Waterfowl Regulations - The Grey Areas

[bowhunter1023]

Sunday hunting on the Ohio river is always the source of much discussion down here, especially now that WV allows Sunday hunting. But the Sunday hunting in WV is for private land only. We have two spots that are public land hunting here in Ohio (State of Ohio owned), but are across from privately owned WV ground. The counties in WV across from these spots both passed Sunday hunting. A phone call to our county GW revealed a giant grey area. Since we are hunting from the shore, we are under Ohio hunting regulations. However because we are shooting over the river which is owned by WV, we could be subject to fine by WV DNR.

So I am sitting there thinking: You're telling me as a resident tax-payer of Ohio, I need written permission from a WV landowner to hunt from the Ohio shore under Ohio hunting regulations?!? :smiley_confused_vra

 

[Dannmann801]

You just need a fast dog, fast boat, fast truck is all....

 

[bigten05]

That doesn't seem right to me but I'm nobody.

 

[Hedgelj]

That's almost as bad as when they allowed Sunday Turkey hunting in Knox county but there was no legal place to check the turkey (on a sunday) if you shot it in Knox of the surrounding counties.

 

[bowhunter1023]

You just need a fast dog, fast boat, fast truck is all....

Well, we had that discussion. Better to ask forgiveness than permission? Only issue is any state regulation is also a federal regulation, at least as it was explained to me, so that's double trouble. I'd take my chances with the WV DNR as they have MILES of river to cover and you rarely see them out anywhere other than the islands.

 

[jagermeister]

Sounds like bullshit to me. I don't know how WV works, but up here you're not on anyone's property unless you're touching the bottom of the river... Anchor, wading, decoy weights, etc. If you're hunting from an Ohio shore I can't see how this would be a problem. I doubt any prosecutor would want to deal with anything like this anyway.

 

[cspot]

Did you try calling WV? Maybe there is something in their regulations that may clear it up?

 

[tjeep]

What Jager said, you are fine hunting from Ohio shore as long as you do not anchor or set decoys in WV waters. Not sure about WV, but in the Kentucky, you are permitted to the High water mark.

 

[Mao]

We hunt the Ohio a lot and my buddy called ODNR and was told we are good to go as long as we are on private property. He also recommended having written permission from the land owner, which is likely a problem seeing how on an Ohio river bank we don't worry about where we are to much.