COLUMBUS, OH – Approximately 300,000 bowhunters, representing more than half of all Ohioans who hunt deer, are expected to participate in the statewide archery deer hunting season that opens September 25, according the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife.
During last year’s four-month archery season, bowhunters killed 91,546 deer, an increase of 7 percent from the previous year. Crossbow hunters took a record 49,065 of that number and longbow hunters took a record 42,481 deer. Overall, archers accounted for nearly 35 percent of 261,260 deer taken during Ohio’s combined 2009-10 archery, muzzleloader and gun seasons.
Licking County led the state in both the vertical bow and crossbow harvest. Coshocton, Tuscarawas, Harrison and Guernsey rounded out the top five counties in crossbow harvest, while Coshocton, Tuscarawas, Knox and Holmes completed the list of top five counties in vertical bow harvest.

From all indications, Ohio’s statewide deer herd grew slightly in 2009, and a modest increase is likely in 2010. The Division of Wildlife remains committed to reducing populations where needed. Through a combination of both regulatory and programmatic changes, progress towards reducing locally abundant herds can be expected.
First and foremost among these changes are hunters’ deer permit purchase options. All deer hunters are required to have a valid Ohio hunting license.  However, new this year, hunters will not be required to purchase a $24 deer permit in order to obtain the $15 antlerless deer permit, which is valid September 25 through November 28. The $15 antlerless deer permit will be valid through December 5 in Zone C only. However, the $15 antlerless permit may be purchased only until November 28, 2010.

According to Mike Tonkovich, deer project leader, the change was made for several reasons.  First and foremost, the majority of Ohio’s deer hunters purchase only a single deer permit each year, which means that most did not have the option of buying the reduced cost permit. Giving hunters the option of purchasing either the $24 either-sex permit or $15 antlerless permit should promote additional antlerless harvest. The $15 antlerless permit can be used for antlerless deer only. Further, money saved by not being required to buy a $24 either-sex permit can be used to purchase a second $15 antlerless permit.

Ohio’s HuntOhioFarms.com, an Internet-based program linking farmers experiencing deer crop damage with hunters looking for places to hunt, will expand to all of Deer Zone C this year. More information of this program can be found at huntohiofarms.com

Ohio hunters are also encouraged to kill more does again this season using the reduced-priced antlerless deer permit to help the needy in their area. The Division of Wildlife is collaborating with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH) to help pay for the processing of donated venison. Hunters who donate their deer to a food bank are not required to pay the processing cost as long as funding for the effort lasts. More information about this program can be found online at www.fhfh.org. Through the efforts of FHFH and Ohio sportsmen, more than 2,000 antlerless deer were donated to food pantries across Ohio in 2009, more than twice the number in 2008.

After November 28, archery hunters must use a deer permit for antlerless deer. Using the $15 antlerless deer permit, hunters can take one additional antlerless deer in Zone A, up to two additional in Zone B, and up to three additional in Zone C. The antlerless deer permits will also be valid for Division of Wildlife controlled deer hunts and for hunting deer in urban units.
This year’s statewide archery season remains open from September 25 through February 6, 2011, including the week of deer-gun season November 29 through December 5. Deer-gun hunters will also be able to enjoy an additional weekend of hunting December 18 and 19. Archers may hunt one half-hour before sunrise to one half-hour after sunset, except during the statewide gun, youth and muzzleloader seasons when they are one half-hour before sunrise to sunset. Archers hunting during the statewide gun, youth or muzzleloader seasons must meet the hunter orange requirements of those seasons.

To hunt deer in Ohio, hunters must possess a deer permit in addition to a valid hunting license. State law allows hunters to take only one antlered buck per year, regardless the type of deer season, deer permit or weapon used for deer hunting.

A detailed listing of deer hunting rules is contained in the 2010-2011 Ohio Hunting Regulations that is available where licenses are sold, or may be viewed online at wildohio.com.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR Web site at www.ohiodnr.com.

Ohio Deer Archery Season Opens Sept 25th. ©, .

COLUMBUS, OH— An increasing deer population, resulting in negative impacts to native plant communities, has led the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Natural Areas and Preserves to coordinate special archery deer hunts at 16 state nature preserves across the state.

High quality habitats at these state nature preserves including Blackhand Gorge, Fowler Woods, Goll Woods and Lawrence Woods, have been negatively impacted by over-browsing deer. For example, large flowered trillium—Ohio’s state wildflower—has nearly disappeared from several sites because of foraging deer.

“Conducting special management hunts enables the division to protect native plant communities in Ohio’s best natural areas,” said Gary Obermiller, Division of Natural Areas and Preserves’ program administrator. “An added benefit is that Ohio’s hunters are given an opportunity to explore high-quality areas and assist ODNR with critical land management activities.”

There will be four (4) two-week archery hunt sessions and one (1) week-long archery hunt session beginning September 25 through November 27, 2009. Each special archery hunt permit will be good for two hunters for two weeks, with the exception of the last one week session. Hunters will be required to harvest an antlerless deer first.

Participating hunters in Zone A will be allowed to harvest two deer under state hunting rules—one on a $15 antlerless tag and one on a $24 either-sex tag. The Zone B limit is two on the antlerless tag and two on the either-sex tag. Similarly, the Zone C limit is six, three on antlerless tag and three on either-sex tag.

To apply for the special archery hunt lotteries, applicants must send in a 3×5 card with their name, address, daytime phone number and the hunt name (such as Goll Woods Archery Hunt), along with a $5 processing fee for each entry. You may apply for multiple sites, however, you will only be drawn once per site.

Please mark each entry card with the appropriate hunt location. Do not send multiple payments—one check equaling $5 per card is sufficient. Do not send cash—checks and money orders must be made out to Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves. Processing fees are non-refundable. Mail entries to the Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves,2045 Morse Road, Bldg. C-2, Columbus, OH  43229.  Lottery entries must be received by August 15, 2010.

The archery drawing will be held on August 16 at 10 a.m. at the ODNR Fountain Square Complex located at 2045 Morse Road, Building E-1 West, Columbus, Ohio 43229. Applicants do not need to be present at the drawing to be awarded a permit.

Successful archery hunt applicants will be notified by phone, and are required to attend one of two orientation meetings set for September 11 and 12 at various locations. Visitohiodnr.com/dnap for a full listing of lottery rules and special hunt details.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR Web site atwww.ohiodnr.com.

Special Archery Deer Hunts at 16 State Areas this Fall ©, .

COLUMBUS, OH – Five hundred ninety-one Ohio elementary, middle and high school students, from 30 schools, will participate in the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) Championships, May 7-8, in Louisville, Kentucky.

Approximately 7,125 students from 34 states will compete, making it the largest archery tournament in the world. Registration for the 2010 National Tournament is up 42 percent from 2009. Ohio is second only to Kentucky in the number of students participating in the national competition.

“Ohio will be well represented at the national tournament,” said Kevin Dixon, shooting sports coordinator for the Division of Wildlife. “Of the 34 Ohio teams that qualified to move on, 27 have committed to participating.”

School teams and individuals earn the right to participate in the national event by winning their division or by achieving a minimum qualifying score in their respective state competitions.  This year, Ohio had 1,034 students participate in the state tournament on March 5 in Columbus.

Kentucky originated the NASP in 2002. Ohio has participated in the program since 2004. Currently, 402 Ohio schools have teachers trained to introduce students to target archery as a part of their physical education curriculum.  NASP is in 47 states, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR web site at www.ohiodnr.com.

Almost 600 Ohio Student Archers to Compete in National NASP Tournament ©, .

COLUMBUS, OH – The winner of the 2010 National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) state tournament was Maysville (6-12) High School for the fourth consecutive year, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

The state tournament was held March 5 in Columbus in conjunction with the Arnold Sports Festival, the ongoing fitness tournament developed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger addressed the archery participants and their fans during the awards ceremony.

“This year’s state tournament was quite a success in many regards,” said Kevin Dixon, shooting sports coordinator for the Division of Wildlife, which coordinates NASP for Ohio. “The state tournament drew more than 1,000 student archers with 34 of the 45 Ohio teams qualifying for the NASP national tournament in May.”

Tyler Finley (Maysville MS) was the top overall male archer. Both Tyler and Kelsey received full, two-year scholarships to Hocking College in Nelsonville. The top male and female archers were determined by a shoot-off between the top three boys and top three girls from each of three divisions—elementary, middle and high school.

This year’s Spirit Award, which usually is given in recognition of a team’s enthusiasm and support of fellow archers in the tournament, was to Kelsey Taylor of Morgan High School. Kelsey was involved in a serious automobile accident just weeks prior to the tournament. Her determination and dedication led to an overall female archer award for the second year in a row.

A total of 1,034 student archers from 45 teams from across the state competed. Each competitor could score a maximum of 300 points by shooting arrows as close to the center of a target as possible.

Awards were given for both teams and individuals who competed well in the elementary, middle, and high school divisions. Thirty-four Ohio teams received qualifying scores, making them eligible to participate in the NASP National Invitational Tournament scheduled for May 7-8 in Kentucky.

The NASP is used to teach target archery right in the school gym. The curriculum covers archery, safety, equipment, technique, concentration skills and self-improvement. For more information on the program, visit www.ohionasp.com.
The Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR web site at www.ohiodnr.com.

Maysville Ohio Archery in the Schools State Champs ©, .

WARREN, OH – Classroom teachers and other members of school communities who are interested in becoming certified National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) instructors are invited to attend a free training workshop on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010.

The Basic Archery Instructor Training will take place at Lordstown Elementary in Warren from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Registration is required and those interested should call Ken Fry, Division of Wildlife, at (330) 245-3030 or emailKenneth.Fry@dnr.state.oh.us. Please put “NASP workshop” in the subject line.

The NASP program is rapidly growing and gaining popularity among both students and educators. It was introduced into 17 Ohio schools in 2004.  More than 370 Ohio schools now have teachers certified to instruct target archery.

The first NASP program was launched in Kentucky in 2002.  Since that date 48 U.S. states, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia have adopted it.

NASP teaches target archery to elementary, middle and high school students, right in the school gym.  The curriculum covers archery, safety, equipment, technique, concentration skills and self-improvement.

When students are introduced to the sport of archery, the in-school educational component is only the beginning.  Many NASP-participating schools then start after-school programs and archery teams.

For additional details regarding NASP in Ohio click here

Free Archery Instructor Training at Lordstown ©, .