Ohio Deer Season opens Dec.1

Posted by admin

November 17, 2008

COLUMBUS, OH - Ohio’s popular deer-gun season opens statewide on Monday, December
1, offering hunters a full week to harvest a whitetail. The upcoming season will
again include an extra weekend of gun hunting on December 20-21, according to the
Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
Deer can be legally hunted with a gun from one half-hour before sunrise to sunset
through December 7 and during the extra designated weekend. With a pre-hunting season
population estimate of 700,000 white-tailed deer, the Division of Wildlife anticipates
115,000 to 125,000 deer will be killed during the nine-day season. Approximately
400,000 hunters are expected to participate in this year’s season, including many
out-of-state hunters.
The white-tailed deer is the most popular game animal in Ohio, frequently pursued
by generations of hunters. Ohio ranks 6th nationally in annual hunting-related sales
and 4th in the number of jobs associated with the hunting-related industry. Each
year, hunting has a $1.5 billion economic impact in Ohio. Hunting related retail
sales in Ohio total more than $700 million.
Venison is delicious and nutritious meat, low in fat and cholesterol. It is the
number one wild game served by hunters in Ohio. Deer hunters also contribute thousands
of pounds of venison to organizations that help feed less-fortunate Ohioans through
special programs.
Ohio is divided into three deer hunting zones. A limit of one deer may be taken
in Zone A (20 counties). Hunters may take a second deer in Zone B (30 counties).
A total of three deer may be harvested in eastern and southeastern Ohio’s Zone
C (38 counties). Any time a hunter is allowed to take more than one deer, they must
purchase an additional permit. The antlerless deer permit will be valid for deer-gun
week only in Zone C. Hunters may purchase up to four antlerless deer permits to
take antlerless deer within the designated urban deer zones located around Columbus,
Cleveland, Akron, Youngstown, Toledo, Dayton, and Cincinnati. Antlerless deer permits
must be purchased by November 30.
Hunters may take only one antlered deer, regardless of zone, hunting method or season.
Hunters can harvest no more than seven deer total during the 2008-09 season. A deer
permit is required in addition to a valid Ohio hunting license.
Hunters are encouraged to kill more does this season using the reduced-priced antlerless
deer permit and donate any extra venison to organizations assisting Ohioans in need.
The Division is collaborating with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry to help
pay for the processing of donated venison. Hunters who give their deer to a food
bank are not required to pay the processing cost as long as the deer are taken
to a participating processor and funding for the effort lasts. Counties being served
by this program can be found online at www.fhfh.org
Additional hunting regulations and maps of the state’s deer zones are contained
in the 2008-2009 Ohio Hunting & Trapping Regulations. This free publication
is available wherever hunting licenses are sold, online at wildohio.com or by calling
1-800-WILDLIFE.