10, 1533.11
Rule Amplifies: 1531.06, 1531.08, 1531.10, 1533.11
Prior Effective Dates: 6/25/75, 2/5/77, 6/1/77, 6/1/78, 6/1/79, 6/1/80, 6/1/81, 6/1/82, 6/1/84, 6/1/85, 6/1/87, 9/15/87, 7/31/92, 6/30/94, 8/15/95, 6/10/96, 3/1/00, 7/22/01, 4/21/02, 6/4/03, 6/30/04, 5/27/05, 7/1/2006, 7/1/07