Rule 1501:31-15-02 | General hunting and trapping provisions.
(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to shoot, shoot at, kill, take, or attempt to take any wild bird or wild quadruped, or facsimile thereof, or part of a wild animal along, on, from, or across any public road or highway, including the berm, shoulder and road right of way.
(B) Except as provided in section 2923.16 of the Revised Code and rule 1501:31-9-08 of the Administrative Code, it shall be unlawful for any person to hunt, shoot, shoot at, kill, take or attempt to take any wild bird or wild quadruped from or by means, aid, or use of any aircraft, including aerial drones, or any motor-driven conveyance or its attachments. Shooting wild animals, except migratory game birds, is permitted from farm machinery when being used in normal farm operations. It shall be lawful to hunt small game and furbearers, except mink, muskrat, river otter and beaver from a powercraft if the motor has been completely shut off and the powercraft has come to rest.
(C) Live furbearing animals, game quadrupeds or wild birds may not be held in captivity nor sold except as provided in section 1533.71 of the Revised Code or as provided in the provisions of the Administrative Code. Provided further, it shall be unlawful to buy or sell furbearing animals, game animals or wild birds except:
(1) Hides and carcasses of furbearing animals legally taken during the open season may be held, bought or sold from the first day of the respective open season through June fifteenth of the following year;
(2) Legally acquired bear claws, teeth, hair, and hides may be bought or sold at any time;
(3) Legally obtained hides and tails of squirrels and groundhogs or woodchucks may be bought or sold at any time;
(4) Taxidermy products of furbearing animals legally taken during the open season may be bought or sold at any time;
(5) Hides, skins, feathers, or parts of wild animals raised under a propagating permit, pursuant to section 1533.71 of the Revised Code may be bought and sold provided the seller maintains records of species obtained, from whom and when the animal or part of the animal was purchased or obtained; and if sold as a mount, record the species and to whom and when sold.
(D) It shall be unlawful for any person to use a deadfall of any type to take or attempt to take a wild bird or wild quadruped. It shall be lawful for any person to hunt or take by falconry or with a crossbow any wild animal permitted to be taken by hunting; however, migratory birds may not be hunted or taken with cross-bows and arrows. Crossbows used in hunting wild animals shall have a working safety and have a shoulder-mount stock. Cocking levers and devices may be used on crossbows.
(E) It shall be unlawful to start a fire in or near weeds, brush, marsh, trees, woodlands, or other game cover for the purpose of taking game.
(F) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or take wild animals at any time within one hundred fifty yards of any burning weeds, or burning brush.
(G) It shall be unlawful for a nonresident of Ohio to possess, hunt, or trap a wild animal in Ohio if an Ohio resident may not lawfully possess, hunt, or trap that wild animal in the home state of the nonresident.
(H) It shall be unlawful for any person to disturb or destroy the eggs, nest or young of a game bird or to possess the eggs or young taken from a nest of a game bird.
(I) It shall be unlawful for any person to train, work or exercise a dog or permit a dog to run at large or be upon any property owned, controlled, or administered by the division of wildlife that is managed or posted as a state game refuge.
(J) It shall be unlawful to have any mechanical, electrical or electronic device attached to a longbow or crossbow while hunting, which is capable of projecting a visible beam or ray of light on a wild animal.
(K) It shall be unlawful for any person or any member of a party to have in his possession a firearm or any other device that could be used in hunting while training or working a dog pursuing furbearing animals during the closed season.
(L) It shall be unlawful for any person or any member of a party to have in his possession a firearm or any other device that could be used in hunting while training or working a dog pursuing coyotes, at any time except from sunrise to sunset daily.
(M) It shall be unlawful for any person to take wild animals, other than those permitted to be taken by any rule in the Administrative Code or the Revised Code, from properties owned, controlled, or maintained by the division of wildlife without first obtaining permission from the wildlife chief.
(N) Any taxidermist, the owner, manager, or employee of any cold storage, locker plant, or meat processor receiving, processing or having in custody any wild animal or parts thereof, shall maintain accurate diurnal records showing the dates when such wild animal or parts thereof were received, and when the same were disposed of, and the name of the owner of the wild animal or parts thereof, and the state or province from which the wild animal or parts thereof were taken if not Ohio, and if applicable, the official tag or seal number or certificate of ownership number or game check confirmation number. Any person authorized to enforce this rule may enter such establishment or plants at all reasonable hours and inspect the records and premises where operations are being carried on unless the owner or person in charge objects. If the owner or person in charge refuses to permit the inspection, upon filing an affidavit in accordance with law with a court having jurisdiction and upon receiving a warrant, the officer authorized to enforce this section may proceed with the inspection. The records required to be maintained shall be retained by the person or persons responsible for their preparation and maintenance for a period of two years following the date of receiving, possessing or having such wild animals.
(O) It shall be unlawful for any person to release wild quadrupeds, furbearing animals, or wild turkey into the wild that were raised pursuant to a license issued under section 1533.71 of the Revised Code.
(P) It shall be unlawful for any person to release a deer or wild boar in Ohio without first obtaining written permission from the chief of the division of wildlife or his representative, except on a licensed wild animal hunting preserve.
(Q) It shall be lawful to live trap a wild boar at any time provided that the wild boar is immediately euthanized at the trap location.
It shall be unlawful to use a foothold trap or snare to trap a wild boar.
(R) It shall be unlawful for any person to trap who has not complied with the provisions as set forth in rule 1501:31-29-02 of the Administrative Code.
(S) It shall be unlawful for the responsible adult, eighteen years of age or older, to allow a hunter aged fifteen or under to hunt unaccompanied during any hunting season.
(T) All definitions set forth in rule 1501:31-1-02 of the Administrative Code apply to this rule.
Last updated April 15, 2024 at 9:22 AM
Supplemental Information
Amplifies: 1531.06, 1531.08, 1531.10, 1533.02
Five Year Review Date: 6/30/2029
Prior Effective Dates: 5/1/1976, 6/1/1977, 6/1/1978, 6/1/1979, 6/1/1980, 6/1/1981, 6/1/1982, 5/31/1983, 5/31/1984, 6/1/1985, 6/1/1986, 9/15/1987, 6/1/1988, 7/1/1989, 7/18/1995, 8/10/1996, 7/19/2002, 5/28/2004, 7/1/2008, 11/24/2008, 7/1/2009, 7/1/2010, 1/1/2012, 1/1/2013, 1/1/2014, 7/1/2014, 1/1/2015, 7/1/2015, 7/1/2017, 7/27/2018, 7/1/2019