It shall be unlawful to hunt, take, or possess deer
except in accordance with Chapter 1531. or 1533. of the Revised Code, division
1501:31 of the Administrative Code, or as otherwise authorized by the chief of
the division of wildlife or the chief's designee.
(A) Season dates
(1) Deer archery season
is open in disease surveillance areas established under rule 1501:31-19-03 of
the Administrative Code from the second Saturday in September through the first
Sunday in February.
(2) Deer archery season
is open statewide from the last Saturday of September through the first Sunday
of February.
(3) Deer gun season is
open in established disease surveillance areas from October 7 through October
9, 2023. All deer gun season rules apply to these dates within established
disease surveillance areas.
(4) Youth deer gun season
is open November 18 and 19, 2023 for persons seventeen years of age and
younger. All deer gun season rules apply to these dates.
(5) Deer gun season is
open from the first Monday after Thanksgiving through the following Sunday and
is open on December 16 and 17, 2023.
(6) Deer muzzleloading
season is open from the first Saturday after New Years day through the
following Tuesday.
(7) The chief of the
division of wildlife may provide a permit which allows the taking of deer from
division owned or administered lands to young or handicapped hunters prior to
or after the opening of deer gun season. Provided further, all provisions of
this rule or any other division of wildlife rule apply to all persons issued
said permit.
(B) Bag limits
(1) It shall be unlawful
to take more than six deer per license year, regardless of method of take or
location taken, except as provided in paragraphs (B)(7), (B)(8) and (B)(9) of
this rule.
(2) It shall be unlawful
to take more than one antlered deer per license year, regardless of method of
take or location. For purposes of this rule an antlered deer is any deer with
antlers three inches in height or greater. An antlerless deer is any deer with
no antlers or antlers less than three inches in height.
(3) It shall be unlawful
to take an antlered deer with a deer management permit.
(4) It shall be unlawful
to hunt or take more than two deer per license year from the following
counties: Butler, Clinton, Fayette, Greene, Hocking, Jackson, Lawrence,
Madison, Pickaway, Vinton, and Warren counties. Provided further, it shall be
unlawful to hunt or take more than two deer per license year under the
authority of a deer permit or deer management permit outside of a division of
wildlife authorized controlled hunt, from the following counties: Butler,
Clinton, Fayette, Greene, Hocking, Jackson, Lawrence, Madison, Pickaway,
Vinton, and Warren counties.
(5) It shall be unlawful
to hunt or take more than three deer per license year from the following
counties: Adams, Allen, Ashland, Ashtabula, Athens, Auglaize, Belmont, Brown,
Carroll, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Columbiana, Coshocton, Crawford, Darke,
Defiance, Delaware, Erie, Fairfield, Fulton, Gallia, Geauga, Guernsey, Hancock,
Hardin, Harrison, Henry, Highland, Holmes, Huron, Jefferson, Knox, Lake,
Licking, Logan, Lorain, Mahoning, Marion, Medina, Meigs, Mercer, Miami, Monroe,
Montgomery, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Ottawa, Paulding, Perry, Pike,
Portage, Preble, Putnam, Richland, Ross, Sandusky, Scioto, Seneca, Shelby,
Stark, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Union, Van Wert, Washington, Wayne, Williams,
Wood, and Wyandot counties. Provided further, tt shall be unlawful to hunt or
take more than three deer per license year under the authority of a deer permit
or deer management permit, outside of a division of wildlife authorized
controlled hunt, from the following counties: Adams, Allen, Ashland, Ashtabula,
Athens, Auglaize, Belmont, Brown, Carroll, Champaign, Clark, Clermont,
Columbiana, Coshocton, Crawford, Darke, Defiance, Delaware, Erie, Fairfield,
Fulton, Gallia, Geauga, Guernsey, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Henry, Highland,
Holmes, Huron, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Licking, Logan, Lorain, Mahoning, Marion,
Medina, Meigs, Mercer, Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum,
Noble, Ottawa, Paulding, Perry, Pike, Portage, Preble, Putnam, Richland, Ross,
Sandusky, Scioto, Seneca, Shelby, Stark, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Union, Van Wert,
Washington, Wayne, Williams, Wood and Wyandot counties.
(6) It shall be unlawful
to hunt or take more than four deer per license year from the following
counties: Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Lucas, and Summit, counties. Provided
further, it shall be unlawful to hunt or take more than four deer per license
year under the authority of a deer permit or deer management permit, outside of
a division of wildlife authorized controlled hunt, from the following counties:
Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Lucas, and Summit counties.
(7) It shall be unlawful for any person
to hunt or take more than six deer per license year from controlled access
opportunities where the taking of additional deer has been authorized by the
chief of the division of wildlife. Said deer may be taken in addition to any
other deer taken in that county and in addition to the limit of six deer taken
per license year as indicated in paragraph (B)(1) of this rule.
(8) It shall be unlawful to take an
antlerless deer under the authority of a deer management permit from any
state-owned or administered lands designated as public hunting areas in rule
1501:31-15-04 of the Administrative Code, except:
(a) The lake La Su An public hunting area.
(b) Public hunting areas located within established disease
surveillance areas, except the Delaware wildlife area.
(c) Division of wildlife authorized controlled
hunts.
(9) It shall be unlawful to take more
than one antlerless deer per license year from state-owned or administered
lands designated as public hunting areas in rule 1501:31-15-04 of the
Administrative Code, except:
(a) The lake La Su An public hunting area.
(b) Public hunting areas located within established disease
surveillance areas, except the Delaware wildlife area.
(c) Division of wildlife authorized controlled
hunts.
(C) Hunting implements
(1) Archery
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt deer with
any archery equipment except:
(i) A longbow and
arrow.
(ii) Crossbow and arrow
having a working safety and a shoulder-mount stock. Cocking levers and other
cocking devices may be used on crossbows.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or take
deer while being in possession of, or take a deer with, explosive or poisoned
arrows.
(c) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or take
deer 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
deer with a broadhead having less than two cutting edges measuring less than
three quarters inch wide.
(e) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or take a
deer during the deer archery season with any hunting implement other than the
archery equipment described in paragraph (C)(1) of this rule.
(2) Firearms
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or take
deer with any firearm except:
(i) A shotgun no larger
than ten-gauge or smaller than .410 caliber firing a single projectile per
barrel.
It shall be unlawful for any person hunting
deer to use any shell casing which is necked down or made totally of metal for
any of the shotguns listed.
(ii) A muzzleloading
rifle or muzzleloading shotgun, .38 caliber or larger using a single projectile
per barrel.
(iii) A handgun with the
following criteria:
(a) Chambered for .357 caliber magnum or
larger.
(b) Using a straight-walled cartridge.
(c) Single barrel not less than five inches in length, as
measured from the front of the cylinder or chamber to the end of the
barrel.
(iv) A rifle with the
following criteria:
Chambered for a straight-walled cartridge
with a minimum caliber of .357 to a maximum caliber of .515.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person hunting deer to use
in any rifle or possess any rifle cartridge which is necked down.
(c) It shall be unlawful for any person hunting deer during
any deer gun season, to possess or use any shotgun or rifle which is loaded
with more than three shells or cartridges in the magazine and chamber
combined.
(d) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or take
deer during the deer gun season with any hunting implement other than described
in paragraph (C) of this rule.
(e) It shall be unlawful for any person to possess or carry
a rifle, pistol, revolver or any other type of firearm while hunting deer or
when assisting or accompanying a person that is hunting deer during the archery
season, outside of the youth deer gun season, deer gun season and deer
muzzleloading season.
This paragraph does not prohibit a person
from legally carrying a concealed handgun in accordance with law.
(f) It shall be unlawful for any person to possess rifle
cartridges while hunting during the deer muzzleloading season.
(g) It shall be unlawful to possess shotgun shells,
containing shot, while hunting during the youth deer gun season, deer gun
season and deer muzzleloading season except:
(i) Persons hunting
waterfowl may possess shotgun shells containing non-toxic shot.
(ii) Persons hunting
other legal game may possess shotgun shells containing shot not larger than
number four.
(iii) It shall be
unlawful for any person to hunt or take a coyotes and wild boar during the
youth deer gun season or the deer gun season without using a hunting implement
described in paragraph (C) of this rule.
(h) It shall be unlawful for any person hunting during the
deer muzzleloading season to possess shotgun slugs or rifle
ammunition.
(i) It shall be unlawful for any person to be in possession
of shotgun slugs or rifle ammunition while hunting during the youth deer gun
season, except youth hunters hunting deer.
(j) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or take
deer during the deer muzzleloading season with any hunting implement other than
the archery equipment described in paragraph (C)(1) of this rule or a
muzzleloader as described in paragraph (C)(2)(a)(ii) of this rule.
(3) It shall be unlawful
for any person to possess more than one hunting implement, singly or in the
aggregate, to include a firearm, longbow or crossbow while hunting deer.
This paragraph does not prohibit a person from
legally carrying a concealed handgun in accordance with law.
(D) Hunting methods and
hours
(1) It shall be unlawful
for any person to hunt or take deer at any time except from one-half hour
before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.
(2) It shall be unlawful
for any person to hunt or take wild animals from one-half hour before sunrise
to one half-hour after sunset, except deer, waterfowl, wild boar, and coyotes
during the youth deer season, deer gun season and muzzleloading season with any
hunting implement other than a shotgun using shot not larger then number four.
Waterfowl may only be hunted during the hours specified in rule 1501:31-7-06 of
the Administrative Code.
(3) It shall be unlawful
for any person to hunt or take wild boar or coyotes at any time other than from
one-half hour before sunrise to one half- hour after sunset during the youth
deer gun season, deer gun season and deer muzzleloading season.
(4) It shall be unlawful
for any person to hunt or take coyotes and wild boar from one-half hour before
sunrise to one half-hour after sunset during the youth deer gun season, deer
gun season and the deer muzzleloading season without possessing both a valid
hunting license and valid deer permit or management permit.
(5) It shall be unlawful
for any person to hunt or take coyotes and wild boar during the deer
muzzleloading season without using a muzzleloader as described in paragraph
(C)(2)(a)(ii) of this rule or any archery equipment described in paragraph
(C)(1) of this rule.
(6) It shall be unlawful
for any person to possess a loaded hunting implement while going to or coming
from hunting deer, wild boar or coyote at any time except between one-half hour
before sunrise to one half-hour after sunset during the youth deer gun season,
deer gun season or the deer muzzleloading season.
(7) It shall be unlawful
for any person to hunt or take any wild animal except waterfowl, from one-half
hour before sunrise to one half-hour after sunset, during the youth deer gun
season, deer gun season or the deer muzzleloading season, unless such person is
visibly wearing a vest, jacket or coveralls colored solid hunter orange, or
camouflage hunter orange.
(8) It shall be unlawful
for any person to hunt or take deer by the aid of dog, except wounded deer may
be tracked using a dog that is leashed.
(9) It shall be unlawful
for any person to hunt or take coyotes by the aid of a dog during the deer gun
season and deer muzzleloading season from one-half hour before sunrise to one
half-hour after sunset.
(10) It shall be unlawful
for any person to hunt or take a deer that is in the water.
(11) It shall be unlawful
for any person to construct, place, or use permanent-type tree stands, or place
spikes, nails, wires, or other metal objects to hold tree stands or as steps to
tree stands on any property except with the landowner's
permission.
(E) Permits
(1) It shall be unlawful
for any person to hunt or take a deer without possessing a valid electronic or
printed deer permit or deer management permit during any of the open deer
seasons.
(2) It shall be unlawful
for any person to hunt with or carry an electronic or printed deer permit or
deer management permit of another.
(3) It shall be unlawful
for any person to hunt or take deer or aid another person in the hunting of
deer, while having in their possession a hunting implement, while being solely
in possession of a deer permit or deer management permit for which a game check
confirmation number has been issued or the date, time and county of kill have
been written on the deer permit or deer management permit.
(4) It shall be unlawful
for any person to hunt or take a deer under the authority of a deer management
permit, except from the first day of the archery season through the Sunday
following Thanksgiving day. Deer management permits may be used at any time in
division of wildlife administered or authorized controlled hunts.
(F) Tagging and game
checking
(1) It shall be unlawful
to hunt or take a subsequent deer before the date, time and county of kill are
written on the corresponding deer permit, deer management permit or landowner
deer tag or the date, time and county of kill have been submitted to the game
check system for the deer that was taken.
(2) It shall be unlawful
to attach a deer permit, deer management permit, landowner deer tag, or a game
check confirmation number to a deer or parts of a deer, taken by another
person.
(3) It shall be unlawful
to attach an antlerless game check confirmation number to an antlered
deer.
(4) It shall be unlawful
to attach or otherwise use a deer permit or deer management permit on or for
any deer that was taken before the permit was purchased or otherwise
obtained.
(5) It shall be unlawful
to manufacture, counterfeit, sell, trade, distribute, forge and/or falsify a
deer permit, deer management permit, landowner deer tag, or a game check
confirmation number.
(6) It shall be unlawful
to possess, attach, affix or otherwise use a counterfeit or falsified deer
permit, deer management permit, landowner deer tag, or game check confirmation
number on or for any deer.
(7) It shall be unlawful
to possess any deer, or part thereof, which has attached or affixed a
counterfeit or otherwise falsified deer permit, deer management permit,
landowner deer tag or game check confirmation number.
(8) It shall be unlawful
after killing a deer to fail to immediately complete a deer permit, deer
management permit, or landowner deer tag with the hunters name, date, time, and
county of kill prior to moving the carcass from the place where it fell or fail
to game check your deer prior to moving the carcass from the place it
fell.
(9) It shall be unlawful
to leave a deer that has been killed unattended, or with another person,
without first attaching a completed deer permit, deer management permit, or
landowner deer tag with the hunters name, date, time and county of kill to the
deer or a game check confirmation number to the deer.
(10) It shall be unlawful
to fail to immediately attach your deer permit, deer management permit or
landowner deer tag with the hunters name, date, time and county of kill, or the
game check confirmation number to a harvested deer upon arrival at a personal
or temporary abode.
(11) It shall be unlawful
to obtain a game check confirmation number with a deer management permit for
any deer hunted or taken in any county in which a deer management permit is not
valid, outside of a division of wildlife authorized controlled
hunt.
(12) It shall be unlawful
to remove a deer permit, deer management permit, or landowner deer tag from any
deer until the deer has been game checked and a valid game check confirmation
number has been affixed to the deer.
(13) It shall be unlawful
to skin or remove the head of a deer until the deer has been game checked and
tagged with a valid game check confirmation number.
(14) It shall be unlawful
to fail to game check and affix a game check confirmation number to a deer,
taken during any open deer season, by noon of the day following the date the
deer was killed. Provided further, it shall be unlawful to fail to game check
and affix a game check confirmation number to a deer taken by eleven-thirty
p.m. on the final day of the archery season, youth deer gun season, deer gun
season and deer muzzleloading season.
(15) It shall be unlawful
to provide false information or data when game checking any deer.
(16) It shall be unlawful
to game check a deer that has been killed within a wild animal hunting preserve
as described in section 1533.731 of the Revised Code.
(17) It shall be
unlawful, while at any personal or temporary abode, for any person to fail to
immediately and permanently attach their valid game check confirmation number
to the deer after it has been game checked.
(18) It shall be unlawful
to attach an invalid or falsified game check number to any deer.
(19) It shall be unlawful
to attach, affix or otherwise use a game check confirmation number for a deer,
or parts thereof, other than for the deer the game check confirmation number
was issued to at the time of game checking.
(20) It shall be unlawful
for any person to leave the state of Ohio with a deer that was taken by hunting
that has not been game checked and the game check confirmation number
permanently attached.
(21) With the exception
of naturally shed antlers, and a hunter harvested deer prior to reaching a
personal or temporary abode, it shall be unlawful to possess a dead deer, or
any part thereof, unless such deer, or parts thereof, are accompanied by an
attached valid permit, tag, seal, certificate of legal ownership, statement or
receipt. For the purposes of this section a valid permit, tag, seal,
certificate for legal ownership, statement or receipt for any deer, or part
thereof is any one or more of the following:
(a) A valid Ohio division of wildlife deer permit, deer
management permit, landowner deer tag, permanent deer tag or permanent deer tag
number or game check confirmation number.
(b) An Ohio division of wildlife deer damage control permit
temporary tag or a receipt for deer carcass-deer damage control tag or the tag
number.
(c) An Ohio division of wildlife approved tag or seal under
the authority of section 1533.74 of the Revised Code if the deer or parts
thereof were sold for food.
(d) 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 deer or parts thereof
were sold or given away under the authority of section 1533.71 of the Revised
Code.
(e) A certificate for legal ownership issued under the
authority of section 1533.121 of the Revised Code.
(f) A tag as described in division (G) of section 1533.731
of the Revised Code.
(g) 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 deer tag number or game check confirmation number, if
applicable.
(h) An official tag or seal, and an accompanying valid
hunting license issued by another state or province if the deer was killed
outside of Ohio.
(i) A valid Ohio division of wildlife food pantry stamp or
seal on each package of meat distributed by a bona fide food pantry or
charitable organization.
(j) A certificate for legal ownership issued by a law
enforcement officer within their jurisdiction.
(k) A valid tag, seal, certificate for legal ownership,
statement or receipt or game check confirmation number for the purposes of this
rule is considered attached if it is physically affixed to the deer, or parts
thereof, in the following manner:
(i) In the case of
antlers:
(a) The valid tag, permanent tag number, seal, certificate
for legal ownership, statement or receipt or game check confirmation number
must remain attached to the antlers until the deer has been processed into a
taxidermy product. At this time the valid tag, seal, certificate for legal
ownership, statement or receipt or game check confirmation number may be
removed from the antlers and placed in another location on the taxidermy
product which allows for visual inspection.
(b) If antlers are removed from the deer, but not processed
into a taxidermy product, the permanent tag or game check confirmation number
may be removed from the antlers provided the permanent deer tag number or game
check confirmation number is legibly written in permanent ink or inscribed on
the antlers in a location which allows for visual inspection. However, the
valid tag, seal, certificate of legal ownership, statement or receipt shall be
maintained by the owner and available for inspection.
(ii) When through the
butchering process, multiple packages of meat are produced, the valid tag,
permanent tag number, seal, certificate for legal ownership, statement or
receipt or game check confirmation number shall be maintained and available for
inspection until the entire deer has been consumed.
(iii) If through the
taxidermy process multiple taxidermy products are produced the permanent deer
tag or permanent tag number or game check confirmation number must remain
attached to the taxidermy product to which the antlers are connected. Any other
products from the same deer must have the permanent deer tag number or game
check confirmation number written legibly in permanent ink or inscribed on the
item in a location which allows for visual inspection.
(22) It shall be unlawful
for any person to place or leave a deer, or any part thereof, unattended or 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 deer or parts thereof are accompanied by an
attached valid permit, tag, seal, certificate for legal ownership, statement or
receipt or game check confirmation number.
(23) It shall be unlawful
to possess a deer, or parts thereof, that were taken in violation of any
division rule or the Ohio Revised Code.
(G) Sales
It shall be unlawful to buy, sell or offer for
sale any deer, or part thereof, taken from the wild, except:
Legally acquired and possessed deer hides, feet,
and antlers may be bought or sold at any time. At the time of the purchase or
sale these deer parts 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 game check
confirmation number or tag, seal, certificate for legal ownership or permit
number(s), if applicable, and the number of deer, from which the said deer
parts originated, that were sold during the transaction. This information must
remain with these parts until said deer parts are manufactured into a wildlife
ornamental product.
(H) All definitions set forth in rule 1501:31-1-02 of the
Administrative Code apply to this rule.