Chapter 1501:31-21 Waterfowl Hunting

(A) The annual waterfowl hunting area permit in section 1533.81 of the Revised Code, except for areas (A)(2) and (A)(3) of this rule, shall entitle the permittee within the below described areas of a state or federal waterfowl management area to possess or control blinds, pits or similar legal devices of concealment for goose hunting purposes on such land and water described in the application for permit. The annual waterfowl hunting area fee shall be ten dollars. For the benefit of this rule and other wildlife orders, the state or federal waterfowl management areas and goose zones are described as:

(1) Mosquito creek wildlife area – located in Ashtabula and Trumbull counties beginning at the intersection of state route 45 and state route 305, thence easterly on 305 to the junction of 305 and state route 5, thence northeasterly to the junction of state route 5 and state route 193, thence northerly on state route 193 to the junction of state route 193 and state route 322, thence westerly on state route 322 to the junction of state route 322 and state route 45, thence southerly on state route 45 to the junction of state route 45 and state route 87, thence westerly on state route 87 to the junction of state route 87 and state route 534, thence southerly on state route 534 to the junction of state route 534 and state route 88, thence easterly on state route 88 to the junction of state route 88 and state route 45, thence southerly on state route 45 to the point of beginning.

(2) Killdeer plains wildlife area – located in Wyandot and Marion counties beginning at the intersection of state route 37 and state route 67, thence southeasterly on state route 37 to the junction of state route 37 and Marseilles-Galion road, thence easterly on Marseilles-Galion road to the intersection of Marseilles-Galion road and Goodnow road, thence northerly on Goodnow road to the junction of Goodnow road and township road 68, thence easterly on township road 68 to the intersection of township road 68 and county road 126, thence north on county road 126 to the junction of county road 126 and township road 131, thence northwest on township road 131 to the junction of township road 131 and state route 294, thence west on state route 294 to the intersection of state route 294 and county road 119, thence north on county road 119 to the intersection of county road 119 and township road 65, thence west on township road 65 to the intersection of township road 65 and county road 109, thence north on county road 109 to the intersection of county road 109 and state route 67, thence southwesterly on state route 67 to the point of beginning.

(3) Mercer wildlife area – located in Mercer county beginning at the intersection of state route 118 and Depweg road, thence easterly on Depweg road to the end of said road, thence continuing easterly on Brockman road to the intersection of Brockman road and state route 364, thence northerly on state 364 to the junction of state road 364 and Southland road, thence easterly on Southland road to the junction of Southland road and state route 66, thence northerly on state route 66 to the junction of state route 66 and state route 29, thence westerly on state route 29 to the junction of state route 29 and state route 118, thence southerly on state route 118 to the point of beginning.

(4) Ottawa national refuge – located in Lucas and Ottawa counties beginning at Norden road and lake Erie, thence southerly on Norden road to the junction of Norden road and state route 2, thence easterly on state route 2 to the junction of state route 2 and Yondota road, thence southerly on Yondota road to the intersection of Yondota and Brown road, thence easterly on Brown road to the intersection of Brown road and Nissin road, thence south on Nissin road to the junction of Nissin road and Moline-Martin road, thence easterly on Moline-Martin road to the junction of Moline-Martin road and Stange road, thence south on Stange road to the junction of Stange road and Toussaint-North road, thence northeasterly on Toussaint-North road to the junction of Toussaint-North road and Stricle-Toussaint road, thence east on Stricle-Toussaint road to the junction of Stricle-Toussaint road and Toussaint-Portage road, thence south on Toussaint-Portage road to the junction of Toussaint-Portage road and Genzman road, thence easterly on Genzman road to the junction of Genzman road and Toussaint-South road, thence south on Toussaint-South road to the junction of Toussaint-South road and Camp Perry Western road, thence easterly on the Camp Perry Western Road to the junction of Camp Perry Western road and state route 2, thence northerly along the western boundary of the Erie ordance depot to the junction with lake Erie, thence following the lake Erie shoreline in a easterly direction to the point 83°, thence northward to the state line thence westerly to a point 83° 25’, thence southerly to the lake Erie shoreline, thence easterly to the beginning point.

(B) The landowner and the children of the owner and persons residing on lands and waters within the above described area of a state or federal waterfowl management area shall not be required to secure a waterfowl hunting area permit for hunting waterfowl while only said landowner and his children are hunting on lands he owns and while only said other persons are hunting on lands where they reside. However, such exempted persons shall be required to maintain an accurate daily register, except on those areas listed in paragraphs (A)(2) and (A)(3) of this rule, on forms provided by the division of wildlife which shall be open for inspection at all times by officers authorized to examine the same and to submit these forms each Monday or at more frequent times as may be requested.

(C) The holder of the permit prescribed in this rule or his designated agent shall register daily, all hunters prior to their hunting on a daily register form provided by the division of wildlife, except on those areas listed in paragraphs (A)(2) and (A)(3) of this rule. Each person hunting on an area for which a permit is required shall register prior to hunting by signing his full name and mailing address, and at the end of each hunting day shall report the number and species of geese taken and any other information prescribed by the chief, except on those areas listed in paragraphs (A)(2) and (A)(3) of this rule. No person shall register a person that is not present to hunt or one that did not participate in the hunt. Such information shall be entered into the register by the permit holder or his designated agent. The holder of this permit or his designated agent shall forward, each Monday or at more frequent times as may be requested by the division of wildlife, the completed daily registers for the previous week. Such daily registers shall be open to inspection at all reasonable hours by any bona fide employee of the division of wildlife.

(D) It shall be unlawful for any person to take or possess a goose, while on any land or water area not under the permit prescribed in paragraph (A) of this rule that is within ten miles of a state or federal goose management area. Provided further it shall be unlawful to remove a goose from the area which the permit was issued without first registering the information requested in paragraph (C) of this rule.

(E) All geese taken on or over public land or water within the areas listed in paragraph (A) of this rule, except on those areas listed in paragraphs (A)(2) and (A)(3) of this rule, shall be taken no later than two hours after the termination of the legal shooting hours to a location designated by the division of wildlife as an official goose checking station to record the taking of the geese.

(F) All definitions set forth in rule 1501:31-1-02 of the Administrative Code shall apply to this rule.

HISTORY: Eff 5-1-76; 1-2-81; 6-1-84; 6-1-85; 6-1-88; 7-31-90; 3-1-98; 6-1-99; 7-5-00

Rule promulgated under: RC Chapter 119.

Rule amplifies: RC 1531.08, 1533.81

119.032 Review Date: 9-24-02; 9-24-07

(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to place, construct, maintain, or use a waterfowl blind on state and federal property at Mosquito reservoir, state property at lake St. Marys, and Clark lake wildlife area without first obtaining a written permit from the chief of the division or his authorized agent.

(1) Application for such blinds may be made beginning at eight a.m., on the morning of the third Saturday of August, annually, at the wildlife hunter checking station at the Mosquito reservoir and St. Marys areas. Applications for Clark lake blinds will be accepted at the district five office in Xenia, Ohio beginning at eight a.m. on the third Saturday in August.

(2) Persons receiving a division duck blind permit shall construct a blind on the designated location within forty-five days after the issuance of said permit.

Failure to comply shall cause the forfeiture of the location.

(3) It shall be unlawful for any person to apply for more than one blind or apply or draw for a blind for another person.

(4) No person shall draw for a blind until they exhibit their Ohio hunting license and proof of purchase of their Ohio wetlands habitat stamp for the current year, and their federal migratory bird stamp from the previous year or current year.

(5) No person shall construct a duck blind on lake St. Marys, Mosquito reservoir, or Clark lake wildlife area except within twenty-five yards of the stake placed by the division of wildlife at the location drawn by such person.

(6) It shall be unlawful for any person to construct or place a blind on lake St. Marys, Mosquito reservoir, or Clark lake wildlife area that does not have attached to the blind the name and address of said person. The name and address shall be attached immediately upon completion of construction. Further, any blind placed or constructed on a public hunting area or any other state or federal property shall be removed by the person placing or constructing the blind no later than thirty days after the close of the annual duck or goose season, whichever closes last.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to fail to remove blinds seven through thirteen and blind number ninety if attached to a stake on Grand Lake St. Marys no later than fifteen days after the close of the first segment of the annual duck or goose season, whichever closes last. Furthermore, it shall be lawful to use floater blinds at these sites during the season.

(7) It shall be unlawful for any person to fail to remove any stakes or any part of a structure built for or used as a means of concealment by waterfowl hunters in lake St. Marys, Mosquito reservoir, or Clark lake wildlife area.

(8) It shall be unlawful for any person to construct a blind made of metal or to use metal stakes for blinds at lake St. Marys, Mosquito reservoir, or Clark lake wildlife area.

(9) It shall be unlawful for any person to attach waterfowl blinds twelve to nineteen to a stake at lake St. Marys. Further, no person shall place a stake within one hundred yards of waterfowl blinds fourteen to nineteen in Lake St. Marys.

(B) All definitions set forth in rule 1501:31-1-02 of the Administrative Code shall apply to this rule.

Effective: 05/27/2005

R.C. 119.032 review dates: 03/04/2005 and 05/27/2010

Promulgated Under: 119.03

Statutory Authority: 1531.06, 1531.08

Rule Amplifies: 1531.06, 1531.08

Prior Effective Dates: 8/31/75, 6/1/78, 6/1/79, 6/1/82, 6/1/88, 7/1/89, 8/10/96, 5/28/04